Mansfield
Mansfield is located in the south-central Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in North Texas, approximately fifteen miles southeast of Fort Worth and twenty-two miles southwest of Dallas. Mansfield’s city limits span three counties. It is located primarily in southeastern Tarrant County with parts in northeastern Johnson County and northwestern Ellis County and is accessible by both U.S. Route 287 and Texas Highway 360, the latter of which terminates in southern Mansfield. The approximate latitude and longitude of the center of Mansfield is 32⁰ 33’ 48” N and 97⁰ 8’ 31” W.
The area that became Mansfield was originally known as Walnut Creek, named for the creek that runs through the town. In 1857 business partners Ralph S. Man, a South Carolinian, and Julian B. Feild from Virginia sold their sawmill and their water-powered gristmill in Fort Worth and relocated to the wheat-producing area in southeastern Tarrant County, where they built the first steam-powered gristmill in North Texas. The settlement that grew up around the Man and Feild Mill was named for the two men; the original spelling of the town name was Mansfeild. Feild, who owned and operated a general merchandise store, became the local postmaster in 1860. During the Civil War, the Man and Feild Mill supplied meal and flour to the Confederate Army and transported it as far away as Shreveport, Louisiana, and Jefferson City, Missouri. After the war the mill received United States government contracts to supply flour and meal to American Indian reservations and federal army outposts in West Texas (including forts Griffin, Concho, and Belknap), New Mexico, and Indian Territory. While Feild sold his interest in the mill and returned to Fort Worth by 1880, Man remained. Man’s home, the oldest surviving structure in the city, was built in stages beginning in 1865. It was restored by the city of Mansfield and opened to the public as the Man House Museum in 2020. Man also gave land which became the Mansfield Cemetery.
Jan Hart, Christopher Ohan, Cindy Gardner | © TSHA
Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.
Belongs to
Mansfield is part of or belongs to the following places:
Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
Mansfield is classified as a Town
Location
Latitude: 32.56913020Longitude: -97.12079300
Has Post Office
Yes
Is Incorporated
Yes
Population Count, 2021 View more »
74,368