invite you on this journey through the best kept secret in east Texas, Wills Point! Celebrate our heritage, the past that set us on our course and the foundation for our future… Discover today’s treasures of entertainment, shopping and dining that make us a heritage tourism destination… Share our excitement as we engage in unique, fresh opportunities that will inspire you to share our vision… WE WON’T BE A SECRET ANYMORE!
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invite you on this journey through the
best kept secret in east Texas, Wills Point!
Celebrate our heritage, the past that set us on our course and the foundation for our future…
Discover today’s treasures of entertainment, shopping and dining that make us a heritage tourism destination…
Share our excitement as we engage in unique, fresh opportunities that will inspire you to share our vision…
• Wills Point is located on historic Hwy. 80 approximately 38 miles east of Dallas from 635 (LBJ Freeway) and 45 miles N.W. of Tyler via I-20
• Wills Point Population - 2010: 3524Population of Van Zandt County outside any city proper:37,482. Wills Point businesses serve more than 10,000 residents.
Board of DirectorsDoug Bass Bass ProductionsStan Brown City Barber ShopDean Ouimet Lone Star GrillMary Russell CrestwoodBecky Thompson Edward Jones InvestmentsKipp Wingo Van Zandt Animal Care CenterTina Rosamond Murrey MotorsSherry Scott-Moore Century 21Royce Pollard My Credit Union
Chamber StaffJennifer Ross President
Chamber Volunteer Gene Epperson
Contact the Chamber:Mail: PO Box 178
Wills Point, Texas 75169Phone: (903)873-3111Email: [email protected]: www.willspointchamber.com
The Majestic TheaterIn 1926, the theatre building was built to show the silent movies that were all therage. Probably the most memorable thing during the silent picture days was the orchestrathat won fame in our area providing musical accompaniment to the films. The orchestraplayed until talking pictures took over the screen in 1928. The first talking picture shownher was “The Girl From Woolworths” starring Alice White. It was the longestcontinuously operated movie house in Texas.
Rose Dry Goods StoreRose Dry Goods was established in 1873. It was originally in the Cedar GroveCommunity before it was relocated to the present site when the railroad camethrough Wills Point. B. W. Rose, the founder of the business, was a Jewishimmigrant who came to America from his native Germany when he was 16 yearsold. The original building was a wood structure, but was bricked using bricks madesouth of Wills Point. There is no true record of the date of the building, but it is wellover 100 years old. B. W. Rose died in 1922.
Wills CabinIn 1848, a man named William Wills, the namesake of our city, came toTexas from Tennessee three years after it was annexed into the UnitedStates. He settled on what was then titled “Government Vacant Land”owned by the state and obtainable by settlers living on a tract for 3successive years. He was the first settler to come here and built hishome, a wood cabin, at the point of timber between the Sabine and Trinityrivers.
Bruce & Human DrugIt is the oldest family owned drug store in the state of Texas. Established by the lateB. W. Bruce, it still remains in the hands of his family. It has been located on thiscorner since 1879.
The Green HouseThe building was built and commissioned to the board of trustees of the First NationalBank by the Howell family in 1895. The building is outlined by railroad tracks that thewalls are built on top of. This was to deter any would be burglars from tunnelingunder the walls and into the bank. After the bank moved to another location, thebuilding served as a city office, and then the post office. Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Mayberrybought the building in 1955, where they continued to operate the Greenhouse for over40 years. The business is still family owned today.
Cotton GinsAt one time, there were eight cotton gins locally, and 26 county wide. TheFloyd Weeks Gin was the last working gin in Van Zandt County. The earlyginners, cotton buyers and warehousemen played a vital role in WillsPoint’s history, especially its economy.