Seguin, Texas
Encyclopedia
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County
, Texas
, in the United States
. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census
, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842. It is the county seat
of Guadalupe County
.
hunter-gatherer
Indians of Texas. Tonkawa
s had predominantly lived in Seguin, camping around the Guadalupe River
and other streams in the area . Eventually Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo settlements were founded in the location that would become Seguin. One of the earliest settlers and an important figure of Texas history, Jose Antonio Navarro
established a ranch near Seguin. In 1831, land was granted to Umphries Branch by the Mexican government and settled by the Branch and John Newton Sowell Sr. families in 1833, in the western part of Green DeWitt
's colony. Sowell was a farmer, and in 1833 he and his brothers became the first American immigrants to raise corn in future Guadalupe County
.
Between 1827 and 1835 twenty-two families came to the area as part of the DeWitt Colony
, and by 1833 there were forty land titles in the region, fourteen of which received grants directly from the Mexican government. In 1836, John Gladden King lived near Seguin. His farm neighbored the Sowells on the northwest and Umphries Branch on the southeast. A son, William Philip King reportedly was part of a cannon crew and was the youngest defender killed during the battle of the Alamo
.
The east side of Seguin was founded in 1838 by members of Mathew Caldwell
's Gonzales Rangers on the land originally granted to Umphries Branch, who had departed during the Runaway Scrape
and sold his land to Joseph S. Martin. The west side had been titled by Alamo defender, Thomas R. Miller and sold in 1840 to Ranger James Campbell in partership with Arthur Swift
and Andrew Neill. The Seguin area, at this time was a part of Gonzales County. The Rangers had found that Seguin was a good halfway stop between their patrol points. The big oaks and walnut groves along the Walnut (Nogales in Spanish) Branch Creek, had become a familiar and pleasant location. It had been maintained as a base camp by the rangers since 1828.
On August 12, 1838, thirty-three Rangers joined Joseph Martin in laying out the plans for the town. Its original name was Walnut Springs, but was changed just six months later to honor San Jacinto veteran and then Senator, Juan Seguín
. Manuel Flores
, veteran of San Jacinto
and brother-in-law of Juan Seguin, would establish a ranch in Seguin in 1838. It would become a safe-haven for San Antonio families and a staging point for counter attack when Bexar was overrun in 1842 by Santa Anna
's forces under Ráfael Vásquez
and Adrian Woll
. Leading the resistance forces from this location was Texas Ranger
"Jack" John Coffee Hays
. When duty allowed, "Jack" would be a familiar resident of Seguin. In 1843, Hays would set up a training location or "station" in Seguin, where the classic Ranger character would be born. He would meet Susan Calvert of Seguin, where they later married at the Magnolia Hotel (an early stagecoach stopover) in 1847.
Serving under Hays were two other famous Ranger residents of Seguin: Henry McCulloch and Ben McCulloch. Their home station known as "Hardscramble" still stands and was designated a Texas State Cenntenial historic site in 1936. Colonel James Clinton Neill, commander of the Alamo, was known to be buried here. The site was also historically marked during the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition
.
Seguin became a stopping point and trade center for German
immigrants along their route from the ports of Indianola
and Galveston
to the German settlements of New Braunfels
and Fredericksburg
.
Education was important in Seguin. By 1849, it chartered a school and the first schoolhouse was built in 1850. "Guadalupe High School", as it was called, was recognized by the state in 1962, as the oldest continuously used school building in Texas.
Although settled by Rangers and veterans of the Texas revolution, incorporation of the city would not take place until 1853.
Seguin is also home to Dr. John E. Park's Concrete (limecrete). Known as the Concrete City in the 1850s, it was the site of nearly 100 homes constructed of limecrete. Seguin would also be one of the only walled cities in Texas, having a limecrete constructed fence surrounding the town.
