Jump to content

Wichita Falls, Texas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Chowbok (talk | contribs) at 23:26, 24 March 2011 (General fixes using AWB). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

City of Wichita Falls
City
Nickname: 
The City that Faith Built
Location within the state of Texas
Location within the state of Texas
Map of Wichita Falls in 1890
Map of Wichita Falls in 1890
CountryUnited States United States
StateTexas Texas
CountyWichita
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • City CouncilMayor Glenn Barham
Linda Ammons
Michael Smith
Dorothy Roberts Burns
Rick Hatcher
Tim Ingle
Mary Ward
 • City ManagerDarron Leiker
 • Asst. City ManagerKevin Hugman
 • Asst. City Manager & CFOJim Dockery
Area
 • City70.1 sq mi (183.1 km2)
 • Land70.66 sq mi (183.0 km2)
 • Water0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation
948 ft (289 m)
Population
 (2006)
 • City107,000
 • Density1,474.1/sq mi (569.1/km2)
 • Metro
147,826
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (CDT)
Area code940
FIPS code48-79000Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1376776Template:GR
Websitewww.wichitafallstx.gov
The Falls of the Wichita River photographed from near the Texas Tourist Bureau station in Wichita Falls

Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States.Template:GR Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010, the city had a population of 104,553.[1] In addition to Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls is also home to the "world's littlest skyscraper". Wichita Falls is sister city to Fürstenfeldbruck in Bavaria, Germany.[citation needed]

History

The Choctaw Indians settled the area in the early 18th century.[2] White settlers arrived in the 1860s to form cattle ranches. The city of Wichita Falls was officially born on Sept. 27, 1872. On that day, a sale of town lots was held at what is now the corner of Seventh and Ohio streets — the birthplace of the city.[3] The Fort Worth and Denver Railway arrived in 1882, the same year the city became the county seat of Wichita County, Texas.[2] The city grew westwards from the train depot.[3] This area is now referred to as the Depot Square Historic District,[4][5] which has been declared a Texas Historic Landmark.[6]

A flood in 1886 destroyed the original falls on the Wichita River for which the city was named.[citation needed] After nearly 100 years of visitors wanting to visit the non-existent falls, the city built an artificial waterfall beside the river in Lucy Park. The recreated falls are 54 feet (16 m) high and recirculates at 3,500 gallons per minute. They are visible to south-bound traffic on Interstate 44.

The city is currently seeking funding to rebuild and restore the downtown area.[2] Downtown Wichita Falls was once the city's main shopping area for many years, but lost ground to the creation of new shopping centers throughout the city beginning with Parker Square in 1953 and other similar developments during the 1960s and 1970s, culminating with the opening of Sikes Senter Mall in 1974. The last surviving major downtown retail store, Sears, moved to Sikes Senter in 1990.[citation needed] The former downtown Sears building, constructed in 1967, covered an entire city block and featured "roof top" parking.[citation needed]

Wichita Falls was once home to offices of several oil companies and related industries, along with oil refineries operated by the Continental Oil Company (now Conoco Phillips) until 1952 and Panhandle Oil Company (later American Petrofina) until 1965.[citation needed] Both firms continued to utilize a portion of their former refineries as gasoline/oil terminal facilities for many years.

1964 tornado

A devastating tornado hit the north and northwest portions of Wichita Falls along with Sheppard Air Force Base during the afternoon of April 3, 1964 leaving 7 dead, more than 100 injured and causing roughly $15 million in property damage (approximately 225 homes and businesses). This tornado was also among the first in the nation to be broadcast on live television[citation needed] through warning coverage by KAUZ-TV Channel 6 due to the efforts by station officials to drag a studio camera outside and point it toward the funnel as it was approaching the city's northwest edge.[citation needed] KFDX-TV Channel 3 also provided live tornado warning coverage; reporters were out in the field to report on the tornado's movement and aftermath utilizing two-way radio communication with news director Fred Brooks and weathercaster Ben Strickland back at the studio.[citation needed] A Wichita Falls Times Record News photographer shot a picture from the roof of the newspaper's downtown offices of the funnel as it was approaching Sheppard Air Force Base .

