Bosque County: Land and People (A History of Bosque County, Texas) Page: 76
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. FBrazos River Bridge-1914-all under waters of Lake Whitney
Walling Bend is no longer a community in
Bosque County. It has given way to the
waters of Lake Whitney. It was one of the
earliest communities of Bosque County.
According to an early abstract it was located
on the west bank of the Brazos River above
the mouth of Childress Creek. It was situated
slightly south of old Highway 22 which was,
at that time, the main thoroughfare from
Meridian to Hillsboro. The Jess and Thomas
Jefferson Walling families established it at
the same time as Prairie Valley in Hill
County, just across the Brazos. The Walling
brothers had received land grants in payment
for services rendered in the Texas-Mexico
Revolution in the 1830's. Another part of the
property came from a land grant to Ann
Wheelock, the second Mrs. Jess Walling.
Colonel Jess Walling died in Rusk before he
had gotten the house ready to move to
Bosque County. He had requested that he be
brought to Bosque County for burial on his
land.
The Brazos River at Walling Bend was
forded at first, then a ferry was put into
operation. It continued until 1914 when a new
bridge was completed. The community celeb-
rated the opening of the bridge and the final
run of the ferry. All the children of the
Walling Bend School were among those on
the ferry, along with two teachers, Miss
Ethna Goodlet and Miss Edna McElroy.
Dignitaries conducting the bridge dedication
were: From Bosque County were: Hon. P.S.
Hale, County Judge; John W. Standefer,
Commissioner of Precinct 1; Luke Shepherd,
Commissioner of Precinct 2; T.J. Rhodes,
Commissioner of Precinct 3; J.D. Terrell,
Commissioner of Precinct 4; D.J. Cutbirth,
County Clerk; D.W. Randal, Sheriff. Hill
County dignitaries were: J.D. Stephenson,
Judge; J.H. Griffith, Comm. Precinct 1, N.
West; M.G. Atwood, Comm. Precinct 2, S.
West; J.W. Taylor, Comm. Precinct 3, S.
76East; Felix H. Vestal, Comm. Pre. 4, N. East.
This was a day of rejoicing to have a way to
cross the Brazos when the water was high.
Sometimes people would have to wait for
days and weeks to cross the river.
The school was the center of community
activity for Walling Bend-for church, voting
box, social activities.
Some families I remember were the Sid
Thomas family, the Henry Watsons, Rev.
J.W.W. Shuler family, the Bonds family, the
Pollards, the Winston family, the Ben James
family, the G.W. Smith family, the Pete
Greenwade family and my husband's family,
the Jim Greenwades.
To locate Walling Bend: go to Highway 22
which now goes from Hamilton to Corsicana,
take Highway 56 toward Kopperl and turn at
Highway 2841 which is marked Walling Bend
State Park road. Just past Murt's Lodge on
the right you will see a fence which was a part
of the Jim Greenwade property. About a half
mile on, now under the waters of Lake
Whitney, was the village of Walling Bend.
by Olivia Greenwade
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Bosque County History Book Committee. Bosque County: Land and People (A History of Bosque County, Texas), book, 1985; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth91038/m1/92/?q=campbell: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Denton Public Library.