Bullard, Texas
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Bullard is a small town<ref>Although a municipality in Texas may refer to itself as a "town", Texas law makes no special distinction between "towns" and "cities". All incorporated municipalities are considered cities, differentiated only between those with city charters ("home rule") and those without ("general law").</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in the Smith and Cherokee counties in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Texas. U.S. Route 69 and Farm-to-Market Roads 2137, 2493, and 344 intersect here, about Template:Convert south of the larger city of Tyler. Its population was 3,318 at the 2020 census, up from 2,463 at the 2010 census.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.
History
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. A new post office named Hewsville was opened in the Bullards' store in 1881. The Etna post office was closed in 1883 and the Hewsville post office was renamed as Bullard.
When the Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railroad extended its route from Tyler to Lufkin, it passed through Bullard and built a depot there. This attracted new residents and businesses. 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.Template:Citation needed
In 1903, the two public 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.Template:Citation needed
Its population was 450 after World War II. The community did not organize to elect a city council until 1948.
By the mid-1960s, the population had declined to 300, but it rebounded by 1973 when it reached 573. The community is now concentrated around the crossroads. Most residents commute for work to nearby Tyler.<ref name="TexasEscapes.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
Bullard is located in southern Smith County, with a small portion extending south into Cherokee County. Four-lane U.S. Route 69 passes through the east side of town, leading north to Tyler and south to Jacksonville.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Bullard has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert, or 0.36%, is covered by water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>
Demographics
Template:Update section Template:US Census population As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2023, there are 4,848 people residing in the town. The racial make up of the town consists of Bullard being White (76.3%) followed by Hispanic (14.8%) and other ethnicities making up (4.1%).
The median age for Bullard residents is 32.4 years.<ref name=":0" />
In 2023, the median household income of Bullard households was $108,304.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
Education
The town of Bullard is served by the Bullard Independent School District. The schools of BISD are Bullard Early Childhood, Primary, Bullard Elementary, Bullard Intermediate, Bullard Middle, and Bullard High School. The town of Bullard is also the home of Brook Hill School, a private, Christian school serving Pre-K–12th grade students.
References
External links
Template:Cherokee County, Texas Template:Smith County, Texas