The mission of the Bob Jones Nature Center is to Provide places of quiet recreation that promote respect for all forms of life, Foster learning experiences about the North Texas natural environment, Engender an enduring sense of community and its natural history, Preserve our natural resources.

Native Americans were using the land long before the Europeans came to what was to become America. The Cross Timbers ecosystem, part of an ancient archipelago that stretched form Canada to South America, was used as a source of fuel for fire, for water, shelter, and for the wildlife the used the interface between the prairies and the forests.

Bob Jones Park is named for John Dolford "Bob" Jones, the son of Leaser Alvis Jones and his slave, Elizabeth. His father/slave master purchased a farm east of Roanoke, Texas where Bob served as the sheepherder. After the Civil War, bob, his brother, and their mother were set free and bought the 60-acre farm. Jones and his wife, Meady Chisum, and their 10 children worked the land and eventually owned almost 2,000 acres.