John Bunyan Denton, a Methodist preacher, entered Texas for the first time in 1836. To support his family he also became a lawyer and practiced law in Clarksville and like other men at the time he joined the military when he was needed. On May 22, 1841 he accompanied Col. Edward H. Tarrant and other men in his company at the battle of Village Creek, a fight between the settlers and Indians near present day Fort Worth. He was killed early on in the fight while raising his rifle to fire. His body was buried and moved once before being moved a final time to the corner of the courthouse square in 1901.

Denton County was formed in 1846 but the town of Denton was not created until 1857 when residents required a county seat more centrally located. Today Denton is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.