Gilliam Grocery is just one of the many historical buildings found in Edgewood Heritage Park

Settlement began in the 1840's along the Dallas to Shreveport road. The first site was two miles SE of the present-day town and was named Barren Ridge. The area's first cemetery was located at this site as well as the Barren Ridge post office, which opened in 1850 and closed in 1857.

The Texas and Pacific Railroad was completed during the 1870's and a woodcutting center referred to as Stevens Switch found itself located between Canton's and Wills Point's bitter conflict in their struggle to be the Van Zandt County Seat. In 1878 after Canton won the dispute, the Canton residents built a shipping depot on the Texas and Pacific tracks 9 miles north of the county seat and called the site Edgewood, as it was situated on the edge of the East Texas Timberline.

Edgewood was platted, a post office granted and the old Star Route (presently known as State Highway 859) connected Edgewood and Canton. By 1881, Edgewood had a hotel and blacksmith and was firmly established as a T&P stop. The new railroad town attracted new settlers from Mississippi and by 1895 the wooden shanties began disappearing and were replaced by brick buildings. The population had soared to 650. A community church was built and Edgewood boasted all the essentials for a successful town.

Edgewood established itself as a cotton trader's paradise with the population flourishing from 1900-1920 at which time cotton prices fell to just pennies and the Great Depression hit in full force by 1929. After the depression, tomatoes were the big cash crop with Edgewood being referred to as the "Tomato Capitol of East Texas".

World War II brought all this to a sudden halt with families being torn apart due to the war effort. The economy withered and remained stale until the Northeast Gas Field was discovered in 1960.

With the opening of this rich gas field, farmers became ranchers, new homes were built, and a new school plant soon opened with integration in full swing.

Presently, Edgewood is a good place to call home to numerous commuters and retirees.