Bullard, Texas

The Etna post office, just west of Bullard, was granted in 1867, although settlers had been in the vicinity since the early 1850s. John and Emma Bullard arrived about 1870. A new post office named Hewsville was opened in the Bullards' store in 1881. The Etna post office was closed in 1883 and the Hewsville post office was renamed as Bullard. When the Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railroad extended its route from Tyler to Lufkin, it passed through Bullard and built a depot there. This attracted new residents and businesses. In 1890, the town had 200 residents and most essential businesses, plus a doctor and a telegraph office. The railroad was renamed several times, becoming the St. Louis, Arkansas, and Texas Railway and then (1892) the Tyler and Southwestern Railway. In 1903, the two public schools (segregated) had five teachers and 186 students between them. By 1914, the population had doubled to 400 and the railroad changed names once again, becoming the St. Louis Southwestern Railroad. Its population was 450 after World War II. The community did not organize to elect a city council until 1948. By the mid-1960s, the population had declined to 300, but it rebounded by 1973 when it reached 573. The community is now concentrated around the crossroads. Most residents commute for work to nearby Tyler. ==Geography==

Bullard is located in southern Smith County, with a small portion extending south into Cherokee County. Four-lane U.S. Route 69 passes through the east side of town, leading north to Tyler and south to Jacksonville. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Bullard has a total area of , of which , or 0.36%, is covered by water. ==Demographics==

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Bullard had a population of 3,318. The median age was 33.6 years. 31.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.2 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas. There were 1,129 households in Bullard, of which 49.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 63.4% were married-couple households, 11.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. ==Education==

The town of Bullard is served by the Bullard Independent School District. The schools of BISD are Bullard Early Childhood, Primary, Bullard Elementary, Bullard Intermediate, Bullard Middle, and Bullard High School. The town of Bullard is also the home of Brook Hill School, a private, Christian school serving Pre-K–12th grade students. ==References==