Bullard Water Well
Bullard, Smith County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On this site, the historic town well of Bullard marks the origin of the community. In 1883, the Kansas and Gulf Short Line railroad extended tracks from Tyler to Lufkin, and the town of Bullard, named for postmaster John Henry Bullard, supplanted the earlier communities of Etna and Hewsville. A reliable public water source helped Bullard to grow and thrive. This and other wells in Smith County utilize the Carrizo-Wilcox major aquifer and the Queen City minor aquifer. Water can be drawn by pumps, windmills, or buckets lowered to the water table. This natural resource provided drinking water for people and animals and also served as a social gathering place early in Bullard’s history.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This marks the site of Bullard's historic town well, the reliable water source around which the community grew. When the Kansas and Gulf Short Line railroad pushed south from Tyler in 1883, the new town of Bullard—named for postmaster John Henry Bullard—supplanted the older settlements of Etna and Hewsville. Drawing on the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, the well watered people and animals alike and served as an early social gathering place.
Why it matters
The town well shows how access to water and the arrival of the railroad together determined which frontier communities survived and grew in the late 19th century.
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Related people
- · John Henry Bullard
Themes & tags
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