Childress, Texas
Encyclopedia
Childress is a city
in Childress County, Texas
, United States
. The population
was 6,778 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Childress County. Like the county, the city is named for George Campbell Childress, a native of Nashville
, Tennessee
, who was the principal author of the Texas Declaration of Independence
. The county and city were incorporated more than four decades after Childress's death.
, the city has a total area of 8.3 square miles (21.5 km²), of which 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) is water.
Childress is bordered on the west by Hall County, on the southeast by Hardeman County
, on the northeast by Harmon County, Oklahoma
, on the north by Collingsworth County, and on the south by Cottle County. Childress is situated 110 miles (177 km) from Amarillo
on the west, 155 mi from Lubbock, Texas to the southwest, and also 110 miles (177 km) from Wichita Falls
on the east. It is situated at the intersection of United States Highways 287, 62, and 83, which extends from Brownsville
to Laredo
in South Texas
to North Dakota
. Because of its location, Childress is known as the "Gateway to the Panhandle
". Childress is only a few miles from the Oklahoma
state boundary, but because of the routing of Highways 83 and 62, the one-way drive to Hollis
is about thirty miles. The area surrounding Childress is popular with hunters for quail
, deer
, dove
, and wild hogs. Baylor Lake, located nine miles (14 km) to the northwest, is known for bass
fishing
.
of 2000, there were 6,778 people, 2,116 households, and 1,369 families residing in the city. The population density
was 821.8 people per square mile (317.2/km²). There were 2,554 housing units at an average density of 309.7 per square mile (119.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.52% White, 15.65% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 17.13% from other races
, and 1.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.37% of the population.
There were 2,116 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 147.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 157.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,536, and the median income for a family was $33,323. Males had a median income of $25,365 versus $19,442 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $11,708. About 14.6% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
Childress developed from two rival townships, Childress and Henry, which were about four miles (six km) apart on the former OX Ranch. Childress County was organized in February 1887 with the arrival of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway
. An election was held on April 11, 1887 to determine which town would be the county seat with Childress prevailing. A temporary wooden courthouse
was constructed under the supervision of the prominent attorney
Amos J. Fires. However, the Donley County
court, to which Childress County was still attached for judicial purposes, declared the election illegal. R. E. Montgomery, the right-of-way and townsite agent for the railroad, favored the Henry location because it had a smoother terrain than Childress, a situation which would make the erection of a depot
easier. Montgomery had also purchased half of the property in Henry. When Henry was chosen county seat in another election, Montgomery and Fires compromised. The name of "Henry" was simply changed to "Childress", and the businesses and residences were relocated by September 1887.
The railroad built the Dwight Hotel, the section house, and the depot. The Childress Lumber
Company followed. J. H. Christler became the first practicing physician
in Childress. Amos Fires was elected county judge, a combined judicial and administrative position. He opened the first bank
and initiated the county's public school system. In 1888, James S. Harrison launched the Childress County Index (later Childress Index), the first newspaper
in the community. By 1889, Methodist, Baptist
, Presbyterian, and Church of Christ
congregations had been organized. The city was incorporated in 1890 with a population of 621. It had a post office
, a restaurant, a livery stable, a boardinghouse, three stores, a Young Men's Christian Association facility, and a theater. There were also several saloons in Childress until 1904, when a fatal shooting prompted Childress to adopt local prohibition
of alcohol
ic beverages.
In 1901, when the Fort Worth and Denver City railroad began considering Childress as a division point, Childress voters approved bonds
and donated land to build shops and terminal facilities. These businesses, in addition to the influx of farmer
s and homesteaders, provided more jobs and resulted in a considerable increase in population—to 5,003 by 1910. Future automobile
tycoon Walter P. Chrysler served as general foreman of the Childress railroad shops from 1905 to 1906. He then relocated to Iowa
, where he worked as a master mechanic
before he founded Chrysler Motor Corporation
.
After a fire destroyed the first Childress County courthouse in 1891, a new stone building was constructed and used until 1939, when the present structure was built. On the courthouse grounds is a memorial to 20th century military veterans, a tribute paid in many Texas counties. For decades, a large windmill
on Main Street provided municipal water.
The railroad remained the economic center of Childress into the 1940s. Extension of the Fort Worth and Denver railroad to Pampa
, the seat of Gray County in the Panhandle, ameliorated the hardships of the Great Depression
in Childress. In 1941, citizens appealed to the Interstate Commerce Commission
to stop the railroad from closing its shops in Childress.
