Nolanville, Texas

Nolanville, Texas
City
Motto:  A Great Place to Live
Location of Nolanville, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Bell
Area
• Total	3.47 sq mi (8.98 km2)
• Land	3.45 sq mi (8.94 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation	709 ft (216 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	4,259
• Density	1,234/sq mi (476.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76559
Area code	254
FIPS code	48-51708
GNIS feature ID	1363958
Website	ci.nolanville.tx.us

Nolanville is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,259 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Nolanville reached its peak as a town between 1890 and 1900 when it went into a holding pattern. A weekly newspaper, the Item, was started by 1896. The first telephone service in Nolanville was started, using barbed wire for lines. There were two lines, a south and a north, with Nolan Creek serving as the dividing line. Nolanville School, one of the larger rural schools in the county in the early twentieth century, had ninety pupils in 1903. The first automobile appeared between 1900 and 1910. It was the automobile that caused Nolanville businesses to decline because it made the trip to Belton or Killeen so much shorter.

In 1921 a new two-story brick school was built, and in 1938 the original part of the present school plant was built. By the mid-1940s the community had 150 to 200 residents, but began to decline after the end of World War II. After dropping to fifty inhabitants in the 1950s, the town began to revive in the 1960s and had 200 residents and six businesses when it incorporated on March 27, 1961. By the late 1960s Nolanville was caught up in the expansion of the Killeen-Fort Hood area, and, as a suburban community, its population shot up to 740 in 1968.

Nolanville Common School District #50 ceased to exist in the spring of 1972. At that time it was annexed to the Killeen Independent School District by the Bell County Board of School Trustees. This action was requested by the Nolanville Board of School Trustees. The Nolanville Common School District was one of only three remaining common school districts in Bell County at that time. It was also uncommon for a school to consolidate because its enrollment and academic needs were greater than its capacity rather than because enrollment had dropped.

Nolanville enjoyed brief notoriety after a 1970s 60 Minutes exposed creative law enforcement practices. These practices continue to the current day, just not nearly as blatant. "Some people said the town is still shaking off its reputation for a “speed trap” town it garnered in the 1970s and 1980s. Reportedly, the CBS news show “60 Minutes” did a feature on Nolanville’s speed trap, which grew notorious for filling the town’s coffers with speed-ticket money." Speed traps and ambushes, no longer on Hwy 190, still appear to generate much needed revenue for the non-descript little town. At one point during the 1970s, because of its reputation, the commanding general of Fort Hood declared Nolanville off-limits to all military personnel. Maps of routes around Nolanville were posted in all company offices.

By 1974, Nolanville's population was 1,050. It had grown to 1,834 in 1990 and 2,150 in 2000, then jumped to 4,259 as of the 2010 census.

Geography

Nolanville is located in west-central Bell County at 31°4′44″N 97°36′30″W (31.079004, -97.608278). It is bordered by the city of Harker Heights on the south and west. U.S. Highway 190, a four-lane freeway, passes through Nolanville, leading east 8 miles (13 km) to Interstate 35 in Belton and west 13 miles (21 km) to the entrance to Fort Hood at the western edge of Killeen.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Nolanville has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.0 km²), of which 0.019 square miles (0.05 km²), or 0.51%, is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Nolanville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1970	902		—
1980	1,308		45.0%
1990	1,834		40.2%
2000	2,150		17.2%
2010	4,259		98.1%
2015 (est.)	4,774		12.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 2013 Estimate

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,150 people, 781 households, and 582 families residing in the city. The population density was 850.0 people per square mile (328.1/km²). There were 907 housing units at an average density of 358.6/sq mi (138.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.74% White, 7.77% African American, 1.30% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 7.26% from other races, and 3.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.40% of the population.

There were 781 households out of which 43.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.3% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,140, and the median income for a family was $38,045. Males had a median income of $26,490 versus $21,970 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,163. About 9.9% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Nolanville is served by the Killeen Independent School District.

References

Sources

• Killeen Daily Herald, Newcomers Guide © 1997-2000
• Bell County Revisited ©1976, Bowmer, Temple Jaycees
• Story of Bell County ©1988, Bell County Historical Commission, Eakin Press

External links

• City of Nolanville official website