Wise County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 68,632. Its county seat is Decatur. Wise County is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area. Its Wise Eyes crime-watch program, eventually adopted by mostly rural counties in several states, was started in 1993 by then-Sheriff Phil Ryan.

History

On November 10, 1837, the Battle of the Knobs was fought in what is now Wise County between about 150 Native American warriors and 18 Republic of Texas soldiers under Lieutenant A. B. Benthuysen. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Texan soldiers held their ground, killing or wounding an estimated 50 Native Americans and losing 10 of their own men. More settlers began coming into the area not long afterward, with people relocating mostly from the Upland South, especially Tennesseans and Kentuckians. Wise County was not founded until 1856. It was named after Virginia Congressman Henry A. Wise, who had supported annexation of Texas by the United States. He was elected governor of Virginia in 1856.

As few residents of Wise County were slaveholders, opinions were mixed at the time of the Civil War, and many people opposed secession. Unionists were persecuted in North Texas, and some were lynched. Forty-two men were murdered in the Great Hanging at Gainesville in October 1862, over the course of several days in neighboring Cooke County. This was one of the worst examples of vigilante justice in American history.

In recent years, Wise County allowed an increase in hydraulic fracturing. In 2011, the Parr family and others filed a lawsuit against several energy companies, including Republic Energy, Inc. and Ryder Scott Petroleum, claiming the extracting processes have created health complications for their family and neighbors. In April 2014, the Parrs won a $2.9 million award from a Dallas jury.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (2.0%) are covered by water.

Adjacent counties

  • Montague County (north)
  • Cooke County (northeast)
  • Denton County (east)
  • Tarrant County (southeast)
  • Parker County (south)
  • Jack County (west)

National protected area

  • Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland (majority)

Communities

Cities

  • Aurora
  • Bridgeport
  • Decatur (county seat)
  • Fort Worth (mostly in Tarrant County with small parts in Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise Counties)
  • Lake Bridgeport
  • New Fairview
  • Newark (small part in Tarrant County)
  • Paradise
  • Rhome
  • Runaway Bay

Towns

  • Alvord
  • Boyd
  • Chico
  • Crafton

Census-designated places

  • Briar (partly in Tarrant and Parker Counties)
  • Pecan Acres (mostly in Tarrant County)

Unincorporated communities

  • Allison
  • Balsora
  • Boonsville
  • Cottondale
  • Greenwood
  • Slidell
  • Sycamore

Demographics

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Education

These school districts lie entirely within Wise County:

  • Alvord Independent School District
  • Boyd Independent School District
  • Bridgeport Independent School District
  • Chico Independent School District
  • Decatur Independent School District
  • Paradise Independent School District
  • Slidell Independent School District

This private educational institution serves Wise County:

  • Victory Christian Academy

This higher education institution serves Wise County:

  • Weatherford College

Transportation

Major highways

  • 20px U.S. Highway 81
  • 25px U.S. Highway 287
  • 25px U.S. Highway 380
  • 20px State Highway 101
  • 20px State Highway 114
  • 20px State Highway 199

Airports

These public-use airports are located in the county:

  • Bishop Airport (76T)
  • Bridgeport Municipal Airport (XBP)
  • Decatur Municipal Airport (LUD)
  • Heritage Creek Airstrip (58T)
  • Rhome Meadows Airport (T76)

See also

  • List of museums in North Texas
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Wise County, Texas
  • Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Wise County

References

  • Wise County Genealogy Resources
  • Wise County on the Web
  • "Liberally Lean From The Land of Dairy Queen" - A Local Blog About Wise County