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History of Stockdale |
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The area surrounding
Stockdale was first settled in the 1830's, but it
was not until the 1860's and 1870's that a village
formed. Early names for the area included High
Prairie, Free Timber and Bunker's Store. In 1871 a
post office was designated, and the community needed
a formal name. Jethro Bunker was the first
postmaster, but he chose not to name the settlement
after himself, so a committee of local citizens was
formed to name the town.
Fletcher Stockdale
had served as Lt. Governor and then Governor of
Texas during the last days of the Confederacy. At
the time that the name was selected, Stockdale was
serving as an attorney for the railroad. It is
possible that the town was named Stockdale in an
attempt to influence the railroad to service the
town. However, rail service did not reach Stockdale
until the turn of the century, and was continued
until the 1960's.
The town was laid out
on land owned by J.R. King, William Palm and John
Wheeler, and a plat was recorded in 1872. Legend has
it that Stockdale was offered the county seat, but
declined because the site requested was being used
for raising hogs by King and Wheeler.
The first industry in
Stockdale was Wheeler's Mill, built in the 1870's.
Five or more cotton gins operated in the area during
the heyday of cotton farming. Around 1915,
watermelons became a cash crop in the area and
peanuts followed in the 1930's. Watermelons were
such an important crop that in 1937 the community's
annual celebration was changed from the Autumn Fair
to the Watermelon Jubilee. The annual Watermelon
Jubilee remains today one of oldest watermelon
celebrations in Texas.
Stockdale's city
government was incorporated in 1919, and a telephone
franchise was granted to Will King. Electricity was
made available in the 1920's, a water system in the
1930's and sewage service in the 1940's.
Excerpted
from Wilson County History, Taylor Publishing
Company, 1990
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| Stockdale Chamber of
Commerce 2018 Last updated January 2018 |