New Boston, Texas
Encyclopedia
New Boston is a city in Bowie County
, Texas
, United States
. It was named after an early store keeper, W.J. Boston. It is part of the Texarkana, Texas
- Texarkana, Arkansas
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 4,808 people, 1,968 households, and 1,334 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,377.1 people per square mile (531.9/km²). There were 2,229 housing units at an average density of 638.4 per square mile (246.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.49% White, 17.64% African American, 0.75% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races
, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population.
There were 1,968 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples
living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 82.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,531, and the median income for a family was $38,542. Males had a median income of $29,940 versus $21,316 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,190. About 11.6% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
was stopped by the Spanish in the vicinity of the town.
New Boston is on U.S. Highway 82 and Interstate 30, 21 miles west of Texarkana in the central part of Bowie County. When the Missouri-Pacific
railroad was being constructed four miles north of Boston in the summer of 1876, it was clear to many businessmen in Boston (now Old Boston) that their town would suffer a serious decline as a consequence of its distance from the line. At a mass meeting J. H. Smelser, a local resident and surveyor for the railroad, was selected to meet with railroad officials to secure the location of a depot
at a point on the line nearest to Boston. The negotiation
s were successful, and in September 1876 lots were laid out and put up for sale on 100 acre (0.404686 km²) that the railroad had purchased. Because most of those engaged in the project were from Boston, the new town was named New Boston. A post office
was established in 1877 with L. C. DeMorse as postmaster
. The town grew rapidly and by 1884 it had 400 residents, two churches, a school
, several mills
and gin
s, and a newspaper
, the New Boston Herald, edited by W. W. West. A furniture
factory
and another newspaper, the Bowie County Populist, were added in the 1890s.
By 1900 the town had a population of 762. It grew slowly until the late 1920s, when a short-lived boom raised the population from 869 in 1925 to 1,300 in 1929. The population fell to 949 by 1931. During World War II
the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant
and the Red River Army Depot
were constructed just southeast of New Boston. The two massive military installations were probably responsible for the town's rapid growth in the 1940s. The population grew from 1,111 in 1940, then to 2,688 in 1950. In 1980 it reached 4,628. Although an International Paper
mill, the Barry Telford state prison and a few smaller factories provided some industrial base for the town, New Boston depends heavily on the two military installations for its continued prosperity
. The town had 5,057 residents in 1990.
New Boston Texas is well known for the Pioneer Days Festival and Rodeo. The town-folk gather at the T&P Trailhead Park for entertainment such as carnival rides, street dances, live musical and comedy presentations.
was dedicated in New Boston, but Boston
remained the official county seat
. The old Bowie County Courthouse, constructed in Boston in 1889, was abandoned after construction of the new building. On the night of August 13, 1987, the old courthouse was burned by an arson
ist.
(NBISD). The district's mascot is the Lion and the school colors are maroon and gold.
Bowie County, Texas
Bowie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Texarkana, Texas - Texarkana, Arkansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 89,306. Its legal county seat is Boston, though its courthouse is located in New Boston...
, 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...
. It was named after an early store keeper, W.J. Boston. It is part of the Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other half, the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, lies on the other side of State Line Avenue...
- Texarkana, Arkansas
Texarkana, Arkansas
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,448 people, 10,384 households, and 7,040 families residing in the city. The population density was 830.5 people per square mile . There were 11,721 housing units at an average density of 368.1 per square mile...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Texarkana metropolitan area
The Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, is a two-county region anchored by the twin cities of Texarkana, Texas and Texarkana, Arkansas, and encompassing the surrounding communities in Bowie County, Texas and...
.
Geography
New Boston is located at 33°27′38"N 94°25′2"W (33.460551, -94.417246).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 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²), all of it land.
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 4,808 people, 1,968 households, and 1,334 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 1,377.1 people per square mile (531.9/km²). There were 2,229 housing units at an average density of 638.4 per square mile (246.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.49% White, 17.64% African American, 0.75% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.44% 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 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population.
There were 1,968 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% 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, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 82.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,531, and the median income for a family was $38,542. Males had a median income of $29,940 versus $21,316 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,190. About 11.6% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Major highways in or near New Boston
-
Interstate 30 -
U.S. Highway 82 -
State Highway 8State Highway 8 (Texas)State Highway 8 or SH 8 is a north–south state highway that runs from the Red River, the Texas-Arkansas boundary, north of New Boston to SH 155 at Linden.-History:... -
State Highway 98State Highway 98 (Texas)State Highway 98, or SH 98, is a north–south state highway in Bowie County, Texas, covering a total distance of . Its northern terminus is at U.S. Highway 82, due west of New Boston. From there, it travels half a mile south, passing under Interstate 30. Two miles further south, it intersects...
History
The Red River Expedition (1806)Red River Expedition (1806)
The Red River Expedition, also known as the Freeman-Custis Expedition, Freeman Red River Expedition, Sparks Expedition, or officially as the Exploring Expedition of Red River in 1806, was one of the first civilian scientific expeditions to explore the Southwestern United States...
was stopped by the Spanish in the vicinity of the town.
New Boston is on U.S. Highway 82 and Interstate 30, 21 miles west of Texarkana in the central part of Bowie County. When the Missouri-Pacific
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
railroad was being constructed four miles north of Boston in the summer of 1876, it was clear to many businessmen in Boston (now Old Boston) that their town would suffer a serious decline as a consequence of its distance from the line. At a mass meeting J. H. Smelser, a local resident and surveyor for the railroad, was selected to meet with railroad officials to secure the location 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...
at a point on the line nearest to Boston. The negotiation
Negotiation
Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties, intended to reach an understanding, resolve point of difference, or gain advantage in outcome of dialogue, to produce an agreement upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, to craft outcomes to satisfy...
s were successful, and in September 1876 lots were laid out and put up for sale on 100 acre (0.404686 km²) that the railroad had purchased. Because most of those engaged in the project were from Boston, the new town was named New Boston. 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...
was established in 1877 with L. C. DeMorse as postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
. The town grew rapidly and by 1884 it had 400 residents, two churches, a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, several mills
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
and gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
s, and a 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...
, the New Boston Herald, edited by W. W. West. A furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
and another newspaper, the Bowie County Populist, were added in the 1890s.
By 1900 the town had a population of 762. It grew slowly until the late 1920s, when a short-lived boom raised the population from 869 in 1925 to 1,300 in 1929. The population fell to 949 by 1931. 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...
the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant
Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant
The Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant was a government-owned, contractor-operated facility 12 miles west of Texarkana, Texas that was established in 1942. The land was taken from the local citizens by eminent Domain from the Federal Government. The Lone Star Defense Corporation, a subsidiary of...
and the Red River Army Depot
Red River Army Depot
The Red River Army Depot is an facility located west of Texarkana, Texas in Bowie County. The facility has over of storage capacity. RRAD was activated in 1941 to create an ammunition storage facility. The depot was supposed to be deactivated after the findings of the 1995 Base Realignment...
were constructed just southeast of New Boston. The two massive military installations were probably responsible for the town's rapid growth in the 1940s. The population grew from 1,111 in 1940, then to 2,688 in 1950. In 1980 it reached 4,628. Although an International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
mill, the Barry Telford state prison and a few smaller factories provided some industrial base for the town, New Boston depends heavily on the two military installations for its continued prosperity
Prosperity
Prosperity is the state of flourishing, thriving, good fortune and/or successful social status. Prosperity often encompasses wealth but also includes others factors which are independent of wealth to varying degrees, such as happiness and health....
. The town had 5,057 residents in 1990.
New Boston Texas is well known for the Pioneer Days Festival and Rodeo. The town-folk gather at the T&P Trailhead Park for entertainment such as carnival rides, street dances, live musical and comedy presentations.
Courthouse
On March 4, 1986 a new county courthouseCourthouse
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 dedicated in New Boston, but Boston
Boston, Texas
Boston is an unincorporated town in and the county seat of Bowie County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Texarkana, Texas–Texarkana, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its two area codes are 430 and 903, its zipcode is 75570, and it is in the "Central Standard Time" time zone...
remained the official 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....
. The old Bowie County Courthouse, constructed in Boston in 1889, was abandoned after construction of the new building. On the night of August 13, 1987, the old courthouse was burned by an arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
ist.
Schools
The City of New Boston is served by the New Boston Independent School DistrictNew Boston Independent School District
New Boston Independent School District is a public school district based in New Boston, Texas .In addition to New Boston, the district also serves the community of Boston.New Boston's mascot is the Lion, and their colors are currently maroon and gold....
(NBISD). The district's mascot is the Lion and the school colors are maroon and gold.