Graham, Texas
Graham, Texas | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 48-30392[4] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1336783[2] | |
Website | City of Graham, Texas Official Website |
Graham is the
History
The site was first settled in 1871 by brothers Gustavus A. and Edwin S. Graham, primary shareholders in the Texas Emigration and Land Company of
New families started to arrive, and the brothers began promoting the sale of homesites and doing civic improvements.[6] A post office opened in 1873, and after Young County reorganized the following year, Graham became the county seat. The town's newspaper, known as The Graham Leader and still in existence today, was first printed in 1876, the same year that the first temporary courthouse was built. Other businesses from these early years included a gristmill, sawmill, cotton gin, and brick kiln, two hotels, and several stores.[7]
On February 15, 1877, the city was the site of the organizational meeting of the group that became the
Edwin Graham had married Addie Mary Kintner in 1865. They had five children. Throughout the 1870s, they divided their time between Texas and their families back north, but in 1879, with the town flourishing, they moved their wives and children to Graham permanently. Edwin and Addie lived there until 1891, then moved to Spokane, Washington, where Edwin died on May 7, 1899. His body was brought back to Graham for burial. Addie moved back to Graham and became a leading civic booster and philanthropist. In 1921, with her son Malcolm, she set up the Graham Foundation as a continuing fund for the city's growth and improvement. Addie died in 1929;[9] she was responsible for the establishment of the Eden Home for the aged.[6]
By 1900, Graham had
The population of Graham grew slowly until 1917, when oil was discovered nearby; the population tripled from 878 in 1900 to 2,544 in 1920. By 1966, Graham had 17 churches, seven schools, a hospital, a radio station, two libraries, three parks, and two newspapers. The population peaked at 9,170 in 1980, and has since gradually declined; it was 8,716 at the 2000 census and 8,518 by the July 2007 estimate.[7][10]
Geography
Graham, the county seat of Young County,[11] is located in the southeast portion of the county, and has an area of 5.592 sq mi (14.48 km2).[12] Geographically, Graham is located in the western Cross Timbers area of North Texas. Locally, this is known as the western portion of the Palo Pinto Mountains.
Creeks drain the area generally into the Brazos River; Dry Creek on the eastern side of town flows into Salt Creek towards the south and into the Brazos. Flatrock Creek drains the rural areas to the southeast and also flows into the Brazos just below where Salt Creek enters. Small impoundments located along Flatrock Creek are used for stock tanks and fish ponds.[13]
Climate
Climate data for Graham, Texas 76450 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 94 (34) |
99 (37) |
103 (39) |
101 (38) |
107 (42) |
112 (44) |
114 (46) |
117 (47) |
110 (43) |
105 (41) |
93 (34) |
90 (32) |
117 (47) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 56.4 (13.6) |
60.4 (15.8) |
69.5 (20.8) |
77.8 (25.4) |
84.2 (29.0) |
92.1 (33.4) |
97.2 (36.2) |
97.8 (36.6) |
90.0 (32.2) |
79.8 (26.6) |
67.7 (19.8) |
58.4 (14.7) |
77.6 (25.3) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 42.7 (5.9) |
46.5 (8.1) |
55.1 (12.8) |
63.8 (17.7) |
71.6 (22.0) |
80.0 (26.7) |
84.1 (28.9) |
84.1 (28.9) |
75.6 (24.2) |
65.5 (18.6) |
53.5 (11.9) |
44.7 (7.1) |
64 (18) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 29.0 (−1.7) |
32.8 (0.4) |
40.8 (4.9) |
49.9 (9.9) |
59.2 (15.1) |
67.9 (19.9) |
71.4 (21.9) |
70.7 (21.5) |
63.2 (17.3) |
51.2 (10.7) |
39.4 (4.1) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
50.5 (10.3) |
Record low °F (°C) | −8 (−22) |
−3 (−19) |
4 (−16) |
20 (−7) |
35 (2) |
46 (8) |
53 (12) |
47 (8) |
30 (−1) |
16 (−9) |
10 (−12) |
−8 (−22) |
−8 (−22) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.33 (34) |
1.56 (40) |
1.97 (50) |
2.77 (70) |
4.11 (104) |
3.45 (88) |
2.12 (54) |
2.19 (56) |
3.22 (82) |
2.91 (74) |
1.79 (45) |
1.57 (40) |
28.97 (736) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.2 (3.0) |
0.9 (2.3) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
3.0 (7.6) |
Source: [14] |
The Twin Mountains are the dominant physical landmark of the city.
