Wheelock

Duane's take

Well, friends, I'm gonna tell this one just the way the marker tells it — here's the story of Wheelock, Texas, straight from the official record. Now, when you hear a town named after a man, you start to wonder what kind of man he was. Colonel E.

L. R. Wheelock — and I want you to hold that full title for a moment, Colonel — was a soldier, a lawyer, and an educator.

That right there is three lifetimes of work packed into one human being. And if that wasn't enough, he was one of the organizers of Robertson's Colony. He helped plant civilization in Texas soil back in 1833, the very year he founded this town.

Captain of the Texas Rangers, too. The man wore a lot of hats, and you get the sense every single one of them fit. Now here's where the story takes its turn — because Colonel Wheelock didn't die in the land he helped build.

He passed away in Edwardsville, Illinois, in 1846. He was visiting the place of his birth when he died. Went home one last time, and home is where he stayed.

The town he founded in 1833 bears his name still, out here in Robertson County, keeping the Colonel's memory right where it belongs — in Texas.

What the marker says

Founded in 1833 by Colonel E. L. R. Wheelock, soldier, lawyer and educator. One of the organizers of Robertson's colony. Captain of Texas Rangers. Died in Edwardsville, Ill, in 1846 while visiting the place of his birth.