BLACK MUSTANG RANCH
THE NEXT GENERATION
Great trails
Sandy, rocky, hilly and flat overlooking the prettiest lake in North Texas
Horses with bigger engine
For the avid rider.
Low intermediate to advanced
Boarding on trail
No need of a horse trailer to ride on > 30 mile trail
Gift Certificates
Available for any of the services offered. Call for more information.
Cattle and Cotton Region
Pilot Point
Interesting historical facts about Pilot Point
It was named for its location on the top of a ridge that could be seen from a distance. The grove of oak trees with one tall cottonwood in the center was used as a landmark by Indians, Texas Rangers, scouts, and early settlers. Dripping Springs, just north of the hill, provided water and a convenient camping area for travelers and was an attractive area for settlers as early as 1845, two years before the county was organized. The land was granted to Charles Smith's heirs on March 13, 1841. James Pierson laid off the plat of Pilot Point on February 11, 1854. Settlers arrived rapidly, and Pilot Point received a post office in 1855 with James D. Walcott, the owner of Pilot Point's first general store, as postmaster. In 1856 the first subscription school in the community opened, operated by a New Yorker, Alphius "Yankee" Knight. Two churches were founded that year, the First Baptist and the Methodist.
In the late 1850s Pilot Point was on the route of the Butterfield Stage, which brought the mail.
In 1877 the first telegraph lines came through. It ran from Sherman west through Pilot Point along "Wire Road," which is now known as FM 1192. The telegraph line extended to a government post at Jacksboro. Pilot Point's first telegrapher was Ed Reaves. He was the son-in-law of the former Governor Throckmorton, and later was the chief telegrapher at the White House.
The town's first newspaper The Post appeared on August 31, 1878. The Post's successor, through several consolidations through the years, was The Post-Signal. It still covers the news of Pilot Point and surrounding areas.
Prior to the Civil War, cattle and cotton were integral pieces of Texas’ economy with cotton being the primary export and cattle being the second. In 1860, the value of cattle in Texas was $43 million and Texans produced more than 431,000 bales of cotton. Most agriculture took place on small, subsistence farms.
The town's first newspaper The Post appeared on August 31, 1878. The Post's successor, through several consolidations through the years, was The Post-Signal. It still covers the news of Pilot Point and surrounding areas.
Prior to the Civil War, cattle and cotton were integral pieces of Texas’ economy with cotton being the primary export and cattle being the second. In 1860, the value of cattle in Texas was $43 million and Texans produced more than 431,000 bales of cotton. Most agriculture took place on small, subsistence farms.
Information retrieved from TSHA, Texas State Historical Association - Bibliography: Mike Cochran, "The German Catholic Colony at Pilot Point," Denton Review, Fall 1989. Marker Files, Texas Historical Commission, Austin. Vertical Files, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin, The City of Pilot Point and omeka.library.unt.edu/s/stjohns.
Things to do in Pilot Point besides riding horses with us...
- Bonnie and Clyde Bank, Farmers and Merchants Bank where the movie Bonnie and Clyde was filmed. Now it is an antique store, but the re-enactment takes place every year around October
- Buff's Grill - 940-391-2260
- Corner Cafe - 940-312-7132
- Lake Ray Roberts State Park - 940-686-2148
- Lizzy Gator Custom Creations - 940-391-2260
- Lone Star Lodge & Marina - 940-686-0261
- Lowbrow's Beer & Wine Garden - 940-686-3801
- Nick's Italian Restaurant - 940-686-2520
- Sharkarosa, wildlife resort - 940-686-4600 - www.sharkarosa.com
- Slye Ranch, Cabins overnight - 940-206-2974
- Texas Tulips - 940-230-6512
- Western Son Distillery - 940-324-0008
