Rochelle, Texas
Encyclopedia
Rochelle is an unincorporated community
in McCulloch County
, Texas
, United States
. According to the Handbook of Texas
, the community had an estimated population of 163 in 2000.
in east central McCulloch County, approximately ten miles northeast of Brady
.
, France
, which was accepted by postal officials. A one-room schoolhouse was first built in 1886 when the community had a population of approximately 30. The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway
Company laid its track from Brownwood
to Brady
in 1903. A second line, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad completed its track from Eden
to Lometa
in 1912. The arrival of the railroads caused Rochelle to grown substantially. The number of inhabitants had risen to around 700 by 1914. In 1930, several smaller schools consolidated with Rochelle High School. These schools were Placid, Claxton, Corn Creek, and Round Mountain. Several more schools, including Cowboy, Fairview, East Sweden, and Mercury had transferred their students to Rochelle by the end of 1937. Rochelle's population during the 1930s was just over 500 and remained at that level until the 1950s. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway abandoned its track through the community in 1959, accelerating the rate of decline. By the early 1960s, only 100 people remained in Rochelle. That figure rose slightly to 163 in the 1960s and remained at that level through 2000.
Although Rochelle is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 76872..
. The district covers a large portion of northeastern McCulloch County.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in McCulloch County
McCulloch County, Texas
McCulloch County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. The geographical center of Texas lies within the county. In 2000, its population was 8,205. Its county seat is Brady. McCulloch is named for Benjamin McCulloch, a famous Texas Ranger and Confederate...
, 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...
. According to the Handbook of Texas
Handbook of Texas
The Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...
, the community had an estimated population of 163 in 2000.
Geography
Rochelle is located at 31°13′29"N 99°12′40"W (31.2246097, -99.2111613). It is situated along U.S. Highway 190U.S. Route 190
U.S. Route 190, also known as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway, is an east–west United States highway in Louisiana and Texas. It evolved from the shortest of intrastate routes in 1926 to a length comparable to a main Interstate Highway route, leading from the swamps and pine forests of...
in east central McCulloch County, approximately ten miles northeast of Brady
Brady, Texas
Brady is a city in McCulloch County, Texas, United States. Brady refers to itself as "The Heart of Texas", as it is the closest city to the geographical center of the state. The population was 5,523 at the 2000 census...
.
History
Initial names for the community included Crewville and Crothers, both in honor of early McCulloch County residents. When a post office was established in 1879, the name Rochelle was suggested by a local settler from La RochelleLa Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, which was accepted by postal officials. A one-room schoolhouse was first built in 1886 when the community had a population of approximately 30. The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway
Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway
The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway, chartered under the laws of Texas on June 1, 1885, was part of a plan conceived by Buckley Burton Paddock and other Fort Worth civic leaders to create a transcontinental route linking New York, Fort Worth, and the Pacific port of Topolobampo, which they...
Company laid its track from Brownwood
Brownwood, Texas
Brownwood is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,813 at the 2000 census.-History:The original site of the Brown County seat of Brownwood was on the east of Pecan Bayou. A dispute arose over land and water rights, and the settlers were forced...
to Brady
Brady, Texas
Brady is a city in McCulloch County, Texas, United States. Brady refers to itself as "The Heart of Texas", as it is the closest city to the geographical center of the state. The population was 5,523 at the 2000 census...
in 1903. A second line, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad completed its track from Eden
Eden, Texas
Eden is a city in Concho County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,561 at the 2000 census. Approximately one-half of the population consists of inmates housed at the Eden Detention Center, a for-profit prison operated by Corrections Corporation of America under contract with the Federal...
to Lometa
Lometa, Texas
Lometa is a city in Lampasas County, Texas, United States. The population was 782 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Lometa is located at ....
in 1912. The arrival of the railroads caused Rochelle to grown substantially. The number of inhabitants had risen to around 700 by 1914. In 1930, several smaller schools consolidated with Rochelle High School. These schools were Placid, Claxton, Corn Creek, and Round Mountain. Several more schools, including Cowboy, Fairview, East Sweden, and Mercury had transferred their students to Rochelle by the end of 1937. Rochelle's population during the 1930s was just over 500 and remained at that level until the 1950s. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway abandoned its track through the community in 1959, accelerating the rate of decline. By the early 1960s, only 100 people remained in Rochelle. That figure rose slightly to 163 in the 1960s and remained at that level through 2000.
Although Rochelle is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 76872..
Education
Public education in the community of Rochelle is provided by the Rochelle Independent School DistrictRochelle Independent School District
Rochelle Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Rochelle, Texas .The district has one school that serves students in grades kindergarten through twelve....
. The district covers a large portion of northeastern McCulloch County.
Notable residents
- Bonnie RichardsonBonnie RichardsonBonnie Richardson is an American track and field athlete from the small community of Rochelle, Texas, who is currently enrolled at Texas A&M University as a nutrition major and competes on its women's track team in Combined Events....
- won the Class 1A high school team track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
state championship singlehandedly in 2008 and 2009.