Wheelock, Texas
Encyclopedia
Wheelock is an unincorporated community
in Robertson County, Texas
, United States
. It is located 15 miles northeast of Bryan
and 11 miles southeast of Franklin
. Wheelock is located on Farm to Market Road 46 and Farm to Market Road 391. It is part of the Bryan
–College Station
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
Wheelock's elevation is 436 feet (133 m), and it is located at 30°53′52"N 96°23′24"W (30.8976902, -96.3899639).
President Mirabeau B. Lamar
, but the community was named after Wheelock, Vermont
in 1837. Wheelock was considered as a site for both the Texas state capital and the University of Texas in the 1830s. Wheelock grew as a cattle ranching and cotton farming community in the 1840s, and it became one of the most well-known towns in Central Texas. A post office was set up in Wheelock in 1846. Wheelock became the county seat
of Robertson County in 1850, though it lost that designation to Owensville
in 1856. Wheelock began to decline in the 1860s when the railroad bypassed the town; many of its residents moved to Hearne
, a nearby community with a railway station. In 2000, the population of Wheelock was estimated to be 225.
The late State Senator William T. "Bill" Moore
, sometimes called "the father of the modern Texas A&M University
", was born in Wheelock in 1918.
The real life events fictionalized in the movie The Sugarland Express
occurred partly in Wheelock.
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 Robertson 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...
. It is located 15 miles northeast of Bryan
Bryan, Texas
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
and 11 miles southeast of Franklin
Franklin, Texas
Franklin is a city in Robertson County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,470 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Robertson County...
. Wheelock is located on Farm to Market Road 46 and Farm to Market Road 391. It is part of the Bryan
Bryan, Texas
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
–College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Bryan-College Station metropolitan area
The Bryan–College Station Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the Brazos Valley region of Texas that covers three counties: Brazos, Burleson, and Robertson...
.
Wheelock's elevation is 436 feet (133 m), and it is located at 30°53′52"N 96°23′24"W (30.8976902, -96.3899639).
History
The town site of Wheelock was laid out in 1834 by founder Eleazer Louis Ripley Wheelock, grandson of Rev. Eleazar Wheelock, the founder of Dartmouth College. Eleazer L. R. Wheelock originally planned to name the community after TexasRepublic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
President Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was a Texas politician, diplomat and soldier who was a leading Texas political figure during the Texas Republic era. He was the second President of the Republic of Texas, after David G. Burnet and Sam Houston.-Early years:Lamar grew up at Fairfield, his father's...
, but the community was named after Wheelock, Vermont
Wheelock, Vermont
Wheelock is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 621 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.8 square miles , of which 39.6 square miles is land and 0.2 square mile is...
in 1837. Wheelock was considered as a site for both the Texas state capital and the University of Texas in the 1830s. Wheelock grew as a cattle ranching and cotton farming community in the 1840s, and it became one of the most well-known towns in Central Texas. A post office was set up in Wheelock in 1846. Wheelock became the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Robertson County in 1850, though it lost that designation to Owensville
Owensville, Texas
Owensville is a former community in Robertson County, Texas, United States. Owensville was located on Farm to Market Road 46 five miles northwest of Franklin.-History:...
in 1856. Wheelock began to decline in the 1860s when the railroad bypassed the town; many of its residents moved to Hearne
Hearne, Texas
Hearne is a city in Robertson County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,690 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area...
, a nearby community with a railway station. In 2000, the population of Wheelock was estimated to be 225.
The late State Senator William T. "Bill" Moore
William T. Moore (Texas politician)
William Tyler Moore, Sr., known as W. T. 'Bill' Moore , was an attorney and businessman in Bryan, Texas, who was a conservative Democratic member of the Texas State Senate from District 5 from 1967 until 1981.Moore originally represented District 14 from 1949 to 1953 and then revised District 11...
, sometimes called "the father of the modern Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
", was born in Wheelock in 1918.
Trivia
In the early 1950's, the Wheelock city council banned the use of urinals in public buildings.The real life events fictionalized in the movie The Sugarland Express
The Sugarland Express
The Sugarland Express is a 1974 American drama film starring Goldie Hawn, Ben Johnson, William Atherton, and Michael Sacks. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, his first film to be intended as a theatrical release .It is about a husband and wife trying to outrun the law and was based on a...
occurred partly in Wheelock.
External links
- http://www.texasescapes.com/CentralTexasTownsSouth/WheelockTx/WheelockTexas.htm
- http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/pub/user_form.asp?pers_id=23