Wallisville in Chambers County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Site of Old Wallisville
Photographed By Jim Evans, October 13, 2012
1. Old Wallisville Marker
Settled in 1825 by Elisha H. R. Wallis, a pioneer from Georgia, on land in grant of Joseph Vehlein, a contractor working to place colonists in Texas.
Chambers County was organized 1858; Wallisville was made county seat. A post office was granted in 1859, and town became a thriving retail market.
Many county records were burned in a courthouse fire in 1875. A brick and stone courthouse, with a jail and an unique hanging tower (for executions) was completed in 1886. By 1900 the town had 728 people, a shipyard, a lumber yard, a cotton gin, a skating rink, several stores and an export house. By land, there was daily hack service to Liberty; and sloops made regular runs from here to Galveston.
Chambers County's first newspaper, “Wallisville Age”, was published here. The town remained county seat until 1908 when the courthouse was moved to Anahuac after the famous “County Seat Hog War” over issue of letting animals roam at large. In that year Wallisville lost few people, but in 1915 a storm almost destroyed the town.
Part of the historic townsite is now included in Wallisville Reservoir, constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Erected 1968 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 9138.)
Topics.
this page online
Location. 29° 50.306′ N, 94° 44.16′ W. Marker is in Wallisville, Texas, in Chambers County. Marker is on Feeder Road to Interstate 10, 0.3 miles west of Wallisville Liberty Road, on the right when traveling east. Marker may be visible from I-10, but is best viewed from the eastbound feeder road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 20136 I-10, Wallisville TX 77597, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Mission Nuestra Señora de la Luz (within shouting distance of this marker); Mission Nuestra Senora de la Luz del Orcoquisac and Presidio San Agustin de Ahumada (within shouting distance of this marker); Joseph Blancpain's French Trading Post (within shouting distance of this marker); Wallisville Cemetery (approx. 0.7 miles away); St. Emily Methodist Church (approx. 4.9 miles away); Turtle Bayou Resolutions (approx. 5 miles away); Chambers County Youth Project Show (approx. 5.2 miles away); Lone Star Canal (approx. 5½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wallisville.
Also see . . .
1. Old Wallisville. (Submitted on October 16, 2012, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas.)
2. Wallisville in the Texas Handbook.
Photographed By Jim Evans
2. Wallisville Heritage Park Museum
Four historical markers are near this building.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 8, 2018. It was originally submitted on October 16, 2012, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. This page has been viewed 672 times since then and 58 times this year. Last updated on May 7, 2018, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas. Photos: 1. submitted on October 16, 2012, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. 2. submitted on October 15, 2012, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
