Ben Wheeler, Texas
Encyclopedia
Ben Wheeler is an unincorporated community
in Van Zandt County
, Texas
, United States
. It lies twelve miles southeast of Canton
, and has an estimated population of 400.
farmer Benjamin F. Wheeler. Originally known as Clough, after prominent local farmer George W. Clough, the community was renamed Ben Wheeler in 1878 after the town's post office, was relocated to the present townsite. The community was beset by many hardships in its early years, including an 1893 fire which destroyed most of the town's businesses. By 1896 the population reached 500, but disaster struck again by way of a smallpox
epidemic
that reduced the number of residents to 238 by 1904. Somewhat insulated from the effects of the Great Depression
by the East Texas Oil Boom
, Ben Wheeler had 18 businesses and a population of 375 in 1943. As the oil boom subsided and area cotton production fell, however, Ben Wheeler began a decline which led to the closing of all but nine area businesses by 1972, and the consolidation of its schools with those in nearby Van
. By 1988, however, buoyed by the growth of nearby Tyler
and Canton, the number of operating businesses in Ben Wheeler had risen to twenty-two and in 2000 the community was home to an estimated 400 residents.
, Texas. Three structures were destroyed and upwards of another one hundred structures damaged.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Van Zandt County
Van Zandt County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 48,140 people, 18,195 households, and 13,664 families residing in the county. The population density was 57 people per square mile . There were 20,896 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies twelve miles southeast of Canton
Canton, Texas
Canton is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,142. It is the county seat of Van Zandt County.- History :...
, and has an estimated population of 400.
History
The area around Ben Wheeler was first settled in the 1840s by KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
farmer Benjamin F. Wheeler. Originally known as Clough, after prominent local farmer George W. Clough, the community was renamed Ben Wheeler in 1878 after the town's post office, was relocated to the present townsite. The community was beset by many hardships in its early years, including an 1893 fire which destroyed most of the town's businesses. By 1896 the population reached 500, but disaster struck again by way of a smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
that reduced the number of residents to 238 by 1904. Somewhat insulated from the effects of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
by the East Texas Oil Boom
East Texas oil field
The East Texas Oil Field is a large oil and gas field in east Texas. Covering and parts of five counties, and having 30,340 historic and active oil wells, it is the largest oil field in the United States outside of Alaska, both in extent and in total volume of oil recovered since its discovery in...
, Ben Wheeler had 18 businesses and a population of 375 in 1943. As the oil boom subsided and area cotton production fell, however, Ben Wheeler began a decline which led to the closing of all but nine area businesses by 1972, and the consolidation of its schools with those in nearby Van
Van, Texas
Van is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,362 at the 2000 census. According to a 2006 estimate from the U.S...
. By 1988, however, buoyed by the growth of nearby Tyler
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
and Canton, the number of operating businesses in Ben Wheeler had risen to twenty-two and in 2000 the community was home to an estimated 400 residents.
2011 tornado
On Wednesday, April 27, 2011, a moderate tornado with sustained winds of 90-100 mph struck the communities of Ben Wheeler and EdomEdom, Texas
Edom is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States. The population was 322 at the 2000 census.-2011 tornado:On Wednesday, April 27, 2011, a moderate tornado with sustained winds of 90-100 mph struck the communities of Edom and Ben Wheeler Texas...
, Texas. Three structures were destroyed and upwards of another one hundred structures damaged.