The town started to reform in 1747 when a post office, feasting hall (a "Csárda"), and seven small homes popped up along the road to Kiskunfélegyháza.

The road connecting Budapest with Szeged carried large amounts of post, and couriers often fell prey to bandits in the pasturelands around Kistelek.

The government tried to alleviate this problem by asking Szeged to sell these pasturelands, and send settlers.

The local government in Szeged eventually managed to find 100 families, mostly from the region of Mátra, to settle the town.

Today, the town functions as the economic, educational, medical, and administrative centre for the surrounding villages of Baks, Balástya, Csengele, Ópusztaszer, and Pusztaszer.