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Taylor, Texas

Coordinates: 30°34′21″N 97°25′00″W / 30.572371°N 97.416546°W / 30.572371; -97.416546
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Taylor, Texas
City
Moody Museum is the home of former Governor Dan Moody
Moody Museum is the home of former Governor Dan Moody
Motto: 
"The Zest of Texas"
Location of Taylor, Texas
Location of Taylor, Texas
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyWilliamson
Area
 • Total13.6 sq mi (35.1 km2)
 • Land13.5 sq mi (35.0 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation
564 ft (172 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total15,191
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
76574
Area code512 & 737
FIPS code48-71948Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1369631Template:GR
WebsiteTaylor, Texas
Downtown Taylor on Main Street (Texas State Highway 95) as it heads south to intersect U.S. Highway 79.
Taylor Public Library
U.S. Post Office in Taylor
Central Fire Station in Taylor
City National Bank in downtown Taylor
Howard Theatre
St. Mary's Catholic Church at 800 Washburn Street in Taylor

Taylor is a city in Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,575 at the 2000 census; it was 15,191 in the 2010 census estimate.[1]

History

In 1876 the Texas Land Company auctioned lots in anticipation of the arrival of the International-Great Northern Railroad when Taylor was founded that year. The city was named after Edward Moses Taylor, a railroad official, under the name Taylorsville which officially became Taylor in 1892. Immigrants from Czechoslovakia and other Slavic states, as well as from Germany and Austria, helped establish the town. It soon became a busy shipping point for cattle, grain, and cotton.

By 1878 the town had 1,000 residents and thirty-two businesses, twenty-nine of which were destroyed by fire in 1879. Recovery was rapid, however, and more substantial buildings were constructed. In 1882 the Taylor, Bastrop and Houston Railway reached the community, and machine shops and a roundhouse serviced both rail lines. In 1882 the town was incorporated with a mayor-council form of city government, and in 1883 a public school system replaced a number of private schools.

By 1890 Taylor had two banks and the first savings and loan institution in Texas. An electric company, a cotton compress, and several newspapers were among the new enterprises. A water line from the San Gabriel River, a 100-man volunteer fire department, imported and local entertainment, and an annual fair made noteworthy news items by 1900.

Since 1900, Taylors population growth has averaged approximately 128 new residents per year, based on an estimated population of 1100 in the year 1900, and the population in 2010 of 15191, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Between the years 2000 and 2010, the population grew 11.9%, from 13575 to 15191,[2] about 1.2% per year.

Geography

Taylor is located at 30°34′21″N 97°25′00″W / 30.572371°N 97.416546°W / 30.572371; -97.416546 (30.572371, -97.416546),Template:GR about 9 miles east of Hutto and 8 miles south of Granger. Taylor is about 29 miles northeast of Austin.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.6 square miles (35.1 km²), of which, 13.5 square miles (35.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.22%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,191 people and approximately 5,300 households in the city. The population change between 2000 and 2010 was 11.9% (while the overall population change for the State of Texas was 20.6%).

The racial makeup of the city was 71.7% White, 10.2% African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.8% of the population.

7.7% of the population was under 5 years old, 27.5% were under 18 years old, and 11.9% were 65 years old or older.

The percent of high school graduates at age 25+ between the years 2005 and 2009 was 75.9%. The percentage of the population having a bachelor's degree or higher, age 25 or more, between the years of 2005 and 2009 was 17.6%. 17.6% of Taylors population has an educational level of bachellors degree or higher, somewhat lower than the 25.4% Statewide average.[3]

The Per-Capita Income of $18,859 was lower than the State average of $24,318, and the Median Household Income of $41,814 was lower than the State average of $48,199. The percentage of persons living at or below the poverty level in 2009 as 15.4%.[1]

Economy

Taylor's largest employers include the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT),[4] Durcon Inc.,[5] Burrows Cabinets[6] and the T. Don Hutto Residential Center.[7][8]

The City of Taylor along with the Taylor Economic Development Corporation (Taylor EDC) and the Taylor Chamber of Commerce have been working to attract new investment to improve the economic base and economic vitality of the Community. Since 2008, nearly 20 companies have expanded or relocated to Taylor, creating nearly 300 new jobs and investing almost $40 million combined.[9]

The community has been making capital improvements in facilities and infrastructure[10] to improve the educational offerings and quality of life in the community.[11] Over the last five years, the City Council has made numerous significant investments in capital improvements related to water, wastewater, drainage, and parks & recreations.[12] To address the need for improvements in streets, the city commissioned a study performed by Sledge Engineering which included a comprehensive, GIS-based Pavement Management System for future capital improvements.[13]

