Eastland, Texas

Eastland, Texas
City
Legend of "Old Rip" in Eastland, Texas
Location of Eastland, Texas
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Eastland
Area
• Total	2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2)
• Land	2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,440 ft (439 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	3,769
• Density	1,333.1/sq mi (514.7/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	76448
Area code(s)	254
FIPS code	48-22132[1]
GNIS feature ID	1335045[2]

Centennial Memorial Library in Eastland

The Majestic Theatre in Eastland

Facade of historic First United Methodist Church of Eastland, Pastor Darrel Phillips. Building constructed in early 1920s features a historic Kilgen pipe organ dating back to installation in this church in the 1930s and originally from around 1915. Church website at www.fumceastland.org

The Eastland Historic Hotel

First Christian Church in downtown Eastland

First Baptist Church in Eastland; pastor T. Shawn Brewer (since 1999)

Downtown Eastland

Eastland Town Square

Eastland is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,960 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Eastland County.^[3]

During the 1920s, Eastland, like nearby Cisco, Ranger, and Desdemona, were petroleum boomtowns.

Eastland is known for the legend of "Old Rip", a horned toad that lived many years sealed in the cornerstone of the previous Eastland courthouse built in 1897. In 1928, the current courthouse was erected, the prior cornerstone was opened, and "Old Rip" was found alive. The animal, a kind of lizard, received national publicity. It died in 1929 of pneumonia and was placed in a glass-front casket on view in the present courthouse.^[4]

Geography

Eastland is located at (32.398715, -98.821144).^[5]

Eastland is located 96 miles West-Southwest of Fort Worth, Texas. The city is accessed by Interstate 20 between exits 340 to the south and 343 to the east. Interstate 20 starts going due west after passing Eastland from Fort Worth.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 3,769 people, 1,475 households, and 998 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,333.1 people per square mile (514.2/km²). There were 1,737 housing units at an average density of 614.4 per square mile (237.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.64% White, 1.80% African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.67% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.89% of the population. There were 1,475 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,277, and the median income for a family was $34,333. Males had a median income of $27,072 versus $16,574 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,339. About 14.2% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.0% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The Texas Eleventh Court of Appeals is located in the Eastland County Courthouse in Eastland.^[8]

Education

The City of Eastland is served by the Eastland Independent School District and home of the Eastland Mavericks

Notable people

• Don Pierson, (b. 1925 - d. 1996). Former Mayor of Eastland. Business innovator, communications pioneer (Radio England) and civic leader.
• Hayden Fry, b. 1929. College football coach.
• Clayton W. Williams, Sr. (b. 1895 - d. 1983), as an engineer with Oil Belt Power Company, he lived in Eastland during the early 1920s.
• Doc Scurlock b. 1849 - d. 1929 - Old West figure and founding member of the Regulators who rode with such men as Billy the Kid.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Eastland has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.^[9]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder".  
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names".  
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
4. ^ "Eastland, Texas", 2009 Texas State Travel Guide, p. 121
5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990".  
6. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015. 
7. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015. 
8. ^ "Contact Information." Texas Eleventh Court of Appeals. Retrieved on March 10, 2010.
9. ^ Climate Summary for Eastland, Texas

External links

• Helpful Links
• City website
• Site of local FM Broadcast station KATX, "The Area Giant"
• Local Newspapers
• MicroplexNews, local independent news outlet
• Eastland Events & Civic Organization Times/Places
• Eastland Chamber of Commerce
• Eastland Independent School District
• First United Methodist Church of Eastland
• River of Life Church - Nondenominational
• First Baptist Church
• Daugherty Street Church of Christ

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