Cuero, Texas

Cuero, Texas
City
Motto(s):  History, Heritage, Hospitality
Location of Cuero, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	DeWitt
Area
• Total	5.0 sq mi (12.8 km2)
• Land	4.9 sq mi (12.8 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	184 ft (56 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	6,571
• Density	1,331.1/sq mi (513.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	77954
Area code	361
FIPS code	48-18092Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	1377543Template:GR

Cuero is a city in DeWitt County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,571 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of DeWitt CountyTemplate:GR. It is also unofficially known as the "turkey capital of the world" (this is reflected in the Cuero High School mascot, the Gobblers). In 2010, Cuero was named one of the 'Coolest Small Towns in America,' by Budget Travel Magazine.

Geography

Cuero is located at 29°5′37″N 97°17′28″W (29.093638, -97.291122)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.9 square miles (13 km²), of which, 4.9 square miles (13 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) of it (0.40%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 6,571 people, 2,500 households, and 1,695 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,331.1 people per square mile (513.6/km²). There were 2,867 housing units at an average density of 580.8 per square mile (224.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.25% White, 16.71% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 12.84% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.73% of the population.

There were 2,500 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,931, and the median income for a family was $29,500. Males had a median income of $26,154 versus $16,551 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,286. About 21.5% of families and 26.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.6% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.

History

Map of the city in 1881

The city of Cuero had its start in the mid 19th century as a stopping point on the Chisholm Trail cattle route to Kansas. However, it wasn't recognized as a town until 1873 when it was officially founded. The city was named for the Spanish word meaning "hide", referring to the leather made from animal hides. The industry was extremely short-lived, however, and gave way to various forms of ranching. The city saw several Old West gunfights related to clan feuding following the Civil War

Cuero's population grew considerably in the 1870s and 1880s, as residents from the coastal town of Indianola, Texas settled here after major hurricanes in this period destroyed sizeable portions of that city. Cuero thrived through much of the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the introduction and practice of turkey ranching in the area. Today, agriculture is still the primary industry in the region. Cuero is considered to be one of the top cattle producers and shippers in Texas.

Culture

"Turkey Trot" on November 16, 1912

• Turkey Fest - A local festival during which the townsfolk compete with people at various turkey-centric events. The competitions revolve around the turkeys each town raises and takes immense pride in. The events are the prettiest turkey contest, turkey toss, turkey trot, and turkey race. Unlike most Turkey Trots, where humans do the racing, in Cuero, the "turkey trot" involves racing actual turkeys.

• In 1972, Charles Kuralt did an "On the Road" Report for CBS News from Cuero, where he did his own Turkey Call.

Schools

The City of Cuero is served by the Cuero Independent School District. John C. French serves PK-K grades, Hunt Elementary serves 1–3 grades, Cuero Intermediate School serves grades 4–6, Cuero Junior High serves 7–8 grades, and Cuero High School serves 9–12 grades. In addition, the City of Cuero is served by St. Michael's Catholic School. Providing education for the children of DeWitt county for over 130 years, the school has a fully accredited early childhood program (PreK-3 and PreK-4) and offers quality education for grades K-6.

Cuero's Christmas in the Park

Christmas in Cuero began in 2000 with the lighting of the Gazebo in the Cuero Municipal Park. It has grown to over 100 displays of Victorian, Western, 12-car train, Gingerbread House and other scenes. There is also a live nativity scene sponsored by a church in Cuero. Two of the scenes were vandalized by two teens in November 2009. The park was still open to the public excluding the two damaged scenes. Teens Shane Torres and Scott Rogers were arrested; their bonds were set at $150,000 in part because of the effect the crime had on the community.[1]

Recreation

Cuero has many places for recreation including a baseball complex, a golf course, volleyball courts, tennis courts, a basketball pavilion, and a park area with access to public swimming pool.

Notable natives

• Leo Frank
• Arthur Whittington, NFL player
• Fred Hansen, Olympic champion pole vaulter

External links

• Handbook of Texas article on Cuero
• Cuero Chamber of Commerce
• City of Cuero official page