Editing Balch Springs, Texas (section)

==History==

The area was first settled in the 1840s. Around 1879, John M. Balch and his family settled south of Mesquite in unincorporated Dallas County. Mr. Balch found several [[spring (hydrosphere)|springs]] on his land, one of which ran year-round. Local residents began referring to the springs on Mr. Balch's property as Balch Springs, and use of the name continued even after he moved away a few years after his arrival. Around 1885, a county school was named after the springs. A small church and a cemetery were near the school. During the early 1900s, the community was widely dispersed and consisted mostly of farms. Electricity, provided by Texas Power and Light, was introduced in 1939. Gas and telephone service arrived shortly after [[World War II]].<ref name="Texas Handbook" />

The community began to grow rapidly along with the city of Dallas and other Dallas County towns. To avoid annexation by Dallas, Balch Springs incorporated as a city on June 13, 1953.<ref name="Texas Handbook" /> The new city encompassed the communities of Balch Springs, Zipp City, Five Points, Jonesville, and Triangle, as well as portions of [[Rylie, Dallas, Texas|Rylie]] and [[Kleberg, Dallas|Kleberg]].<ref name="Early Days">{{cite web | url = http://www.balchspringschamber.org/BalchSpringsTheEarlyDays.pdf  | title = Balch Springs: The Early Days | publisher = Balch Springs Chamber of Commerce | access-date = 2009-09-22 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070902061325/http://www.balchspringschamber.org/BalchSpringsTheEarlyDays.pdf |archive-date = 2007-09-02}}</ref> A mayor-council form of government was adopted after incorporation. By 1956, Balch Springs had a population around 3,500. The city was home to 6,821 residents at the 1960 census. In September 1964, a post office opened in the city and in 1965, the first taxes were levied. A 1966 attempt to disincorporate the community was unsuccessful. By 1970, the population had risen to 10,464 as the construction of new roads made commuting to surrounding cities easier. In 1988, residents voted to become part of the neighboring city of Mesquite, but the election was declared invalid.<ref name="Texas Handbook" /> Two years later, the 1990 census reported a total of 17,406 people living in the city. The 2000 population was 19,375.

The [[murder of Jordan Edwards]] occurred in Balch Springs in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|author=Hoyt, Joseph|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/high-school-sports/football/2019/11/07/jordan-edwards-was-murdered-31-months-ago-the-mesquite-football-team-can-finally-honor-their-fallen-brother-on-their-own-terms/|title=Jordan Edwards was murdered 31 months ago. The Mesquite football team can finally honor their fallen brother on their own terms.|work=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|date=2019-11-07|access-date=2019-11-08}}</ref>