Bullard, Texas

Bullard is a small town on US 69 south of Tyler. It sits in two counties, and its population nearly tripled between 2000 and 2020. It has its own school district, a supermarket and two city parks, and Tyler's jobs and hospitals are about 20 minutes north.

The William Pitt Loftin family settled in the area around 1850, and an Etna post office opened in 1867. John H. and Emma Eugenia Erwin Bullard arrived in 1870 and opened the Hewsville post office in their general store in 1881. In 1883 the Etna office closed and Hewsville was renamed Bullard.

That same year the Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railroad laid track through town, and the depot was finished in August 1884. The line later became part of the St. Louis Southwestern Railway. By 1890 Bullard had about 200 residents, a sawmill, two general stores and a physician. Residents elected their first mayor, Jap Jones, in 1948 (all per the Handbook of Texas).

The town well at the corner of Houston and Main streets drew from a Smith County aquifer and was reached by pumps, windmills or buckets. It once stood in the middle of the street, and KLTV notes it was a gathering place as well as a water source. The Texas Historical Commission gave it a state historical marker in 2009, and the well is now housed inside a building at that corner.

Bullard ISD runs four campuses: Bullard Early Childhood (Pre-K and kindergarten), Bullard Elementary (grades 1–5), Bullard Middle (6–8) and Bullard High (9–12). The district reported 2,921 students as of October 31, 2025. The Panther mascot is named Morris.

The city maintains two public parks. Bullard Kids Park is a 1½-acre tract bordered by FM 2493 and Rather Street, just north of downtown, with a playground, pavilions, grills and restrooms. O.L. Ferrell Park has pavilions, picnic tables and grills. Both are open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and can be reserved through the city.

US 69 is the main road, running north to Tyler. Downtown Tyler is about 15 miles and 20 minutes away by routed drive time. Tyler State Park, on the north side of Tyler, is about 27 miles and 37 minutes away. Dallas is about 113 miles, a little over two hours.

Lake Palestine, a 25,560-acre Neches River reservoir impounded in 1962, lies west of town. Per TPWD and the Handbook of Texas, it spans parts of southwestern Smith and northwestern Cherokee counties along with Anderson and Henderson.