Balch Springs, Texas
USGenWeb >> TXGenWeb >> Dallas County >> Towns & Communities >> Balch Springs, Texas
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| Latitude | 32°43'3"N 32.71750°N 32.71750 |
| Longitude | 96°36'55"W 96.61528°W -96.61528 |
| Elevation feet/meters |
499/152 |
| Zip Code | 75180 |
| Founded | June 13, 1953 |
| GNIS FID | 1329964 |
| TXGenWeb Site | |
| Cemeteries | |
| Library | |
| Local Genealogy Society | |
| Wikipedia | |
| cityofbalchsprings.com | |
History of Balch Springs
The following account of the History of Balch Springs has been
graciously provided to the City of Balch Springs by Marilyn Kosanke,
Historian.
The area which became Balch Springs was first settled in the 1840s. William H. Bennett and other farmers moved to the present-day Balch Springs area with their families. For supplies and mail the settlers went to the Scyene and Haught’s Store communities before Mesquite was founded in 1873. In the early 1800s wheat, oats, and corn were the main crops. By the late 1800s cotton was the main crop.
Around 1879 John M. Balch and his family moved to Texas and settled south of Mesquite in what is now the Balch Springs Road and Eastgate Drive area. Mr. Balch found several springs on his land, one of which ran all year-round. According to local legend, Mr. Balch’s springs were cleaned out and bricked up and became a community meeting place where people came to fill their water buckets and barrels and talk. Mr. Balch’s neighbors began referring to the springs as “Balch Springs."
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The area was first settled in the 1840s. Around 1879 John M. Balch and his family settled south of Mesquite in unincorporated Dallas County. Mr. Balch found several springs on his land, one of which ran year-round. Local residents began referring to the springs on Mr. Balch's property as Balch Springs, and use of the name continued even after he moved away a few years after his arrival. Around 1885, a county school was named after the springs. A small church and a cemetery were near the school. During the early 1900s, the community was widely dispersed and consisted mostly of farms. Electricity, provided by Texas Power and Light, was introduced in 1939. Gas and telephone service arrived shortly after World War II.
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The community began to grow rapidly along with the city of Dallas and other Dallas County towns. To avoid annexation by Dallas, Balch Springs incorporated as a city on June 13, 1953. The new city encompassed the communities of Balch Springs, Zipp City, Five Points, Jonesville, and Triangle as well as portions of Rylie and Kleberg. A mayor-council form of government was adopted after incorporation. By 1956, Balch Springs had a population of around 3,500. The city was home to 6,821 residents at the 1960 census. In September 1964, a post office opened in the city and in 1965, the first taxes were levied. A 1966 attempt to disincorporate the community was unsuccessful. By 1970, the population had risen to 10,464 as the construction of new roads made commuting to surrounding cities easier. In 1988, residents voted to become part of the neighboring city of Mesquite, but the election was declared invalid. Two years later, the 1990 census reported a total of 17,406 people living in the city. The 2000 population was 19,375.
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Balch Springs is on Interstate highways 635 and 20 and U.S. Highway 175 ten miles southeast of Dallas in Dallas County. It was founded around 1870, when the family of John Balch settled in the area and found three springs, one of which was never dry. The perennial spring was kept cleaned and bricked up and became a gathering place for families in the area to fill their buckets and talk. In 1900 the area had only a cemetery and scattered farms. Several years later a school was built and named after the springs.
Balch Springs received electricity from Texas Power and Light in 1939. Gas service by Lone Star Gas and telephone service began shortly after World War II. On June 13, 1953, Balch Springs was incorporated, with a mayor-council form of government, in order to avoid annexation by Dallas. The site encompassed sections of Rylie, Kleberg, Five Points, Zipp City, Jonesville, Balch Springs, and Triangle. By 1956 Balch Springs had a population of 3,500. The population grew rapidly in the next several decades, and by 1976 it was 13,050. In 1958 the community had a modern fire department with three fire trucks, and a post office opened in Balch Springs in September 1964. Children attended school in either the Dallas or Mesquite school districts. In 1965 the town began levying its first taxes, and in 1966 a vote to disincorporate failed.
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