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Crockett, Texas

Coordinates: 31°19′1″N 95°27′30″W / 31.31694°N 95.45833°W / 31.31694; -95.45833
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Not to be confused with Crockett County, Texas.
Crockett, Texas
City
Downtown Crockett, Texas
Downtown Crockett, Texas
Official seal of Crockett, Texas
Seal
Nickname: 
Paradise in the Pines
Location of Crockett, Texas
Location of Crockett, Texas
Coordinates: 31°19′1″N 95°27′30″W / 31.31694°N 95.45833°W / 31.31694; -95.45833
CountryUnited StatesUnited States
StateTexasTexas
CountyHouston
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • MayorDr. Ianthia Fisher
 • City ManagerJohn Angerstein
 • City Council
Members
  • Butch Calvert
  • Darrell Jay Jones
  • Ernest Jackson
  • Marquita Beasley
  • Mike Marsh (Pro Tem)
Area
[1]
 • Total
8.85 sq mi (22.93 km2)
 • Land8.85 sq mi (22.92 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
364 ft (111 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total
6,950
 • Estimate 
(2019)[2]
6,385
 • Density721.39/sq mi (278.53/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
75835
Area code936
FIPS code48-17744[3]
GNIS feature ID1355365[4]
Websitewww.crocketttexas.org

Crockett is a city and the county seat of Houston County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,950.[5] Houston County is the oldest county and Crockett the fifth-oldest city in Texas.[6]

History

Warfield House in Crockett

The town was named after David Crockett,[7] who reportedly had camped nearby on his way to the Alamo; the site was very near the Old San Antonio Road. A family from Tennessee donated the land for the town and named it after Crockett, whom they had previously known. The town was incorporated in 1837, and a post office was granted the following year. Crockett was connected to Nacogdoches by stage service. In 1839 raids by the Alabama-Coushatta and Cherokee Indians forced the town's residents to take shelter in the fortified log courthouse. Crockett was a training center for Confederate conscripts during the Civil War.

The railroad came through in 1872, enabling Crockett to exploit the county's timber resources. By 1885 the town was thriving with a population of 1,200, and the following year a school was opened for black girls. It evolved into Mary Allen Junior College, which operated into the 1970s. In 1904 lignite mining started, peaking about 1910. The stands of timber were seriously depleted by the 1920s. The population was over 3,000 in the mid-1920s, and by 1936 it was nearly 4,500. The population of Crockett increased while most of East Texas declined after World War II. It had reached 5,000 by the 1960 census.[8]

During this time, one of the first loop roads in the nation (Loop 304) was built around the city. This traffic reliever was procured through the works of heavyweight politicians who called Crockett home. Blues singer Lightnin' Hopkins was once arrested in Crockett. In recent years, the economy of Crockett has expanded with the construction of new retail space on Loop 304. Several historic buildings in downtown have been renovated to accommodate new office and service space. Renewed interest in reserves of natural gas in the surrounding area has led to construction of energy infrastructure and receipt of royalty revenues for land.

In 1854, A.T. Monroe, a grandnephew of U.S. President James Monroe, came to Crockett from Virginia. He established what is now the Monroe-Crook House, built with brick placed between the inner and outer walls. George W. Crook purchased the residence in 1911. The house, open for public tours, is located in front of the John H. Wooters Public Library in the same block as the Crockett Presbyterian Church.[9] The Presbyterian Church was established in 1854. The building was razed by a fire in 1926 and rebuilt.[10]

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Crockett Post Office.[11]

The Texas Youth Commission operated the Crockett State School in Crockett.[12] However, the facility closed on or around August 31, 2011 and is no longer in operation.[13]

History was made in Crockett on Monday, May 13, 2019, as Dr. Ianthia Fisher became the first African-American female to be sworn in as the city's mayor.

Geography

The historic Strode-Pritchett Cabin was located to Crockett for the 1976 bicentennial. At the site is a painting of Davy Crockett by the artist Lucas Short.

Crockett is located near the center of Houston County at 31°19′1″N 95°27′30″W / 31.31694°N 95.45833°W / 31.31694; -95.45833 (31.317010, -95.458397).[14] Several highways converge on the city. U.S. Route 287 leads north 35 miles (56 km) to Palestine and southeast 46 miles (74 km) to Corrigan. Texas State Highway 21 leads northeast 33 miles (53 km) to Alto and southwest 38 miles (61 km) to Madisonville at Interstate 45. State Highway 7 leads east 54 miles (87 km) to Nacogdoches and west 33 miles (53 km) to Centerville along I-45. State Highway 19 leads south from Crockett 48 miles (77 km) to Huntsville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Crockett has a total area of 8.8 square miles (22.9 km2), all land.[5] The city is within the Trinity River watershed, with the north side of the city draining toward Hurricane Bayou, which joins the Trinity River west of Crockett, and the south side draining toward Gail Creek, a tributary of White Rock Creek, which joins the Trinity at Lake Livingston.

The terrain of the town is hilly, and (as with many East Texas towns) contains significant forest, mostly loblolly pine and pecan trees.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850150—
1860319112.7%
187053868.7%
188059911.3%
18901,445141.2%
19002,61280.8%
19103,94751.1%
19203,061−22.4%
19304,44145.1%
19404,5362.1%
19505,93230.8%
19605,356−9.7%
19706,61623.5%
19807,40511.9%
19907,024−5.1%
20007,1411.7%
20106,950−2.7%
2019 (est.)6,385[2]−8.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]

As of the census[3] of 2000, 7,141 people, 2,672 households, and 1,747 families were residing in the city. The population density was 805.6 people/sq mi (311.2/km2). The 3,081 housing units averaged 347.6/sq mi (134.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 48.54% White, 44.67% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 4.78% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 10.50% of the population.

Of the 2,672 households, 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples] living together, 23.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were not families. About 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46, and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the age distribution was 29.8% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,455, and for a family was $27,069. Males had a median income of $26,098 versus $18,674 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,708. About 26.6% of families and 33.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.6% of those under age 18 and 26.0% of those age 65 or over. Crockett is one of the poorest cities in the United States.[16]

Education

Public schools

Most of the city is served by the Crockett Independent School District, although a few acres of the city limits are within the Latexo Independent School District.

Private schools

Crockett is home to the Jordan School - a private, co-educational institution operated by the local Episcopal Church. It currently serves prekindergarten and kindergarten levels. They have partnered with Vista Academy, which serves grades 1–6.

Notable people


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Crockett has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.[18]

References

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Crockett city, Texas". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  6. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  7. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Pr Off. pp. 96.
  8. ^ Crockett Texas and Crockett Texas Hotels Motels
  9. ^ Texas Historical Commission, historical marker, Monroe-Crook House, Crockett, Texas
  10. ^ Texas Historical Commission, Historical marker, Crockett Presbyterian Church
  11. ^ "Post Office Location - CROCKETT Archived 2010-08-29 at the Wayback Machine." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on August 8, 2010.
  12. ^ "Crockett State School Archived 2011-02-20 at the Wayback Machine." Texas Youth Commission. Retrieved on August 8, 2010.
  13. ^ "TYC Announces Closure of Three Facilities Archived March 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine." Texas Youth Commission. Retrieved on July 3, 2011.
  14. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  15. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  16. ^ Comen, Evan. "America's 30 poorest towns". MSN. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  17. ^ <Kenny Rogers to star in first TV special Tri City Herald, March 6, 1979
  18. ^ Climate Summary for Crockett, Texas
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