In the 1920s a brick high school building was completed. In 1929, the Childress News appeared in competition with the Childress Index. In 1942, the News was leased by the Index. In 1947, the Childress Reporter was established. After the depression and Dust Bowl
era, modern farm machinery and improved highways reduced the rate of growth in Childress. The population was 6,464 in 1940. The railroad closed several shops, which were eventually razed. Lanchart Industries, Royal Park Fashions, and Fiberglass
Corporation of America supplanted the railroad as the economic anchor of Childress. The population decreased from 6,399 in 1960 to 5,817 by 1980.
Childress remains an agribusiness
center with cotton gin
s and grain elevator
s. The first successful oil
well in the area was not drilled until 1961.
(TDCJ) operates the Childress Distribution Center and the Roach Unit in two locations in Childress.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Childress Post Office.
. The park contains an historical marker for the Goodnight Trail
, a westward extension of the Goodnight-Loving
Trail, over which cattle
were driven to market late in the 19th century.
Fair Park Auditorium is located at the entrance to the city park. Nearby is the stadium for the Childress High School football
team.
Across from the First Baptist
Church at C and Third streets, the Childress County Heritage Museum
is housed in a former post office
building constructed in 1935. The museum includes displays of the cattle
, cotton
, and railroad industries, area Indian
artifacts
, and period rooms. The museum maintains a display of the Childress Army Airfield, which operated during World War II
prior to the establishment of the United States Air Force
.
Like many other Texas communities, Childress holds an annual Old Settlers' Reunion. Initiated soon after the establishment of Childress, the reunion, held in July and features a nightly rodeo
. In August, Childress hosts the annual Greenbelt Bowl football
classic, a contest between selected high school all-stars
from the tri-state area of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico
.
which operates an elementary school
(grades PreK to 5), Childress Elementary School, middle school
(grades 6 to 8), Childress Junior High School, and a high school
(grades 9 to 12), Childress High School. The high school athletic teams are known as the Bobcats. The primary school color is blue, with secondary colors of white and red. The football team plays in a stadium in Fair Park. Basketball teams play in a gym on high school campus and the baseball team plays on their field located between the campus and Fair Park.
Clarendon College
, a two-year community college, maintains a campus in Childress.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Childress County, 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
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
was 6,778 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Childress County. Like the county, the city is named for George Campbell Childress, a native of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, who was the principal author of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
. The county and city were incorporated more than four decades after Childress's death.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 8.3 square miles (21.5 km²), of which 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) is water.
Childress is bordered on the west by Hall County, on the southeast by Hardeman County
Hardeman County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,724 people, 1,943 households, and 1,319 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile . There were 2,358 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile...
, on the northeast by Harmon County, Oklahoma
Harmon County, Oklahoma
Harmon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 2,992. In population, it is the second smallest county in Oklahoma, only Cimarron County, according to the 2010 census, having fewer inhabitants. The county seat is Hollis.-Geography:According to the...
, on the north by Collingsworth County, and on the south by Cottle County. Childress is situated 110 miles (177 km) from Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
on the west, 155 mi from Lubbock, Texas to the southwest, and also 110 miles (177 km) from Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. 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,...
on the east. It is situated at the intersection of United States Highways 287, 62, and 83, which extends from Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
to Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
in South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...
to North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. Because of its location, Childress is known as the "Gateway to the Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
". Childress is only a few miles from the Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
state boundary, but because of the routing of Highways 83 and 62, the one-way drive to Hollis
Hollis, Oklahoma
-Additional information:Hollis is a close-knit community which only has one stoplight at the corner of Highway 62 and Highway 30, the only two main highways that pass through the town. It features the Hollis Municipal Airport located north of the town on Highway 30 and the Hollis Livestock...
is about thirty miles. The area surrounding Childress is popular with hunters for quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
, and wild hogs. Baylor Lake, located nine miles (14 km) to the northwest, is known for bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 6,778 people, 2,116 households, and 1,369 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 821.8 people per square mile (317.2/km²). There were 2,554 housing units at an average density of 309.7 per square mile (119.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.52% White, 15.65% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 17.13% 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 1.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.37% of the population.
There were 2,116 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% 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, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 147.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 157.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,536, and the median income for a family was $33,323. Males had a median income of $25,365 versus $19,442 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 $11,708. About 14.6% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
History
Fort Worth and Denver Railway
The Fort Worth and Denver Railway , nicknamed "the Denver Road," was a class I American railroad company that operated in the northern part of Texas from 1881 to 1982, and had a profound influence on the early settlement and economic development of the region....
