Settlers began moving to this area in the 1830s, when Texas was a Republic, but Bartlett was not established until the 1870s by J. Edward Pietzsch and Capt. John T. Bartlett, for whom the community was named. In 1882 the railroad reached Bartlett, making it a major regional cotton center. Incorporated in 1890, the city lies on the Williamson-Bell County line, which divides several homes and commercial buildings, and it continues to serve as a trade center for the surrounding agricultural district.