Brick Streets of Wills Point

IN THE EARLY 1920s, AN ATMOSPHERE OF GRATEFULNESS FOR THE END OF WORLD WAR I WAS PREVALENT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. IN WILLS POINT, A SENSE OF OPTIMISM AND INTEREST IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT LED TO THE FORMATION OF A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON DECEMBER 5, 1921, AT THE MAJESTIC THEATER. THE NUMBER ONE GOAL FOR THE NEW CHAMBER WAS FOR THE CITY TO PAVE THE STREETS IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT. THE CITY COUNCIL ORDERED A SPECIAL ELECTION TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO ISSUE BONDS TO PAVE AND GRAVEL THE STREETS. EVEN THOUGH THE RAIN POURED THAT DAY, THE VOTE WAS THE LARGEST EVER SEEN IN A CITY ELECTION AND THE BOND PASSED.

AT A JUNE 15, 1922, CITY COUNCIL MEETING, H.N. ROBERTS, CIVIL ENGINEER, AND E.M. STARR ACCEPTED THE CONTRACT FOR UNLOADING MATERIAL AND CURBING. MAYOR HENRY GILCHRIST AND FIVE ALDERMEN TRAVELED TO MINERAL WELLS PAVING BRICK PLANT TO INSPECT THE BRICK QUALITY. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE BRICKS CAME FROM THIS PLANT. PLANS CALLED FOR A 4-INCH CONCRETE BASE COVERED WITH A LAYER OF SAND UPON WHICH THE PAVING BRICKS WERE LAID WITH A HEAVY WEARING-SURFACE OF ASPHALT. INSTEAD OF CONTRACTING FOR LABOR TO LAY THE BRICK, VOLUNTEERS UNDER AN EXPERIENCED SUPERVISOR SAVED THE TOWN HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS. WHEN THE BRICK STREETS WERE COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER 1922, TWO TRAFFIC COPS WERE STATIONED DOWNTOWN AT THE ROSE FOUNTAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME TO FAMILIARIZE THE PUBLIC WITH NEW TRAFFIC LAWS. SOON, A NEW ICE PLANT, CHURCHES, ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT, A RENOVATED POST OFFICE AND FREE MAIL SERVICE WAS AVAILABLE TO WILLS POINT. THE BRICK STREETS IN WILLS POINT OPENED THE DOOR TO A RANGE OF NEW BUSINESSES AND MODERN CONVENIENCES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.