Cross Plains, Texas
Encyclopedia
Cross Plains is a town in Callahan County
, Texas
, United States
. The population was 1,068 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Abilene, Texas
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,068 people, 432 households, and 285 families residing in the town. The population density
was 893.1 people per square mile (343.6/km²). There were 554 housing units at an average density of 463.3 per square mile (178.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.28% White, 0.47% Native American, 1.69% from other races
, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.34% of the population.
There were 432 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $22,235, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $22,188 versus $17,955 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $13,284. About 18.5% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over.
In 1878, the United States
Government granted a post office
to Cross Plains, which was named for the crossings of stagecoaches and military
roads prior to the Civil War
. It is said that Robert E. Lee
and U.S. Grant camped with their troops at a grove of live oak
trees on the banks of Turkey Creek, which is now known as Treadway Park. East and West Caddo Peaks, located 5 miles (8 km) west, were used as landmarks by early Indians
, soldiers and also by government surveying
crews.
They had one newspaper in 1902 (The Herald), but it soon went out of business. The second paper, The Cross Plains Review started in 1909 and continues to publish a weekly newspaper every Wednesday.
The town moved from the west banks of Turkey Creek to its present site in January 1911, in anticipation of the coming railroad. On January 11, 1912, the first train arrived, the Texas Central, which was soon to become the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
.
An oil boom in 1925 increased the population, and by 1940 it was over 1,200. It has remained hovering around the 1,000 mark for the last 50 years.
City documents are unavailable to the public.
.
In 2004, voters passed a $1.1 million bond package for new classrooms and gymnasium for the Cross Plains Independent School District.
The CPISD has an average enrollment of approximately 455 students.
, creator of the character Conan the Barbarian
among others, lived in Cross Plains from the age of 13 until his death by suicide in 1936. His former home in Cross Plains is now a museum. Every year, Cross Plains holds the Robert E. Howard Days and a Barbarian Festival http://www.barbarianfestival.net on the second weekend of June.
destroyed 116 homes in and around Cross Plains. On December 29, 2005 the Texas Department of Public Safety
(DPS) listed 85 single family homes, 25 mobile homes and 6 apartment units as being destroyed. An additional 36 homes were damaged. The First United Methodist Church
building of Cross Plains was also destroyed. Two people died after being trapped in their houses.
The fire started 5 miles (8 km) west of the city along Highway 36, and westerly winds of up to 30 miles per hour spread the flames into town, burning a total of 7665 acres (31 km²) of land.
The fire spared the nearly century-old house (now a museum
) of Robert E. Howard
, author of the Conan the Barbarian
books.
Callahan County, Texas
*Baird*Belle Plain*Callahan City*Clyde*Cottonwood*Cross Plains*Eula*Putnam-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Callahan County, Texas-External links:* at the University of Texas*...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,068 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Cross Plains is located at 32°7′35"N 99°9′53"W (32.126467, -99.164677).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,068 people, 432 households, and 285 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 893.1 people per square mile (343.6/km²). There were 554 housing units at an average density of 463.3 per square mile (178.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.28% White, 0.47% Native American, 1.69% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.34% of the population.
There were 432 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $22,235, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $22,188 versus $17,955 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $13,284. About 18.5% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over.
History
Cross Plains had been named Turkey Creek - the stream that still crosses the town's Treadaway Park. In its early years, Cross Plains had the basic necessities like a store, a cotton gin and gristmill, but little else.In 1878, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Government granted a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
to Cross Plains, which was named for the crossings of stagecoaches and military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
roads prior to the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. It is said that Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
and U.S. Grant camped with their troops at a grove of live oak
Live oak
Live oak , also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States...
trees on the banks of Turkey Creek, which is now known as Treadway Park. East and West Caddo Peaks, located 5 miles (8 km) west, were used as landmarks by early Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, soldiers and also by government surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
crews.
They had one newspaper in 1902 (The Herald), but it soon went out of business. The second paper, The Cross Plains Review started in 1909 and continues to publish a weekly newspaper every Wednesday.
The town moved from the west banks of Turkey Creek to its present site in January 1911, in anticipation of the coming railroad. On January 11, 1912, the first train arrived, the Texas Central, which was soon to become the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was incorporated May 23, 1870. In its earliest days the MKT was commonly referred to as "the K-T", which was its stock exchange symbol; this common designation soon evolved into "the Katy"....
.
An oil boom in 1925 increased the population, and by 1940 it was over 1,200. It has remained hovering around the 1,000 mark for the last 50 years.
City documents are unavailable to the public.
Education
The Town of Cross Plains is served by the Cross Plains Independent School DistrictCross Plains Independent School District
Cross Plains Independent School District is a public school district based in Cross Plains, Texas .Located in Callahan County, portions of the district extend into Eastland, Brown, and Coleman counties....
.
In 2004, voters passed a $1.1 million bond package for new classrooms and gymnasium for the Cross Plains Independent School District.
The CPISD has an average enrollment of approximately 455 students.
Robert E. Howard
The pulp fiction author Robert E. HowardRobert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
, creator of the character Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
among others, lived in Cross Plains from the age of 13 until his death by suicide in 1936. His former home in Cross Plains is now a museum. Every year, Cross Plains holds the Robert E. Howard Days and a Barbarian Festival http://www.barbarianfestival.net on the second weekend of June.
Major highways
-
SH 36 -
SH 206 -
SH 279 -
FM 374Farm to Market Road 374Farm to Market Road 374 or FM 374 is a two-lane, state-maintained highway in the U.S. state of Texas that connects the farming areas of Cross Plains and Pioneer with State Highway 36 and State Highway 206. The highway continues from Cross Plains eastward through eastern Callahan County and connects... -
FM 880Farm to Market Road 880Farm to Market Road 880 or FM 880 is a two-lane, state-maintained highway in the U.S. state of Texas that connects the farming areas of Cross Plains, Putnam and Moran with Interstate 20, State Highway 206, and State Highway 6. The highway continues from Cross Plains northward through eastern...
2005 wildfire
On December 27, 2005, a grass/range wildfireTexas-Oklahoma wildfires of 2005-06
The Texas-Oklahoma wildfires of 2005-06 are a series of wildfires primarily in the states of Texas and Oklahoma that began November 27, 2005, and continue into April 2006. Surrounding states have also been affected to a lesser extent....
destroyed 116 homes in and around Cross Plains. On December 29, 2005 the Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The DPS is responsible for statewide law enforcement and vehicle regulation. The Public Safety Commission oversees the DPS. Its five members are appointed by the Governor of Texas and confirmed by the...
(DPS) listed 85 single family homes, 25 mobile homes and 6 apartment units as being destroyed. An additional 36 homes were damaged. The First United Methodist Church
First United Methodist Church
First United Methodist Church is a common name for the first United Methodist church established in a particular locality. Many First United Methodist Churches exist around the world....
building of Cross Plains was also destroyed. Two people died after being trapped in their houses.
The fire started 5 miles (8 km) west of the city along Highway 36, and westerly winds of up to 30 miles per hour spread the flames into town, burning a total of 7665 acres (31 km²) of land.
The fire spared the nearly century-old house (now a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
) of Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
, author of the Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
books.