Balch Springs
Balch Springs is on Interstate highways 635 and 20 and U.S. Highway 175 ten miles southeast of Dallas in Dallas County. It was founded around 1870, when the family of John Balch settled in the area and found three springs, one of which was never dry. The perennial spring was kept cleaned and bricked up and became a gathering place for families in the area to fill their buckets and talk. In 1900 the area had only a cemetery and scattered farms. Several years later a school was built and named after the springs.
Balch Springs received electricity from Texas Power and Light in 1939. Gas service by Lone Star Gas and telephone service began shortly after World War II. On June 13, 1953, Balch Springs was incorporated, with a mayor-council form of government, in order to avoid annexation by Dallas. The site encompassed sections of Rylie, Kleberg, Five Points, Zipp City, Jonesville, Balch Springs, and Triangle. By 1956 Balch Springs had a population of 3,500. The population grew rapidly in the next several decades, and by 1976 it was 13,050. In 1958 the community had a modern fire department with three fire trucks, and a post office opened in Balch Springs in September 1964. Children attended school in either the Dallas or Mesquite school districts. In 1965 the town began levying its first taxes, and in 1966 a vote to disincorporate failed.
Lisa C. Maxwell | © 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.
Belongs to
Balch Springs is part of or belongs to the following places:
Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
Balch Springs is classified as a Town
Location
Latitude: 32.71929860Longitude: -96.61505300
Has Post Office
Yes
Is Incorporated
Yes
Population Count, 2021 View more »
27,160