Bethel

Wilton Postoffice, or Wilton, was on Waxahachie Creek several miles southeast of Waxahachie and west of Ennis in Ellis County. It was the name given to the post office on the plantation of Thomas C. and Willia (Latimer) Neel. In 1854 Neel purchased land from the Sutherfield Mayfield and H. H. Swisher grants and in 1855 sent his slave carpenter, Sims Allen, along with others to build his house. Later that year Neel moved to Wilton with his wife and daughter. Wilton Post Office was located on his plantation and received its name from Neel's nickname for his wife, "Will." It was first established in 1856 and was discontinued and reestablished several times before its last withdrawal in 1872. Eventually a community named Bethel was founded in the area, and a school by that name existed in 1897 and 1907. Bethel never appeared on maps in the twentieth century. Two historical markers honoring a Bethel Cemetery and Bethel Methodist Church are located near Waxahachie.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.