Princeton, Texas
Encyclopedia
Princeton is a city in Collin County
Collin County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 491,675 people, 181,970 households, and 132,292 families residing in the county. The population density was 580 people per square mile . There were 194,892 housing units at an average density of 230 per square mile...

, 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 3,477 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Princeton is located at 33.181172°N 96.500118°W.

A long running dispute into the size of the City of Princeton might be nearing an end. At issue is a tract of land consisting of about five miles (8 km) of the FM 982 right of way was claimed by the city in 2003. In 2003 the city passed Ordinance No. 2003-08-12-01. It stated the city's contention that the land was annexed in the early 1970s. No other governmental body recognized this land as part of the City of Princeton. The property is not shown as part of the city on the map on this page.
More than one hundred area residents asked the Collin District Attorney for help in getting the city's claim to the tract voided. On January 12, 2010 a case was filed in the 401st District Court, by Specially Deputized Prosecutors Robert Davis and Timothy (Tad) Dunn. It was titled "The State of Texas ex rel. Collin County, Texas v. The City of Princeton, Texas" and referred to as Cause No. 401-00108-2010 at the Collin County District Clerks Office. The city asked for a new judge when the original judge stated their may be the appearance of potential conflict if he heard the case.
The case was then moved to the 366th District Court with Judge Raymond Wheless presiding. On June 9th, 2011 he held a hearing on a state motion for summary judgement. He granted the states motion for summary judgement on June 20, 2011. On June 30, 2011 he ordered the following...

"the City of Princeton's southern most corporate city limit extends to approximately 0.610 miles south of F.M. Road 982's intersection with U.S. Highway 380"... "as was depicted in maps provided by the City of Princeton to local, county, state and federal authorities prior to the enactment of City of Princeton Ordinance No. 2003-08-12-01."
The city council voted at their July 11, 2011 meeting not to appeal the judges ruling.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 3,477 people, 1,238 households, and 932 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 801.4 people per square mile (309.3/km2). There were 1,377 housing units at an average density of 317.4 per square mile (122.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.94% White, 0.95% African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 4.57% 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 2.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.90% of the population.

There were 1,238 households out of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% 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, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,590, and the median income for a family was $45,948. Males had a median income of $32,852 versus $25,021 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 $17,092. About 6.6% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.

In the elections of Nov. 2007, May 2008, Nov. 2008 voters rejected the adoption of a home rule charter. The margin against adoption increased at each election.

History

In the late 1870s T. B. Wilson and his brother George began farming near the site of future Princeton. In 1881 the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad Company
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was incorporated May 23, 1870. In its earliest days the MKT was commonly referred to as "the K-T", which was its stock exchange symbol; this common designation soon evolved into "the Katy"....

 extended its line from Greenville to McKinney, passing through land owned by the brothers. The name Wilson's Switch was commonly used to designate the area. When residents applied for a post office branch, however, they learned that the name Wilson was already being used. The community then submitted the name Princeton in honor of Prince Dowlin, a landowner and promoter of the town. This name was accepted, and a post office was established in 1888.http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/PP/hgp14.html

Princeton was the site of a prisoner of war camp for German prisoners
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

 during the Second World War
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 local farmers paid the POWs to work on their farms. Before and after the war the camp was used as a camp for migrant farm workers. Under a special bill, the German prisoners of war were contracted to work on the City Park located across from the city hall. The park was built in memory of the men who served in the armed forces during World War II.

See also: List of POW camps in the United States

Members of the Princeton Independent School District and the Princeton Lions Club have teamed up to annually hold the Princeton Onion Festival. It is a major festival for the town that began in 2005 and is expected to occur on the fourth Saturday of April each year. Among the various events at the festival are an a 5K Run, antique/classic car show, and tennis round robin tournament. Individuals and groups selling arts and crafts also attend the festival. For more information on the festival, visit http://www.princetononionfestival.com/

Public Health

As recently as November 4, 2010 the city has been running legal notices required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality stating drinking water from their system has repeatedly tested positive for coliforms. Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as indicators that other, potentially harmful bacteria may be present. The contamination was discovered in the North Western part of the city.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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