Burleson began when the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad planned a rail line from Fort Worth to Hillsboro in 1881 and went looking for land for a depot. The landowner, Rev. Henry C. Renfro, was allowed to name the depot as part of the sales agreement. He named it in honor of his former teacher, Dr. Rufus C. Burleson, who later would become president of Baylor University.
As Fort Worth grew, so did Burleson. It was a sleepy rural and farming area with population of only 2,345 in 1960. By the next census, it had grown more than 200 percent, and between 1970 and 2012, it grew nearly 400 percent.
"For our family, it was easy; my husband was raised in the area and most of his immediate family remains in Burleson. We moved from the congestion of the Midcities, so we are especially fond of the small town feel," says resident Kristen Thiebaud.
She says it is an easy trip to and from Fort Worth.
"It's a city that has a sense of community," she says. "We've only lived here five years, but our entire family has already made lifelong friends. I not only live in Burleson, but I work here, too. It's wonderful that I can work and play in the same town, never being far from my kids."
Her children are involved in the organized sports available in Burleson, and the family is involved in other public activities.
"People are drawn to the sense of community, the great schools for their children, a wonderful selection of places to worship, and the ever-growing retail and restaurants that are available for families," Thiebaud says.
And that's not to mention that the property tax rates in Burleson and Johnson County are considerably less than Fort Worth and Tarrant County.
