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Texas City, Texas

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City of Texas City
City
Location of Texas City, Texas
Location of Texas City, Texas
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountiesGalveston
Area
 • Total
167.2 sq mi (433.1 km2)
 • Land62.4 sq mi (161.5 km2)
 • Water104.9 sq mi (271.6 km2)
Elevation
10 ft (3 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
41,521
 • Density665.7/sq mi (257.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
77590-77592
Area code409
FIPS code48-72392Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1376420Template:GR

Texas City is a city in Galveston county in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city's population was 41,521 at the 2000 census.

History

See also: History of the Galveston Bay Area

Located on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay, Texas City is a busy deepwater port on Texas' Gulf Coast. [Text removed]

[Text removed] Davison also served as the town's first Postmaster, first bank director, and owned the first grocery store and telephone in Texas City.

By 1925, Texas City had an estimated population of 3,500 and was a thriving community with two refineries producing gasoline, the Texas City Sugar Refinery, two cotton compressing facilities, and even passenger bus service. [Text removed]

[Text removed] Texas City refineries and chemical plants played a key role in supplying the war effort.

The post-war prosperity was postponed in April, 1947, when two ships containing ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded in what is generally regarded as the worst industrial accident in U.S. history, the Texas City Disaster. The fertilizer manufactured in Nebraska and Iowa was already overheating when stored at the Texas City docks. In all, the explosions killed 581 and injured over 5000 people. The explosions were so powerful and intense that many of the bodies of the emergency workers who responded to the initial explosion were never accounted for. School children and townspeople who were attracted to the smoke also died and entire blocks of homes near the port were destroyed. People in Galveston 14 miles away were knocked to their knees. Surrounding chemical and oil tanks and refineries were ignited by the blast. At least 63 who died and were not able to be identified are memorialized in a cemetery in the north part of town. The Texas City disaster is widely regarded as the foundation of disaster planning for the United States. Monsanto and other plants committed to rebuilding and the city ultimately recovered quite well from the accident. Numerous petro-chemical refineries are still located in the same port area of Texas City. The city has often referred to itself as "the town that would not die," a moniker whose accuracy would be tested once again in the days surrounding Hurricane Ike's assault on the region early on September 13, 2008.

On October 30, 1987, a crane at the Marathon Oil refinery accidentally dropped its load on a tank of liquid hydrogen fluoride, causing a release of 36,000 pounds of hydrogen fluoride gas and required 3,000 residents to be evacuated.[1]

On March 23, 2005, the city suffered another explosion in a local BP (formerly Amoco) oil refinery which killed 15 and injured over 100. The BP facility in Texas City is the United States's third largest oil refinery, employing over 2,000 people, processing 460,000 barrels (73,000 m³) of crude oil each day, and producing roughly 4% of the country's gasoline needs every day.

The centerpiece of Texas City's Heritage Square historical district is the former residence of one of city's fathers, Frank B. Davison, located 109 3rd Ave. N., just two-thirds of a mile west of the Texas City Dike's location. The Davison Home, maintained by the Texas City Historical Association, is a Victorian-styled home finished in 1897, and site where the first child was born in the new community of Texas City.

Texas City is home to the Texas City Dike, a man-made breakwater built of tumbled granite blocks more than seventy years earlier, that was originally designed to protect the lower Houston Ship Channel from silting. The dike, famous among locals as being "the world's longest man-made fishing pier," extends approximately five miles to the southeast and into the mouth of Galveston Bay. It was overtopped by a greater-than 12-foot storm surge when Hurricane Ike barreled through the region in the early-morning hours of Saturday, September 13, 2008. Although all buildings, piers and the Dike Road were destroyed, the Dike itself weathered the storm.

Even in the widespread destruction throughout Galveston County caused by the wind and surge associated with Ike, Texas City was largely spared the devastation that other low-lying areas suffered. Texas City is mostly surrounded by a 17-mile long levee system that was built in the early-1960's following the devastating floods during Hurricane Carla in 1961. Together with pump stations containing several Archimedes screws located at various places throughout the northeast periphery of the city adjoining Galveston, Dollar Bay, and Moses Lake, the levee and pump station system may well have saved the city from wholesale devastation at the hands of Ike's powerful tidal surge. Damage in the city was largely limited to that caused by Ike's powerful winds and heavy rains.

