On The Record, Vol. 3, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, August 12, 2011 Page: 7 of 44
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Editor's Letter:
If you drive the speed limit about
10 miles west of Denton on Highway
380, it's easy to miss the tiny town of
Stony.
Deep within the heart of Denton
County it's home to a man who has
dedicated his life to saving North Texas
historic buildings from destruction. Bill
Marquis, owner of Marquis Restoration
and Preservation, works with old-fash-
ioned tools and authentic materials to
bring decaying, yet important, historic
buildings back to life.
Exploring Denton
As a rookie staff writer at the NT Daily,
I stumbled across Bill while reporting
on the grand opening of the Denton
African American Museum, which he
restored.
I had no idea who Bill was or what
this man in his 60s could accomplish.
However, after seeing the resurrected
structure on Sycamore Street, I had to
find out more about his craft.
Looking back, had I not dug deeper,
I never would have known he owns
one of the most seminal structures in
Denton History the oldest house in
Denton County.
The 16- by 6-foot log cabin is known
as the Vaughan-Christal cabin, built in
1836 by early pioneer Jonathan Bird (the
namesake of Birdville ISD in Tarrant
County).
Bill saved the cabin from developers
and weather so that school children,
day-trippers and any curious history
lover could see it in its original form on
his property.
In our previous interview, Bill told me,
"This cabin holds great significance to
me, but it means so much to so many
people. They were the ones who I really
saved it for."
It's people like Bill who bridge the gap
between the past and present telling
the story of Denton, then and now.
Present-Day Denton
For many people, Denton is just a
s topping place along the course of their
lives. Although they may not have grown
up here or plan to end up here, Denton
is where many can claim some of their
most memorable years.
When you live in a place, it becomes
part of you in some way. It's important
to be engaged in its history and heritage,
if only to enrich your life even more.
What You'll Find
This edition of On the Record tells
the stories of Denton's founding fathers
and their struggles in building this city
from the ground up. They worked with
their bare hands, like Bill, to build some-
thing that future generations could be
proud of.
Along the way, there were less- than-
reputable people who lived outside
the law. At one time, "Sam Bass"
was more than just a UNT bus line
and a street name. He was an infa-
mous train robber and cattle thief
who preyed on local railways and
ranchers.
The notorious robbers, Bonnie and
Clyde, also stormed their way through
Denton, only to to featured decades
later in a film about their lives, which
premiered at the Campus Theatre.
We have also included a Best Historical
Landmarks guide based on historical
impact, intrigue and significance. We
highly suggest you take time to explore
some of these places on a day you can
appreciate them.
Throughout this magazine, you'll find
more people and places that are signif-
icant threads in the fabric of Denton
culture.
As you amble through the streets and
observe things around you, remember
you're creating your own historic
journey. Read through this magazine
to discover a little more about how we
got here to help grasp a better sense of
where we are going.
ShainaZucke r
Editor-in-Chief
What I've Learned From This Edition:
1. All the words to the UNT Fight Song.
2. Denton was named after John B. Denton because he died defending the townspeople from Native Americans.
3. The alleged Curse of Sam Bass Cave was actually disease carrying ticks that lived in the caves.
4. The courthouse was burned to the ground twice — once on purpose and once by lightening.
5. The deadliest tornado tore through Denton, killing 10 and injuring 200 in 1957.
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Zucker, Shaina. On The Record, Vol. 3, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, August 12, 2011, periodical, August 12, 2011; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth209156/m1/7/: accessed March 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .