La Grange, Texas
Encyclopedia
La Grange is a city in Fayette County
, Texas
, near the Colorado River
. The population was 4,478 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimated population was 4,645. But a 2010 census estimated that the city had a population of 4,923. La Grange is the county seat
of Fayette County
.
's band of colonists in 1822. John Henry Moore built a blockhouse
in 1828 as protection from the Comanche
. It is known today as Moore's Fort
. (The fort is currently found in nearby Round Top
, having been moved there for restoration.)
The town was a major site of German and Czech settlement, because the rolling hills and forests are reminiscent of their homelands. Even today the German and Czech influences on the town remain strong, seen in many local customs, the local architecture, and the town's reputation for not having participated in the prohibition
of alcoholic beverages during the 1920s and 1930s - beyond a token effort by the local authorities. La Grange, too, became the home of many Jewish immigrants in the 19th century.
La Grange is the site from which the party in the Black Bean Episode left, after gathering around a historic oak that is a local landmark. The tree is still standing and alive, although it suffered some damage after impact from a drunk driver and relies on a concrete support (which it has partially encompassed) to maintain its stability.
Outside of La Grange was the Chicken Ranch
, a brothel
. It was closed in 1973 largely through the efforts of the Houston television reporter, Marvin Zindler
. The town also drew worldwide attention when ZZ Top
released its classic rock song "La Grange
," which referenced "that home out on the range" (the Chicken Ranch). La Grange was also the inspiration for the hit stage musical play in 1979, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
, as well as the 1982 movie based on that play. The town is also mentioned in the song Northest Texas Woman by Willis Alan Ramsey
.
The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center is located at 250 Fair Grounds Road in La Grange. The center is constructing a new archives building, with a seed donation given by the estate of Adolph R. Hanslik
of Lubbock
. Hanslik was known as the "dean of West Texas
cotton producers" and was a native of Hallettsville
in Lavaca County.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²), of which 99.72% is land and 0.28% is water.
The average elevation of La Grange is 272 feet (83 meters) above sea level. The average annual temperature is 69 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius).
.
of 2000, there were 4,478 people, 1,792 households, and 1,146 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,255.2 people per square mile (484.3 people per km²). There were 2,067 housing units at an average density of 579.4 per square mile (223.5 people per km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.27% White, 10.36% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 12.19% from other races
, and 1.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.81% of the population.
Of the city's 1,792 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18, 48.8% were married couples
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. Individuals made up 32.8% of all households, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,392, and the median income for a family was $39,718. Males had a median income of $28,631 versus $21,023 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,288. About 9.2% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
.
Students attend Hermes Elementary School, La Grange Intermediate School, La Grange Middle School, and La Grange High School
.
Rumour spreadin' a-'round in that Texas town
'bout that shack outside La Grange
Fayette County, Texas
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 21,804. Its county seat is La Grange. Fayette is named for the Marquis de la Fayette, a French nobleman who became an American Revolutionary War hero...
, 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...
, near the Colorado River
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
. The population was 4,478 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimated population was 4,645. But a 2010 census estimated that the city had a population of 4,923. La Grange 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 Fayette County
Fayette County, Texas
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 21,804. Its county seat is La Grange. Fayette is named for the Marquis de la Fayette, a French nobleman who became an American Revolutionary War hero...
.
History
La Grange was the site of an early crossing of the Colorado River along La Bahía Road during the Mexican period. The earliest white settlers in the area were Aylett C. Buckner and Peter Powell, who lived slightly to the west. The first settlement on the city's present location was by Stephen F. AustinStephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
's band of colonists in 1822. John Henry Moore built a blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
in 1828 as protection from the Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
. It is known today as Moore's Fort
Moore's Fort
Moore's Fort is a twin blockhouse in Round Top, Texas. Built by John Henry Moore in 1828, it is the oldest building in Fayette County. It was originally built in La Grange as shelter for settlers from Comanche raids. It was later moved to Round Top for restoration. A historical marker sits at the...
. (The fort is currently found in nearby Round Top
Round Top, Texas
Round Top is a town in Fayette County, Texas, United States. The population was 77 at the 2000 census.Round Top is the home of three visitor-drawing programs:...
, having been moved there for restoration.)