Beginning Sunday, September 14, 2008, the day after landfall, Texas City's high school football complex, "Stingaree Stadium," was used as a staging and relocation area for persons evacuated by National Guard Black Hawk helicopters from nearby bayfront communities such as the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island. Also, by morning of Monday, September 15, the American Red Cross had opened a relief and materiel distribution center in the city.

Geography

Map of Texas City

Texas City is located at 29°24′00″N 94°56′02″W / 29.399983°N 94.933851°W / 29.399983; -94.933851 (29.399983, -94.933851).Template:GR This is 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Galveston and 37 miles (60 km) southeast of Houston.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 167.2 square miles (433.1 km2), of which, 62.4 square miles (161.5 km2) of it is land and 104.9 square miles (271.6 km2) of it (62.70%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 41,521 people, 15,479 households, and 10,974 families residing in the city. The population density was 665.7 people per square mile (257.0/km2). There were 16,715 housing units at an average density of 268.0/sq mi (103.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 60.75% White, 27.47% African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 8.23% from other races, and 2.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.52% of the population.

There were 15,479 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,963, and the median income for a family was $42,393. Males had a median income of $36,463 versus $24,754 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,057. About 12.0% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Texas City economy has long been based on heavy industry, particularly shipping at the Port of Texas City as well as petroleum and petrochemical refining.[2] The Texas City Industrial Complex is a leading center of the petrochemical industry. Within this complex the Texas City Refinery operated by BP is the second largest petroleum refinery in Texas and third largest in the United States.[3][4] The Port of Texas City became the third leading port in Texas by tonnage and ninth in the nation.[5][6] In recent decades the city's planners have made efforts to diversify the economy into tourism, health care, and many other sectors.[2]

As of 2010 SSA Marine Company currently has plans to build a major new cargo container shipping terminal known as the Texas City International Terminal at Shoal Point.[7] The project is intended to capitalize on the expansion of the Panama Canal, scheduled for completion in 2014, which city officials expect to substantially increase trade between the Gulf Coast and Asia.[2]

The Port of Texas City, operated by the Port of Texas City / Texas City Terminal Railway Company, is the eighth largest port in the United States and the third largest in Texas with water borne tonnage exceeding 78 million net tons. The Texas City Terminal Railway Company provides an important land link to the port, handling over 25,000 car loads per year. The Port of Texas City's success as a privately owned port has been aided by its shareholders, The Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads whose connections allow for expeditious interchange of their traffic.

Neighborhoods of Texas City

In 2008 officials from the city government said that the Chelsea subdivision contained crack houses and yards filled with debris and automobiles. Landlords in Chelsea own around 80 percent of the houses in the subdivision; most of the houses were built shortly after World War II.[8]

Government and infrastructure

Texas City Post Office.

In 2008 the city government replaced civilian code enforcement officers with police officers after finding that residents tended to ignore civilian officials, who must go through a lengthy process to force compliance, said George Fuller, city director of community development.[8]

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice maintains the Young Medical Facility Complex for females in Texas City.[9] Young opened in 1996 as the Texas City Regional Medical Unit.[10]

The United States Postal Service Texas City Post Office is located at 2002 11th Avenue North, in the Tradewinds Shopping Center.[11]

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Most of Texas City is within the Texas City Independent School District. Texas City High School serves the TCISD portion of Texas City.

Other portions are a part of the Dickinson Independent School District and the La Marque Independent School District.

Dickinson High School serves the DISD portion of Texas City. La Marque High School serves the LMISD portion of Texas City.

There are four elementary schools for grades K-4. The schools are: Kohfeldt Elementary, Roosevelt-Wilson Elementary, Heights Elementary, and Northside Elementary.

There is one intermediate school, Levi Fry Intermediate, providing for 5th and 6th graders, and one middle school, Blocker Middle School, providing for 7th and 8th graders within the TCISD.

Private schools

Our Lady of Fatima School, a Roman Catholic elementary school operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, is in Texas City [1].