In 1857, Frederick Olmsted, landscape architect of New York's Central Park, toured Seguin and described the Concrete City as "the prettiest town in Texas." One such home, the Sebastopol House
; built in 1856, is a Texas Historical Commission
Landmark and is in the National Register of Historic Places
due to its unusual limecrete construction and architectural style.
Seguin is the location of the historic Wilson Pottery site; the first freed slave business of 1869 in Texas.
The oldest railway in Texas, the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad chartered on February 11, 1850, as the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway Company built the first Seguin depot in 1876.
John Ireland
mayor of Seguin in 1858 and the 18th Governor of Texas 1883–1887, responsible for construction of the Texas State Capitol
and creation of the University of Texas at Austin
, was a resident of Seguin.
Since 1912, Seguin has been the home of Texas Lutheran University
.
During the 1920s oil boom, it was home to the Darst Creek fields, only fifteen miles east of town. Colonist and landowner, Jacob C. Darst was also a member of the Gonzales Ranging Company relief force to the Alamo in 1836 and was one of the original "Old Eighteen," defenders of the Gonzales cannon.
A local museum, oriented in preserving and conserving the rich multi-ethnic heritage of South Central Texas, is the Seguin-Guadalupe County Heritage Museum, whose historical collections are representative of this region.
The Fiedler Museum displays geological and various types of rocks from across the state.
Seguin is a large producer of pecan
s and is often attributed the nickname "Pecan Capital of Texas." The city boasts of having the "World's Largest Pecan," a five feet long, two-and- a-half feet wide concrete pecan located in front of the county courthouse. The city unveiled a new pecan-shaped sculpture on July 4, 2011 to ensure its size as the "World's Largest." It now measures four feet longer than the previous record holder.
The Pape's Nutcracker Museum features nutcracker displays and has all kinds of nuts, fruits, and treats for purchase.
Seguin is the setting of the 1994 Janice Woods Windle
historical novel True Women
and the 1997 CBS
miniseries
adaptation, True Women, starring Dana Delaney and Angelina Jolie
. Nanci Griffith
, the Grammy Award
-winning singer, guitarist
and songwriter
, was born in Seguin. American country music singer Dottsy
is from Seguin.
from 1983 to 2010 by the Republican
Edmund Kuempel
. A native of Austin
, businessman Kuempel died in office two days after being unopposed for reelection. John Kuempel
, Edmund Kuempel's son, won the December 14 special election to succeed his father in the District 44 seat in the Texas House.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Seguin Main Post Office. Other post offices are located throughout the area.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.7 km²), of which, 19 square miles (49.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (0.89%) is water.
of 2000, there were 22,011 people, 7,526 households, and 5,238 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,157.2 people per square mile (446.8/km²). There were 8,164 housing units at an average density of 429.2 per square mile (165.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.41% White, 9.10% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 20.34% from other races
, and 3.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 53.01% of the population.
There were 7,526 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples
living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,618, and the median income for a family was $36,931. Males had a median income of $27,007 versus $19,690 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,740. About 13.2% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
are located in Seguin.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice
(TDCJ) operates the Seguin Parole Office in Seguin.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Seguin Post Office and the Seguin Annex in Seguin.
.
St. James Catholic School http://www.cougars.faithweb.com/
Navarro Independent School District http://www.navarroisd.net/
Texas Lutheran University
is located in Seguin.
Alamo Colleges - Central Texas Technology Center is located just outside of Seguin. http://www.alamo.edu/cttc
First Baptist Christian Academy http://www.fbcaseguin.com
Seguin Lifegate Christian School
Seguin is the home of famous Pimp Donald "Daddy" Fennell.
, South Australia
, Australia
Vechta
, Lower Saxony
, Germany
San Nicolás de los Garza
, Nuevo León
, Mexico
Guadalupe County, Texas
Guadalupe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 89,023. It is named for the Guadalupe River. The seat of the county is Seguin. It was founded in 1846....
