BlockBefore

Wharton County, Texas

60 topographic sheets cover 35 settlements here, and 32 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

32 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Texas within the United States
Wharton County within Texas
Explore by year 1880 1895

What the record shows

  • 316 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 32 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 27 buildings, 3 districts and 2 structures.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 35 populated places in this county; 35 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

32

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Willie Banker Jr. Housebuilding199393000118
Moses Bernstein Housebuilding199393000116
Bolton-Outlar Housebuilding199393000108
Colorado River Bridgestructure199393000117
Wiley J. Croom Housebuilding199393000099
F. F. Dannon Housebuilding199393000095
Dr. Green Davidson Housebuilding199393000111
Ben and Mary Davis Housebuilding199393000104
Nettie Elkins Housebuilding199393000114
E. Clyde and Mary Elliott Housebuilding199393000122
First Methodist Episcopal Church South, Oldbuilding199393000097
Henry B. Garrett Housebuilding199393000098
John A. and Sophie Garrett Housebuilding199393000115
George C. and Annie Gifford Housebuilding199393000096
Joseph Andrew Hamilton Housebuilding199393000106
Gerard A. Harrison Housebuilding199393000112
Harrison-Dennis Housebuilding199393000110
Edwin Hawes Housebuilding199393000102
Edwin Hawes Jr. Housebuilding199393000105
House at 401 North Richmondbuilding199393000107
House at 512 North Residentbuilding199393000103
Linn Street Historic Districtdistrict199393000124
Merrell-Roten Housebuilding199393000113
Moran-Moore Housebuilding199393000120
J. H. Speaker Housebuilding199393000109
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Churchbuilding199393000100
Stephen F. Austin Elementary Schoolbuilding2022100007404
Texas and New Orleans Railroad Bridgestructure199393000123
Texas and New Orleans Railroad Depotbuilding199393000119
West Milam Street Mercantile Historic Districtdistrict199393000125
Wharton County Courthouse Historic Commercial Districtdistrict199191001624
Louis F. Worthing Housebuilding199393000121

Bird's-eye views and land ownership maps

2

Drawn when these were printed as single large sheets: the town seen from the air, and the county divided into its farms with every owner named. Each opens the original at the Library of Congress.

Land ownership map, 1880 - Map of Wharton County
Land ownership map (1880) - Map of Wharton County. Library of Congress.
Land ownership map, 1895 - Map of Wharton County
Land ownership map (1895) - Map of Wharton County. Library of Congress.

Photographs from libraries nationwide

2 of 3 shown

Selected from the Digital Public Library of America's 3 image records catalogued for this county. Every one shown here carries a public-domain status or a licence that permits reuse on a site that carries advertising; non-commercial, share-alike and restricted images are excluded. The selection is spread across the county's towns (at most eight per town), so no single institution's bulk upload crowds out the rest. Each opens the holding library's record, and the complete set at the Digital Public Library of America is one click away.

White Lodge Motor Court, 1503 East Jackson, U.S. 59, El Campo, Texas, Boston Public Library - undated
White Lodge Motor Court, 1503 East Jackson, U.S. 59, El Campo, Texas. Boston Public Library, via the Digital Public Library of America.
Jones Motel, Highway 59 West, El Campo, Texas, Boston Public Library - undated
Jones Motel, Highway 59 West, El Campo, Texas. Boston Public Library, via the Digital Public Library of America.

