Rosston is a small farming and ranching community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in southwestern Cooke County

Cooke County, Texas

As of the census of 2000, there were 36,363 people, 13,643 households, and 10,000 families residing in the county. The population density was 42 people per square mile . There were 15,061 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It lies along FM 922

Farm to Market Road 922

Farm to Market Road 922 or FM 922 is a two-lane, state-maintained highway that connects the farming areas of Montague, Cooke, and Grayson Counties...

 along Clear Creek, mid-way between Forestburg

Forestburg, Texas

Forestburg is an unincorporated community in Montague County, Texas, United States.The Forestburg Independent School District serves area students. With its K-12 campus serving approx. 210 students, the class sizes are small and allow for one on one attention.-External links:...

 in Montague County

Montague County, Texas

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,117 people, 7,770 households, and 5,485 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 9,862 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...

 and Era

Era, Texas

Era is an unincorporated community in Cooke County, Texas, United States.About 7 miles west of Era, there is the Liberman Broadcasting Tower Era, one of earth's tallest structures, and as of May 2007 was the tallest structure in Texas. The tower is named for its proximity to Era, though it is much...

 in Cooke County.

In 2000, Rosston reported a population of 110. The community boasts a general store, a volunteer fire department, two church buildings, and several residences, as well as a wealth of agricultural enterprises.

Just east of the town, there is the Liberman Broadcasting Tower Era

Liberman Broadcasting Tower Era

Liberman Broadcasting Tower, Era, is a 2,000-foot-tall guyed mast located at 33°29'05.5" N and 97°24'44.8" W in Cooke County, Texas, USA. It was built in 2006 and is used for emergency communication and commercial radio broadcasting...

, one of earth's tallest structures, and as of May 2007 was the tallest structure in Texas. The tower is named for its proximity to Era, though it is much closer to Rosston and Leo.

History

Anglo settlement began as early as the Texas Revolution

Texas Revolution

The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...

 in Cooke County, drawing many to establish homesteads and ranches in the Rosston vicinity.

In 1865, the area of present-day Rosston was settled. The scattered community was promptly raided by tribes

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 from Indian Territory

Indian Territory

The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...

 in what would become the last raid of Indians on white settlers in Cooke County. Settlers from Grayson County later established Rosstown in 1870.

The namesake Ross family owned a general store, cotton gin, and mill to serve the farmers of the area. A post office opened in 1872 and the town officially became Rosston. The Butterfield Overland Mail

Butterfield Overland Mail

The Butterfield Overland Mail Trail was a stagecoach route in the United States, operating from 1857 to 1861. It was a conduit for the U.S. mail from two eastern termini, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, meeting Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continuing through Indian Territory, New Mexico,...

 route passed near Rosston, operating between Gainesville

Gainesville, Texas

Gainesville is a city in and the county seat of Cooke County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,538 at the 2000 census.-History:...

 in Cooke County and Jacksboro

Jacksboro, Texas

Jacksboro is a city in Jack County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,533 at the 2000 census. Jacksboro is located at the junction of U.S...

 in Jack County, Texas

Jack County, Texas

*Bryson*Jacksboro*Jermyn *Joplin *Perrin *Gibtown-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Jack County, Texas-External links:*...

.

Rosston, like many other small Texas towns, was bypassed by railway lines and slipped into relative obscurity in the 20th Century. But one local claim to fame is that notorious outlaw Sam Bass

Sam Bass

Sam Bass was a nineteenth-century American train robber and outlaw.-Early life:Bass was orphaned at the age of 10. For the next five years, he and his siblings lived with an abusive uncle. In 1869, he set out on his own and spent the next year in Mississippi...

used Rosston as a hideout, and the town celebrates Sam Bass Day every year on the third Saturday in July.