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. Library of Congress.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, via the Digital Public Library of America.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.
1951-11-03, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1951-11-03, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1951-11-03, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1951-11-03, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1952-12-11, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1952-12-11, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1952-12-11, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1952-12-11, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1953-04-16, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1953-04-16, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1953-04-16, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1953-04-16, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1958-03-19, scale 1:16400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1958-03-19, scale 1:16400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1958-03-19, scale 1:16400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1958-03-19, scale 1:16400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1962-02-06, scale 1:17600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1962-02-06, scale 1:17600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1962-02-06, scale 1:22400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1962-02-06, scale 1:22400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1964-02-10, scale 1:11000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1964-02-10, scale 1:11000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1964-02-10, scale 1:11000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1964-02-10, scale 1:11000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1970-01-07, scale 1:119827. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1970-01-07, scale 1:121260. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1970-01-07, scale 1:121057. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1970-01-07, scale 1:119827. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1971-11-11, scale 1:119664. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1971-11-11, scale 1:119664. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1971-11-11, scale 1:118734. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1971-11-11, scale 1:118734. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1972-04-18, scale 1:122665. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1972-04-18, scale 1:122998. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1972-04-22, scale 1:120733. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1972-04-22, scale 1:120733. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1977-03-28, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1977-03-28, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1977-03-28, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1977-03-28, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1978-02-21, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1978-02-21, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1978-02-21, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1978-02-21, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1979-01-21, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1979-02-09, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.1979-11-07, scale 1:64500. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.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.
DANEVANG 1 W1896 to 2026, hottest 42.8 C, coldest -17.8 C
WHARTON1902 to 2022, hottest 40.6 C, coldest -6.7 C
PIERCE 1 E1904 to 2014, hottest 44.4 C, coldest -15.6 C
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
241-48Justice 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 burning
50
Missing data/not specified/undetermined
29
Equipment and vehicle use
25
Misuse of fire by a minor
3
Natural
3
Smoking
1
Arson/incendiarism
1
Recreation and ceremony
1
The five largest, by the area the report
gives. None of them was recorded as arson.
Date
Cause
Size
Reported by
Name on the report
10 August 2008
Debris and open burning
300 acres
Texas A & M Forest Service
not named
18 August 2011
Missing data/not specified/undetermined
200 acres
Texas A & M Forest Service
EAST BERNARD FIRE
17 August 2009
Missing data/not specified/undetermined
100 acres
Texas A & M Forest Service
1455 CR 450
27 November 2008
Debris and open burning
100 acres
Texas A & M Forest Service
not named
12 January 2008
Debris and open burning
100 acres
Texas A & M Forest Service
not named
18 January 2009
Debris and open burning
100 acres
Texas A & M Forest Service
300 CR 219
19 January 2009
Debris and open burning
100 acres
Texas A & M Forest Service
15400 FM 102
23 July 2009
Natural
83 acres
Attwater Prarie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge
RENZ 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 Wind
117
Hail
80
Tornado
71
Flash Flood
28
Funnel Cloud
28
Lightning
3
The most serious of them, by death, then
injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the
forecast office filed them.
Tornado 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.
Tornado 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.
Widespread 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.
Tornado 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.
An 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.
Trees 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.
Second 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.
FM 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.
The 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.
Thunderstorm 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.
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
Clay
1
Sulfur
1
The least common of them first, because a
county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
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.
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.