Editing Whitehouse, Texas (section)

===Early history===  
[[Image:WCP i 9 12 wiki.jpg|thumb|The Welcome to Whitehouse sign is built from rock used in the old "rock school house." The school house and other public works were built during the [[Great Depression]] by the [[Works Progress Administration]] (WPA). The sign itself was made and donated by local resident Lynn Canfield.]]

The community was founded long before the city was officially incorporated by [[James Calhoun Hill]] (auctioneer in 1846 for Tyler land grants). The community was named in 1845, but was not incorporated until 1953. The school district ([[Whitehouse Independent School District|WISD]]) preceded incorporated municipal government and was largely responsible for the eventual formation of the city.<ref name="Whitehouse, TX">{{cite web |title=Whitehouse, TX |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/whitehouse-tx |website=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=February 14, 2025}}</ref>

Residents of Whitehouse were predominantly farmers or worked in support of agriculture until transportation innovations following [[World War II]] led to other employment options. Many streets and subdivisions in the community are named for these early agricultural and commercial leaders.<ref name="Whitehouse, TX"/>

According to oral tradition, the community was named "Whitehouse" by the railroad engineers who stopped near a white-washed community building during early settlement times. Several cherished historic resources include the various [[Works Progress Administration]] (WPA) projects located within the city. These projects, typically built with sandstone rockwork, are found throughout the city's historic Town Center.<ref name="Whitehouse, TX"/>