Colleges and universities

All of Texas City is served by the College of the Mainland, which is located in Texas City.[12]

Public libraries

The Moore Memorial Public Library is located at 1701 9th Avenue North.[13] In 1928 the City of Texas City dedicated a room in city hall to form a municipal library. The Texas City Civic Club operated the library in the room. In 1947 city hall received damage from an explosion; it was later demolished. In 1948 the library moved to a former house at 5th Street and 9th Avenue North and received its current name; it was named after Hugh Benton Moore and Helen Moore. In 1964 the library moved into its current building. In 1984 the building was expanded to 21,000 square feet.[14]

Parks and preserves

The city operates numerous parks, some of which area part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail.[15]

The Texas City Prairie Preserve is a 2,300-acre (9.3 km2) nature preserve located on the shores of Moses Lake opposite the city. The terrain of the preserve includes prairie and wetland habitats. The preserve includes 40 acres (0.16 km2) of public access areas including camp sites. The remainder of the preserve is available for tours including boardwalk access through the marshes.[16]

The Bay Street Park is a 45-acre (0.18 km2) property near the bay and the levee. Part of the park commemorates the Aero Squadron, one of the first U.S. Army air squadrons and a precursor to the modern Air Force. The rest of the park features wilderness trails and family entertainment areas.[17]

Nessler Park is a 55-acre (0.22 km2) property used for community events such as the annual Music Fest by the Bay. Other large city parks include Carver Park, Godard Park, and Holland Park.

Transportation

The major freeway serving the area is the Gulf Freeway, part of Interstate 45, which connects Texas City with Galveston and Houston, as well as other cities nationwide. Texas State Highway 146 locally connects Texas City with other Bay Area communities on the shoreline. Texas Loop 197 combines with Highway 146 to form a ring around the city providing access to the city's major areas.[18]

Greyhound Bus Lines provides passenger bus service to destinations nationwide at the Texas City La Marque Station in neighboring La Marque.[19] Amtrak provides a connecting coach service service from nearby Galveston.[20]

Notes

  1. ^ Nordin, John. "Technically Speaking: Hydrogen Fluoride - Spilled and Tested". The First Responder (Newsletter). Aristatek, Inc. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Economic Development". City of Texas City. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  3. ^ "U.S. Refineries* Operable Capacity". Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. July 2008.
  4. ^ Regester, Michael; Larkin, Judy (2008). Risk Issues and Crisis Management in Public Relations: A Casebook of Best. Kogan Page. p. 83. ISBN 0749423935.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Benham, Priscilla Myers: Texas City, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 29 October 2009. Texas State Historical Association
  6. ^ "U.S. Port Ranking by Cargo Volume 2004". American Association of Port Authorities. 2004.
  7. ^ "Texas City International Terminal" (PDF). City of Texas City. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  8. ^ a b Rice, Harvey. "POLICING THE NEIGHBORHOOD / ARRESTING BLIGHT ON PATROL / Texas City is using a team of officers to put teeth in city code enforcement." Houston Chronicle. August 27, 2008. Accessed August 27, 2008. B1MetFront
  9. ^ "YOUNG MEDICAL FACILITY COMPLEX (GC)." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Accessed September 12, 2008.
  10. ^ Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Turner Publishing Company, 2004. 51. ISBN 1563119641, 9781563119644.
  11. ^ "Post Office Location - TEXAS CITY." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
  12. ^ Texas Education Code, Section 130.174, "College of the Mainland District Service Area".
  13. ^ "Location." Moore Memorial Public Library. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.
  14. ^ "About Us." Moore Memorial Public Library. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.
  15. ^ "Parks Locations". Texas City. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  16. ^ "Gulf Coast Bird Observatory: Texas City Prairie Preserve" (PDF). Gulf Coast Bird Observatory. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  17. ^ "Bay Street Park". Texas City. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  18. ^ "Economic Development". City of Texas City. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  19. ^ "La Marque Texas City, Texas". Greyhound Bus Lines. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  20. ^ "Galveston, TX". Amtrak (Texas Eagle). Retrieved 8 February 2010.
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