Crockett, Texas
Encyclopedia
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
.
who reportedly had camped nearby on his way to the Alamo
; the site was very near the Old San Antonio Road
. A family from Tennessee
donated the land for the town and named it after Crockett, whom they had previously known. 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 1920s and by 1936, it was nearly 4,500. The population of Crockett increased while most of East Texas declined after World War II
. It reached 5,000 by the 1960 census.
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 reserves of natural gas in the surrounding area has led to construction of energy infrastructure and receipt of royalty revenues for land.
In 1854, A.T. Monroe, a grandnephew of U.S. President James Monroe
came to Crockett from Virginia. He established what is now the Monroe-Crook House built with brick placed between the inner and outer walls. George W. Crook purchased the residence in 1911. The house, open for public tours, is located in front of the John H. Wooters Public Library in the same block as the Crockett Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian Church was established in 1854. The building was razed by a fire in 1926 and rebuilt.
operates the Crockett Post Office.
The Texas Youth Commission
operated the Crockett State School
in Crockett. The TYC announced that the facility will close by August 31, 2011.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 8.9 square miles (23.1 km²), all of it land.
The terrain of the town is hilly, and forested mostly with loblolly pine and pecan trees.
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 per square mile (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.
. The Crockett Bulldogs are currently 2A 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.
Houston County, Texas
Houston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 23,185. Its county seat is Crockett. Houston County is named for Samuel Houston, a president of the Republic of Texas and Governor 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...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the city population was 7,141. 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 Houston County
Houston County, Texas
Houston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 23,185. Its county seat is Crockett. Houston County is named for Samuel Houston, a president of the Republic of Texas and Governor of Texas...
.
History
The town was named after Davy CrockettDavy Crockett
David "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S...
who reportedly had camped nearby on his way to the Alamo
Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a battle fought during the Texas Revolution.Alamo may also refer to:-Places:*Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas*Alamo, California*Alamo, Georgia*Alamo Township, Michigan*Alamo, Nevada*Alamo, New Mexico...
; the site was very near the Old San Antonio Road
Old San Antonio Road
The Old San Antonio Road was a historic roadway located in the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana. Parts of it were based on traditional Native American trails. Its Texas terminus was about southeast of Eagle Pass at the Rio Grande in Maverick County, and its northern terminus was at...
. A family from 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...
donated the land for the town and named it after Crockett, whom they had previously known. 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
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
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 1920s and by 1936, it was nearly 4,500. The population of Crockett increased while most of East Texas declined after 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...
. It reached 5,000 by the 1960 census.
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
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
singer Lightnin' Hopkins
Lightnin' Hopkins
Sam John Hopkins better known as Lightnin’ Hopkins, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist, from Houston, Texas...
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 reserves of natural gas in the surrounding area has led to construction of energy infrastructure and receipt of royalty revenues for land.
In 1854, A.T. Monroe, a grandnephew of U.S. President James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
came to Crockett from Virginia. He established what is now the Monroe-Crook House built with brick placed between the inner and outer walls. George W. Crook purchased the residence in 1911. The house, open for public tours, is located in front of the John H. Wooters Public Library in the same block as the Crockett Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian Church was established in 1854. The building was razed by a fire in 1926 and rebuilt.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited 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 Crockett Post Office.
The Texas Youth Commission
Texas Youth Commission
The Texas Youth Commission is a Texas state agency which operates juvenile corrections facilities in the state. The commission is headquartered in the Brown-Heatly Building in Austin...
operated the Crockett State School
Crockett State School
The Crockett State School was a Texas Youth Commission juvenile correctional facility in Crockett, Texas. The students at the state school had committed various crimes, including property crimes and crimes against persons...
in Crockett. The TYC announced that the facility will close by August 31, 2011.
Geography
Crockett is located at 31°19′1"N 95°27′30"W (31.317010, -95.458397).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 8.9 square miles (23.1 km²), all of it land.
The terrain of the town is hilly, and forested mostly with loblolly pine and pecan trees.
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 7,141 people, 2,672 households, and 1,747 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 805.6 people per square mile (311.2/km²). There were 3,081 housing units at an average density of 347.6 per square mile (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
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 1.05% 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
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, 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
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 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.
Education
The City of Crockett is served by the Crockett Independent School DistrictCrockett Independent School District
Crockett Independent School District is a public school district based in Crockett, Texas .In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.-Schools:*Crockett High...
. The Crockett Bulldogs are currently 2A 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.
Notable people
- Les BeasleyLes BeasleyLes Beasley was the lead singer and manager for the Florida Boys, a Southern Gospel quartet, since 1953. He is said to be one of the pioneers of Gospel Music TV. In 2001, Beasley was honoured at the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion with a "This Is Your Life" Tribute...
- Gospel musicGospel musicGospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
performer - Jamie EasterlyJamie EasterlyJames Morris Easterly is a retired pitcher who played in the major leagues for the Atlanta Braves , Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians ....
- Was a pitcher for the Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1974–79), Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1981–83) and Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1983–87) - Edd HargettEdd HargettEdward Eugene Hargett is a former American football quarterback for Texas A&M University who went on to play professionally for the NFL's New Orleans Saints and Houston Oilers. He later played for the Shreveport Steamer of the World Football League.Edd passed for 5379 yards in his 3 year career ...
- Former American footballAmerican footballAmerican 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...
quarterback for Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
who went on to play professionally for the NFL's New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and Houston Oilers; lost a race for U.S. Representative in a 1985 special election as a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... - Sam HintonSam HintonSam Duffie Hinton was an American folk singer and marine biologist, best known for his music and harmonica playing. Hinton also taught at the University of California, San Diego, published books and magazine articles on marine biology, and worked as a calligrapher and artist.-Biography:Sam Hinton...
- Folk MusicFolk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer - Eugene LockhartEugene LockhartEugene Lockhart, Jr. is a former American football linebacker who played for nine seasons in the National Football League from 1984 to 1992...
- Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
linebacker from the 1980s - A.T. Monroe - Grandnephew of U.S. President James Monroe; came to Crockett in 1854, established what is now the Monroe-Crook House.
- Kenny RogersKenny RogersKenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
- Country musicCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer - Jim TurnerJim Turner (politician)James "Jim" Turner , American politician, was the Democratic representative for the Texas 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 until 2005.-Early life, education, and early career:...
- Former U.S. Representative from Texas, DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... - Rain PhoenixRain PhoenixRain Phoenix is an American actress, musician, and singer. Phoenix has four siblings: two brothers, actors Joaquin and the late River Phoenix, and two sisters, Summer and Liberty.-Early life:...
- Actress, musician and singer (born in Crockett). - River PhoenixRiver PhoenixRiver Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
- Actor (lived in Crockett).