1979 tornado

Main article: Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak

An F4 tornado struck the heavily populated southern sections of Wichita Falls in the late afternoon on Tuesday, April 10, 1979 (known locally as "Terrible Tuesday"). The storm was part of an outbreak that produced 30 tornadoes around the region. Despite having nearly an hour's advance warning that severe weather was imminent, 42 people were killed (25 in vehicles) and 1,800 were injured because the storm arrived just in time for many people to be driving home from work.[7] The tornado left 20,000 people homeless and caused $400 million in damage, a U.S. record not topped by an individual tornado until the F5 Moore-Oklahoma City tornado of May 3, 1999.[8]

Geography and climate

Wichita Falls is located at 33°53′49″N 98°30′54″W / 33.89694°N 98.51500°W / 33.89694; -98.51500Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (33.897047, -98.514881).Template:GR The city is about 15 miles (24 km) south of the border with Oklahoma, 115 miles (185 km) northwest of Fort Worth, and 140 miles (230 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 70.71 square miles (183.1 km2) of which 70.69 square miles (183.1 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.052 km2) (0.03%) is water.[9]

Wichita Falls experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).

Climate data for Wichita Falls
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 89
(32) 		93
(34) 		100
(38) 		102
(39) 		110
(43) 		117
(47) 		114
(46) 		113
(45) 		111
(44) 		102
(39) 		89
(32) 		88
(31) 		117
(47)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 52
(11) 		58
(14) 		67
(19) 		76
(24) 		84
(29) 		92
(33) 		97
(36) 		96
(36) 		88
(31) 		77
(25) 		64
(18) 		54
(12) 		75
(24)
Daily mean °F (°C) 40
(4) 		46
(8) 		54
(12) 		62
(17) 		71
(22) 		80
(27) 		85
(29) 		83
(28) 		76
(24) 		65
(18) 		52
(11) 		43
(6) 		63
(17)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 29
(−2) 		34
(1) 		41
(5) 		49
(9) 		59
(15) 		68
(20) 		72
(22) 		71
(22) 		64
(18) 		52
(11) 		40
(4) 		31
(−1) 		51
(10)
Record low °F (°C) −12
(−24) 		−8
(−22) 		6
(−14) 		24
(−4) 		36
(2) 		50
(10) 		54
(12) 		53
(12) 		38
(3) 		21
(−6) 		14
(−10) 		−7
(−22) 		−12
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.12
(28) 		1.58
(40) 		2.27
(58) 		2.62
(67) 		3.92
(100) 		3.69
(94) 		1.58
(40) 		2.39
(61) 		3.19
(81) 		3.11
(79) 		1.68
(43) 		1.68
(43) 		28.83
(734)
Source: Weather.com[10]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18901,978—
19002,48025.4%
19108,200230.6%
192040,079388.8%
193043,6909.0%
194045,1123.3%
195068,04250.8%
1960101,72449.5%
197096,265−5.4%
198094,201−2.1%
199096,2592.2%
2000104,1978.2%
2009 (est.)101,314
U.S. Census Bureau, Texas Almanac[11][12]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 104,197 people, 37,970 households, and 24,984 families residing in the city.[13] City-data.com reports the population has since declined to 99,354 in July 2006,[14] though the city disputes these numbers.[15] The population density was 1,474.1 inhabitants per square mile (569.2/km2). There were 41,916 housing units at an average density of 593.0 per square mile (229.0/km2).[9] The racial makeup of the city was 75.11% White, 12.40% African American, 0.86% Native American, 2.20% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 6.39% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin accounted for 13.98% of the population.[13]

Of the 37,970 recorded households, 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% 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 3.04.[13] In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 106.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.7 males.[13] The median income for a household in the city was $32,554, and the median income for a family was $39,911. Males had a median income of $27,609 versus $21,877 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,761. About 10.8% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.[13] Based on a July 1, 2006 estimate, the metropolitan statistical area has a population of 145,528, a decline of nearly 4% since 2000 (see Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas).Template:GR

Media

Newspapers

Radio stations

Television stations

Sports and recreation

Wichita Falls is the home of the annual Hotter'N Hell Hundred, the largest century bicycle ride in the US.[citation needed]

The city has been home to a number of semi-pro, development, and minor league sports teams, including the Wichita Falls Drillers, a semi-pro football team that has won numerous league titles and a national championship; Wichita Falls Kings (formerly known as Wichita Falls Razorbacks), the semi-pro football team Wichita Falls Texans of the Continental Basketball Association; Wichita Falls Fever in the Lone Star Soccer Alliance (1989–92); the Wichita Falls Spudders baseball team in the Texas League; the Wichita Falls Wildcats (formerly the Wichita Falls Rustlers) of the North American Hockey League, an American "Junior A" Hockey league; and the Wichita Falls Roughnecks (formerly the Graham Roughnecks) of the Texas Collegiate League[citation needed].