, 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...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842. 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 Guadalupe County
Guadalupe County, Texas
Guadalupe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 89,023. It is named for the Guadalupe River. The seat of the county is Seguin. It was founded in 1846....
.
History
Seguin was a region once inhabited by the nativeIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
Indians of Texas. Tonkawa
Tonkawa
The Tickanwa•tic Tribe , better known as the Tonkawa , are a Native American people indigenous to present-day Oklahoma and Texas. They once spoke the now-extinct Tonkawa language believed to have been a language isolate not related to any other indigenous tongues...
s had predominantly lived in Seguin, camping around the Guadalupe River
Guadalupe River (Texas)
The Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The river is a popular destination for rafters and canoers. Larger cities along the river include New Braunfels, Kerrville, Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, and Victoria...
and other streams in the area . Eventually Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo settlements were founded in the location that would become Seguin. One of the earliest settlers and an important figure of Texas history, Jose Antonio Navarro
José Antonio Navarro
José Antonio Navarro was a Texas statesman, revolutionary, politician, and merchant. The son of Ángel Navarro and Josefa María Ruiz y Pena, he was born into a distinguished noble family at San Antonio de Béxar in New Spain....
established a ranch near Seguin. In 1831, land was granted to Umphries Branch by the Mexican government and settled by the Branch and John Newton Sowell Sr. families in 1833, in the western part of Green DeWitt
Green DeWitt
Green DeWitt was an empresario in Mexican Texas. He founded the DeWitt Colony, one of the most successful.-Early years:...
's colony. Sowell was a farmer, and in 1833 he and his brothers became the first American immigrants to raise corn in future Guadalupe County
Guadalupe County, Texas
Guadalupe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 89,023. It is named for the Guadalupe River. The seat of the county is Seguin. It was founded in 1846....
.
Between 1827 and 1835 twenty-two families came to the area as part of the DeWitt Colony
Dewitt Colony
The Dewitt Colony was a settlement in Mexican Texas founded by Green DeWitt. From lands belonging to that colony, the present Texas counties of DeWitt, Guadalupe and Lavaca were created...
, and by 1833 there were forty land titles in the region, fourteen of which received grants directly from the Mexican government. In 1836, John Gladden King lived near Seguin. His farm neighbored the Sowells on the northwest and Umphries Branch on the southeast. A son, William Philip King reportedly was part of a cannon crew and was the youngest defender killed during the battle of the Alamo
Battle of the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar . All but two of the Texian defenders were killed...
.
The east side of Seguin was founded in 1838 by members of Mathew Caldwell
Mathew Caldwell
Mathew Caldwell, , also spelled Matthew Caldwell was a 19th century Texas settler, military figure, Captain of the Gonzales - Seguin Rangers and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence...
's Gonzales Rangers on the land originally granted to Umphries Branch, who had departed during the Runaway Scrape
Runaway Scrape
The Runaway Scrape was the name given to the flight and subsequent hostilities that occurred, as Texan, Tejano, and American settlers and militia encountered the pursuing Mexican army in early 1836....
and sold his land to Joseph S. Martin. The west side had been titled by Alamo defender, Thomas R. Miller and sold in 1840 to Ranger James Campbell in partership with Arthur Swift
Arthur Swift
Arthur Swift was a 19th-century Texas merchant, political and military figure. He along with Rangers Mathew Caldwell and James Campbell were founders of Seguin, Texas and a member of Callahan's Gonzales-Seguin Rangers and a participant in the Texas–Indian wars...
and Andrew Neill. The Seguin area, at this time was a part of Gonzales County. The Rangers had found that Seguin was a good halfway stop between their patrol points. The big oaks and walnut groves along the Walnut (Nogales in Spanish) Branch Creek, had become a familiar and pleasant location. It had been maintained as a base camp by the rangers since 1828.
