Ding Dong, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ding Dong, Texas
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Entrance to Ding Dong Dell in the community of Ding Dong
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 Ding Dong, Texas
Location in Texas
Ding Dong, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Bell |
| Founded | 1930s |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1356032 |
Ding Dong is a very small place in Central Texas, United States. It's not a city with its own government, but rather an unincorporated community. In the year 2000, only 22 people lived there. Ding Dong is part of the larger Killeen–Temple metropolitan area.
Contents
History of Ding Dong
How Ding Dong Got Its Name
The story of Ding Dong began in the early 1930s. Two men, Zulis Bell and his nephew Bert Bell, ran a country store. This store was located near the Lampasas River in an area called McBryde Crossing. They wanted a special sign for their store.
They hired an artist named C.C. Hoover to create the sign. The sign featured two bells, and the names "Zulis" and "Bert" were written on them. A newspaper writer from Dallas, Frank X. Tolbert, reportedly asked for these bells to be part of the sign. Later, in 1962, two real bells, each weighing 200 pounds, were brought to the community by train. These bells were given to Charlie Hold, who took over the Bells' store in 1950. The artist Hoover also added the words "Ding Dong" to the sign. As more people moved near the store, the community became known as 'Ding Dong'.
Ding Dong's Fame
Ding Dong became famous across the country. It was even mentioned in the popular "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" series. Travel writer Bill Bryson wrote about it in his book Made in America. Another author, Gary Gladstone, included Ding Dong in his book Passing Gas: And Other Towns Along The American Highway. That book even had a photo of a local fire chief, Harold Rowe, with his fire truck. Because of its unique name, Ding Dong often appears on lists of unusual place names.
In 1964, the Killeen Lions Club International even tried to hold their big meeting in Ding Dong. By 1979, the community had a church and a few homes. From 1990 to 2000, about 22 people lived there.
Where is Ding Dong?
Ding Dong is located in southwestern Bell County. You can find it along Texas State Highway 195, right by the Lampasas River. It's about 8 miles (13 km) south of Killeen. If you travel about 20 miles (32 km) west of Salado on Farm to Market Road 2484, you'll also be near Ding Dong. The state capital, Austin, is about 58 miles (93 km) north of Ding Dong.
Education
Students living in Ding Dong attend schools that are part of the Killeen Independent School District.
Notable People
- Sons of the Pioneers fiddler Hugh Farr was born in Ding Dong.