The county from the air

48 shown

Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 3,149 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 48 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-11-03, scale 1:23600
1951-11-03, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-11-03, scale 1:23600
1951-11-03, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-11-03, scale 1:23600
1951-11-03, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-11-03, scale 1:23600
1951-11-03, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-12-11, scale 1:69000
1952-12-11, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-12-11, scale 1:69000
1952-12-11, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-12-11, scale 1:69000
1952-12-11, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-12-11, scale 1:69000
1952-12-11, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-16, scale 1:69000
1953-04-16, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-16, scale 1:69000
1953-04-16, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-16, scale 1:69000
1953-04-16, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-16, scale 1:69000
1953-04-16, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1958-03-19, scale 1:16400
1958-03-19, scale 1:16400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1958-03-19, scale 1:16400
1958-03-19, scale 1:16400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1958-03-19, scale 1:16400
1958-03-19, scale 1:16400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1958-03-19, scale 1:16400
1958-03-19, scale 1:16400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1962-02-06, scale 1:17600
1962-02-06, scale 1:17600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1962-02-06, scale 1:17600
1962-02-06, scale 1:17600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1962-02-06, scale 1:22400
1962-02-06, scale 1:22400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1962-02-06, scale 1:22400
1962-02-06, scale 1:22400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1964-02-10, scale 1:11000
1964-02-10, scale 1:11000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1964-02-10, scale 1:11000
1964-02-10, scale 1:11000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1964-02-10, scale 1:11000
1964-02-10, scale 1:11000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1964-02-10, scale 1:11000
1964-02-10, scale 1:11000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-01-07, scale 1:119827
1970-01-07, scale 1:119827. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-01-07, scale 1:121260
1970-01-07, scale 1:121260. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-01-07, scale 1:121057
1970-01-07, scale 1:121057. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-01-07, scale 1:119827
1970-01-07, scale 1:119827. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-11-11, scale 1:119664
1971-11-11, scale 1:119664. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-11-11, scale 1:119664
1971-11-11, scale 1:119664. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-11-11, scale 1:118734
1971-11-11, scale 1:118734. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-11-11, scale 1:118734
1971-11-11, scale 1:118734. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-04-18, scale 1:122665
1972-04-18, scale 1:122665. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-04-18, scale 1:122998
1972-04-18, scale 1:122998. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-04-22, scale 1:120733
1972-04-22, scale 1:120733. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-04-22, scale 1:120733
1972-04-22, scale 1:120733. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-03-28, scale 1:80000
1977-03-28, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-03-28, scale 1:80000
1977-03-28, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-03-28, scale 1:80000
1977-03-28, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-03-28, scale 1:80000
1977-03-28, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1978-02-21, scale 1:80000
1978-02-21, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1978-02-21, scale 1:80000
1978-02-21, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1978-02-21, scale 1:80000
1978-02-21, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1978-02-21, scale 1:80000
1978-02-21, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1979-01-21, scale 1:80000
1979-01-21, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1979-02-09, scale 1:80000
1979-02-09, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1979-11-07, scale 1:64500
1979-11-07, scale 1:64500. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1979-11-07, scale 1:64500
1979-11-07, scale 1:64500. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.

Weather records

20 stations, 2 gages

The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.

The 1950 census, district by district

48 districts

Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.

