Jump to content

Greenville, Texas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 12.40.5.69 (talk) at 22:16, 20 January 2010 (→Notable residents and natives: Cleaned up long entry). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other places with the same name, see Greenville.
Greenville, Texas
City
Flag of Greenville, Texas
Flag
Location of Greenville, Texas
Location of Greenville, Texas
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyHunt
Area
 • Total
34.7 sq mi (89.9 km2)
 • Land33.9 sq mi (87.8 km2)
 • Water0.8 sq mi (2.1 km2)
Elevation
541 ft (165 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
23,960
 • Density706.5/sq mi (272.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
75401-75404
Area code(s)903, 430
FIPS code48-30920Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1377755Template:GR

Greenville is the county seat, and the largest city, of Hunt County,Template:GR Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 23,960.

Greenville was named for Thomas J. Green, a general in the Texas Army in the war for independence from Mexico. He later became a member of the Congress of the Republic of Texas. The city was almost named “Pinckneyville” in honor of James Pinckney Henderson, the first Governor of Texas.

Geography

Greenville is located at 33°7′34″N 96°6′35″W / 33.12611°N 96.10972°W / 33.12611; -96.10972Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (33.126004, -96.109703).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 34.7 square miles (89.9 km²), of which, 33.9 square miles (87.8 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (2.30%) is water.

History

City in 1886

Greenville was founded in 1846. The town was famous (or infamous) for a sign that hung over Lee Street, the main street in the downtown district, between the train station and the bus station from the 1920s to 1960s. The banner read "Welcome to Greenville, The Blackest Land, The Whitest People".[1] The same sentiment was also printed on the city water tower.[2] An image of the sign was available as a postcard.[3] From the 1960s to the 1970s the sign was replaced by one that read "The Blackest Land, The Greatest People". Subsequently the sign was taken down entirely. Cotton brought the railroads to Greenville and with them growth and prosperity. The “cotton capital of the world,” Greenville soon boasted the world’s largest inland cotton compress, a population of several thousand and six railway lines. During the harvest season, cotton brought a “snowfall” to the downtown square as tufts of white pulled from bales for examination by cotton buyers floated into drifts around the courthouse.

In 1957 Greenville annexed Peniel, Texas, which had been founded in 1899 as a religious community. [4]

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 23,960 people, 9,156 households, and 6,171 families residing in the city. The population density was 706.5 people per square mile (272.8/km²). There were 9,977 housing units at an average density of 294.2/sq mi (113.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.71% White, 18.86% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 8.19% from other races, and 2.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.65% of the population.

There were 9,156 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,606, and the median income for a family was $41,808. Males had a median income of $31,556 versus $22,373 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,231. About 11.3% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.8% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

In early years, Hunt County was known as the cotton capital of the world. The world's largest inland cotton compress was located in Greenville until it was destroyed by fire in the mid-1900s.

Currently, the largest industry is L-3 Communications Missions Integration (formerly E-Systems, then Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems (RIIS, IIS)) a major U.S. Defense contractor located at Majors Airport. This airport, created in 1942 and initially financed by the local Rotary club, was used as a training base for P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilots in World War II, and since then has served as a focal point for economic growth in Greenville. Greenville is known internationally for its saddle making industry.

Entertainment includes the Kenneth Threadgill Concert series, which brings well-known Texas performers to the Municipal Auditorium stage in three concerts per year; the Greenville Entertainment Series, a subscription concert series featuring artists from a variety of musical genres; the Symphony Festival Series, which brings the world-famous Dallas Symphony Orchestra to Greenville for three concerts and an additional children's concert per year; and the Greenville Follies, a musical review showcasing local talent every other year. Local clubs with musical entertainment, live theater in nearby Commerce, local art shows, a movie theater and a bowling alley offer year-round entertainment.

Tourism draws include the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum, Mary of Puddin Hill Chocolate Factory and the historic downtown area which includes wineries, antique malls, public gardens and boutique shopping. The Rally 'Round Greenville festival is held the third weekend each September downtown and includes the Cotton Patch Challenge Bicycle Race and Tour, an Art Show, Barbecue and Chili Cook-Off, Texas Music Weekend, Kids Alley and more. Downtown Blooms is held in May to celebrate the revitalization of the historic Main Street Area.

Greenville is also home to the Hunt Regional Medical Center.

Notable residents and natives

References

  1. ^ http://www.amazon.com/dp/1425944248 Amazon.com
  2. ^ http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2005/08/a_texas_town_ne.php Amren.com
  3. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30177-2004May15.html '"Washingtonpost.com
  4. ^ http://www.greenvillenazarene.org/images/6153/Peniel%20Historical%20Marker.jpg

Further reading

  • Huey, Brenda. (2006). The Blackest Land The Whitest People. Bloomington: AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1425944247
  • Mathews, Paul. (2001). I Remember... Personal Reflections on Greenville and Hunt County, Texas. Henington Publishing. ISBN 0-9709068-0-3

Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Greenville,_Texas&oldid=339038643"