Melissa, Texas
Melissa, Texas | |
|---|---|
 Location of Melissa in Collin County, Texas | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Collin |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.6 sq mi (11.9 km2) |
| • Land | 4.6 sq mi (11.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 679 ft (207 m) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 3,014 |
| • Density | 655.2/sq mi (253.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 75071, 75454 |
| Area code | 972 |
| FIPS code | 48-47496Template:GR |
| GNIS feature ID | 1362586Template:GR |
Melissa is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,695 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Melissa is located at 33°17′01″N 96°34′19″W / 33.283534°N 96.571851°W.Template:GR
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.6 square miles (12 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2010, there were 4,695 residents. As of 2000, there were 1,350 people, 472 households, and 365 families residing in the city. The population density was 294.4 people per square mile (113.6/km2). There were 501 housing units at an average density of 109.3/sq mi (42.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.63% White, 0.52% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 7.63% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.33% of the population.
As of 2012, There are approximately 5,200 citizens currently residing in Melissa.
There were 472 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.5% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 104.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $60,909, and the median income for a family was $66,172. Males had a median income of $40,417 versus $30,435 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,193. About 3.0% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 0.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Melissa is served by the Melissa Independent School District. In 2004, McKinney ISD and Anna ISD refused to educate anymore Melissa ISD high school classes. In 2007, Melissa High School graduated their first class with 46 students. Since the Melissa High School has been in service they have had the honor of being the school of choice to many qualified teachers and principals in the area. Harry McKillop Elementary School opened its doors as the elementary school in fall 2008, housing pre-k to fourth grade. The former Melissa Ridge Elementary School campus was converted to Melissa Ridge Intermediate School, serving fifth and sixth grades, and Melissa Ridge Middle School, serving seventh and eighth grades.
History
Some of Melissa's first settlers came from the old Highlands community, two and a half miles north of present-day Melissa. C.H. Wysong was one of the earliest settlers. A post office was established in 1853. The Houston and Texas Central Railroad was built in Melissa in 1872. The town was laid out at this time. The railroad encouraged many families to come to Melissa. The town is believed to have been named for the daughter of a railroad executive, George A. Quinlan of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. There is some disagreement about this as others argue that the town was named after Melissa Huntington, daughter of C.P. Huntington, another well-known railroad executive. George Austin Quinlan did not have a daughter Melissa—Anna, Texas is named after Anna Elizabeth Quinlan (1878–1952), the only daughter of George Austin Quinlan and his wife Mary Kate Saunders (1851–1884). Quinlan, Texas is named after George Austin Quinlan (1838–1901), an executive of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad.
The first school in Melissa was built on land purchased in 1882 by trustees James Graves, John Gibson, and George Fitzhugh, who were early settlers of the area. The first teacher was Mary Huckerston, who taught there for five years. The school began with 38 pupils. Church services were held there for all faiths on Sundays. A two-story brick schoolhouse was built on this site in 1910 to accommodate growth brought by the railroad.
Melissa was an important shipping point in the early 1900s. Corn, wheat, alfalfa hay, wood, and livestock were all sent out on the railroad.
A deadly tornado struck Melissa on April 13, 1921, killing 13 people and injuring many more. The tornado tore the roof off of the brick school building, but the children inside were not seriously injured. However, all churches in the town, three cotton gins, every business house except a bank, the post office, and the Houston and Texas Central railway station, were wrecked by the twister. The Waldon Hotel was lifted by the winds, turned halfway around, and thrown up against the school building.
Eight years later, on August 8, 1929, a fire burned down many of the buildings that had been rebuilt after the tornado. Population declined from a high of 500 in 1925 down to 285 in 1949.
Businesses
- AllPoints Travel
- Melissa Family Dental
- Sonic Drive In
- Subway
- Pizza Hut
- Maria's Mexican Restaurant
- Bradco Supply
- Med Pro Pharmacy
- Sugar Babe's Donuts
- Melissa Berverage
- Kim's Corner
- Haight Family Dentistry
- Bellco Precision MFG
- Mudpies and Lullabies Creative Preschool
- Chapa Real Estate and Insurance
- Pat Thai Restaurant
- Cal-Har Construction
- Alpha Industries
- Animal Hospital of Melissa
- First National Bank of Trenton-Melissa Branch
- The Beverage Store
- Melissa Beverage
- Quick Track
- Mr and Mrs of Dallas
- Collin County Pipe and Steel Inc.
- Daycor Enterprises Inc
- Bee Builders Supply Inc
- Cute as a Button Daycare
- North Collin Water Supply Corp
- Physical Therapy Clinic of Melissa
- Family Health Center of Melissa
- Erwin Chiropractic Clinic
- White Family Chiropractic Clinic
- Melissa Feed and Seed
- HB Welding
- Payless Dry Cleaners
- San Marcos Flowers and Gifts
Churches
- First Baptist Church of Melissa [1]/
- Melissa Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Grace Bible Fellowship Church [2]
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints [3]; [4]
- St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church (One of the Oldest African American Churches In the County)
- Melissa Church of God [5]
- Melissa Church of Jesus Christ [6]
- Shiloh Church of God In Christ [7]
Pioneers who settled in or near Melissa
Dr. William Throckmorton, R.E. Moore, G.W. Taylor, T.M. Scott, John and William Fitzhugh, Albert Sherley, Lewis Shirley, James M. Graves, Hogan Witt, John Coffman, Thomas Rattan, Josiah Nichols, Jesse Martin, John M. Nicholson, Lindsey Lewis, J.M. Kincaid, The Orenduffs
References
- History of Melissa Independent School 1882-1982 by Billie L. Wallis
- McKinney Courier-Gazette, April 13, 1975
- Handbook of Texas Online: Melissa, TX
- The Dallas Morning News, June 14, 1997: Surviving the Wrath
Municipalities and communities of Collin County, Texas, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities |
| |
| Historical communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |