Jacksboro, Texas
Encyclopedia
Jack County, Texas
*Bryson*Jacksboro*Jermyn *Joplin *Perrin *Gibtown-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Jack County, Texas-External links:*...
, 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 4,533 at the 2000 census. Jacksboro is located at the junction of U.S. Highways 281
U.S. Route 281
U.S. Route 281 is a north–south United States highway. At 1,872 miles long it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route....
and 380
U.S. Route 380
U.S. Route 380 is an east–west United States highway. The highway's eastern terminus is in Greenville, Texas at an intersection with Interstate 30, of which the easternmost 3–4 miles are co-located with US 69 in a loop around the west and south sides of Greenville. Its western terminus is at...
, and 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 Jack County
Jack County, Texas
*Bryson*Jacksboro*Jermyn *Joplin *Perrin *Gibtown-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Jack County, Texas-External links:*...
.
Geography
Jacksboro is located at 33.223355°N 98.160845°W (33.223355, -98.160845).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 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²), of which, 5.8 square miles (15 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it (14.54%) is water.
History
Jacksboro was first settled in the 1850s, attracted by land offers from the Texas Emigration and Land Office. Originally called Mesquiteville, the community grew up in the pastureland near Keechi CreekKeechi Creek
Keechi Creek is a river in Palo Pinto County, Texas. It originates two miles east of Graford, and empties into the Brazos River northwest of Mineral Wells.-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Texas...
. It was renamed Jacksboro in 1858 when it became the county seat, in honor of brothers William and Patrick Jack, veterans of the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
. Regular postal service began in 1859.
The county was one of the few to vote against secession before the Civil War. It was devastated by Indian raids until Fort Richardson
Fort Richardson, Texas
Fort Richardson was an United States Army installation located one mile south of Jacksboro, Texas. Named in honor of Union General Israel B...
was built south of Jacksboro in 1870. The population quickly bounced back into the thousands, and the town gained national attention in 1871 when two Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
chiefs, Satanta
Satanta (White Bear)
This article refers to the Kiowa chief Satanta. For the Irish hero Sétanta, please see Cú Chulainn.Satanta was a Kiowa war chief. He was a member of the Kiowa tribe, he was born around 1820, during the height of the power of the Plains Tribes, probably along the Canadian River in the traditional...
and Big Tree, were tried for murder
Trial of Satanta and Big Tree
The Trial of Satanta and Big Tree occurred in July 1871 in the town of Jacksboro in Jack County, Texas, Texas, United States. This historic trial of Native American War Chiefs of the Kiowa Indians Satanta and Big Tree for the murder of seven teamsters during a raid on Salt Creek Prairie near...
there.
The Chicago and Rock Island Railroad arrived in 1898, and increased the town's commercial importance to the surrounding region, as did the completion of highways and other roads later on.
It is near Fort Richardson State Historical Park
Fort Richardson, Texas
Fort Richardson was an United States Army installation located one mile south of Jacksboro, Texas. Named in honor of Union General Israel B...
. Jacksboro stakes a claim to having the first 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
club, formed in the 1910s in Jacksboro.
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 4,533 people, 1,382 households, and 954 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 778.7 people per square mile (300.7/km2). There were 1,559 housing units at an average density of 267.8 per square mile (103.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.95% White, 10.46% African American, 0.57% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 5.56% 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 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.74% of the population.
There were 1,382 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% 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, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 139.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 156.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,833, and the median income for a family was $36,759. Males had a median income of $26,716 versus $20,592 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 $13,595. About 12.2% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.
Noted residents, past and present
- Darrell LesterDarrell LesterDarrell George Lester was two-time All-American center for Texas Christian University in the 1930s.A native of Jacksboro, Texas, Lester was not only a great football player at TCU...
, former All-American football player at Texas Christian UniversityTexas Christian UniversityTexas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ... - Abe MartinAbe Martin-External links:* at the Handbook of Texas...
, former head coach and athletic director at Texas Christian UniversityTexas Christian UniversityTexas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ... - Don MassengaleDon MassengaleDonald Ray Massengale, Sr. was an American professional golfer who won tournaments on both the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.-Career:...
, former professional golfer on the PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America... - Rik MassengaleRik MassengaleRik Massengale is a former American professional golfer who played full-time on the PGA Tour from 1970–1982.Massengale was born and raised in Jacksboro, Texas. He developed an interest in golf as a result of his older brother, Don, being a professional golfer. He attended the University of...
, former professional golfer on the PGA Tour