WARDVILLE, TEXAS. Wardville was on the west branch of Noland's River five miles west of Cleburne in Johnson County. It was the third town in the county and the first county seat. It was named for Thomas William Ward, a hero of the Texas Revolution.^qv The state legislature selected Wardville as the county seat in 1855. Although town lots were sold and the first term of the district court was held in June the following year, it was discovered that the community was not sufficiently near the geographic center of the county as required by law. A new election to determine the legal center of the county was held, and on October 4, 1856, Buchanan (Buck Hannon), located five miles west of Wardville, became the new county seat. Soon thereafter, the residents of Wardville moved to the new legal center of the county, ending the brief existence of the community. A post office operated in Wardville from 1855 to 1857.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Viola Block, History of Johnson County and Surrounding Areas (Waco: Texian Press, 1970).

David Minor