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History · Carl's Corner

Half of Carl's Corner’s homes were built after 2004

Most of Carl's Corner was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2004. Below: maps from 1891 on and the census since 1990.

0on the National Register
0.0%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0

What stands out about Carl's Corner’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Carl's Corner are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18914 editions of the USGS map, 1891 to 1985. Watch Carl's Corner change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Carl's Corner’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Carl's Corner’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Carl's Corner on the map, 1891 to 1985

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Carl's Corner. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Carl's Corner on the 1891 USGS mapCarl's Corner on the 1966 USGS mapCarl's Corner on the 1978 USGS mapCarl's Corner on the 1985 USGS map1891Cleburne sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Carl's Corner.

The story so far

Carl's Corner, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Carl's Corner yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Carl's Corner is a town in Hill County, Texas, United States. The population was 201 at the 2020 census. The town was founded by, and named after, Carl Cornelius, a local truck stop owner and long-time friend of Willie Nelson. Cornelius founded the town for the purpose of legalizing alcohol sales in the otherwise mostly-dry county. Cornelius' property adjacent to the truck stop was the site of several Willie Nelson Fourth of July concerts in the early 1980s. Cornelius' truck stop was also the first to offer BioWillie, the biodiesel fuel marketed by Willie Nelson. The former Willie's Place truck stop was located at Carl's Corner. Carl Cornelius died September 21, 2021.

Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 173 to 201 (+16%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Carl's Corner, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Carl's Corner June 2016 5 (Petro Stopping Center)2016Carl's Corner June 2016 5 (Petro Stopping Center)Carl's Corner June 2016 4 (Petro Stopping Center)2016Carl's Corner June 2016 4 (Petro Stopping Center)Carl's Corner June 2016 3 (Petro Stopping Center)2016Carl's Corner June 2016 3 (Petro Stopping Center)Carl's Corner June 2016 2 (Petro Stopping Center)2016Carl's Corner June 2016 2 (Petro Stopping Center)Carl's Corner June 2016 1 (Iron Skillet Restaurant)2016Carl's Corner June 2016 1 (Iron Skillet Restaurant)Willie's Place near Hillsboro, TX IMG 40502010Willie's Place near Hillsboro, TX IMG 4050
People over time

Carl's Corner, census by census

010020020002020201

Grew from 94 people in 1990 to 201 in 2020.

4 censuses, 1990–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Carl's Corner’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Carl's Corner

Nobody well known was born in Carl's Corner itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Willie NelsonAmerican country musician · b. 1933
Rafer JohnsonAmerican athlete and actor · b. 1934
Madge BellamyAmerican actress · b. 1899
Mary Ellen RudinAmerican mathematician · b. 1924
Terry SouthernAmerican writer · b. 1924
Anjanette ComerAmerican actress · b. 1939

Questions about Carl's Corner’s history

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.