Bridgeport

By Ken Sprecher and Bridgeport Historical Society

In 1860, John Butterfield rerouted his famous stage line over the west fork of the Trinity River, and soon a small community sprang up along the banks near the new toll bridge. The settlement became known as Bridgeport, and its pioneers found themselves in the middle of both Texas and American history. Since then, Bridgeport's contributions to history have been achieved through the area's land, as well as the rich oil that flowed beneath the rugged, cactus-dotted country. Recognizing the importance of the earth and what lay below took the skill of entrepreneurs and the hard work of many people. The cast of pioneer characters included a young, well-educated New Yorker seeking adventure in the new republic, a stern but generous engineer from Pennsylvania, and a billionaire wildcatter from Houston. Not forgotten are the stories of immigrants from all over the world whose lives have enriched Bridgeport's historic past. Today Bridgeport continues to utilize natural resources while developing its local heritage and ecotourism sites.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Sep 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781439625989

Ken Sprecher

Author Ken Sprecher is a retired law enforcement officer and works alongside his wife as the vice president of the Bridgeport Historical Society, whose goal is to preserve the history of Bridgeport for many generations to come. The images featured in Bridgeport were obtained from the Bridgeport Heritage Museum and private collections.

Book preview

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INTRODUCTION

According to prominent American West author Willa Cather, We come and go, but the land is always here. And the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it—for a little while. The story of Bridgeport is about the land and how the people used their hands, minds, and machines to create a life for themselves that, in the process, helped shape a growing country.

The origins of Bridgeport can be traced back to the western expansion of the country during the middle part of the 19th century. Wise County, Texas, was carved out of a Comanche-dominated, sparsely populated portion of north central Texas. There was no shortage of colorful, strong pioneers, which later on led to entrepreneurs who managed to put their mark on the town that became known as Bridgeport.

Looking for adventure, 21-year-old New York native William Hunt had made his way to Texas by the end of the Texas Revolution in 1836. Eventually obtaining the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Republic of Texas Army, Hunt demonstrated proficiency for surveying land. He later was named as the official surveyor of school lands and proposed roads. Hunt also served as a member of the council responsible for locating the site of the state capitol building in Austin. During the ill-fated Santa Fe Expedition, Colonel Hunt was captured and forced to march 2,000 miles to Mexico City, where he was imprisoned for a year.

In 1855, Hunt settled in what would become Wise County and amassed thousands of acres of land that he took in lieu of payment for his state surveying work. He operated a large sheep and cattle ranch on his property and called it Cactus Hill, which was located under what is now Lake Bridgeport. He was instrumental in organizing the county, and his beloved Cactus Hill home was always bustling with activity. Hunt maintained an excellent library, collected expensive china, and music was available on an imported melodeon. In addition to bringing a love of culture to the wilds of the frontier, he also established a post office in 1858 and helped organize one of the first churches in the county.

Colonel Hunt was a shrewd businessman who recognized the benefit of using the land to his advantage. When he convinced John Butterfield to change the course of the Overland Mail line, it provided the impetus for the creation of Bridgeport. However, Hunt was not alone in seeing the value of land and the riches it held.

Soon after the toll bridge was erected, coal was discovered nearby while a water well was being dug. Several years later, in 1882, the Wise County Coal Company was chartered and thus launched a search for valuable resources below the surface that continues to this day. The opening of the coal mines brought a wave of immigrants, mainly from Mexico, to Bridgeport. Their valuable contributions to this and succeeding industries is an important cultural story that deserves recognition.

Much like Colonel Hunt before him, William Howell John relocated to Bridgeport in 1900 for a business opportunity. John was an engineer by training and a coal miner at heart. When the Bridgeport Coal Company bought out the Wise County Coal Company, John was brought in as the superintendent. Super John, as he was generally referred to, was a champion of the immigrant miner but also a demanding boss.

He and his wife, Julia, were prominent citizens in the community and very protective of the Mexican workers. John donated a building to be used as a school for the children of the Mexican miners and also helped organize a church for his workers. Unfortunately W. H. John died from black lung disease in 1935 at the age of 67.

Due to the availability of coal, the Rock Island Railroad Company laid tracks nearby, which connected Fort Worth and Chicago. The old town of Bridgeport, located near the river and bridge, decided its future was better suited close to the railroad, so in 1893 the town picked up and moved a couple of miles east of its original location. From this new beginning, modern-day Bridgeport commenced on its journey through the next century.

The brick plants and then the quarry industry, which still prospers today, followed the coal industry. The products and material that have been retrieved from the land has had a vast influence on