History

Joshua was recorded and surveyed in 1880 and first organized when the railroad line was extended through town in 1881. While transportation fueled the growth of Joshua, farming was the principal source of income and cotton was the chief crop. At one time, more than 2,500 bales of cotton were ginned annually. Willie Denton College was founded in 1899. In 1909, the land of Willie Denton College was turned over to the Joshua Independent School District.

Joshua has continued to experience significant growth. Though the first automobile came to Joshua in 1913, today, Highway 174 is the major thoroughfare with more than 25,000 vehicles passing through daily. The planned Highway 121 corridor (to be built and usable by traffic by early 2007) will provide a needed express drive directly into Fort Worth and will ultimately join at the SH 121 termination where it intersects with IH 35W in central Fort Worth.