Bristol is on Farm Road 660 eighteen miles northeast of Waxahachie in northeastern Ellis County. Joshua W. Brock and two of his brothers were among the first settlers in the area in the early 1840s. A post office operated under the name of Brockville from 1854 to 1869, and later the community was unofficially known as "Heelstring.". Dancing was a popular diversion in the area's early social life. Some twenty years later, Captain Steven Mills arrived. He did not believe "Heelstring" would be an asset in reaching the town's full potential, so he named his store "Bristol" since he had done busness in Bristol, England. Community development revolved around a steam gristmill, a sawmill and a cotton gin constructed by the Sparkman family in the late 1860s. The first community building, a log church, school and lodge room, was constructed in 1870. The post office opened on August 15, 1872. Farming was prevalent, crops being cotton and sugar cane along with cattle raising. In 1881, Bristol had a population of 150. By 1890 there were 200 residents served by a half dozen businesses, a bank, two churches, and an elementary school. In the early 1920s, the ferry service was discontinued, and when the automobile began to appear, there was a "jitney." or taxi service, one being operated by Jim Brazier, a local resident. (Jim's two brothers, John and Charles, had a mercantile business in the 1920s and 30s in Ferris, and later in Ennis.) Navigation of the Trinity River was always a possibility but never became a reality. More Information If you have an personal recollections, historical information or a story about Bristol, be a historical contributing author. Email us with your story or information. Editor's email |