On August 12, 1838, thirty-three Rangers joined Joseph Martin in laying out the plans for the town. Its original name was Walnut Springs, but was changed just six months later to honor San Jacinto veteran and then Senator, Juan Seguín
Juan Seguín
Juan Nepomuceno Seguín was a 19th-century Texas Senator, Mayor, Judge, and Justice of the Peace and a prominent participant in the Texas Revolution.-Early life and family:...
. Manuel Flores
Manuel N. Flores
Manuel Flores served as a volunteer in the Texas army in 1835-1838. Fighting and commanding, he would rise through the ranks to reach Sergeant status during the fight for Texas independence and would be commissioned a Captain during the Republic Years.-Family History- Early Years:Manuel Flores...
, veteran of San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
and brother-in-law of Juan Seguin, would establish a ranch in Seguin in 1838. It would become a safe-haven for San Antonio families and a staging point for counter attack when Bexar was overrun in 1842 by Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
's forces under Ráfael Vásquez
Ráfael Vásquez (Mexican general)
Ráfael Vásquez was a 19th-Century General in the Mexican Army during the Mexican rebellion against the centralist style rule of government.-Early life:...
and Adrian Woll
Adrián Woll
Adrián Woll was a French soldier of fortune and mercenary who served as a general in the army of Mexico during the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War.-Biography:...
. Leading the resistance forces from this location was Texas Ranger
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
"Jack" John Coffee Hays
John Coffee Hays
Col. John Coffee "Jack" Hays was a Texas Ranger captain and military officer of the Republic of Texas. Hays served in several armed conflicts, including the Indian and the Mexican-American War.-Biography:...
. When duty allowed, "Jack" would be a familiar resident of Seguin. In 1843, Hays would set up a training location or "station" in Seguin, where the classic Ranger character would be born. He would meet Susan Calvert of Seguin, where they later married at the Magnolia Hotel (an early stagecoach stopover) in 1847.
Serving under Hays were two other famous Ranger residents of Seguin: Henry McCulloch and Ben McCulloch. Their home station known as "Hardscramble" still stands and was designated a Texas State Cenntenial historic site in 1936. Colonel James Clinton Neill, commander of the Alamo, was known to be buried here. The site was also historically marked during the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition
Texas Centennial Exposition
The Texas Centennial Exposition was a World's Fair held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836. More than 50 buildings, for which "George Dahl was director general of a group of architects who designed the buildings ", were...
.
Seguin became a stopping point and trade center for German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrants along their route from the ports of Indianola
Indianola, Texas
Indianola is a ghost town located on Matagorda Bay in Calhoun County, Texas, United States. The community, once the county seat of Calhoun County, is a part of the Victoria, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1875, the city had a population of 5,000, but on September 15 of that year, a...
and Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
to the German settlements of New Braunfels
New Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
and Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
.
Education was important in Seguin. By 1849, it chartered a school and the first schoolhouse was built in 1850. "Guadalupe High School", as it was called, was recognized by the state in 1962, as the oldest continuously used school building in Texas.
Although settled by Rangers and veterans of the Texas revolution, incorporation of the city would not take place until 1853.
Seguin is also home to Dr. John E. Park's Concrete (limecrete). Known as the Concrete City in the 1850s, it was the site of nearly 100 homes constructed of limecrete. Seguin would also be one of the only walled cities in Texas, having a limecrete constructed fence surrounding the town.
In 1857, Frederick Olmsted, landscape architect of New York's Central Park, toured Seguin and described the Concrete City as "the prettiest town in Texas." One such home, the Sebastopol House
Sebastopol House State Historic Site
Sebastopol House State Historic Site is a Greek Revival style house located in Seguin, Texas, United States. Joshua W. Young built the house between 1854 and 1856 for his sister, Catherine LeGette. Sebastopol House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1970 as a...
; built in 1856, is a Texas Historical Commission
Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas....
Landmark and is in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
due to its unusual limecrete construction and architectural style.
