The Man Who Put Wise County on the Map

Before GPS or Google Earth, there was Col. William Hudson Hunt. A man with a compass, a keen eye, and a mission to chart the wild Texas frontier. Born in 1800 in Tennessee, Hunt arrived in North Texas by the 1840s, when the region was still untamed prairie and dense oak country.

Mapping the Future

As a surveyor for the Peters Colony and the Republic of Texas, Hunt played a major role in establishing early boundaries and settlements across what would become Wise County. Using only a surveyor’s chain and hand-drawn maps, he helped lay out early roads, rivers, and property lines - quite literally putting Wise County “on the map.”

Building Community on Faith and Grit

Hunt was also a community builder. In 1854, he organized the first Methodist congregation in the area, which met under brush arbors and log shelters long before formal churches were built. He and his wife, Margaret Hunt, raised five children, and together they helped construct the first toll bridge across the West Fork of the Trinity River near what is now Bridgeport - a vital link for settlers moving west.

By 1855, Hunt had acquired much of what is now western Wise County, establishing his homestead, which he lovingly named Cactus Hill. A sprawling ranch known for its sweeping views and, legend has it, a field of wild prickly pear that glowed pink in the spring.

A Life Cut Short, A Legacy That Endured

Tragically, in 1865, Col. Hunt’s life was cut short in a runaway-team accident while traveling near Bridgeport. Though his story might have ended there, his legacy didn’t. When Lake Bridgeport was created in the 1930s, much of Hunt’s original land - including the site of Cactus Hill - was submerged beneath the new reservoir.

Recognizing the family’s historic importance, Hunt’s descendants and local leaders arranged for the Hunt Family Cemetery to be carefully relocated to Bridgeport’s Eastside Cemetery, where his memory still endures.

History Beneath the Water

So next time you stand on the shore of Lake Bridgeport, take a moment to look beyond the surface. Beneath those glistening waters lies more than just history. It’s the story of the man who helped draw the first lines of our county, built its first church, and planted the roots of a community that still thrives today.