White Flat
Vera is on U.S. Highway 82 sixty miles southwest of Wichita Falls in east central Knox County. The site is a flat strip of land with grass of a whitish color, and the community was originally known as White Flat. In 1890 another Texas post office already had that name, and G. W. Ballard renamed the settlement Vera, after Vera Kellog, the daughter of Holt Kellog, an early pioneer. Ballard, the owner of a grocery store and mill, was the first postmaster. With fertile land at their disposal, the early settlers made a good living raising stock and farming. As cotton became an important crop about 1900, Peter Loran built the first gin, which he sold in 1902. The gin burned during World War II. Over the years several rural schools have been consolidated with the Vera school. When it was discontinued in 1960, pupils began attending school in Benjamin or Seymour. The population of Vera rose from 100 in 1960 to 276 by 1970, then decreased to 176 in 1980, when the community had two businesses. Local farmers raise cattle and hogs. In 1990 the population of Vera was 276. By 2000 the population had dropped to fifty.
Edloe A. Jenkins | © TSHA
Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.
- ✅ Adoption Status:
Belongs to
White Flat is part of or belongs to the following places:
Currently Exists
No
Place type
White Flat is classified as a Town
Associated Names
- (Vera)
Has Post Office
No
Is Incorporated
No