The town was a major site of German and Czech settlement, because the rolling hills and forests are reminiscent of their homelands. Even today the German and Czech influences on the town remain strong, seen in many local customs, the local architecture, and the town's reputation for not having participated in the prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
of alcoholic beverages during the 1920s and 1930s - beyond a token effort by the local authorities. La Grange, too, became the home of many Jewish immigrants in the 19th century.
La Grange is the site from which the party in the Black Bean Episode left, after gathering around a historic oak that is a local landmark. The tree is still standing and alive, although it suffered some damage after impact from a drunk driver and relies on a concrete support (which it has partially encompassed) to maintain its stability.
Outside of La Grange was the Chicken Ranch
Chicken Ranch (Texas)
The Chicken Ranch was as an illegal but tolerated brothel in the U.S. state of Texas that operated from 1905 until 1973. It was located in Fayette County about 2.5 miles east of downtown La Grange...
, a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
. It was closed in 1973 largely through the efforts of the Houston television reporter, Marvin Zindler
Marvin Zindler
Marvin Harold Zindler was a news reporter for television station KTRK-TV in Houston, Texas, United States. His investigative journalism, through which he mostly represented the city's elderly and working class, made him one of the city's most influential and well-known media personalities.-Early...
. The town also drew worldwide attention when ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
released its classic rock song "La Grange
La Grange (song)
"La Grange" is a song by the rock group ZZ Top from their album Tres Hombres, released in 1973. One of their most successful songs, it was released in 1973 and received extensive radio play, rising to #41 in the Billboard Pop Singles list in 1974. The song refers to a bordello on the outskirts of...
," which referenced "that home out on the range" (the Chicken Ranch). La Grange was also the inspiration for the hit stage musical play in 1979, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a musical with a book by Texas author Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by Carol Hall...
, as well as the 1982 movie based on that play. The town is also mentioned in the song Northest Texas Woman by Willis Alan Ramsey
Willis Alan Ramsey
Willis Alan Ramsey is an American singer/songwriter, a cult legend among fans of Americana and Texas country. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in Dallas, Texas. Ramsey graduated from Highland Park High School in 1969, and was a prominent baritone in the High School's Lads and Lassies...
.
The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center is located at 250 Fair Grounds Road in La Grange. The center is constructing a new archives building, with a seed donation given by the estate of Adolph R. Hanslik
Adolph R. Hanslik
Adolph Rudolph Hanslik was a Lubbock businessman and philanthropist known as the "dean of the West Texas cotton producers." Hanslik was among the first in the United States to export cotton to Bangladesh in Asia. "He knew the cotton industry better than anyone I've ever known. . ....
of Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. Hanslik was known as the "dean of West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
cotton producers" and was a native of Hallettsville
Hallettsville, Texas
Hallettsville is a city in Lavaca County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,345 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lavaca County. The town is home to the Texas Championship Domino Hall of Fame and also hosts a dominoes tournament every year in January...
in Lavaca County.
Geography
La Grange is located at 29°54′30"N 96°52′30"W (29.908262, -96.875025).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 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²), of which 99.72% is land and 0.28% is water.
The average elevation of La Grange is 272 feet (83 meters) above sea level. The average annual temperature is 69 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius).
Climate
La Grange has hot summers, and mild winters. La Grange is the 6th hottest city in TexasTexas
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...
.
Demographics
According to 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 4,478 people, 1,792 households, and 1,146 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 1,255.2 people per square mile (484.3 people per km²). There were 2,067 housing units at an average density of 579.4 per square mile (223.5 people per km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.27% White, 10.36% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 12.19% 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 1.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.81% of the population.
Of the city's 1,792 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18, 48.8% 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, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. Individuals made up 32.8% of all households, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,392, and the median income for a family was $39,718. Males had a median income of $28,631 versus $21,023 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 $15,288. About 9.2% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
La Grange students attend school in the La Grange Independent School DistrictLa Grange Independent School District
La Grange Independent School District is a public school district based in La Grange, Texas . As of 2008 the district's superintendent is Dr...
.
Students attend Hermes Elementary School, La Grange Intermediate School, La Grange Middle School, and La Grange High School
La Grange High School
La Grange High School is the high school of La Grange, Texas and is a part of the La Grange Independent School District located in Fayette County.-School song:We pledge dear Alma mater,To wear your purple and gold,...
.
Popular Culture
The town is referenced in the classic rock group ZZ Top's opening lines of "La Grange" that read:Rumour spreadin' a-'round in that Texas town
'bout that shack outside La Grange