Crockett, Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Crockett, Texas | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Houston |
| Area | |
| - Total | 8.9 sq mi (23.0 km²) |
| - Land | 8.9 sq mi (23.0 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 364 ft (111 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 7,141 |
| - Density | 805.6/sq mi (311.0/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 75835 |
| Area code(s) | 936 |
| FIPS code | 48-17744[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1355365[2] |
Crockett is a city in Houston County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,141. It is the county seat of Houston County[3].
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[edit] History
The town was named after Davy Crockett who reportedly had camped nearby on his way to the Alamo. The site was very near the Old San Antonio Road. A family of Tennesseans donated the land for the town and named it after Crockett, who they had known back in Tennessee. 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 and it peaked about 1910. The stands of timber were seriously depleted by the 1920s. The population was over 3,000 in the mid 20's and by 1936 it was nearly 4,500. Crockett population increased while most of East Texas declined after WWII. It reached 5,000 by the 1960 census.[4] During this time, one of the first loop roads in the nation was built around the city. This traffic reliever was procured through the works of heavyweight politicians who called Crockett home. Loop 304 was built before those in Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and San Antonio. Blues singer Lightnin' Hopkins was once arrested in Crockett, Texas. 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 the surrounding area's reserves of natural gas has also improved the economy with the construction of energy infrastructure and receipt of royalty revenues for land in and near the city.
[edit] Geography
Crockett is located at (31.317010, -95.458397)[5].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.9 square miles (23.0 km²), all of it land.
The terrain of the town is hilly, and forested mostly with loblolly pine and pecan trees.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 7,141 people, 2,672 households, and 1,747 families residing in the city. The population density was 805.6 people per square mile (311.2/km²). There were 3,081 housing units at an average density of 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.50% of the population.
There were 2,672 households out of which 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 non-families. 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 population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 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 years of age 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 the median income 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.
[edit] Education
The City of Crockett is served by the Crockett Independent School District. The Crockett Bulldogs are currently 3A in size under the UIL. Crockett also has "The Jordan School." This is a private school run under the Episcopal Church on Houston Ave. It currently serves Pre K-6th grade levels.
[edit] MISC.
Dining
Restaurants in the Greater Crockett Area
- Lee's China Inn
- Dairy Queen
- Sonic
- Quiznos
- Ames Fried Chicken
- The Moosehead Cafe
- McDonalds
- Doc's Country Store and BBQ
- TacoBell and KFC
- Pizza Hut
- Fowlers Restaurant
- Smitty's BBQ
- Subway
- Nickletown Pizza
- Whataburger
- Betty Boop's Sandwich Shop
- M.L.A. Taqueria
- Thompson's Barbecue - As Seen in Texas Highways magazine
- Donuts 'N More
- Crockett Inn Restaurant
- Stockman's Steakhouse
Recreational Activities in and Near Crockett For a town of Crockett's size, there is plenty to fill a weekend, or even a week's vacation!
- Visit the Historic Downtown Square and Shops
- Visit the Recently Renovated Museum and Old Rail Depot and Spring Park
- See a Movie in the Ritz Theater
- Walk and Tour some of the Historic Old Homes and Churches in the City
- Attend a Concert at the Camp Street Cafe
- Walk around and talk to some of the town's noteworthy characters
- Catch one of the Rodeos (Lion's Club, Myrtis Dightman, etc.)
- Attend the Houston County Fair each spring for livestock, food, art, and other exhibitions, followed by an auction for those items.
- Fish and Swim on Houston County Lake (10 Miles Northwest of Town)
- Hike in the Davy Crockett National Forest (10 Miles East of Town)
- Visit Ratcliff Lake State Park, near the site of the old 4C Mill (20 miles east of town)
- Visit the Spanish Mission and Neches Bluff Overlook in Houston county and the Caddo Indian Mounds and Texas Forest Service Nursery a few miles away. (15-20 miles northeast of town)
- Visit Salmon Lake Park in Grapeland (15 Miles North)
- Drive the backroads of Houston County
- If you need anything else, just ask a local!
Famous People from Crockett, Texas
Sam Hinton - Folk Singer
Eugene Lockhart - Dallas Cowboy linebacker from the 1980s
Jim Turner- Former Congressman
Kenny Rogers - Famous country music singer was born in Crockett where his mother resided
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Crockett Texas and Crockett Texas Hotels Motels
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Crockett, Texas is at coordinates Coordinates:
- Official city website
- Interactive Community Website
- Crockett Area Chamber of Commerce Preview
- Houston County and Crockett Area Chamber of Commerce
- Find A Business in Crockett Texas
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