Barnum, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barnum
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 Barnum
Location in Texas
Barnum
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Polk |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Barnum is a small place in Polk County, Texas. It's known as an unincorporated community. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a town or city. It doesn't have its own local government. Instead, it's part of the larger county.
What is an Unincorporated Community?
An unincorporated community like Barnum is a place where people live, but it's not set up as its own town or city. It doesn't have a mayor or its own city council. Instead, the county government takes care of things like roads and services. It's like a neighborhood that's part of a bigger area.
History of Barnum
Barnum started to grow in 1881. This happened because a sawmill was built there. A sawmill is a factory that cuts logs into lumber. The sawmill was built right next to a railroad line. This made it easy to transport the wood.
People aren't completely sure how Barnum got its name. Some think it was named after P. T. Barnum. He was a famous American businessman. He was well-known for creating the circus. Others believe it was named after a different person. This person was also a sawmill owner in Texas. His last name was also Barnum.