  • 241-1Justice Precinct 1: Wharton city: Wharton city - That part Bounded by City limits; City limits; Alabama Rd.; Resident, 3rd, N. Rusk
  • 241-2Justice Precinct 1: Wharton city - That part Bounded by City limits; N. Rusk, 3rd, Resident; Alabama Rd.; Richmond Rd., Bolton, Richmond Rd., Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, City limits
  • 241-3Justice Precinct 1: Wharton city - That part Bounded by City limits, Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway; Texas & New Orleans Railroad; City limits; City limits
  • 241-4Justice Precinct 1: Wharton city - That part Bounded by Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway; Richmond Rd., Bolton, Richmond Rd.; City limits; Texas and New Orleans Railroad
  • 241-5Justice Precinct 1: Wharton city - That part Bounded by Alabama Rd.; Resident, Elm, Rusk; City limits; Richmond Rd.
  • 241-6Justice Precinct 1: Wharton city - That part Bounded by Alabama Rd.; City limits; City limits; City limits, Rusk, Elm, Resident
  • 241-7Justice Precinct 1 - That part southeast of Texas and New Orleans Railroad and north of West Bernard Creek
  • 241-8Justice Precinct 1 - That part north and west of Texas and New Orleans Railroad and north of Peach Creek
  • 241-9Justice Precinct 1 - That part south of Peach Creek, and west of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, outside Wharton city
  • 241-10Justice Precinct 1 - That part south of West Bernard Creek, north of Peach Creek, and east of Texas and New Orleans Railroad
  • 241-11Justice Precinct 1 - That part south of Peach Creek, and north and east of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, outside Wharton city
  • 241-12Justice Precinct 1 - That part south and east of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, outside Wharton city
  • 241-13Justice Precinct 2: Justice Precinct 2 - That part north of Peach Creek, and northeast of Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
  • 241-14Justice Precinct 2 - That part southwest of Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, north of an unnamed rd. extending from Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway to Colorado River, and north of Colorado River
  • 241-15Justice Precinct 2 - That part south of Peach Creek, and north and east of Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
  • 241-16Justice Precinct 2 - That part south of Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, south of unnamed rd. extending from Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway to Colorado River, and south of Colorado River
  • 241-17Justice Precinct 3: Newgulf, unincorporated: Newgulf, unincorporated - That part Bounded by Texas and New Orleans Railroad Spur line; Unnamed Creek; Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway; Unnamed st., Unnamed st., Unnamed st., Unnamed st., Unnamed st., Unnamed st.
  • 241-18Justice Precinct 3: Newgulf, unincorporated - That part Bounded by Texas and New Orleans Railroad Spur line; Unnamed st., Unnamed st., Unnamed st., Unnamed st.; Unnamed st.; Unnamed st., Unnamed st.
  • 241-19Justice Precinct 3: Newgulf, unincorporated - That part Bounded by Texas and New Orleans Railroad Spur line; Unnamed st., Unnamed st., Unnamed st., Unnamed st.; Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway; Unnamed Creek
  • 241-20Justice Precinct 3 - That part southeast of Boling - Needville Rd., and northeast of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, outside Newgulf, Unincorporated. (See separate map for boundaries of Newgulf)
  • 241-21Justice Precinct 3 - That part northwest of Boling - Needville Rd., and northeast of Texas and New Orleans Railroad
  • 241-22Justice Precinct 3 - That part southwest of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, and northeast of Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
  • 241-23Justice Precinct 3 - That part southwest of Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
