Umbarger, Texas
Encyclopedia
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 Randall County, 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 327 in 2000. The community is part of the Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Amarillo metropolitan area
The Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the Texas Panhandle that covers four counties - Armstrong, Carson, Potter, and Randall...
.
Geography
Umbarger is located at 34°57′16"N 102°06′20"W (34.9545022, -96.2510895). The community is situated along U.S. Highway 60U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
in west central Randall County, approximately 10 miles southwest of Canyon
Canyon, Texas
Canyon is a city in Randall County, Texas, United States. The population was 12,875 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randall County. It is the home of West Texas A&M University and Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is some twelve miles east of Canyon...
and 26 miles southwest of Amarillo.
History
The origins of the community date back to the mid-1890s. In 1895, rancher S.G. Umbarger leased the site from the Houston and Great Northern Railroad survey lands. He purchased it two years later and established several businesses that catered to area settlers and travelers. The Panhandle and Santa Fe RailwayPanhandle and Santa Fe Railway
The Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway is a now-defunct railroad company that was a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.It was originally named the Southern Kansas Railway but in 1914 was renamed the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway....
established a switch near Umbarger's ranch in 1898. Although Umbarger sold his ranch and moved to nearby Canyon
Canyon, Texas
Canyon is a city in Randall County, Texas, United States. The population was 12,875 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randall County. It is the home of West Texas A&M University and Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is some twelve miles east of Canyon...
in 1900, the settlement retained its name.
As more land was made available to homesteaders, the community slowly began to grow. In 1902, a group of German Catholics from the Schulenburg
Schulenburg, Texas
Schulenburg is a city in Fayette County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,699 at the 2000 census.Known for its German culture, Schulenburg is home of the Texas Polka Music Museum.-Geography:Schulenburg is located at ....
area in south central Texas settled in Umbarger. The migration was pioneered by Pius Friemel. A general store that housed a post office opened soon after, followed by the creation of a public school district in 1904. Around the same time a Catholic missionary, Father Joseph Reisdorff, worked to attract other German families to the community. In 1908, both he and John Hutson, an Englishman
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
who had speculated in land holdings around Umbarger, filed separate plans of settlement. The subsequent friction led to the building of two separate Catholic churches. Swiss immigrants settled in Umbarger from 1911 to the late 1920s. By that time, the business district was centered in Reisdorff's portion of Umbarger on the north side of the railroad tracks. Under the leadership of Father John J. Dolje, St. Mary's Church was moved to its present-day location.
Eighty people lived in Umbarger in 1930. The population grew to 150 by 1940. Umbarger's public school district consolidated with Canyon's in 1964. Its location near Amarillo and Canyon as well as its proximity to Buffalo Lake have contributed to the survival and growth of the community. Although it remains unincorporated, Umbarger is home to over 300 residents, several businesses, and a functioning post office (zip code: 79091).
Attractions
Each November, Umbarger hosts an annual German Sausage Festival at St. Mary's Parish Hall. The community is located three miles north of Buffalo Lake and the Buffalo Lake National Wildlife RefugeBuffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Not to be confused with Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge Once buffalo grazed the shortgrass prairie seen today at Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Randall County of the Texas Panhandle. Once a lake reflected the clouds. The buffalo vanished. The lake has dried...
.
Education
Public education in the community of Umbarger is provided by the Canyon Independent School DistrictCanyon Independent School District
Canyon Independent School District is a school district based in Canyon, Texas, U.S.A.. Founded in 1895, it covers and also serves the portion of nearby Amarillo located in Randall County...
. Students are zoned to Crestview Elementary School (grades K-4), Canyon Intermediate School (grades 5-6), Canyon Junior High School (grades 7-8), and Canyon High School (grades 9-12).