| |
The
Guest of Honor
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
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.
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.
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.
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 |
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.
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.
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 Hotels >
Book Your
Hotel Here & Save
|
 |
Finis
C. Wills Cabin "A
replica of the pioner cabin of Finis C. Wills in whose honor the town of Wills
Point was named, was built near the site of the original by the Wednesday Book
Club of Wills Point at a cost of approximately $500, of which $200 was allocated
by the Commission of Control. The cabin is used as a meeting place by the book
club and by various other organizations of the town."
-Image
& transcript courtesy Sarah
Reveley |
Historical
Society Museum
In the Texas and Pacific Depot on Highway 80 and 5th Street.
Photo courtesy
Melanie Eastep, April 2006
More Texas
Depots | Texas Museums |
Rose
Dry Goods and Rose Monument on Commerce Street
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
A
downtown view.
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
The
Majestic Theatre "operating since 1923(?)"
Red brick street downtown
Photo courtesy Mike
Price, October 2007
More Texas
Theatres |
A
Hopper-esque view of downtown.
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
On
the sign - not on the menu.
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006 |
| | Guest
of Honor Upclose
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006
See Texas
Animals |
Bluebird
Capital of Texas
A year-round reminder on the water tower.
Photo courtesy Melanie Eastep, April 2006
More Texas
Water Towers | |
| Book Hotel Here
- Expedia
Affiliate Network | |