Lucy Park is a 170-acre (69 ha) park with a log cabin, duck pond, playground, a frisbee golf course, and picnic areas. It has multiple paved walkways suitable for walking, running, biking, or rollerskating, including a river walk that goes to a re-creation of the original falls for which the city was named (the original falls were destroyed in a 19th century flood; the new falls were built in response to numerous tourist requests to visit the "Wichita Falls"). There are also unpaved trails for off-road biking and hiking.[citation needed]

Government

Local government

The Mayor of Wichita Falls is Glenn Barham. The Wichita Falls City Council has six members: Linda Ammons, Michael Smith, Dorothy Roberts-Burns, Rick Hatcher, Tim Ingle, and Mary Ward. The City Manager is Darron Leiker.

State and federal politics

Wichita Falls is located in the 69th district of the Texas House of Representatives. Lanham Lyne, a Republican, represents the district since 2011. Wichita Falls is also located in the 30th district of the Texas Senate. Craig Estes, a Republican, has held the senate seat since 2001. Wichita Falls is part of Texas's 13th congressional district for the U.S. House of Representatives. Mac Thornberry, a Republican, has held this seat since 1995.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice James V. Allred Unit is located in Wichita Falls, 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of downtown Wichita Falls.[16] The United States Postal Service operates the Wichita Falls Post Office,the Morningside Post Office, the Bridge Creek Post Office,and the Sheppard Air Force Base Post Office.[17]

Education

Wichita Falls is home to Midwestern State University, an accredited 4-year college and the only independent liberal arts college in Texas offering both bachelor's and master's degrees. A local branch of nearby Vernon College offers two-year degrees, certificate programs, and workforce development programs, and also Wayland Baptist University, whose main branch is located in Plainview, Texas.

Public primary and secondary education is covered by the Wichita Falls Independent School District, the City View Independent School District, and the Bright Ideas Charter School. There are several parochial schools, the largest of which is Notre Dame Catholic school. Other private schools operate in the city, as does an active home-school community. Many of the local elementary schools participate in the Head Start program for preschool-aged children. The Wichita Falls ISD is one of only a handful of school districts in Texas that does not require its students to attend a particular school in the district based on their residency. Instead, all schools have magnet programs to attract students, such as the Washington Jackson Math & Science Center.

Four schools in the Wichita Falls Independent School District participate in the International Baccalaureate programmes. Hirschi High School offers the IB Diploma Programme. Three others are candidate schools: G.H. Kirby Junior High School for the Middle Years Programme; and Washington/Jackson Math/Science Center and Lamar Primary Center for the Primary Years Programme. Other public high schools are Wichita Falls High School and S. H. Rider High School (Wichita Falls ISD) and City View High School (City View ISD).

Transportation

Highways

Wichita Falls is the western terminus for Interstate 44. U.S. Highways leading to or through Wichita Falls include 287, 277, 281, and 82. State Highway 240 ends at Wichita Falls and State Highway 79 runs through it. Wichita Falls has one of the largest numbers of freeway mileage for a city of its size[citation needed] as a result of a 1954 bond issue approved by city and county voters to purchase right-of-way for several expressway routes through the city and county, the first of which was opened in 1958 as an alignment of U.S. 287 from Eighth Street at Broad and Holliday streets northwestward across the Wichita River and bisecting Lucy and Scotland parks to the Old Iowa Park Road, which was the original U.S. 287 alignment.[citation needed] That was followed by other expressway links including U.S. 82-287 east to Henrietta (completed in 1968), U.S. 281 south toward Jacksboro (completed 1969), U.S. 287 northwest to Iowa Park and Electra (opened 1962), Interstate 44 north to Burkburnett and the Red River (opened 1964), and Interstate 44 from Old Iowa Park Road to U.S. 287/Spur 325 interchange on the city's north side along with Spur 325 itself from I-44/U.S. 287 to the main gate of Sheppard Air Force Base (both completed as one single project in 1960).[citation needed] However, cross-country traffic for many years had to contend with several ground-level intersections and stop lights over Holliday and Broad streets near the downtown area for approximately 13 blocks between connecting expressway links until a new elevated freeway running overhead was completed in 2001.[citation needed]