  • 241-24Justice Precinct 4: East Bernard, unincorporated Bounded by 1/4 mile offset line north of and parallel to U.S. Highway 90A; County line (Bernard River); Unnamed st. extended, Unnamed st., Unnamed st., Unnamed st., Unnamed st., Unnamed st.; State Highway 60
  • 241-25Justice Precinct 4 - That part north of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, outside East Bernard, unincorporated. (See separate map for boundaries of East Bernard)
  • 241-26Justice Precinct 4 - That part south of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, and west and south of Nottawa - Hungerford Rd.
  • 241-27Justice Precinct 4 - That part south of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, and east and north of Nottawa - Hungerford Rd., outside East Bernard, unincorporated. (See separate map for boundaries of East Bernard)
  • 241-28Justice Precinct 5: El Campo city: El Campo city - That part Bounded by City limits; City limits; Correll, Hoskins Broadway, Norris; City limit
  • 241-29Justice Precinct 5: El Campo city - That part Bounded by City limits; City limits; Correll, Hoskins Broadway, Norris; City limits
  • 241-30Justice Precinct 5: El Campo city - That part Bounded by Correll; Main, Church, Main, Monseratte, Market; Texas and New Orleans Railroad; Hoskins Broadway, Monseratte, Depot
  • 241-31Justice Precinct 5: El Campo city - That part Bounded by Correll, City limits; City limits; Texas and New Orleans Railroad; Market, Monseratte, Main, Church, Main
  • 241-32Justice Precinct 5: El Campo city - That part Bounded by Texas and New Orleans Railroad; City limits; City limits; City limits, Alamo, 1st, Mechanic
  • 241-33Justice Precinct 5: El Campo city - That part Bounded by Texas and New Orleans Railroad; Mechanic, 1st, Alamo; City limits; Palacios, 2nd, Vosa
  • 241-34Justice Precinct 5: El Campo city - That part Bounded by City limits, South Ave.; "D", Texas and New Orleans Railroad, Vosa; 2nd, Palacios, City limits; City limits
  • 241-35Justice Precinct 5 - That part west of the El Campo - Glenflora Rd., north of an unnamed rd. extending west from El Campo - Glenflora Rd. to State Highway 71, and east of State Highway 71
  • 241-36Justice Precinct 5 - That part southwest of State Highway 71 and northwest of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, outside El Campo city
  • 241-37Justice Precinct 5 - That part south of an unnamed rd. extending east from State Highway 71 to El Campo - Glenflora Rd. west of E. Campo - Glenflora Rd., and northeast of State Highway 71, outside El Campo city
  • 241-38Justice Precinct 5 - That part northwest of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, and east of El Campo - Glenflora Rd., outside El Campo city
  • 241-39Justice Precinct 5 - That part south of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, northeast of Jones Creek
  • 241-40Justice Precinct 5 - That part south of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, southwest of Jones Creek, northeast of Blue Creek
  • 241-41Justice Precinct 5 - That part south of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, southwest of Blue Creek, and north and east of State Highway 71, outside El Campo city
  • 241-42Justice Precinct 5 - That part south of Texas and New Orleans Railroad, and south and west of State Highway 71, outside El Campo city
  • 241-43Justice Precinct 6
  • 241-44Justice Precinct 7: Justice Precinct 7 - That part northwest of West Mustang Creek
  • 241-45Justice Precinct 7 - That part southeast of West Mustang Creek, and northwest of Texas and New Orleans Railroad
  • 241-46N/A
  • 241-47Justice Precinct 8
  • 241-48Justice Precinct 1 - That part Bounded by Canton, Spanish Camp Rd.; Sheppard, Milam, Wharton city limits; Proposed city limits, Damon, Proposed city limits, Milam, Outlar extended, Proposed city limits; Proposed city limits

