Rockett is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Ellis County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, United States. It is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Rockett is located on FM 813, approximately five miles northeast of

Waxahachie Waxahachie ( ) is the seat of government of Ellis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 41,140 in 2020. Etymology Some sources state that the name means "cow" or "buffalo" in an unspecified Native American language. One possible ...

History

Rockett was settled in 1846, making it one of the oldest settlements in Ellis County. Californian Scott Spear and his family were among the first settlers in the area. They chose a site along Red Oak Creek, southeast of the present-day community. Other families followed. Originally known as Liberty, the name was changed to Rockett in 1852 after John Rockett, a pioneer settler in the area. The community continued to grow and the first post office in 1894. It remained in operation until January 2, 1907. By 1933, Rockett had an estimated population of 150 and two businesses. As of 2000, there were approximately 124 people living in the community. In recent years, the building of several new subdivisions has brought more residents to the area. Despite its rural surroundings, Rockett (and all of Ellis County) is considered part of the

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

– Fort Worth– Arlington

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

Rockett SUD

The Rockett Special Utility District (SUD) provides water services for the community of Rockett and surrounding rural areas in north central Ellis County as well as a very small portion of southern

Dallas County Dallas County may refer to: Places in the USA: * Dallas County, Alabama, founded in 1818, the first county in the United States by that name * Dallas County, Arkansas * Dallas County, Iowa * Dallas County, Missouri * Dallas County, Texas, the nin ...

. There are approximately 11,000 residents living in its service area. It was established on January 29, 1965, as the Rockett Water Supply Corporation. The name was changed to the Skippy Rockett Utility District on November 21, 1989.

Education

Being a dispersed, unincorporated community with no defined boundaries, portions of the Rockett area lie within three different Independent School Districts (ISDs). They are the Red Oak Independent School District,

Ferris Independent School District Ferris Independent School District is a public school district based in Ferris, Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), a ...

, and the Palmer Independent School District.

Cemeteries

There are four cemeteries that were established in Rockett during its early years. Those still in existence today include Andrews Cemetery, Graves Cemetery, Smith Cemetery, and Bells Chapel Cemetery (where many of the Rockett family are buried) – presently located within the city limits of Pecan Hill.

References

External links