Seguin is the location of the historic Wilson Pottery site; the first freed slave business of 1869 in Texas.
The oldest railway in Texas, the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad chartered on February 11, 1850, as the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway Company built the first Seguin depot in 1876.
John Ireland
John Ireland (politician)
John Ireland was the 18th Governor of Texas from 1883 to 1887. During Ireland's term, the University of Texas was established, and construction on the Texas State Capitol began...
mayor of Seguin in 1858 and the 18th Governor of Texas 1883–1887, responsible for construction of the Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
and creation of the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, was a resident of Seguin.
Since 1912, Seguin has been the home of Texas Lutheran University
Texas Lutheran University
Texas Lutheran University is an undergraduate, private, coeducational university affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The University was founded in 1891, and currently serves approximately 1,400 students each semester....
.
During the 1920s oil boom, it was home to the Darst Creek fields, only fifteen miles east of town. Colonist and landowner, Jacob C. Darst was also a member of the Gonzales Ranging Company relief force to the Alamo in 1836 and was one of the original "Old Eighteen," defenders of the Gonzales cannon.
Attractions
A popular attraction is the Texas Agricultural Education and Heritage Center, where visitors may learn the mechanics and history of farming in the state of Texas.A local museum, oriented in preserving and conserving the rich multi-ethnic heritage of South Central Texas, is the Seguin-Guadalupe County Heritage Museum, whose historical collections are representative of this region.
The Fiedler Museum displays geological and various types of rocks from across the state.
Seguin is a large producer of pecan
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
s and is often attributed the nickname "Pecan Capital of Texas." The city boasts of having the "World's Largest Pecan," a five feet long, two-and- a-half feet wide concrete pecan located in front of the county courthouse. The city unveiled a new pecan-shaped sculpture on July 4, 2011 to ensure its size as the "World's Largest." It now measures four feet longer than the previous record holder.
The Pape's Nutcracker Museum features nutcracker displays and has all kinds of nuts, fruits, and treats for purchase.
Seguin is the setting of the 1994 Janice Woods Windle
Janice Woods Windle
Janice Woods Windle is a Texas author. Windle was born in Seguin, Texas and currently lives in El Paso, Texas.Windle's first two novels, True Women and Hill Country and her first-published work, the True Women Cookbook, all became best sellers and are based on extensive research into Windle's...
historical novel True Women
True Women
True Women is a 1993 novel by Janice Woods Windle. The book was adapted into a 1997 CBS miniseries starring Dana Delany, Annabeth Gish, Angelina Jolie, Julie Carmen, Tina Majorino and Rachael Leigh Cook.-Plot summary:...
and the 1997 CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
adaptation, True Women, starring Dana Delaney and Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
. Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
, the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning singer, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, was born in Seguin. American country music singer Dottsy
Dottsy
Dottsy Brodt is an American country music singer. Between 1975 and 1981, she recorded as Dottsy for the RCA Records label...
is from Seguin.
Parks and outdoors
- Max Starcke Park - Baseball, Volleyball, Picnic Areas
- Seguin Events Complex - Fair Grounds Park - Fairs, Volleyball, Baseball, Rodeo, Buckfever
- Seguin Walnut Springs ParkSeguin Walnut Springs ParkThe Seguin Walnut Springs Park is a network of walkways and bridges along the banks of the Walnut Branch , about one story lower than the streets of downtown Seguin, Texas...
