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Joshua is at the intersection of State Highway 174 and Farm Road 917, on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad seven miles southeast of Burleson and eight miles north of Cleburne in north central Johnson County. It is in the Cross Timbers region on land patented by W. W. Byers in 1867. The section was sold in 1874 to John Powell. Caddo Grove, two miles west of Joshua, was the first community in the area. It had its own post office and was a thriving town until the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was completed from Cleburne to Fort Worth in 1881. The railroad missed Caddo Grove, and a station was built on the tracks at the site of future Joshua. The station was originally called Caddo Peak, but the name was rejected by the post office because of another Caddo Peak. The name Joshua was chosen, purportedly by Dr. D. B. McMillan, after the biblical Joshua. W. L. West was the first postmaster when the community received a post office in 1882. In 1883 Caddo Grove's post office was withdrawn.

The plat for Joshua was first surveyed in 1880, and the community was organized in 1881 when the railroad arrived. The first store, opened in 1882 by W. L. West, also housed the post office. By 1890 Joshua had a population of 300, two steam corn mill- cotton gins, a hotel, a general store, and a newspaper, the Johnson County Record. The railroad shipped farm produce, Joshua's largest export. The first one-room school opened in 1890, and in 1899 it moved into a new building. In 1917 this school became Joshua High School. In 1900 and 1912 Joshua suffered major fires. In spite of this, new businesses continued to open. The Citizen's Banking Company, opened in 1904, was run by J. W. Spencer. Two years later a public water system began. Truck gardens, orchards, and corn and cotton farms surrounded Joshua. In 1912 the Fort Worth South Traction Line began to provide service from Cleburne to Fort Worth and had a stop in Joshua. Service stopped in 1932 because of the growing importance of automobile travel. The first car in Joshua was purchased in 1913. By 1914 the community had a population of 824, two cotton gins, an ice plant, a bank, a newspaper named the Joshua Star, and four churches. Local farms grew cotton and potatoes. In the mid-1950s Joshua was incorporated, with Ted Strube as the first mayor. The population dropped to 550 during the 1950s and rose to 924 in 1970. By 1980 it was 1,470. Because of its proximity to Fort Worth, the population grew to 3,828 by 1990 and 4,528 by 2000. Joshua had fourteen businesses in 1970 and fifty-eight in 1980, when seven local manufacturers made such items as aluminum products, boat trailers, leather goods, and windows. The Joshua Tribune began publication in 1970 and was published until the early 1990s, when it moved to Burleson. By 2000 Joshua reported 239 businesses.

Relax in North Central Texas - Business Directory

Accommodation Hotel/Motel Americas Best Value Inn & Suites 1614 Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.americasbestvalueinn.com Reservations: 888.315.2378 t: 254.897.2111 f: 254.897.2232 Map Glen Rose Inn & Suites 300 SW Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 t: 254.897.2940 f: 254.897.8800 e: glenrosehotel@valornet.com Map top Attractions Granbury Live 114 N. Crockett St., Granbury, TX 76048 www.granburylive.com t: 817.573.0303 toll free: 800.989.8240 e: info@granburylive.com Map  top Camping RV Parks Big John's Liquor and RV Park / Whit's Grocery Shak 4133 3rd St, Walnut Springs, TX 76690 www.bigjohnswalnut.com t: 254.797.5000 f: 254.797.0227 e: info@bigjohnswalnut.com Map top Eateries Bakeries Tiger Corner / Sub Express / Barnard St. Bakery 1110 NE Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.tigercorner.biz t: 254.897.3324 f: 254.898.8406 e: info@tigercorner.biz Map Restaurants Big Cup Eatery 226 SW Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose, TX 76043 www.nctxonlineguide.com/bigcup.html t: 254.897.3841 c: 254.396.3119 Map Granny's Restaurant Family owned and operated  109 Hereford St, Glen Rose, TX 76043 t: 254.897.9773 Map top Health Care Chiropractic Coble Chiropractic 507 SW Big Bend Trail, Ste. C, Glen Rose, TX 76043 t: 254.897.7447 f: 254.897.2099 e: coblechiropractic@valornet.com Map Dental Susan Baker, DDS 1104 Bluebonnet St, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.drsusanbaker.com t: 254.898.4646 f: 254.897.7321 e: sjbaker@windstream.net Map top Home Services Plumbing Boyd's Plumbing Company Serving Somervell county and the surrounding areas http://boydplumbingco.net t: 254.897.3692 f: 254.897.1279 e: boydplumbingco@aol.com Well Drilling Pollock Well Drilling & Services Inc 2910 Hwy 67 N., Rainbow, TX 76077 t: 254.897.2350 f: 254.897.9613 e: pollockdrilling@valornet.com Map top Professional Services Business Consulting Powers Communication Serving all of North Central Texas www.nctxonlineguide.com/powerscom.html t: 254.436.0000 e: info@nctxonlineguide.com Computer Services John Cunyus - Mobile Computer Repair PO Box 482, Glen Rose, TX 76403 www.johncunyus.com/computerservice.html t: 254.897.4197 Toll Free: 888.896.6081 e: john@johncunyus.com top Ranch Services Well Drilling Pollock Well Drilling & Services Inc 2910 Hwy 67 N., Rainbow, TX 76077 t: 254.897.2350 f: 254.897.9613 e: pollockdrilling@valornet.com Map top Real Estate Agents Dinosaur Valley Reatly 1005 Big Bend Trail Ste. 4, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.dinosaurvalleyrealty.com t: 254.897.7158 f: 254.897.3602 c: 817.648.2122 e: scott@dinosaurvalleyrealty.com Map Home Inspectors Burgan Home Inspections Inspecting North / North Central Texas for over 20 years www.nctxonlineguide.com/burganinspections.html t: 254-898-0102 c: 817.379.9799 e: burganinspections@verizon.com Map top Retail Grocery Big John's Liquor and RV Park / Whit's Grocery Shak 4133 3rd St, Walnut Springs, TX 76690 www.bigjohnswalnut.com t: 254.797.5000 f: 254.797.0227 e: info@bigjohnswalnut.com Map Liquor Big John's Liquor and RV Park / Whit's Grocery Shak 4133 3rd St, Walnut Springs, TX 76690 www.bigjohnswalnut.com t: 254.797.5000 f: 254.797.0227 e: info@bigjohnswalnut.com Map top Utilities Southwest Water & Electric Energy Powers Serving all of North Central Texas and the World www.sweepcorp.com e: info@sweepcorp.com top Wedding Services Tiger Corner / Sub Express / Barnard St. Bakery 1110 NE Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.tigercorner.biz t: 254.897.3324 f: 254.898.8406 e: info@tigercorner.biz Map top ref: http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/JJ/hjj1.html