Efforts to create an additional freeway along the path of Kell Boulevard for U.S. 82-277 began in 1967 with the acquisition of right-of-way that included a former railroad right-of-way and the first project including construction of the present frontage roads completed in 1977, followed by freeway lanes, overpasses and on/off ramps in 1989 from just east of Brook Avenue west to Kemp oulevard; and similar projects west from Kemp to Barnett Road in 2001 followed by Barnett Road west past FM 369 in 2010 to tie in which a project now underway to transform U.S. 277 into a continuous four-lane expressway between Wichita Falls and Abilene.[citation needed]

Ground transportation

Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service from Wichita Falls to other locations served by Greyhound via its terminal at the Jolly truck stop outside of town. Skylark Van Service shuttles passengers to and from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on several runs during the day all week long.[citation needed]

Air transportation

The Wichita Falls Municipal Airport is served by American Eagle with five flights daily to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The Kickapoo Downtown Airpark and the Wichita Valley Airport serve smaller, private planes.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ "2008 Population Estimates: Wichita Falls, Texas". Fact Finder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Wichita Falls History". WichitaFallsTexas.com. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Richard Carter (November 29, 2005). "Full circle: residences, businesses returning to spot where Wichita Falls began". Wichita Falls Times Record News. Wichita Falls, Texas: E. W. Scripps Company. p. A1. ISSN 0895-6138. Retrieved 2010-10-09. They say business and people have been moving westward in Wichita Falls ever since the city was born on Sept. 27, 1872. The birthplace of the city-the corner of Seventh and Ohio where the original town lot sale was held - is once again blossoming with renovated apartment buildings, new businesses and increased traffic.
  4. ^ Bill Whitaker (August 20, 1998). "Cowboys Mosey On, But Littlest Skyscraper Remains". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas: E. W. Scripps Company. ISSN 0199-3267. Retrieved 2010-10-09. But when the building was done, investors discovered the skyscraper was only 30 feet tall, 18 feet deep and 10 feet wide. And of the reportedly $200,000 sunk into the skyscraper's construction - well, that was plainly gone with the wind.
  5. ^ Carlton Stowers (July 2008). "Legend Of The World's Littlest Skyscraper" (PDF). Texas Co-Op Power. 65 (1). Austin, Texas: Texas Electric Cooperatives: 25. Retrieved 2010-10-09.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  6. ^ Le Templar (March 19, 1999). "Historic District Could Expand". Wichita Falls Times Record News. Wichita Falls, Texas: E. W. Scripps Company. p. A1. ISSN 0895-6138. Retrieved 2010-10-09. The Wichita Falls Landmark Commission wants to more than double the size of the downtown historic district in an effort to slow the loss of buildings that proclaim the city's heritage. Commission members voted unanimously Thursday for expanding the district to include a total of 77 buildings on Indiana and Ohio streets.
  7. ^ "The April 10, 1979 Severe Weather Outbreak". Weather Events. National Weather Service. January 19, 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  8. ^ "The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3, 1999". Weather Events. National Weather Service. November 20, 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  9. ^ a b "Geographic Comparison Table- Texas". American Fast Facts. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  10. ^ "Monthly Averages for Wichita Falls, Texas". Weather.com. 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  11. ^ "Wichita Falls city, Texas - Fact Sheet". American Fact Finder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  12. ^ "Texas Almanac: City Population History from 1850 to 2000" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Texas State Historical Association.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Fact Sheet- Wichita Falls city, Texas". American Fast Facts. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  14. ^ "Wichita Falls, Texas Detailed Profile". Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  15. ^ "City of Wichita Falls, TX - Official Website". Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  16. ^ ""Allred Unit". Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  17. ^ "Post Office Locations in the WICHITA FALLS, TX area". The United States Postal Service. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  18. ^ Douglas, Martin (July 19, 2009). "William C. Conner, 89, Judge Known for First Amendment Rulings, Dies - Obituary". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wichita Falls, Texas.

Template:Texas cities and mayors of 100,000 population

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wichita_Falls,_Texas&oldid=420575616"