Whitney, Texas | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Whitney | |
| Nickname: "Getaway Capital of Texas"[1] | |
 Location of Whitney, Texas | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 31°57′3″N 97°19′15″W / 31.95083°N 97.32083°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Hill |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.88 sq mi (4.88 km2) |
| • Land | 1.86 sq mi (4.82 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 594 ft (181 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 1,992 |
| • Density | 1,162.37/sq mi (448.72/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 76692 |
| Area code | 254 |
| FIPS code | 48-78664[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1350023[4] |
| Website | cityofwhitneytx |
Whitney is a city in Hill County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,992 at the 2020 census.[5] The city is 3 miles (5 km) east of Lake Whitney.
The Amazon Prime original movie The Vast of Night was shot in Whitney, which doubled for the fictional town of Cayuga, New Mexico.[6][7]
YouTube Encyclopedic
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1/3Views:58 5236 510583
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Lake Whitney State Park, Texas [Official]
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LAKE WHITNEY TEXAS FLOODED
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Cliff jumping in Lake Whitney, Texas
Transcription
OK, you have to turn around and face that way. Bottom out. Ready? Swing hard. Meet the Bowman family. You scared mommy! Donna, Donnie, and their girls are among the scores of families who come to Lake Whitney State Park. That was it! A great thing about this park is the location. We're about an hour south of Fort Worth, an hour and a half from Dallas, less than an hour from Waco. We're far enough from town where you're going somewhere to go out for a weekend, but not so far that it takes you the whole trip just to get there and back home. And because of the lake, fishing is a big attraction. We come up here at least twice a week most of the time 3X a week. And it's so beautiful. It's not just for the fishing. It's for the solitude and the beauty of the lake and the beauty of the wildlife. Deer are another big draw, especially in the early and late hours. They can be seen throughout the park, along with 200 species of birds. Many of the cabins have a lakeside view. There's even a 2000 ft. landing strip to welcome small aircraft. The park also attracts lots of church and school groups. More cacti! A lot more cacti! You know what? Look at this one. That almost looks like a paw print, doesn't it? I think a deer. That looks like a deer print. Deer is one. But I don't know about the paw print. A good thing about groups is that sometimes someone will come out with a group and that introduces them to the parks and then they're hooked for life once they get out here. I was looking for the birds up there. I saw some a few minutes ago. Max and Sally Blose live in the Waco area. They come to the park to camp and cook hamburgers. But Max's real passion is in the sky. On any given weekend, you can look toward the airstrip and see small planes and smaller planes. This club is one of a number of groups that use the park as a home base. We started the club up and called it the Whitney Area Miniature Aircraft Club. Our president got a hold of Parks & Wildlife to see if we couldn't work out something to fly at their 2000 ft. runway in the state park. Alright! It's so hard to just get away and be a family, and when you can come to a place like this and for the first time you kind of realize what it's supposed to be all about. That's what makes it great.
History
Whitney was established in 1876 when the Houston and Texas Central Railroad (H&TC) built a line through Hill County to Cleburne. The town's namesake comes from Charles A. Whitney, principle stock holder of H&TC, and son-in-law of Charles Morgan.[8]
Battle of the Benches
In 1922, D. ("Doctor Dee") Scarborough, the druggist of Whitney installed a bench outside of his store. Within a short period of time, the bench became home to the local old men seeking refuge from the sun and women; comfortably installed on its well-worn planks, they whittled, spat tobacco juice on the sidewalks, studied the weather and damned the modern world with lordliness and venom.[9]
In the following years after World War II, Whitney began to modernize. The town's housewives absorbed the spirit of change and called on the young Mayor Fred Basham to remove the bench, complaining about the spitting and language of the old men. The mayor complied and had the chief of police move the bench into an alley nearby. Upon the discovery their sanctuary was ignominiously lugged into a nearby alley, the old men of the town angrily threw a petition to asking for the bench to be placed back.[10]
When the town ignored the old men, they dragged nail kegs to the spot where the bench had originally reposed. The chief of police threatened to confiscate the nail kegs. That was more than the old men could take. They demanded, and finally received a special municipal election to decide whether the bench should be restored.[9]
On July 30, 1949, the women and mayor were defeated by a vote of 124 to 67 in favor of returning the bench.[11]
Geography
Located in western Hill County at 31°57′3″N 97°19′15″W / 31.95083°N 97.32083°W (31.950876, –97.320716).[12] Texas State Highway 22 passes through the southeast side of the city, leading east 12 miles (19 km) to Hillsboro, the county seat, and west 26 miles (42 km) to Meridian. Lake Whitney State Park is 3 miles (5 km) west of Whitney via Farm to Market Road 1244.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km2), or 1.23%, is covered by water.[5]
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 526 | — | |
| 1910 | 766 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,011 | 32.0% | |
| 1930 | 751 | −25.7% | |
| 1940 | 824 | 9.7% | |
| 1950 | 1,383 | 67.8% | |
| 1960 | 1,050 | −24.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,371 | 30.6% | |
| 1980 | 1,631 | 19.0% | |
| 1990 | 1,626 | −0.3% | |
| 2000 | 1,833 | 12.7% | |
| 2010 | 2,087 | 13.9% | |
| 2020 | 1,992 | −4.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 1,436 | 72.09% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 133 | 6.68% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 3 | 0.15% |
| Asian (NH) | 15 | 0.75% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 1 | 0.05% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 5 | 0.25% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 82 | 4.12% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 317 | 15.91% |
| Total | 1,992 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,992 people, 762 households, and 497 families residing in the town.
2000 census
At the 2000 census,[3] 1,833 people, 684 households, and 443 families were residing in the town. The population density was 1,132.3/sq mi (436.9/km2). The 770 housing units averaged 475.6/sq mi (183.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 88.11% White, 7.09% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 2.73% from other races, and 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 9.27% of the population.
Of the 684 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were not families. About 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.46, and the average family size was 3.11.
In the town, the age distribution was 26.5% under 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 71.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.0 males.
The median household income was $25,174 and the median family income was $30,833. Males had a median income of $28,036 and females $18,487. The per capita income was $12,772. About 17.9% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.7% of those under 18 and 17.5% of those 65 or over.
Education
The city is served by the Whitney Independent School District.
Notable people
- John Prentice, cartoonist and comic-book artist, most known for his 43-year run on the comic strip Rip Kirby, from 1956 to 1999,[17] was born in Whitney.
- Tommy Duncan, country musician and founding member of the Texas Playboys, was born in Whitney.[18]
References
- ^ "Getaway Capital of Texas". City of Whitney. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ "Texas Is Inextricable From Film Festival Darling 'The Vast of Night'". Texas Monthly. September 27, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (June 6, 2020). "'The Vast of Night' DP Miguel Littin-Menz on How That One Tracking Shot Was Achieved". Variety. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ "TSHA | Whitney, TX". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "TEXAS: The Battle of the Bench". Time. August 8, 1949. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ "Battle of the Benches". www.heartoftexastales.com. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ LIFE. Time Inc. August 15, 1949.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
- ^ https://www.census.gov/[not specific enough to verify]
- ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "John Prentice Cartoons an inventory of his cartoons at Syracuse University".
- ^ "TSHA | Duncan, Thomas Elmer [Tommy]". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
External links
Municipalities and communities of Hill County, Texas, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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This page was last edited on 25 November 2023, at 20:06