Bullard is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 69 and roads 2493 (Old Jacksonville Highway), 2137, and 344, 12 miles south of Tyler in extreme southern Smith County. It lies between Tyler and Jacksonville, and is south of the communities of Gresham and Flint. Parts of the town are located in Cherokee County. The William Pitt Loftin family settled in the area around 1850, and the Etna post office, located to the west of the current town, opened in 1867. In 1870 John and Emma Eugenia Erwin Bullard settled in the area and in 1881 opened the Hewsville post office in his general store.  An East Texas Farm Home at Bullard, Texas on Cotton Belt Route In 1883 the Etna post office closed and the Hewsville office was renamed Bullard. The Bullard railroad station was completed in August 1884 by the Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railroad. The community became a shipping point for cotton, vegetables, and fruits. By 1890 the town had a sawmill, two general stores, a physician, a smithy and wagon shop, a telegraph office, cotton gin and gristmill. By 1892 Bullard had added a grocer, a constable, a justice of the peace, a druggist, a physician, a feed store, schools, and a new general store.  Bullard, Texas Depot of the St. Louis and Southwestern Railroad In the 1920s additional business opened including several packing sheds, restaurants, a movie theater, and boarding houses. A portable jail, seven feet in diameter and made of a barred round tank on wheels, held prisoners until the county sheriff could escort them to Tyler. In the post-World War II years Bullard again became a shipping point for fruit and vegetables. Today, Bullard is experiencing exponential growth as a "bedroom community" for Tyler, and a successful renewal of many of its downtown buildings.  Several major real estate developments are near Bullard, including the following: Kiepersol Estates Pecan Valley Ranch Bullard Creek Ranch Katima Bullard is also close to the Eagles Bluff development and golfing country club. Bullard is also only a few miles from the many recreational opportunities located around Lake Palestine.  Also located on Lake Palestine is the Emerald Bay development, just to the west of Bullard. The area also features great opportunities for homebuilding on ranch properties and wooded sites in Cherokee County as well as Smith County. Experienced and well respected builders such as Trent Williams Construction and Kevin Humphrey Homes are among the leading home builders in the Bullard area. In addition to the golfing available in Emerald Bay, another nearby golfing opportunity is Oak Hurst Golf Course. Bullard is a few miles north of the popular attraction known as Love's Lookout. The Texas State Railroad offers a variety of tours year-round from its terminal in Rusk, south of Bullard. While in the Rusk area, you may want to visit Maydelle Country Wines. Nearby is Moore Farms, a fun place to visit for all ages of the family yearround. The new American Freedom Museum is located just a few blocks from downtown Bullard. Bullard is also the location of the highly respected Brookhill School. The Bullard Banner News is the local newspaper and provides area-wide news and sports coverage. Several restaurants are located in Bullard, including one of our favorites: Legends Old-Time Burger Cafe.  Also of interest is the Dewberry Plantation, dating to 1854. This historic home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and registered as a Texas State Historical Landmark. South of Bullard near Jacksonville is the Cherokee Trace Drive Thru Safari, a wildlife park that is home to an amazing variety of wildlife. See over a dozen exotic and endangered species that thrive in an open habitat similar to their native territory. At your own pace, enjoy a self-guided drive through the hills and open savannahs of this 300-acre preserve. Just north of Bullard is the City of Tyler, which has a wide range of places to see year-round, plus seasonal events such as the Tyler Azalea Trail in March and the Tyler Rose Festival in October. Caldwell Zoo Discovery Science Center Historic Aviation Memorial Museum Tyler Museum of Art Hudnall Planetarium at TJC Tyler Azalea Trail (March) Tyler State Park Texas Rose Festival & the Tyler Rose Museum Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge Brookshire's Museum and Country Store Cowan Center at UT-Tyler East Texas State Fair (September) East Texas Symphony Orchestra Lake Tyler Lake Palestine Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari Park Camp Fannin Pine Cove Christian Camps Waterpark at the Villages For more information, contact the Bullard Chamber of Commerce. History of Tyler and Smith County at The Handbook of Texas Online National Trust for Historic Preservation  Past Glimpses of Tyler...by Robert Reed Bonner-Whitaker-McClendon House Historic Estate Smith County Historical Society Historic Tyler, Inc. Heart of Tyler Main Street Program Historic US80 National Register of Historic Places - Smith County Sites Smith County History (RootsWeb) Tyler History (City of Tyler) Camp Ford Historical Association Preservation Texas Texas Historical Commission Texas Downtown Association Texas Association of Museums Texas State Preservation Board East Texas Historical Association Camp Fannin |