One of the largest street redevelopment projects ($16M) is the Second Street / US79-B rehabilitation project in cooperation with Williamson County. The project includes all of Second Street from just inside the loop on the west side all the way east to Main Street.[14]

Education

In 2011, Taylor Independent School District was quoted as being a Gem[15] by the Texas Education Agency, District XIX, for the improvements made to the curriculum and programming. In addition, Taylor ISD won six Gold Performance Standard awards for academic performance, according to the State of Texas during the 2011 school year.[16] The City of Taylor is home to the Taylor High School Ducks. As of 2011, Taylor Independent School District was ranked 634th of 953 Texas school districts, and Taylor High School is ranked 850th of 1517 Texas public high schools, placing both the school district and the high school in the bottom one-third of Texas schools.[17]

In 2011, the Taylor Independent School District opened a brand-new, state of the art, collegiate-inspired High School, where each student gets a new Mac Book as part of their educational curriculum.[18] The new high school currently accommodates 900 students in the 207,000 sq. foot, college-style campus, with a core facility for 1,200 students. Students also enjoy a state-of-the art Wi-Fi network, two gyms, a 2nd floor library, and 58 classrooms including a Culinary Arts Academy, a modern welding lab and a spacious band hall.[19]

Among other notable achievements by Taylor ISD this in 2011-2012, students from Taylor ISD won their fifth invitation to the World Odyssey of the Mind competitions, and the high school academic decathlon team won 2nd place at the state's highest academic competition, the Academic Decathlon. The school district as a whole also merited six achievement awards from Texas Education Agency in 2011-2012.[19]

One of the most progressive education systems in the state is the Legacy Early College High School where students earn an associates degree before graduating high school.[19] The district currently has more than 3,000 students enrolled.[20]

Media

The local newspaper is the Taylor Daily Press. The 1990 Dennis Hopper film "The Hot Spot" was filmed on location in Taylor starring Don Johnson,Jennifer Connelly, and Virginia Madsen.

Infrastructure

Transportation

  • Taylor (Amtrak station) The Amtrack station offers connectivity across the U.S. on the Texas Eagle rail line,[21] that also connects with the Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) and Greyhound.[22] The Amtrack station at Taylor is a platform only, with no restrooms, no ticket office, no lounge, no ATM and no WiFi.[23]

Notable people

Taylor is also the hometown of Bill Pickett, Tex Avery, K.C. Jones, and birthplace of former Texas governor Dan Moody. Actor Rip Torn graduated from Taylor High School.

References

  1. ^ a b Taylor (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
  2. ^ [1][dead link]
  3. ^ U.S. Census 2010 - http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4871948.html
  4. ^ ERCOT, http://www.ercot.com
  5. ^ Durcon Inc., http://www.durcon.com
  6. ^ Burrows Cabinets, http://www.burrowscabinets.com
  7. ^ CCA, http://www.cca.com/facility/t-don-hutto-residential-center/
  8. ^ Taylor Economic Development Corp, http://www.tayloredc.com/business/index.html?page=major_employers
  9. ^ Taylor Economic Development Corporation, http://www.tayloredc.org/business/index.html?page=Announcements
  10. ^ City of Taylor, http://taylortx.gov/Archive.aspx?AMID=62
  11. ^ Taylor Economic Development Corporation, http://www.tayloredc.org/community/index.html?page=Projects Underway
  12. ^ City of Taylor - Capital Improvement Updates, http://tx-taylor.civicplus.com/Archive.aspx?AMID=62
  13. ^ City of Taylor - Street Maintenance Program, http://taylortx.gov/index.aspx?nid=515
  14. ^ City of Taylor - Second Street Rehabilitation Project, http://taylortx.gov/index.aspx?NID=617
  15. ^ Taylor ISD, http://taylorisd.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/2383218/File/Wilco%20Realtors%20-%20TISD%20presentation%20Nov%202011%20(with%20font).pdf
  16. ^ Taylor ISD, http://www.taylorisd.org
  17. ^ schooldigger.com
  18. ^ Taylor ISD, http://taylorisd.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/2383218/File/RevisedFacts.pdf
  19. ^ a b c Taylor ISD Points of Pride Report, http://taylorisd.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/2383218/File/PointsofPride4[1].pdf
  20. ^ Taylor ISD fact sheet, http://taylorisd.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/2383218/File/RevisedFacts.pdf
  21. ^ Amtrak, http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=am/am2Station/Station_Page&code=TAY
  22. ^ CARTS, http://ridecarts.com/service-to/taylor
  23. ^ Taylor, TX Train Station (TAY) | Amtrak
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