. An election was held on April 11, 1887 to determine which town would be the county seat with Childress prevailing. A temporary wooden courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
was constructed under the supervision of the prominent attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Amos J. Fires. However, the Donley County
Donley County, Texas
Donley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 3,828. It is named for Stockton P. Donley, a frontier lawyer. Its county seat is Clarendon....
court, to which Childress County was still attached for judicial purposes, declared the election illegal. R. E. Montgomery, the right-of-way and townsite agent for the railroad, favored the Henry location because it had a smoother terrain than Childress, a situation which would make the erection of a depot
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
easier. Montgomery had also purchased half of the property in Henry. When Henry was chosen county seat in another election, Montgomery and Fires compromised. The name of "Henry" was simply changed to "Childress", and the businesses and residences were relocated by September 1887.
The railroad built the Dwight Hotel, the section house, and the depot. The Childress Lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
Company followed. J. H. Christler became the first practicing physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
in Childress. Amos Fires was elected county judge, a combined judicial and administrative position. He opened the first bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
and initiated the county's public school system. In 1888, James S. Harrison launched the Childress County Index (later Childress Index), the first newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in the community. By 1889, Methodist, Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Presbyterian, and Church of Christ
Church of Christ
Churches of Christ are autonomous Christian congregations associated with one another through common beliefs and practices. They seek to base doctrine and practice on the Bible alone, and seek to be New Testament congregations as originally established by the authority of Christ. Historically,...
congregations had been organized. The city was incorporated in 1890 with a population of 621. It had a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, a restaurant, a livery stable, a boardinghouse, three stores, a Young Men's Christian Association facility, and a theater. There were also several saloons in Childress until 1904, when a fatal shooting prompted Childress to adopt local prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
ic beverages.
In 1901, when the Fort Worth and Denver City railroad began considering Childress as a division point, Childress voters approved bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
and donated land to build shops and terminal facilities. These businesses, in addition to the influx of farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s and homesteaders, provided more jobs and resulted in a considerable increase in population—to 5,003 by 1910. Future automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
tycoon Walter P. Chrysler served as general foreman of the Childress railroad shops from 1905 to 1906. He then relocated to Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, where he worked as a master mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
before he founded Chrysler Motor Corporation
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
.
After a fire destroyed the first Childress County courthouse in 1891, a new stone building was constructed and used until 1939, when the present structure was built. On the courthouse grounds is a memorial to 20th century military veterans, a tribute paid in many Texas counties. For decades, a large windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
on Main Street provided municipal water.
Pampa, Texas
Pampa is a city in Gray County, Texas, United States. The population was 17,887 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gray County.Pampa is the principal city of the Pampa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Gray and Roberts counties....
, the seat of Gray County in the Panhandle, ameliorated the hardships of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in Childress. In 1941, citizens appealed to the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
to stop the railroad from closing its shops in Childress.
In the 1920s a brick high school building was completed. In 1929, the Childress News appeared in competition with the Childress Index. In 1942, the News was leased by the Index. In 1947, the Childress Reporter was established. After the depression and Dust Bowl
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands from 1930 to 1936...
era, modern farm machinery and improved highways reduced the rate of growth in Childress. The population was 6,464 in 1940. The railroad closed several shops, which were eventually razed. Lanchart Industries, Royal Park Fashions, and Fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
Corporation of America supplanted the railroad as the economic anchor of Childress. The population decreased from 6,399 in 1960 to 5,817 by 1980.
Childress remains an agribusiness
Agribusiness
In agriculture, agribusiness is a generic term for the various businesses involved in food production, including farming and contract farming, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, wholesale and distribution, processing, marketing, and retail sales....
center with cotton gin
Cotton gin
A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
s and grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
s. The first successful oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
well in the area was not drilled until 1961.
Government
The Texas Department of Criminal JusticeTexas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
(TDCJ) operates the Childress Distribution Center and the Roach Unit in two locations in Childress.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Childress Post Office.
Culture and Recreation
Fair Park, with a lake and fountain, offers picnicking facilities, walking trails, playground equipment, and a swimming poolSwimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
. The park contains an historical marker for the Goodnight Trail
Charles Goodnight
Charles Goodnight, also known as Charlie Goodnight , was a cattle rancher in the American West, perhaps the best known rancher in Texas. He is sometimes known as the "father of the Texas Panhandle." Essayist and historian J...
