Brick Streets of Wills Point

Brick Streets of Wills Point (HM290I)

Location: Wills Point, TX 75169 Van Zandt County
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Country: United States of America
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N 32° 42.542', W 96° 0.474'

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Inscription
In the early 1920s, an atmosphere of gratefulness for the end of World War I was prevalent throughout the country. In Wills Point, a sense of optimism and interest in urban development led to the formation of a chamber of commerce on December 5, 1921, at the Majestic Theater. The number one goal for the new chamber was for the city to pave the streets in the business district. The city council ordered a special election to determine whether to issue bonds to pave and gravel the streets. Even though the rain poured that day, the vote was the largest ever seen in a city election and the bond passed.

At a June 15, 1922, city council meeting, H.N. Roberts, civil engineer, and E.M. Starr accepted the contract for unloading material and curbing. Mayor Henry Gilchrist and five aldermen traveled to Mineral Wells paving brick plant to inspect the brick quality. It is believed that the bricks came from this plant. Plans called for a 4-inch concrete base covered with a layer of sand upon which the paving bricks were laid with a heavy wearing-surface of asphalt. Instead of contracting for labor to lay the brick, volunteers under an experienced supervisor saved the town hundreds of dollars. When the brick streets were completed in November 1922, two traffic cops were stationed downtown at the Rose Fountain for the first time to familiarize



the public with new traffic laws. Soon, a new ice plant, churches, electric light plant, a renovated post office and free mail service was available to Wills Point. The brick streets in Wills Point opened the door to a range of new businesses and modern conveniences in the downtown area.
Details
HM NumberHM290I
Tags
Year Placed2013
Placed ByTexas Historical Commission
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018 at 7:03pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)14S E 780476 N 3622990
Decimal Degrees32.70903333, -96.00790000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 32° 42.542', W 96° 0.474'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds32° 42' 32.52" N, 96° 0' 28.44" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)903
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 100 E James St, Wills Point TX 75169, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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