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WHITEHOUSE,
TEXAS
Smith
County, East Texas
32°13'24"N 95°13'3"W (32.223443, -95.217579)
State Highway 110 and FM 346
7 Miles SE of Tyler
the county seat
7 miles NE of Troup
2 Miles W of Lake Tyler
ZIP code 75791
Area code 903
Population: 8,905 Est. (2019)
7,660 (2010) 5,346 (2000) 4,032 (1990)
Whitehouse, Texas Area Hotels ›
Tyler Hotels |
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History
in a Pecan Shell
Settlement of Whitehouse
was an indirect effect of the Texas Revolution. Volunteers heading
to reinforce the Alamo
arrived too late, but were impressed enough with the landscape here
that they returned to their former states (Tn, Ga, Va and the Carolinas)
and returned with their families.
In the 1850s the region had constructed the infrastructure needed
for sustained growth. (Sawmills, gristmills and gins.) An agricultural
community, Whitehouse received a boost in the 1870s with the arrival
of the International-Great Northern Railroad. The town was granted
a post office in 1873 and the name submitted was Whitehouse – after
a white-washed building that served the community as church, school
and social meeting place. By the mid 1880s the population was still
small – a mere 75 residents. Growth was slow but upward until the
1930s when the East Texas
oil boom provided a surge of growth. Whitehouse peaked at an estimated
500 citizens but by 1940 it had declined to 300.
The 1960 census counted 842 residents that grew to 3,300 by the late
1890s. Many residents commute to Tyler
for work. The population increased to 4,032 for 1990 and reached a
new record of over 5,000 for the 2000 census. |
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Whitehouse
Cemetery Tombstone
Photo courtesy Lori
Martin, September 2012 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
Smith
County 1907 Postal Map showing Whitehouse on the International-Great
Northern Railroad, SE of Tyler
From
Texas state map #2090
Courtesy Texas General Land Office |
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