Wheelock, Eleazar Louis Ripley, 1793-1847

Soldier, surveyor, and a founder of the town of Wheelock in Robertson County, Tex.

Coming to Texas in 1834, E.L.R. Wheelock was a surveyor for the Robertson Colony, and a founder of the town of Wheelock in Robertson County.

Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, on 1793 March 31, the son of Col. Eleazar Wheelock, Jr., a Revolutionary War veteran, and Thankful Pennock. Wheelock saw active duty with the army during the War of 1812, fought in the Black Hawk War (1832), and throughout his adult life was active as a militiaman in several states. Wheelock settled in Illinois, where he became a successful businessman and, in 1818, married Mary Prickett; the couple had one daughter and four sons.

Wheelock started investing in Texas real estate as early as 1820 and first visited there three years later. In 1833, he brought his family to Texas and joined Sterling C. Robertson’s Colony, acting as assistant surveyor. The following year, he established the town of Wheelock in what is now Robertson County. Wheelock’s military service earned him an officer’s commission in the army, and he organized and captained a company of Texas Rangers during the Revolution. Occupied as a lawyer, rancher, and farmer, at various times Wheelock also served as a surveyor, land agent and commissioner, Indian commissioner, and soldier.

Returning to Texas from Washington, D. C., Wheelock died unexpectedly in Edwardsville, Illinois, on 1847 May 14.

References

Deal, Jerry. “Wheelock, Texas.” Handbook of Texas Online . http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hlw29 .

E. L. R. Wheelock biographical file, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.

Eula Frances Dunn Peacock Papers, 1771-1995, Col 8116, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.

Hutchinson, Mary Foster. “Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock.” Handbook of Texas Online . http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fwh12 .

Hutchinson, Mary Foster. Texian Odyssey: The Life and Times of a Forgotten Patriot of the Republic of Texas: Colonel Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock (1793-1847) . Austin, Texas: Sunbelt Eakin Press, 2003.

Shaw, Edwin Pliny, Jr. Texas Wheelock Connections: 1,016 Descendants of Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock (b.1793) and Mary Prickett (b.1797) . [Canyon Lake, Texas?: Edwin Pliny Shaw, Jr.?], 1993.