Carlton, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carlton, Texas
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 Carlton, Texas
Location in Texas
Carlton, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Hamilton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.78 sq mi (2.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,332 ft (406 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 102 |
| • Density | 130.1/sq mi (50.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
76436
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| Area code(s) | 254 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2805785 |
Carlton is a small community in Hamilton County, Texas. It's known as a "census-designated place" (CDP). This means it's an area that the government counts for population, even though it's not officially a city or town. Carlton is located in the northeastern part of Hamilton County. In 2020, about 102 people lived there.
History of Carlton
Carlton was started in 1877 by a man named H.H. Armstrong. He built it on land owned by two local people, J. M. Evans and Dr. F. M. Carlton. The town was named after Dr. Carlton.
The town grew quickly because it was on a main stagecoach route. Stagecoaches were like old-time buses that carried people and mail. By 1878, Carlton already had its own school and several churches.
In 1879, the post office from a nearby place called Honey Creek moved to Carlton. This helped the town grow even more. By 1900, Carlton had about 160 people and many businesses. One big business was a "cotton gin," which was a machine that separated cotton fibers from their seeds.
A railroad, the Stephenville North and South Texas Railway, came through Carlton in 1907. This railroad was part of a bigger system called the Cotton Belt Route. It connected Carlton to other towns like Alexander and Hamilton.
Carlton reached its biggest size around 1910, with 750 people living there. During this time, the town even had two small weekly newspapers. One was called the Courier, and the other was the Citizen.
However, things started to get tough for Carlton in the 1930s. A tiny insect called the boll weevil damaged cotton crops in the 1920s. This hurt the farmers and businesses. Then, the Great Depression hit, which was a very difficult time for the whole country's economy.
Because of these problems, the railroad stopped running through Carlton in 1934. By 1940, the population had dropped to 400 people. The schools in Carlton closed in 1969. By 1980, only about 70 people lived in Carlton, and this number stayed about the same until the year 2000.
Carlton's Population
Carlton first appeared as a "census-designated place" in the 2020 U.S. Census. This means it was officially counted as a specific community for the first time in 2020.
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 102 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 |
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Schools in Carlton
Students in Carlton attend schools that are part of the Hico Independent School District.
More About Carlton
The ZIP code for Carlton is 76436. Parts of this ZIP code also reach into nearby Comanche and Erath counties.
Carlton has a large, old cemetery. It's located on the north side of Fm-2823. This road goes west from Carlton towards the Comanche County line.