- Trails, Hiking - Seguin Aquatic Center - Wave Pool, Swimming
- ZDT Amusement Center - Waterpark, Rides - Website http://www.zdtamusement.com
- Seguin Central Park - Trade Days, Bands, Freedom Fiesta, Car Shows
- Seguin Outdoor Learning Center - Website http://www.seguinolc.org/
- Max Starcke Park Golf Course
- Golf Club of Seguin - Chaparral Golf Course - Website http://thegolfclubofseguin.com/
- The Bandit Golf Course
- Lake Seguin - Seguin Paddling Trail - Canoeing and Kayaking - Website http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/boat/paddlingtrails/inland/seguin_lake_seguin/index.phtml
- Lake McQueeny Recreational Area - The Water Ski Capital of Texas
- Lake Nolte - Meadowlake - Boating, Fishing
- Lake Placid - Boating, Fishing, Jet Skiing
State and federal representation
Seguin and surrounding communities were represented in the Texas House of RepresentativesTexas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
from 1983 to 2010 by the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Edmund Kuempel
Edmund Kuempel
Edmund Perry Kuempel was a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 44, based at Seguin, the seat of Guadalupe County in central Texas.-Background:...
. A native of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, businessman Kuempel died in office two days after being unopposed for reelection. John Kuempel
John Kuempel
John Langston Kuempel is a salesman for Commercial Metals Company in Seguin, Texas, and a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 44....
, Edmund Kuempel's son, won the December 14 special election to succeed his father in the District 44 seat in the Texas House.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Seguin Main Post Office. Other post offices are located throughout the area.
Geography
Seguin is located at 29°34′28"N 97°57′55"W (29.574329, -97.965332).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 19.2 square miles (49.7 km²), of which, 19 square miles (49.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (0.89%) is water.
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 22,011 people, 7,526 households, and 5,238 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 1,157.2 people per square mile (446.8/km²). There were 8,164 housing units at an average density of 429.2 per square mile (165.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.41% White, 9.10% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 20.34% 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 3.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 53.01% of the population.
There were 7,526 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% 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, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,618, and the median income for a family was $36,931. Males had a median income of $27,007 versus $19,690 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 $13,740. About 13.2% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The main offices of the Guadalupe-Blanco River AuthorityGuadalupe-Blanco River Authority
The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority or GBRA was formed in 1933 by the Texas legislature. Its main concerns are water supply and water conservation in the Guadalupe River Basin, which includes the Blanco, Comal, and San Marcos rivers. The authority extends over ten counties...
are located in Seguin.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
(TDCJ) operates the Seguin Parole Office in Seguin.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Seguin Post Office and the Seguin Annex in Seguin.
Education
The City of Seguin is served by the Seguin Independent School DistrictSeguin Independent School District
Seguin Independent School District is a public school district based in Seguin, Texas .In addition to Seguin, the district also serves the communities of McQueeney and Kingsbury....
.
St. James Catholic School http://www.cougars.faithweb.com/
Navarro Independent School District http://www.navarroisd.net/
Texas Lutheran University
Texas Lutheran University
Texas Lutheran University is an undergraduate, private, coeducational university affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The University was founded in 1891, and currently serves approximately 1,400 students each semester....
is located in Seguin.
Alamo Colleges - Central Texas Technology Center is located just outside of Seguin. http://www.alamo.edu/cttc
First Baptist Christian Academy http://www.fbcaseguin.com
Seguin Lifegate Christian School
Seguin is the home of famous Pimp Donald "Daddy" Fennell.
Sister cities
Seguin has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc (SCI): MillicentMillicent, South Australia
Millicent is a town in South Australia, south-east of Adelaide, and north of Mount Gambier. At the 2006 Census, the population was 4,771.The town is home to the Millicent National Trust Museum, and is nearby to the Tantanoola Caves Conservation Park and the Canunda National Park.The Millicent...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Vechta
Vechta
Vechta with a population of nearly 32,000 is the biggest city and also the capital of the Vechta district in Lower Saxony, Germany.It's well known all around Europe for the 'Stoppelmarkt' fair, which occurs every summer and has a history dating back to 1298....
, Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
San Nicolás de los Garza
San Nicolás de los Garza
San Nicolás de los Garza, sometimes known only as San Nicolás, is a city and coextensive municipality in the Mexican state of Nuevo León that is part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area. It has become primarily a city for residencies and family houses, although it still has several factories that...
, Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...