Wildfire, 2008 to 2011

113 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 113 of them, burning about 2,163 acres. 3 started naturally and 1 was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning50
Missing data/not specified/undetermined29
Equipment and vehicle use25
Misuse of fire by a minor3
Natural3
Smoking1
Arson/incendiarism1
Recreation and ceremony1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
10 August 2008Debris and open burning300 acresTexas A & M Forest Servicenot named
18 August 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined200 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceEAST BERNARD FIRE
17 August 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined100 acresTexas A & M Forest Service1455 CR 450
27 November 2008Debris and open burning100 acresTexas A & M Forest Servicenot named
12 January 2008Debris and open burning100 acresTexas A & M Forest Servicenot named
18 January 2009Debris and open burning100 acresTexas A & M Forest Service300 CR 219
19 January 2009Debris and open burning100 acresTexas A & M Forest Service15400 FM 102
23 July 2009Natural83 acresAttwater Prarie Chicken National Wildlife RefugeRENZ FOOD PLOT FIRE

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1953 to 2026

60 of 327 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 327 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 27 injuries and about $12,949,310 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind117
Hail80
Tornado71
Flash Flood28
Funnel Cloud28
Lightning3

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
September 1967Tornadonot stated1 killed, 1 hurt, $25,000no account filed
June 2004Tornado (F1)Wharton6 hurt, $300,000Tornado formed just outside city limits and caused damage to shopping center roof, several homes, and overturned a pump house as it entered Wharton. A mobile home was flipped over, damage occurred to several out houses, and vehicles. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down. Overall, six minor injuries were reported, mainly from flying glass.
August 1955Tornado (F1)not stated5 hurtno account filed
August 2002Thunderstorm WindEl Campo3 hurt, $20,000Mobile home overturned.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindEast Bernard3 hurtA pulse severe thunderstorm produce strong winds that downed power lines in East Bernard.
September 1967Tornadonot stated2 hurt, $25,000no account filed
November 2003Tornado (F0)El Campo2 hurt, $8,000Tornado sighted by personnel in a large plant nursery. Employees took cover and F0 tornado blew out two windows of an on-site office building. Two minor injuries.
December 1977Tornado (F1)not stated1 hurt, $250,000no account filed
September 1967Tornadonot stated1 hurt, $25,000no account filed
February 2008Thunderstorm WindLouise1 hurt, $5,000A parked 18-wheeler tractor trailer was blown over at the intersection of Highway 59 and FM 441 near Hilje. The driver suffered minor injuries.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindEl Campo1 hurtMan injured in Hillje while trying to cover a grain trailer with a tarp when wind gust blew him down.
November 1961Tornado (F3)not stated1 hurtno account filed
June 1996HailEgypt$5,000,000no account filed
November 2004Flash FloodCountywide$2,100,000Widespread major flooding with evacuations in Louise with more than 200 El Campo residents being rescued by boat or high-water vehicles. Numerous roads (including two sections of Highway 59 between Wharton and El Campo and between El Campo and the Jackson County line) and bridges were flooded and impassable. Countywide, 59 homes sustained major damage and 225 homes received minor damage.
June 1995Thunderstorm Windnot stated$400,000Numerous reports of damage due to 60 mph winds including: tree blown into a mobile home, damage to fences and cars, roofs blown off, barn destroyed.
August 2017Tornado (EF1)East Bernard$300,000Tornado began as a weak EF0 in East Bernard then tracked NW across SH 90 where it strengthened to EF1 snapping the trunks of several large mature oak and pecan trees. A house suffered significant brick facade damage to one side of the home. Four apartments were damaged on college street.
November 1992Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
May 1991Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
January 1991Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
January 1983Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
June 2025Tornado (EF1)Dinsmore$200,000An EF-1 tornado with 100 mph winds touched down just behind some apartments northeast of Wharton and travelled east across CR 166, CR 133, and CR 129. The most extensive damage was along Everett and Holiness Lanes, just south of CR 166. Numerous homes sustained major roof damage and a number of trees had large branches snapped. As the tornado traveled east it continued producing mostly tree damage and some minor roof damage.
May 2005Thunderstorm WindCountywide$200,000Trees down and roof damage across the county including El Campo and Wharton. Power lines were also downed in Wharton. Also, a barn, a hanger (including an airplane inside) and a storage building were destroyed.
