Region: Prairies and Lakes
Kaufman was first settled in 1840 by 40 families led by Dr. William P. King
of Mississippi, who purchased land and built a fort on a hilltop that overlooked
his new home. The area became known as Kings Fort, and grew into the town of
Kingsboro. In 1848, the town was part of the land taken from Henderson County to
establish Kaufman County, and the town took on this name when it became the
county seat.
Today, this city southeast of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex is home to
several historic churches, including The Church of Our Merciful Savior (built in
1909), 500 S. Jackson St.; First Presbyterian Church of Kaufman (built in 1877),
400 E. Mulberry; Grace Christian Church, 504 S. Houston; and the First United
Methodist Church of Kaufman (built in 1909), 208 S. Houston St.
Greenslade Drug, a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, was built in 1891. The
Greenslade family ran the drug store from 1919 until 2006, making it the oldest
continuously operated family pharmacy in Texas. On the town square at 111 W.
Mulberry St.
The historic town square, with its turn-of-the-century buildings, hosts
events such as the annual Scarecrow Festival, held the fourth Saturday in
October.