, a westward extension of the Goodnight-Loving
Oliver Loving
Oliver Loving was a cattle rancher and pioneer of the cattle drive who with Charles Goodnight developed the Goodnight-Loving Trail. He was mortally wounded by Indians while on a cattle drive. Loving County, the smallest county in the United States in population, is named in his honor.Loving was...
Trail, over which cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
were driven to market late in the 19th century.
Fair Park Auditorium is located at the entrance to the city park. Nearby is the stadium for the Childress High School football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team.
Across from the First Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church at C and Third streets, the Childress County Heritage Museum
Childress County Heritage Museum
The Childress County Heritage Museum is a a local and regional historical museum located in Childress, Texas. It is housed at 210 Third Street near the First Baptist Church in a former U.S. Post Office building that was constructed in 1935...
is housed in a former post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
building constructed in 1935. The museum includes displays of the cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, and railroad industries, area Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
, and period rooms. The museum maintains a display of the Childress Army Airfield, which operated during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
prior to the establishment of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.
Like many other Texas communities, Childress holds an annual Old Settlers' Reunion. Initiated soon after the establishment of Childress, the reunion, held in July and features a nightly rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
. In August, Childress hosts the annual Greenbelt Bowl football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
classic, a contest between selected high school all-stars
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
from the tri-state area of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
Education
Childress is served by the Childress Independent School DistrictChildress Independent School District
Childress Independent School District is a public school district based in Childress, Texas .Located in Childress County, small portions of the district extend into Cottle, Hall, and Hardeman counties....
which operates an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
(grades PreK to 5), Childress Elementary School, middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
(grades 6 to 8), Childress Junior High School, and a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
(grades 9 to 12), Childress High School. The high school athletic teams are known as the Bobcats. The primary school color is blue, with secondary colors of white and red. The football team plays in a stadium in Fair Park. Basketball teams play in a gym on high school campus and the baseball team plays on their field located between the campus and Fair Park.
Clarendon College
Clarendon College (Texas)
Clarendon College is a community college located in Clarendon, the seat of Donley County in the Texas Panhandle. The college operates branch campuses in Pampa and Childress....
, a two-year community college, maintains a campus in Childress.
Notable residents
- Minnie Lou BradleyMinnie Lou BradleyMinnie Lou Ottinger Bradley is the matriarch of the Bradley 3 Ranch in Childress County in the Texas Panhandle. An inductee of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, she is a trailblazer for women in the field of livestock breeding and ranch management. She is the first woman...
, matriarch of Bradley 3 Ranch in Childress County and a pioneer in the breeding of AngusAngusAngus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
bulls with HerefordHereford (cattle)Hereford cattle are a beef cattle breed, widely used both in intemperate areas and temperate areas, mainly for meat production.Originally from Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom, more than five million pedigree Hereford Cattle now exist in over 50 countries...
cows - Walter ChryslerWalter ChryslerWalter Percy Chrysler was an American machinist, railroad mechanic and manager, automotive industry executive, Freemason, and founder of the Chrysler Corporation.- Railroad career :...
, founder of Chrysler Motor CorporationChryslerChrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
, lived in Childress from 1905 to 1906. - Lou DobbsLou DobbsLouis Carl "Lou" Dobbs is an American journalist, radio host, television host on the Fox Business Network, and author. He anchored CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight until November 2009 when he announced on the air that he would leave the 24-hour cable news television network.He was born in Texas and lived...
, radio host and former anchor and managing editor for CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Lou Dobbs TonightLou Dobbs TonightLou Dobbs Tonight is an American editorial commentary and discussion program hosted by Lou Dobbs, previously broadcast on CNN and currently on Fox Business Network. The hour-long show aired live on evenings every weekday, and was replayed in the overnight/early morning hours. It covered the major...
. - Roy Furr, founder of Furr's grocery store and cafeterias chain, lived in Childress County as a youth and worked with his father in Kirkland.
- James Carroll "T" Jones, University of Texas at AustinAustin, TexasAustin 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...
quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
(1950–1952) and athletic director at Texas Tech University (1985–1993) - Stran Smith, Professional Rodeo Cowboys AssociationProfessional Rodeo Cowboys AssociationThe Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is an organization whose members compete in rodeos throughout North America, primarily in the United States. The PRCA sanctions rodeo venues and events through the PRCA Circuit System. Its championship event is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo...
calf roper
External links
- Official City Website, maintained by the Childress Economic Development Corporation
- Childress, Texas in The Handbook of Texas Online
- Childress Independent School District
- Childress Regional Medical Center
- Childress, Texas Community Network
- The Childress Index