Bonus, Texas
Encyclopedia
Bonus is an unincorporated community
in northern Wharton County, Texas
, United States
located near the intersection of Farm to Market Road 102 and Farm to Market Road 2614 and 15 miles north of Wharton
.
states that Bonus became the name "reportedly" since the owners of the railroad were promised a bonus if they built into the area. The Bonus post office opened in 1896. Dunovant and Eldridge brought African American
families to grow cotton
, corn
, rice
, and sugar cane. In its early history Bonus had relatively few White American
residents. The Dunovant-Eldridge partnership included land in various communities, including Bonus. In the early 1900s a prison camp opened in Bonus, and prisoners worked the land and performed agricultural jobs while under contract. In 1901 the partnership ended and Eldridge took the Bonus plantation while Dunovant took another plantation. In 1902 Eldridge shot Dunovant to death.
In 1936 Bonus had fifty residents and two residents. Throughout its history the community received a low volume of mail. The post office was discontinued three times before the final closing in 1940; since then residents received mail in Eagle Lake
and Egypt
. In 1940 the Eldridge to Bonus rail link ended. The rail bed became a county road. In the 1980s the community had 42 residents and no reported businesses. In 1992 the Cane Belt service ended. This led to the removal of the gravel bed, ties, and tracks. In 2000 Bonus had 42 residents.
(EBISD) serves Bonus.
In 1905 a segregated school for African-Americans had one teacher and 57 students. The Bonus School merged with the Nedra School, a small segregated school for Blacks east of Bonus, to form the Bonus-Nedra School. In 1926 the school district had four schools with a combined total of four teachers, 75 White American
students, and 110 Black students. In 1958 the district combined with the Hungerford Independent School District. In 1973 EBISD took the land.
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 northern Wharton County, 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...
located near the intersection of Farm to Market Road 102 and Farm to Market Road 2614 and 15 miles north of Wharton
Wharton, Texas
Wharton is a city in Wharton County, Texas, United States. The population was 9,237 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wharton County and is located on the Colorado River of Texas just south of U.S...
.
History
Bonus began in the mid-1890s. The construction of the Cane Belt Railroad ended at the a Wharton County plantation site owned by W. L. Dunovant and William Thomas Eldridge, who were among the people who chartered the railroad. In 1896 the community applied for a post office and requested the name "Alamo." That name was not approved. The Handbook of TexasHandbook of Texas
The Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...
states that Bonus became the name "reportedly" since the owners of the railroad were promised a bonus if they built into the area. The Bonus post office opened in 1896. Dunovant and Eldridge brought African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
families to grow cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, and sugar cane. In its early history Bonus had relatively few White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
residents. The Dunovant-Eldridge partnership included land in various communities, including Bonus. In the early 1900s a prison camp opened in Bonus, and prisoners worked the land and performed agricultural jobs while under contract. In 1901 the partnership ended and Eldridge took the Bonus plantation while Dunovant took another plantation. In 1902 Eldridge shot Dunovant to death.
In 1936 Bonus had fifty residents and two residents. Throughout its history the community received a low volume of mail. The post office was discontinued three times before the final closing in 1940; since then residents received mail in Eagle Lake
Eagle Lake, Texas
Eagle Lake is a city in southeastern Colorado County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,664 at the 2000 census. It is home to a golf course, the largest private lake in Texas, and the Eagle Lake Regional Airport, which services light aircraft....
and Egypt
Egypt, Wharton County, Texas
Egypt is an unincorporated community in Wharton County, Texas. It lies at an elevation of 131 feet ....
. In 1940 the Eldridge to Bonus rail link ended. The rail bed became a county road. In the 1980s the community had 42 residents and no reported businesses. In 1992 the Cane Belt service ended. This led to the removal of the gravel bed, ties, and tracks. In 2000 Bonus had 42 residents.
Education
East Bernard Independent School DistrictEast Bernard Independent School District
East Bernard Independent School District is a public school district based in East Bernard, Texas .The district serves the City of East Bernard and the unincorporated area of Bonus...
(EBISD) serves Bonus.
In 1905 a segregated school for African-Americans had one teacher and 57 students. The Bonus School merged with the Nedra School, a small segregated school for Blacks east of Bonus, to form the Bonus-Nedra School. In 1926 the school district had four schools with a combined total of four teachers, 75 White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
students, and 110 Black students. In 1958 the district combined with the Hungerford Independent School District. In 1973 EBISD took the land.