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 576 | — | |
1890 | 667 | 15.8% | |
1900 | 878 | 31.6% | |
1910 | 1,569 | 78.7% | |
1920 | 2,544 | 62.1% | |
1930 | 4,981 | 95.8% | |
1940 | 5,175 | 3.9% | |
1950 | 6,742 | 30.3% | |
1960 | 8,505 | 26.1% | |
1970 | 7,477 | −12.1% | |
1980 | 9,170 | 22.6% | |
1990 | 8,986 | −2.0% | |
2000 | 8,716 | −3.0% | |
2010 | 8,903 | 2.1% | |
2019 (est.) | 8,622 | [3] | −3.2% |
U.S. Decennial Census[15] |
2020 census
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (NH)
|
6,151 | 70.44% |
Black or African American (NH)
|
65 | 0.74% |
Alaska Native (NH)
|
38 | 0.44% |
Asian (NH) | 44 | 0.5% |
Some Other Race (NH) | 18 | 0.21% |
Mixed/multiracial (NH) | 257 | 2.94% |
Hispanic or Latino | 2,159 | 24.73% |
Total | 8,732 |
As of the 2020 United States census, 8,732 people, 3,470 households, and 2,357 families were residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the
Of the 3,391 households, 32.6% had children under 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were not families. About 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city, the age distribution was 26.0% under 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,081, and for a family was $38,118. Males had a median income of $30,221 versus $19,574 for females. The
Points of interest
According to a mural on the courthouse depicting the arrival of the Graham brothers, the town square is physically the largest of any in the country.[19][20]
As of 2019 the town still has an operational drive-in theater.[21]
Graham Municipal Airport (ICAO code KRPH), located within city limits, has two paved runways: 3/21 is 5,000 feet long, and 18/36 is 3,317 feet long.[22]
Education
Public schools in the City of Graham are managed by the Graham Independent School District and home to the Graham High School Steers.[23]
In 2010, North Central Texas College established a learning base in Graham. The campus offers a wide range of academic-transfer courses, vocational nursing (LVN), oil and gas production technology, allied health certificate programs, and continuing education programs. Graham ISD and NCTC also have a partnership offering dual-credit courses to high school juniors and seniors.[24]
Notable people
- Owen J. Baggett, the WWII B-24 Liberator crew member, who on March 31, 1943, killed a Japanese pilot in his Zero aircraft while dangling from a parachute, using a .45-caliber M1911 pistol
- Rex Brown, bassist for the heavy metal band Pantera
- Bob Estes, golfer, four-time winner on the PGA Tour
- Frank Shelby Groner (1877–1943), president of College of Marshall
- Bob Lilly, NFL Hall of Fame football player, lived in Graham after he retired.
- William D. McFarlane, U.S. Congressman from 1933 to 1939
- Robert McFarlane, National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan
- Dean Smith, 1952 Olympic gold medalist sprinter
Gallery
-
Coca-Cola bottling plant
-
Graham Drive-In
-
Graham Memorial
References
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Graham, Texas
- ^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Graham city, Texas".
- ^ a b c "GRAHAM, EDWIN SMITH / The Handbook of Texas Online/ Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)". Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Handbook of Texas Online - Graham, TX". Retrieved September 20, 2008.
- ^ a b Hodge, Larry; Syers, Ed (2000). "Backroads of Texas" (4th ed.). Lanham, MD: Lone Star Books.
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(help) - ^ Morrison Funeral Home records
- ^ "Graham, Texas (TX) Detailed Profile". Retrieved September 20, 2008.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "2010 US Census-Texas-Places-Graham". Archived from the original on October 28, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
- ^ "graham-2008.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- ^ "GRAHAM, TEXAS (413668)". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ https://www.census.gov/ [not specific enough to verify]
- ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "About Graham, Texas". Graham, Texas Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on May 23, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
- ^ "Graham, Texas". Texas Escapes. Retrieved September 20, 2008.
- ^ "Graham Drive-in in Graham, TX". DriveInMovie.com. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- ^ "Graham Municipal Airport - KRPH". AOPA. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- ^ "Graham ISD - Home". grahamisd.com. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
- ^ "Graham Campus". NCTC. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2012.