31-525: Wills Point is a city in Van Zandt County , Texas , United States. The population was 3,747 at the 2020 census. Founded in 1873, Wills Point derives its name from an early American settler, William Wills, who had arrived in the area circa 1848. Wills eventually purchased a cabin from Adam Sullivan in 1852. The name 'point' may also derive from the shape of the original timberline near the cabin, though there have been unsubstantiated arguments that
62-401: A family was $ 41,175. Males had a median income of $ 31,887 versus $ 21,344 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 16,930. About 10.30% of families and 13.30% of the population were below the poverty line , including 15.90% of those under age 18 and 12.10% of those age 65 or over. These school districts serve Van Zandt County: The only radio station licensed to Van Zandt County
93-523: A law office. Governor George W. Bush officially named Wills Point the Bluebird Capital of Texas in 1995. The Majestic Movie theater was opened in 1926 by Karl C. LyBrand and was still family operated by Karl C. Lybrand III until its closure on October 4, 2010. It had been the oldest continuously operated movie theater in Texas run by a single family. The Bruce & Human Drug Company, located on
124-504: A rough prison of wooden posts. Two ex-Confederate soldiers, W.A. Allen and Hardy Allen, were in the group, and W.A. Allen used a hidden knife to wear down the anklets. A combination of the beginning of the rainy season and a decreasing of the guard to one man allowed the prisoners to easily escape. After that, not much action on the part of Van Zandt or the United States was taken in the issue. Arrest warrants were sent, but none
155-665: Is KWJB broadcasting on 1510 AM and 95.1 FM. Van Zandt County receives outlying signals on the outer signal edges of Dallas / Fort Worth DMA. Local media outlets are: KDFW-TV , KXAS-TV , WFAA-TV , KTVT-TV , KERA-TV , KTXA-TV , KDFI-TV , KDAF-TV , and KFWD-TV . Other nearby stations that provide coverage for Van Zandt County come from the Tyler / Longview / Jacksonville market and they include: KLTV , KYTX-TV , KFXK-TV , KCEB-TV , and KETK-TV . 32°34′N 95°50′W / 32.56°N 95.84°W / 32.56; -95.84 Kaufman County, Texas Kaufman County
186-527: Is a county in the northeastern area of the U.S. state of Texas . As of the 2020 census , its population was 145,310. Its county seat is Kaufman . Both the county, established in 1848, and the city were named for David S. Kaufman , a U.S. Representative and diplomat from Texas. Kaufman County is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex . Western artist Frank Reaugh moved from Illinois to Kaufman County in 1876. There he
217-446: Is administered by Superintendent Scott Caloss. As of 2006, there are five schools: Wills Point Primary School (Pre-K through 1st grades), E.O. Woods Intermediate School (2nd–4th), Wills Point Middle School (5th–6th), Wills Point Jr. High (7th–8th), and Wills Point High School (9th–12th). The Wills Point High School Tigers football team won the 1A State Championship in 1965. The city owns Van Zandt County Regional Airport , which
248-536: Is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Wills Point has a humid subtropical climate , Cfa on climate maps. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 3,747 people, 1,350 households, and 945 families residing in the city. Wills Point and the surrounding unincorporated areas are served by the Wills Point ISD . It
279-625: The Confederate States of America , and the United States. A convention was held in 1867 in which the citizens elected delegates, and the delegates voted for secession, and penned a Declaration of Independence modeled after the United States Declaration of Independence . The event was seen as a rebellion by the nation, and when word reached General Sheridan , he dispatched a cavalry unit to quell it. The citizens of Van Zandt called an emergency meeting that ended with
310-623: The Terrell Tribune . The Kemp and Mabank areas are included in coverage by The Monitor and Athens Daily Review newspapers. The Kaufman County Sheriff's Office is Kaufman County's main police force. Smaller cities depend on the sheriff's office, along with the Texas Highway Patrol , for law-enforcement duties. In December 2012, Texas officials issued a statewide bulletin warning that the Aryan Brotherhood
341-538: The Tyler / Longview / Jacksonville market and they include KLTV , KYTX-TV , KFXK-TV , and KETK-TV . Kaufman County is served by three newspapers, the Terrell Tribune , the Kaufman Herald , and the Forney Messenger . Forney, Texas , is also served by online news media outlet inForney.com, which covers breaking news for the county. A quarterly magazine called Kaufman County Life is produced by
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#1732800887995372-406: The 18,195 households, 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.60% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.90% were not families. Around 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size
403-503: The Aryan Brotherhood. Eric Williams was convicted at trial and sentenced to death on December 16, 2014. Kim Williams pleaded guilty on December 30, 2014, and received a 40-year sentence. Prior to 1952, Kaufman County was a Democratic Party stronghold in presidential elections. From 1952 to 1980, it was still primarily Democratic, though the party's margin of victories were far lower than before. Republican Richard Nixon won
434-662: The Congress of the Republic of Texas . Van Zandt County is commonly known as the Free State of Van Zandt. The title was particularly prevalent through the Reconstruction Era , but is still in use today. Many versions of the county's history may account for this moniker, and historians, even within the county and throughout its existence, do not agree how exactly it became known as the Free State. One story of how
465-438: The Free State of Van Zandt came to be originates with the county's formation. In 1848, Henderson County was split into three counties: Kaufman , Van Zandt, and what remained as Henderson County. Henderson County had been deeply in debt, yet the new Van Zandt County was founded without any obligations. Many believed that this was a mistake on the state's part, and bitter citizens and politicians from Henderson County referred to
