Bullard, Texas | |
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Town | |
Location of Bullard, Texas |
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Coordinates: 32°8′27″N 95°19′18″W / 32.14083°N 95.32167°WCoordinates: 32°8′27″N 95°19′18″W / 32.14083°N 95.32167°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
Counties | Smith, Cherokee |
Government | |
• Type | Council-Manager |
• City Council |
Mayor Pam Frederick David Rhodes Jason Hendrix Shirley Coe Brent Ratekin Shane Neally |
• City Manager | Jay Abercrombie |
Area | |
• Total | 3.37 sq mi (8.74 km2) |
• Land | 3.36 sq mi (8.71 km2) |
• Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
Elevation | 505 ft (154 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 2,463 |
• Density | 730/sq mi (280/km2) |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
ZIP code | 75757 |
Area code(s) | 903 |
FIPS code | 48-11212 |
GNIS feature ID | 1331622 |
Website | www |
Bullard is a town in Smith and Cherokee Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It lies at the intersection of U.S. Route 69 and Farm-to-Market Roads 2137, 2493, and 344, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Tyler. The population was 2,463 at the 2010 census, up from 1,150 at the 2000 census.
The Smith County portion of the town is part of the Tyler Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Cherokee County portion is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Bullard was earlier known as "Etna" and "Hewsville". The town is named for John H. Bullard, a Confederate soldier, and Emma Eugenia (Erwin) Bullard. In 1881, John Bullard opened the Hewsville post office in his store. In 1883, the Etna post office, near Hewsville, was closed. Then, the Hewsville office was renamed "Bullard". Many rural residents in northern Cherokee County are served by the Bullard post office. The bypassing of the railroad brought about the demise of Etna and the rise of Bullard.
The Etna post office, just west of Bullard, was granted in 1867, although settlers had been in the vicinity since the early 1850s. John and Emma Bullard arrived about 1870, and a new post office named Hewsville opened in Bullard's store in 1881. This caused the closing of the Etna post office in 1883 and a renaming of the Hewsville post office to Bullard.
When the Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railroad extended its route from Tyler to Lufkin it passed through Bullard and built a depot. In 1890, the town had 200 residents and most essential businesses plus a doctor and a telegraph office. The railroad was renamed several times - becoming the St. Louis, Arkansas and Texas Railway and then (1892) the Tyler and Southwestern Railway. In 1903, the two schools (segregated) had five teachers and 186 students between them. By 1914, the population had doubled to 400 and the railroad changed names once again - becoming the St. Louis Southwestern Railroad.