The historic town well of Bullard marks the origin of the community. In 1883, the Kansas and Gulf Short Line railroad extended tracks from Tyler to Lufkin, and the town of Bullard, named for postmaster John Henry Bullard, supplanted the earlier communities of Etna and Hewsville. A reliable public water source helped Bullard grow and thrive. This and other wells in Smith County utilize the Carrizo-Wilcox major aquifer and the Queen City minor aquifer. Water can be drawn by pumps, windmills, or buckets lowered to the water table. This natural resource provided drinking water for people and animals and also served as a social gathering place early in Bullard’s history.