Barnum, Texas

Barnum
Unincorporated area
Barnum Location within the state of Texas Show map of Texas Barnum Barnum (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 30°56′42″N 94°40′22″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Polk
Elevation [1]	76 m (249 ft)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
GNIS feature ID	1379392[1]

Barnum is an unincorporated community in Polk County, in the U.S. state of Texas.^[1]

History

Barnum sprang up in 1881 around a sawmill built on a railroad line.^[2] Some believe the community was named after P. T. Barnum, an American businessman and circus founder, while other hold it was named for another Texas sawmill owner named Barnum.^[3]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Barnum, Texas
2. Barnum from the Handbook of Texas Online
3. Tarpley, Fred (July 5, 2010). 1001 Texas Place Names. University of Texas Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-292-78693-6.