496-566: The corner of 4th Street and James, was built in 1879 and is the oldest family owned drug store in Texas. Wills Point is also the final resting place for Trailblazer , the first commercially operated monorail system in the United States. GFA World , a Christian missionary organization, is located seven miles outside the city. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km), all land. The climate in this area
527-592: The county is located in the post oak belt of Northeast Texas, and the eastern part of the county stretches into the East Texas Piney Woods . Two major rivers, the Neches and the Sabine , flow through Van Zandt County. Van Zandt County is referred to as the "Gateway to East Texas" due to its diverse topography. As of the census of 2000, 48,140 people, 18,195 households, and 13,664 families resided in
558-410: The county. The population density was 57 people per square mile (22 people/km ). The 20,896 housing units averaged 25 units per square mile (9.7 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 91.96% White, 2.94% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 2.74% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. About 6.65% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of
589-406: The delegates declaring war on the United States. The wooded landscape at the time made moving difficult for horses, so the citizens of Van Zandt, familiar with the area, were able to ambush the unit, until they retreated. The citizens, elated with their victory, celebrated with an excess of alcohol. During their celebration, they were surrounded by Sheridan's troops, and were put in anklets and in
620-538: The east fork of that stream. According to the census of 2000, 71,313 people, 24,367 households, and 19,225 families were residing in the county. The population density was 91 per square mile (35/km ). Its 26,133 housing units averaged 33 per square mile (13/km ). In 2020, the population was 145,310. According to the 2000 census, the racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 81.10% White, 10.53% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 5.68% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. About 11.11% of
651-556: The name relates to the area's elevation. The layout of the city was the work of engineer General Grenville M. Dodge of the California Construction Company. The downtown streets were laid with red bricks upon packed sand in the 1920s by locals and remain in use. Downtown Wills Point has many of its original buildings that are over one hundred years old including the Wills cabin, a drug store, a dry good store, and
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#1732800887995682-492: The new county as the Free State. Van Zandt County tried on two distinct occasions to separate itself from Texas. The first was in 1861 when Texas seceded from the United States . About 350 citizens of Van Zandt County met to protest the secession. The practice of slavery was infrequent in the county. Slave owners, worried about losing their slaves in the Civil War , refused to bring their slaves to Van Zandt, because slavery
713-406: The peace Eric Williams was arrested for making terrorist threats to county officials by email. Hasse and McLelland had aggressively prosecuted Williams in a theft case. Williams was convicted, and lost his position and his law license as a result. On April 17, 2013, his wife Kim Williams was arrested on capital murder charges in all three deaths. Officials did not link these arrests or events to
744-444: The population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. By the 2020 census, its racial and ethnic makeup was 54.11% non-Hispanic white, 14.82% African American, 0.43% Native American, 1.45% Asian American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.30% some other race, 3.95% multiracial, and 24.89% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. American Community Survey 2023 Data The United States Census Bureau estimated that in 2023, Kaufman County’s population
775-481: Was "actively planning retaliation against law enforcement officials" who worked to prosecute the gang's leadership. In January 2013, Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse of Kaufman County was assassinated by gunshot outside the Kaufman County courthouse. On March 30, 2013, District Attorney Mike McLelland , along with his wife, were found shot and killed in their home. On April 13, 2013, ex- justice of
806-543: Was 185,690. It was also estimated that the county was 28.1% Hispanic or Latino, 46.6% NH White, 20.8% NH Black, 2.2% NH Asian, 0.4% NH Native American, 0.1% NH Pacific Islander, 1.9% NH Multiracial. Kaufman County is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth DMA. Local media outlets include KDFW-TV , KXAS-TV , WFAA-TV , KTVT-TV , KERA-TV , KTXA-TV , KDFI-TV , KDAF-TV , KFWD-TV , and KDTX-TV . Other nearby stations that provide coverage for Kaufman County come from
837-409: Was 3.01. In the county, the population was distributed as 25.50% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 35,029, and for
868-484: Was carried out, and none of the prisoners went to trial. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 860 sq mi (2,200 km ), of which 17 square miles (44 km ) (2.0%) are covered by water. Van Zandt County is unique in topography. The western and northwestern parts of the county are in the eastern edge of the Texas Blackland Prairies , the central part of
899-473: Was directly inspired for such paintings as The Approaching Herd (1902). According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 808 square miles (2,090 km ), of which 781 square miles (2,020 km ) are land and 27 square miles (70 km ) (3.3%) are covered by water. Located in the northeast portion of Texas, it is bounded on the southwest by the Trinity River , and drained by
930-409: Was known as Wills Point Municipal Airport prior to the 2007 approval of a major airport improvement project. Van Zandt County, Texas Van Zandt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas , in the northeastern part of the state. As of the 2020 census , its population was 59,541. Its county seat is Canton . The county is named for Isaac Van Zandt (1813–1847), a member of
961-499: Was so uncommon there. The majority of Van Zandt wanted to stay with the Union, and reasoned that if Texas could secede from the United States, they could secede from Texas, and began organizing a government until they were threatened with military intervention. Although the secession was unsuccessful, the title of "Free State" stuck. After Texas re-entered the Union after the Civil War, Van Zandt County again tried to secede from Texas,