{{Infobox settlement | name = Blackland, Texas | settlement_type = Town | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}} | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Texas}} | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name2 = Rockwall | coordinates = {{coord|32.9|-96.35|display=inline,title}} |pushpin_map=Texas#USA | established_title = Settled | established_date = 1876 | established_title1 = Unincorporated | established_date1 = {{start date|1876}} | elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/> | elevation_ft = 571 | population_as_of = 1990 | population_total = 49 | timezone = CST | utc_offset = -6 | timezone_DST = CDT | utc_offset_DST = -5 |postal_code_type = ZIP codes |postal_code = 75189 |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 1378014<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1378014}}</ref> }}
'''Blackland''' is a town and near-ghost town in Rockwall County, Texas, United States. It is located approximately four miles southeast of Rockwall, the county seat on State Highway 276. The town had a population of 49 residents in the 1990 census. The Texas State Historical Association maintains an article on the town on their website.
== History == The town of Blackland was named after the Texas Blackland Prairies.<!--by whom?--> Blackland's post office opened in 1876. In the 1880s, the population reached a peak of 125 people.<ref name="Escapes">{{cite web |title=Blackland, Texas |url=http://www.texasescapes.com/CentralTexasTownsNorth/Blackland-Texas.htm |website=Texas Escapes |publisher=www.texasescapes.com |access-date=July 20, 2019}}</ref> At that time it had three businesses and a gristmill. Blackland farmers shipped cotton, wheat, and oats.<ref name="TSHA">{{cite web |last1=Hart |first1=Brian |title=Blackland, Texas |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnb44 |website=Texas State Historical Association |publisher=tshaonline.org |access-date=July 20, 2019 |date=12 June 2010}}</ref> At the beginning of the 20th century, the population dipped to 50 people.<ref name="Escapes" /> The school in Blackland employed two teachers who taught 79 students.<ref name="TSHA" /> The post office closed in 1903.<ref name="Escapes" /><ref name="TSHA" /> In 1904, the population bumped up again to 114 people and declined to 14 in 1940.<ref name="Escapes" /><ref name="TSHA" /> However, its closeness to Rockwall, Texas, the county seat, restricted its growth.<ref name="Escapes" /><ref name="TSHA" /> The 1990 census showed 49 people still living in the town. The town is considered an historical subject by the Texas State Historical Association, who maintains an article discussing it on their website.<ref name="Escapes" /><ref name="TSHA" />
=== Historical rodeo connection === The 1880s when the town was at its largest happened to coincide with the early days of bronc riding. A Blackland man named William Brooks owned a bucking horse, a stallion named Burgett. One of the bronc riders who rode Burgett was Jim Woods in September 1893. One man, Foghorn Clancy, who witnessed it said later, "I cannot shut out the picture of the ride Jim Woods had on this great man-killing stallion, in September 1893, as being one of the greatest rides I have ever seen".{{sfn|Woerner|1998|page=7}}
== Modern times==
Blackland, Texas, is located in Rockwall County. The town is almost a ghost town. The grist mill, which had a major hand in keeping the town active, is closed. However, the Zollner Ranch, a farm worked by migrants, still stands and is owned and run by the Zollner family. An old wooden church also stands.<ref name="Escapes" />
Local cities near Blackland located less than {{convert|30|mi|km}} away include Rockwall, Royse City, Mobile City, McLendon-Chisholm, and Fate. Major cities near Blackland include: 17 miles to Garland, 22 miles to Plano, and 27 miles to Dallas.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cities Near Me - Blackland, Texas |url=https://www.travelmath.com/cities-near/Blackland,+TX |website=Travelmath |publisher=www.travelmath.com |access-date=July 20, 2019}}</ref> Blackland is located at 571 feet above sea level. It appears on the Royse City U.S. Geological Survey Map. Rockwall County is in the Central Time Zone.<ref>{{cite web |title=Blackland Populated Place Profile |url=https://texas.hometownlocator.com/tx/rockwall/blackland.cfm |website=Rockwall County, Texas Data |publisher=texas.hometownlocator.com |access-date=July 20, 2019}}</ref><ref name="gnis" />
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
== Bibliography == {{refbegin}} *{{cite book |last1=Woerner |first1=Gail Hughbanks |title=A belly full of bedsprings : the history of bronc riding |date=1998 |publisher=Eakin Press |location=Austin, Texas |isbn=1-57168-253-8 |edition=1st |url=https://archive.org/details/bellyfullofbedsp0000woer |url-access=registration }} {{refend}}
{{Rockwall County, Texas}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2019}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2019}}
Category:Cities in Texas Category:Cities in Rockwall County, Texas