In 1899, Sam and Bertha McCain moved to Rockwood from Dublin.  In 1900, McCain bought a half section of land from Mrs. Wagie Cooper.  There was only a one-room house and shed on the place.  He moved the one room house on the hill where the remains still are today.  He built 2 rooms across the front on the east, a porch on the east and one on the south.  Mr. and Mrs. Earl Gill and Jim and “Ma” Gill bought the Gill Ranch in 1900.  The McCains had a little 2 year old daughter that drowned in a small tank south of their house.  McCain gave land for the cemetery and she was the first to be buried there in 1905.  The Ripleys came to Whon in 1900.  George Ripley carriedmail from Whon to Rockwood until a post office was built and postal service established.  The Robertsons located west of Whon in 1896 and lived in a tent until a house was built.  The Tom Holmes family located east of Whon as early settlers, also the Hugh Ramsey’s - all having large families.  The Freemans were early settlers and also the Simmons families located near the Colorado River.

It is reported by the family, that Sam McCain gave land for the gin, church, and stores that were later built.  People of the community gave money to build a church.  It was used by all denominations for years, but was licensed as a Baptist Church, so the Southern Baptist Convention would help support it.  The Gilmores were early settlers ... one operated the gin, another was a barber, and another a small drug store operator.  Other early settlers were the Turneys, Will and Sam Shields and families, the George Simmons families and the Trotter families.

The Whon community has in past years been a thriving community.  Around 1920 a new school house was built and at one time was a four teacher school, with 160 pupils enrolled.  There were also 2 churches, a barber shop, 3 grocery stores, a laundry, a blacksmith shop, and a gin.  Farming and ranching was the source of livelihood.

In the 1930’s, the community was a busy place with Tommie Holmes the barber; Ed Tisdale owner of the cotton gin, and Alfred Bible the ginner.  Storekeepers of the three stores during the 1934-1938 period were Alonzo and Eva Barnett, Doss and Josie Barnett Smith, Mrs. Bell and children, Jack and Nora Black, Tiny and Mr. Black, and in later years, Mrs. Charles Benge, Mrs. Ed Tisdale and Gus Fiveash.  Ohie Curry was the piano tuner, and Curtis Collins was our road commissioner.  Christine Trobridge, who later became Mrs. John Will Vance, was County Agent.  She came to Whon for the Home Demonstration Club, which was a really big thing, teaching the women of the community to can and preserve vegetables and fruit and “make something out of nothing.”  Gus Fiveash was the blacksmith, and Tom Simpson from Santa Anna was the cotton buyer.  Carl Buttry, Woodrow and Elucian Niell were truckers who took our livestock to the Fort Worth Stock Yards, the main market at that time.

All that is left at Whon now (1983) is the world’s only drive-in post office and the recognition that Whon is the exact geographic center of Texas.  The area population is 15.

Whon in the 1930s