Bertram, Texas
Encyclopedia
Bertram is a city in Burnet County
Burnet County, Texas
Burnet County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 34,147. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate was 44,488. Its county seat is Burnet. Burnet is named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first president of the Republic of Texas...

, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 1,122 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Bertram is located at 30.744132°N 98.055721°W. This is 10 miles east of Burnet
Burnet, Texas
Burnet is a city in and the county seat of Burnet County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,735 at the 2000 census.Both the city and the county were named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first president of the Republic of Texas. He also served as Vice President during the...

 and 37 miles northwest of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 1,122 people, 387 households, and 280 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,031.3 people per square mile (397.4/km2). There were 434 housing units at an average density of 398.9 per square mile (153.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.24% White, 0.89% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 9.09% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.21% of the population.

There were 387 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,250, and the median income for a family was $42,031. Males had a median income of $29,688 versus $20,179 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $14,132. About 7.0% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Bertram hosts an annual "Oatmeal Festival" during the Labor Day weekend. Named after the remains of the nearby community of Oatmeal
Oatmeal, Texas
Oatmeal is an unincorporated community in Burnet County, Texas, United States. It is situated along RM 243, approximately eight miles southeast of Burnet and 56 miles northwest of Austin.-History:...

, it includes a number of activities that draw attendees from all over central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

.

Oatmeal Festival began in 1978 as a spoof of the many chili cook-offs in the state of Texas. Oatmeal was chosen as the theme for the festival because of the nearby town of Oatmeal. Ken Odiorne, who had lived in the Oatmeal community (in an area he knew as Ignert Ridge), dreamed it all up and with a little prodding from some good folks got it all going. He wrote to all the major producers of oatmeal and asked them for assistance. Only National Oats, the makers of 3 Minutes Oats, responded. In honor of this, all Oatmeal Festival events start at :03 or :33 past the hour.

Chili cooks eat hot peppers. Oatmeal cooks ate boiled okra. Chili cooks had beauty queens. Oatmeal cooks had Ms. Bag, who is over 55, Groaty Oat, who is beyond description, and Miss Cookie and Miss Muffin, who are 4 to 8 years old. Watermelon raisers spit seeds. Oatmeal cooks kicked cow chips.

The folks who put together the official map of the State of Texas had also decided to leave Oatmeal off the map because there was not an intersection of main highways there. Since the inception of the festival, however, Oatmeal is back on the map. A lot of folks come home to the country every Labor Day Weekend, even if it is hot and dry.

Over the years the money raised has built an open-air pavilion in Bertram and a community center at Oatmeal. Scholarships are given to local high school graduates every year. Financial assistance has been given to many local events including the Easter Egg Hunt, Santa's Workshop, and Burnet County Livestock Show.

Education

The City of Bertram is served by the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District
Burnet Consolidated Independent School District
Burnet Consolidated Independent School District is a public school district based in Burnet, Texas .Located in Burnet County, small portions of the district extend into Llano and Williamson counties....

. In 2007, Bertram Elementary School was named a National Blue Ribbon School.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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