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WILLS
POINT, TEXAS
Bluebird
Capital of Texas
Van Zandt County,
East Texas
Highway 80 and FM 751
14 miles NW of Canton
53 miles NW of Tyler
50 miles E of Dallas
Population:
3,496 (2003)
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The
Guest of Honor
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
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Wills
Point as Bluebird Capital of Texas
by Ken Rudine |
| Bentsen
Rio Grande State Park's colorful Green Jay has real competition
565 miles NNE near the south shores of Lake Tawakoni. That bird is
the Bluebird which has a sky blue head and back and the breast color
of a Robin. |
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Guest
of Honor Upclose
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
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| The
presence of the many Bluebirds visiting Van
Zandt County to nest had been noted for years. In April 1993 Wills
Point hosted the first Bluebird Festival as a general spring celebration
in their area of Texas. After the annual Audubon bird count revealed
that Wills Point was host to more bluebirds than any other area in
Texas for 11 consecutive years, (then) Governor George W. Bush designated
Wills Point the "Bluebird Capital of Texas". Our State Legislature
followed by declaring Wills Point the Bluebird Capital of Texas on
February 7, 1995. |
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A
year-round reminder on the water tower.
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
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On
the sign -
not on the menu.
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
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| Now
the local farmers and ranchers place Bluebird boxes on area fence
posts. If necessary the local Wilderness Society maintains these Bluebird
houses throughout the area. The Wills Point Bluebird Festival also
includes an Antique Car & Tractor Show, and the Van Zandt County Bake-Off
featuring cookies, cakes, pies, and candies. Also a quilt Show and
singing contests are held during the celebration. |
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An
old-fashioned traffic island decorated for the event.
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
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The
white marker or structure on Commerce Street is the Rose Monument.
B. W. Rose's real estate ventures in Dallas had been profitable. A
former Wills Point resident and dry goods store owner; he gave this
to show his civic appreciation.
The old train depot has been renovated to serve as the town's Historical
Museum.
© Ken
Rudine
Canton
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Historical
Society Museum:
In the Texas and Pacific Depot on Highway 80 and 5th Street.
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
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A
downtown view.
Photo
courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
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The
Majestic Theatre
"operating since 1923(?)"
Photo
courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
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History in a Pecan Shell
It
may have first been known as Iola, Texas (but it's Wills Point that's
on all the maps). The name Wills Point is said to be after William
Wills, the local tax assessor who had settled here in the 1840s. The
"point" was the tree line that ended abruptly where the prairie began.
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The
Wills Cabin
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
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Wills
built a double log cabin and expanded his land holdings. In the mid
1850s Wills took advantage of his location on the Dallas-Shreveport
Road and provided lodging for travelers. Prior to the arrival of the
railroad, the town had stagecoach service. The Wills Point post office
was opened in 1870 and the town was platted in the early 1870s with
the arrival of the Texas & Pacific Railroad.
The town's prosperity reached the point where an election was held
(May of 1877) to move the county seat from Canton
to Wills Point. The vote was 705 for - and 523 against. To win, Wills
Point needed a two-thirds majority and they fell short. Not willing
to accept the loss, fraud was declared and violence ensued. The state
militia was called in to quell the discontent and prevent bloodshed.
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A
Hopper-esque view of downtown.
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
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The
White Rose Cemetery was donated by William Wills and by 1896 the town
was still prospering - it just wasn't the county seat. The town had
an opera house, hotels, cotton gins, schools and a newspaper.
From a population of 1,000 in the early 1890s, it more than doubled
to 2,500 just before the Great Depression. At the beginning of WWII,
Wills Point had just under 2,000 people which has slowly increased
to the current estimate of 3,500. Wills Point is now known as the
Bluebird Capital of Texas.
Canton
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