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Cleveland, Texas

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For the city in Ohio, see Cleveland.
City of Cleveland (Texas)
City
Location in the state of Texas
Location in the state of Texas
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyLiberty
Incorporated1935
Government
 • City ManagerPhilip Cook
Area
 • Total4.8 sq mi (12.5 km2)
 • Land4.8 sq mi (12.5 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
150 ft (45.7 m)
Population
 (2000)[1]
 • Total7,605
 • Density615.8/sq mi (238.9/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
77327-77328
Area code281
FIPS code48-15436Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1381199Template:GR
Websitehttp://www.clevelandtexas.net/; http://www.clevelandtexas.com/

Cleveland is a city in Liberty County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,605 at the 2000 census.

History

In 1854, a church and convent was built by Father Peter La Cour near the town's present site. The town began forming in 1878 when Charles Lander Cleveland, a local judge, donated 63.6 acres (257,000 m2) of land to the Houston East & West Texas Railway (formerly the Southern Pacific Railroad) for use as a stop, requesting that the town be named for him.

The town was not incorporated until 1935. City taxes were not levied until 1947, a condition so rare that it made for a story in Life magazine.[citation needed]

In 2011, 18 suspects were arrested for the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl[2]. It is suspected that several more may be involved [3]. Town residents were quoted as blaming the 11-year-old victim,[4][5] and the victim's family was harassed.[6] The New York Times subsequently posted a clarification after readers complained of bias against the 11-year old victim in its reporting. [7]

Geography

Cleveland is located at 30°20′42″N 95°5′1″W / 30.34500°N 95.08361°W / 30.34500; -95.08361Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (30.344920, -95.083503)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.5 km²), all of it land.

Cleveland is made up of ZIP codes 77327 and 77328, and area code (281).

Cleveland's northern boundary is made by the Sam Houston National Forest.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 7,605 people, 2,645 households, and 1,758 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,580.5 people per square mile (610.5/km²). There were 2,976 housing units at an average density of 618.5/sq mi (238.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 58.65% White, 27.13% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 11.58% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.51% of the population.

There were 2,645 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the city, the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,164, and the median income for a family was $28,527. Males had a median income of $28,385 versus $17,889 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,562. About 19.3% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 16.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable People from Cleveland

Law and government

Cleveland operates under the Council-Manager form of government. Under this system, the Mayor and five Council members appoint the city manager, who acts as the chief executive officer of the government. The city manager carries out policy and administers city programs. All department heads, including the city attorney, police chief and fire chief, are ultimately responsible to the city manager. All city council positions are officially nonpartisan.

The city operates and maintains the following divisions:

  • Administration
  • Police
  • Fire/EMS
  • Water and Sewer Utilities
  • Streets
  • Building Inspection and Code Enforcement
  • Library
  • Parks
  • Airport
  • Cemetery

The Cleveland Unit, a prison for men privately operated by the GEO Group, Inc. on behalf of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, is in the city, 0.25 miles (0.40 km) from downtown Cleveland.[8]

Transportation

Highways

The major route traveling through Cleveland is U.S. Highway 59, traveling southwest towards Houston and north east into East Texas to the cities of Livingston, Lufkin, and Nacogdoches, and onward to Texarkana, Texas. US 59 is planned to be changed into the I-69 Corridor. U.S. Highway 59 Business is the original route of US 59, which runs north and south through the center of Cleveland, known locally as Washington Avenue and Loop 573. A current limited access bypass for US 59 was created due to traffic densities in downtown Cleveland that rivaled those of many large cities. SH 105 travels east and west, and Cleveland is roughly the halfway point between Beaumont and Navasota. SH 105 runs concurrently with SH 321 until SH 105 splits, going eastbound to Beaumont; while SH 321 continues roughly 20 miles (32 km) further south into Dayton. Short term future plans include a loop coming off SH 105 near Pin Oak Road, along the southern side of Cleveland, crossing US 59 and FM 1010, and terminating at SH 321 near New Salem Road.

Railroads

Cleveland is the meeting point of two rail lines. One is a north/south Union Pacific line that closely follows the path of US 59. The other is an east/west Burlington Northern Santa Fe line that roughly follows FM 787 to the east, and SH 105 west towards Conroe. Union Tank Car Company has a tank repair/maintenance facility along the BNSF line on the outskirts of Cleveland off of FM 787.

Airports

Cleveland Municipal Airport, a general aviation airport, is in Cleveland.

  • Distance—5 miles (8.0 km); Runway: 5,000 feet (1,500 m) asphalt

George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston is the closest airport with commercial airline service.

Education

The city of Cleveland is served by the Cleveland Independent School District.

The Tarkington Independent School District also serves the area.

Sports

Despite Cleveland's small population, it has been granted an expansion franchise for the American Basketball Association for the 2011 season.[9]

References

  1. ^ "US Census Bureau Population Finder: Baytown city, TX". factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
  2. ^ James C. McKinley Jr. (March 8, 2011). "Vicious Assault Shakes Texas Town". New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  3. ^ "Gang Rape of 11-year-old Girl Recorded on Cell Phones". Los Angeles Times. March 9, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  4. ^ Mac McClelland (March 9, 2011). "The New York Times' Rape-Friendly Reporting". Mother Jones. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  5. ^ Libby Copeland (March 9, 2011). "Reporting on a Gang Rape in East Texas". Slate. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  6. ^ Cindy Horswell (March 7, 2011). "Girl's sex assault rocks Cleveland". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  7. ^ http://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/gang-rape-story-lacked-balance/?smid=fb-nytimes. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ "Cleveland Unit." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.
  9. ^ ABA to expand to Cleveland, Texas for 2011
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