May 2000Thunderstorm WindEast Bernard$150,000Roof blown off Big State Grass Farm near SH 60. Trailer overturned, carport destroyed, and trees down in El Lobo subdivision.
June 2004Tornado (F1)Wharton$100,000Second tornado that traveled east of, and nearly parallel to, the first tornado through Wharton. Several 3 to 4 foot diameter trees were snapped in half with power lines knocked down.
March 1995Tornado (F1)Egypt$100,000DPS reported tornado at CR 257 and FM 102 in Egypt. One home destroyed, one home damaged, five cars damaged, and one tractor damaged.
September 2002Flash FloodWharton$95,000Water in homes in Wharton.
June 2004Thunderstorm WindBoling$75,000Wind damage destroyed a mobile home with some carport damage, tree limbs down.
September 2002Tornado (F0)Boling$75,000Tornado destroyed one mobile home, damaged three others and tore apart a barn in Boling.
August 2001Flash FloodCountywide$75,000Numerous roads closed throughout county.
June 2004Flash FloodWharton$70,000Flooding in and around Wharton with several rescues made from flooded homes.
June 2004Tornado (F0)Danevang$55,000Tornado touch down at FM 2674 and FM County Road 324 west of Highway 71. Caused roof and porch damage to a home and damaged two mobile homes.
August 2017Tornado (EF0)East Bernard$50,000Trees down along a southeast to northwest path. Horse trailer overturned. Tornado caught on video.
March 2002Tornado (F0)Wharton$50,000A Tornado touchdown damaged a trailer on Nelson Road and Texas Highway 102, reported by Emergency management.
March 2002HailEl Campo$50,000Emergency Management and Sheriff witnessed Baseball sized Hail at State Highway 59 and FM 1163, with one inch hail covering the ground.
July 2000Thunderstorm WindEl Campo$50,000Awning of gas station blown off with car overturned.
October 1998Flash FloodCountywide$50,000FM 102 north of Egypt closed and water entering nearby homes. Major flooding across NW parts of county. Elm Grove subdivision in northern Wharton County had 1 foot of water in them.
April 1993Tornado (F2)Egypt$50,000The Wharton Newspaper reported large trees blown down, metal roofs blown off barns and water pump housings blown over on Farm-to-Market Road 2614 northwest of Egypt near the community of Bonus. There were numerous reports of street flooding in the Wharton vicinity.
May 1993Thunderstorm Windnot stated$50,000The Houston Light and Power Company reported a dozen power lines blown down and about 500 customers without power.
October 1993Hailnot stated$50,000The Post Mistress in Lissie reported dime-size hail.
April 1997Flash FloodEl Campo$50,000no account filed
June 1996Thunderstorm WindWharton/Iago$50,000no account filed
May 1999HailLouise$40,000no account filed
May 1999HailDanevang$40,000no account filed
August 1996Tornado (F0)El Campo$40,000no account filed
June 2009Thunderstorm WindNew Taiton$35,000Thunderstorm winds damaged or destroyed numerous barns in the New Taiton area about 1 mile around the intersection of Texas Highway 71 and FM 961. The winds also downed numerous trees and tree limbs along with 9 power poles. Around 150 acres of Maize and corn were also destroyed.
December 2002Thunderstorm WindWharton$35,000Roof blown off a business.
December 2002Thunderstorm WindWharton$35,000Roof damage, trees down and light poles down in and around Wharton.
April 2012Thunderstorm WindHungerford$30,000A trailer home and shed were destroyed near the intersection of County Road 216 and County Road 225.
June 2002Thunderstorm WindCountywide$30,000Trees blown down from Wharton to El Campo...some fell on houses and cars.
May 2006LightningEast Bernard$25,000Lightning strike caused a house attic fire that produced minor damage.
November 2004Tornado (F0)Wharton$25,000Four homes were damaged in the Spanish Camp area near the intersection of FM 1161 and FM 640.
July 2002Flash FloodHungerford$25,000Roads flooded, some impassable, in Hungerford. Water in two homes.
May 2000Thunderstorm WindNewgulf$25,000Tree down in Newgulf with power lines down across county.
April 2000Thunderstorm WindGlen Flora$25,0002 large trees down on FM 960 with one tree striking car.
August 2000Thunderstorm WindWharton$25,000Metal building blown 70 feet with large tree down.
August 1999Thunderstorm WindEl Campo$25,000Power poles down between Nada and Crescent.
August 1999Thunderstorm WindPierce$25,000Barn damaged along County Rd. 365 with cotton modules damaged around county.
August 1998Thunderstorm WindWharton$25,000Trees blown down (some on houses) in Wharton and in Hungerford.
August 2000HailEast Bernard$25,000no account filed
November 1992Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed

Mines and quarries

2 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 2 workings inside this county. None of them still produces: all are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Clay1
Sulfur1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Bay Prairie AggregatesClayPast Producer
Boling DomeSulfurPast Producer1922, 1929

Every populated place in the county

35

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

The vanished settlements of Wharton County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.