Roanoke was established in 1881 when the Texas & Pacific Railroad came through the area, and it was named by a railroad surveyor from Roanoke, Virginia. Settlers had lived there as early as 1847, and many later relocated from nearby communities such as Garden Valley, originally Medlin Settlement, and Elizabethtown. Situated halfway between Fort Worth and Denton, Roanoke became a shipping hub for ranching and agriculture. Large ranches operated in the area, and the railroad enabled ranchers to ship cattle profitably to northern markets, with cattle held in Roanoke’s stock pens before shipment. Area farmers, many of whom had previously practiced subsistence farming, also used the railroad, and wheat and cotton were the primary crops. Roanoke grew steadily throughout the 1800s, and by 1890 it had four churches, a school, a cotton gin, and several businesses. By the early 1900s, its economy had diversified to include a newspaper, a bank, a grain elevator, and the Denton Oil and Gas Company. Early vital figures included rancher Sam Reynolds, John (Bob) and Almedia Jones, whose property was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad, and Hugh W. Jenkins, a storeowner and the town’s first mayor. Transportation expanded further with completion of the Northwest Highway in 1932 and construction of U.S. Highway 377 along Front Street in 1939 with state and federal funds. Roanoke incorporated in 1933 and continued steady growth throughout the 20th century.