to Van Zandt County "Post Offices, Cities, Towns and People" by Kitty Wheeler of Grand Saline, TX Kitty Wheeler of Grand Saline spent several years researching the post offices, cities, towns and people of Van Zandt County. A portion of her work was published by the Van Zandt County Genealogical Society in "Histories and Biographies of Van Zandt County, Vol. II," which is still in print and available for purchase by sending a check or money order for $60 to the Van Zandt County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1388, Canton, TX 75103. This volume contains a portion of her post office research plus over 500 biographies of Van Zandt County citizens. Kitty Wheeler has generously given us exclusive permission to use all or part of her 500 page original manuscript. We are beginning with only part of her entire amazing work but we will complete this site as quickly as possible.
Walton Post Office Walton Post Office was established 28 Dec 1875, with John F. Blanchard as the first postmaster. Following is a list of the many gentlemen who filled this capacity and the dates of their service:, W.M. Carmichael, 1 Dec 1879; John A. Bailey, 26 Apr 1880; David L. Partin, 29 Sep 1893; McDonald Fugate, 9 Nov 1894; Albert W. McLennon, 12 Dec 1895; George A. Christian, 13 Jan 1897; Samuel P. Brown, 26 Jan 1901; and John G. Steggell, 14 Feb 1902. Discontinued 31 Aug 1905, and moved to Athens.
The second postmaster at Walton, W. M. Carmichael, born 1820 in South Carolina, came to Van Zandt County in the late 1850s. On 24 May 1859, he married Delpha E. Blanchard, born 1818, also in South Carolina. At the age of 85 in 1905, Mr. Charmichael stated he had lived in Texas since 1839 and though his family led a life of deprivation, they enjoyed life and were happy. He still stood straight as an Indian, had ruddy cheeks, bright eyes and an energetic step to his walk.
Two years prior to becoming Walton's third postmaster, John A. Bailey married Ci Parker on 25 Sep 1878. Mr. Bailey ran a general merchandising store in Walton for many years and was considered a successful business man. Mr. Bailey was known to be a staunch democrat as one could guess from the names of two of his sons, Grover Cleveland and Joseph Bryan. Mr. Bailey had various interests, one being fish culture. In 1887, he had one of the finest ponds in the county. He had carp reported to be as much as 18" in length.
An old homeplace supposedly built by a Dr. Thed Blanchard sometime in the 1860s became in the 1880s a boarding house. This was when Walton became a traditional stop for drovers pushing herds and freighters driving ox carts along the Tyler-Porters Bluff Road. Porters Bluff was then a thriving East Texas trade center.
At that time, Walton had not only a post office, but more than one store, a blacksmith shop, mill, a saloon and also a race track. There was an enterprising businessman there who became a bit notorious.
There was a big corral at Walton and the cowboys would pen their herds while they stayed overnight. This one fellow would hire a couple of boys to slip out there at night and throw a cat on top of one of them cows and start a stampede. Then this rascal would get paid for helping round them up.
A lot of fights were known to be had at Walton especially following the horse races, no doubt stimulated by the mixture of alcohol and gambling.
There were reported to be dances also held in the old boardinghouse. One such dance was said to have lasted a week. If this be true, one could certainly have admired their stamina.
The education of the young in Walton was most certainly not overlooked for the children of the community attended the Walton Common School. During 1887 the trustees of the community secured the services of Mr. A.D. Tanner as principal. At that time the teacher, trustees and patron of Walton heartily concurred in the movement to secure, uniformity in their text books.
Also in August of 1887, the community was thrown into feverish excitement over the assassination of Tom Fulton, an exemplary citizen. Lee Coker was arrested upon suspicion of the crime. The grand jury of Henderson County granted him a change of venue to Van Zandt County.
During that same session, the Henderson County Grand Jury passed the death sentence upon Robert Giles, a brutal Negro who murdered his associate for the paltry sum of fifty cents and fixed the day of his execution for Friday, 14 Oct Justice was indeed swift in those days.
In December of 1899 a visit was made to the Walton Community by a gentleman representing the newspaper Van Zandter He writes, "We pursued our way on toward the classic village of Walton, passed several fine farms with good substantial houses and all the evidence of thrift and plenty. We knew only two, those of W.N. Foster and T.J. Hallman.
Mr. Pole Foster certainly has a fine home and he is the very essence of independence. We overtook P.M. Henderson of Tundra at the home of J.B. Bentley.
After an hour or more of driving in great suspense at times concerning the road, as there are so many forks and all the roads are "straight forward" and there are no sign boards to tell strangers how to go, we came in sight of Walton. Approaching it by the road as we did, it has the appearance of some very ancient and thriving place.
We found our good friend G.A. Christian in his store and he bade us get out and come in, which we gladly did. We met P.C. Hendley here and also M.C. Sprinkles and J.A. Bailey.
The next morning George Christian got Dr. Shellhorse to keep store and post office for him and he got in the buggy and went around with us to see the people.
The first place we visited was that of J.M. White, an old substantial farmer who has acquired a competency by industry and good management.
We next reached the comfortable home of our old friend A.D. Tanner who was just as busy as he could be. Mr. Tanner has a good farm but has bought another place over in Henderson County to which he will soon remove.
We next visited A.M. Davis, an old time acquaintance. Mr. Davis had a fine home here and seems to be a man in independent circumstances. We noticed a big lot of fine hogs on his place."
The gentleman from the Van Zandter continued on that day and visited the following:, W.M. Carmichael, J.B. Story, J.W. Flowers, W.M. Bentley, and last the home of George Owens. They had dinner that day with the Owens family after which George Christian had to return to his business leaving the representative of the Van Zandter to pursue his excursion on towards Martins Mill.
In November of 1905, what was once the village of Walton had become almost vacant. There was but one store there kept by L. E. Bryant, a dealer in general merchandise. A gin ran by Adams & McKinney had but one stand and had ginned only 130 bales of cotton so far. W.T. McKinney, blacksmith, Miss Gertie Walsh, was the teacher in the school the citizens still took pride in and there was an active lodge of Woodman of the World of which John Steggell (the last postmaster) was commander.
When highway 19 was built between Athens and Canton it bypassed the then declining town a mile to the east.
The crossroads community of New Walton rests there today at the intersection of Texas 19 and FM 1861.
As with many others that have faded into history, Walton will live in the memory of the descendants of her people.
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