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The community of Little Elm is located on land that was part of the original Peters Colony empresario grant awarded by the Republic of Texas in 1841. Among the earliest colonists in this vicinity to receive land under the Peters grant were John (d. 1846) and Delilah (1806 - 1884) King, who moved from North Carolina in 1844 to settle a 640-acre tract about one mile southwest of this site. Their son, C. C. "Kit" King (1823 - 1880), helped organize the first mail service in this area about 1845. When Little Elm post office was established in 1852, he was appointed postmaster. Another pioneer resident, William Dickson, was the first elected judge of Denton County, 1848-52. Named for a nearby creek, the community of Little Elm was formed by the consolidation of several small settlements, including Lloyd, Hackberry, Dickson, and Hilltown. As it grew, the town acquired a school, churches, a cotton gin, and grocery and drug stores. Further growth accompanied the development of recreational facilities following the creation of Lake Dallas in 1925-26 and Garza-Little Elm Reservoir (now known as Lake Lewisville) in the mid-1950s. Construction of the reservoir prompted relocation of many historic structures, roads, and cemeteries that were threatened by rising water. However, the community's proximity to Lake Lewisville and to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, along with population immigration from nearby large cities, caused Little Elm to grow instead of falter, and the town was officially incorporated in 1966. (1976, 2010) |
