Elizabethtown, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabethtown, Texas
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 Elizabethtown, Texas
Location in Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Denton |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
76262
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| FIPS code | 48121 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1378252 |
Elizabethtown, also known as Bugtown, is a ghost town in Texas. It's located about fifteen miles southwest of Denton in Denton County. The town got its first name from the nearby Elizabeth Creek. This creek starts in northeast Roanoke and flows towards Rhome, Haslet, and Avondale.
Elizabethtown is one of several ghost towns in Denton County. Other ghost towns in the area include Drop, Stony, Alton, and Green Valley. Texas has many ghost towns, which are places where most people have moved away.
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History of Elizabethtown
The first people to settle in Elizabethtown arrived around 1850. They were part of a group called the Peters Colony. In 1852, Elizabethtown became a place where cowboys could get supplies. These cowboys were driving their cattle herds to Kansas.
The Harmon family helped start the town. They built a church, homes, a business, and a school. At its busiest, the school had 25 students. By 1859, Elizabethtown had six saloons, a hotel, and a post office.
Why Was it Called Bugtown?
People from nearby Justin say Elizabethtown was once called Bugtown. This nickname came about after a huge swarm of bugs showed up at a camp meeting one night. There were so many bugs that the preaching had to stop!
Life During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, the area around Denton County was not protected from Native American groups. Many families moved east to safer areas during this time. However, many of them returned after the war ended.
As the town grew, it added four general stores and another hotel. There was also a place to keep horses called a livery stable. The town also had Baptist and Methodist churches. A Masonic lodge was active there from 1873 to 1876.
The School and John M. Tidwell
The school in Elizabethtown became its own school district in 1884. It was called Elizabethtown School District #58. In 1911, a boy named John Morgan Tidwell was born. He started attending this school when he was about five years old.
As Elizabethtown began to shrink, the school was no longer needed. John Tidwell and his family moved to Roanoke. In 1946, the Elizabethtown School District joined with schools in Roanoke and other nearby areas. This led to the creation of the Northwest Independent School District (NISD) in 1949.
When John M. Tidwell grew up, he became a very important member of the NISD board. He helped the school district grow and improve. John Tidwell passed away in 1999. To honor his work, a school was named after him. John M. Tidwell Middle School opened in Roanoke in 2010.
Notable People from Elizabethtown
- George Harper: He was a doctor and the postmaster.
- M.H. Smith: A blacksmith who worked with metal.
- Newton Chance: Another blacksmith in the town.
- Amos Bullard: Also a blacksmith.
- Sewell Brown: A merchant who sold goods.
- James Snyder: A wagonmaker who built and repaired wagons.
- Robert Wright: A carpenter who built things with wood.
- Barry Allen: A courier who delivered messages.
- John Morgan Tidwell: He served for nine years on the NISD Board of Trustees. He was also a City Council Member in Roanoke.
Decline and Future of Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown last appeared on the Denton County tax records in 1880. A new railroad, the Texas and Pacific Railway, was built in 1881. It went through Denton County but bypassed Elizabethtown by two miles. Many residents then moved two miles east to the new town of Roanoke. They took their businesses, churches, and the Masonic lodge with them.
The town of Elizabethtown mostly disappeared by the 1950s. However, around that time, about five people were still living in some nearby houses. There was also a farm that was likely torn down after 2014. You can see this using Google Maps street view.
Today, the only part of Elizabethtown that remains is the Elizabeth Cemetery. This cemetery is still used today. There is also a road called Elizabethtown Cemetery Road. The rest of the town is now a grassy field.
A Renaissance Fair and New Businesses
From 1997 to 2001, a Renaissance fair called the Hawkwood Renaissance Faire operated in Elizabethtown. It's not clear why the fair stopped. Some stories say it was due to fears after the September 11 attacks or a party that damaged the site. The real reason was that the fair just didn't get enough visitors anymore. You can still see small pieces of the fair, like wood and building parts, on satellite imagery from Google Maps.
In 2021, the land around what was once Elizabethtown started to be used again. Several Amazon warehouses and other businesses were built there. These new buildings are right off Elizabethtown Cemetery Road, which was recently paved. This new development could mean that the area around Elizabethtown is starting to grow again.
Geography of the Area
The former town site of Elizabethtown is located near Elizabeth Creek. It's south of where Interstate 35 and State Highway 114 meet. The center of the old town was just north of the creek, where a modern apartment complex now stands.
The Elizabeth Cemetery is in the southeastern part of the ghost town. It's located off Elizabethtown Cemetery Road. Even though the town is gone, the name "Elizabethtown" still appears on Google Maps. It shows the area near the Texas Motor Speedway. The zip code for this area is 76262. Nearby cities include Roanoke, Northlake, Denton, Fort Worth, and Justin.
