Mesquite

Mesquite is a suburban city east of Dallas, Texas. Most of the city lies in Dallas County, with a small portion extending into Kaufman County. Mesquite is bordered to the west by Dallas, to the north by Garland, to the northeast by Sunnyvale and Samuell Farm, to the south by Seagoville and Dallas, and to the southwest by Balch Springs. It is positioned along four major highways (Interstates 30, 635, and 20, and U.S. Route 80). The approximate latitude and longitude coordinates of Mesquite are 32° 46' N / 96° 35' W.

Mesquite was established as a depot town by the Texas and Pacific Railway in May 1873. The town was named after nearby Mesquite Creek. Station agent William Bradfield was the first settler in the town, which attracted residents from the surrounding farm communities of Long Creek, New Hope, Haught’s Store, and Scyene. A post office was established in Mesquite in 1874. The Baptist congregation built the town’s first church in 1877. Residents incorporated the town on December 3, 1887, and elected J. E. Russell as mayor. The area converted to a cotton economy following the arrival of the railroad, but dependence on cotton and limited economic diversification hindered growth. The town square was built in 1901. The first manufacturing plant in the area, built just outside of the city limits of Mesquite, was Dallas Pressed Brick Company, founded by Schuyler B. Marshall, Sr., in 1904.