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  Texas : Towns A-Z / Gulf Coast : Wharton

WHARTON, TEXAS

Wharton County Seat, Texas Gulf Coast
Hwy 59
57 miles SW of Houston
66 miles NE of Victoria
Hwy 102
6 miles from Glen Flora
11 miles from Egypt

Population: 9,237

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Wharton, Texas flood 1940s
Mayberry goes wild!
Flooding in Wharton circa 1935. Photo courtesy TXDoT

Only one county from Houston and one county from the coast, Wharton is in a somewhat enviable position. As Houston extends into Ft. Bend County, Wharton has time to study the changes from a safe distance.

Its inland location has and continues to provide fertile land for a variety of crops and grazing land for cattle. We at TE are sold on Wharton's attitude on preservation and its extraordinary potential. They still have all of the important elements (courthouse, depot, jail, theater) a town needs, along with the Colorado River complete with park, restaurant, and bridge.

Wharton locomotive
Not all Whartonians became award-winning playwrights or network anchormen like Horton Foote and Dan Rather.
Some were content being human cow-catchers.

Courtesy of Wharton County Museum

Wharton Attractions & Landmarks

Wharton County Courthouse

The Wharton County Historical Museum: Located at 3615 Richmond Road. 409-532-2600. Hours: 9:30 - 4:30 Tues. through Fri., and Sat. 1-4. Knowledgeable staff and interesting exhibits covering all facets of Wharton County history.


The 1930 Highway 59 bridge has recently been repainted a handsome green. It was chosen as the photo to accompany the introductory text in the LCRA 2000 Calendar. Just downstream is Riverfront Park and the large building in between is the soon-to-be-opened (January 2000) Los Cucos Restaurant.

The Plaza Theater (on the square) has recently been restored to its former glory and now hosts live musical performances as well as theatrical productions.

Wharton has 5 antique shops as well as 3 in nearby Glen Flora and 1 in Egypt.

The Colorado River Band: Dr. Lowell Miller, formally of Houston, was instrumental in organizing this 100-member group which performs at City functions and events. A sub-group called The Brass Ensemble does weddings and funerals.

Little Tee Pee(s) on the Prairie
by Johnny Stucco
Photos courtesty Ken Rudine & Blue Dolphin Investments LP
Colorado River Bridge

Nearby Destinations:

  • Glen Flora: Halfway to Egypt on FM 102 West, you'll find a cluster of antique shops and a restaurant. The rest of the town consists of comfortable yards and homes under huge pecan trees so regularly spaced that it must have been a pecan grove at one time.
  • Egypt: Although it's not large, this picturesque village is reminiscent of the Pennsylvania Amish Country. A small cemetery, an empty silo and lots of barns, as well as the general store/barbecue outlet make this a place worth the 12 mile drive from Wharton.
  • Columbus / Alleyton: Continue on FM 102 North another 28 miles to I-10 El Campo: Wharton County's "Second City" was named after the site where vaqueros would camp while cutting grass for their cattle. Many brick buildings surround the park where herds rested on their way to Northern Markets. Just off Highway 59, 14 miles South of Wharton.
  • Danevang: A Danish farming community now mostly a large cemetery. Large obelisk next to the church details the history of the town, including storms, and the date the first tractor was bought - all carved in stone. On Highway 71; 19 miles south of El Campo
  • Wharton County Towns and Ghost Towns

    County Seat - Wharton
    Wharton County Courthouse
  • Boling
  • Danevang
  • Egypt
  • Glen Flora
  • Louise
  • Mackay
  • Newgulf
  • Pierce
  • Shanghai
  • Wharton

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  • Steamboat in Texas
    Early Wharton County steamboat

    Courtesy Wharton County Chamber of Commerce
    Wharton Texas History
    Wharton "was part of the Caney Run mail route established by the Republic of Texas in 1838. The community was named after two leaders in the struggle for Texas independence, brothers John and William Wharton. The plantation community was first settled in 1846 by some of Stephen F. Austin's original colonists, and a post office was established in 1847. The first lieutenant governor of Texas, Albert Horton, was an early settler...." - See Handbook of Texas Online
    http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/WW/hfw1.html
    Wharton Personality
    Sheriff "Buckshot" Lane

    Wharton Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture

    225 North Richmond Road
    979-532-1862. E-mail: torieblakely@sbcglobal.net
    Website - www.whartontexas.com

    Located in the beautiful brick Dr. T. M. Neal Building (circa 1912), the enthusiastic and efficient staff can provide you with brochures for dining, antiquing, and shopping as well as an excellent History pamphlet on the town, the county, and the Wharton Brothers.

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    Texas school bus vintage photo
    First East Bernard School Bus circa 1928

    Courtesy Wharton County Chamber of Commerce

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    This page last modified: June 9, 2007