Wheeler Springs Community. Settlement in this area began in 1835, when Joshua J. Hall (1790-1871) established a community south of here along the Trinity River. After the Civil War, Hall family slaves and other freed African Americans settled here. In 1885 the community was named for springs located on land donated by French Taylor (1842-1937) for church purposes. A Baptist sanctuary and schoolhouse (1905) were built near the springs. In the 1920s a new school building was erected and a cannery began operations. The school closed in 1959 but the church and various civic organizations remain active. #10966