De Leon, Texas
Encyclopedia
De Leon is a city located in Comanche County
in the U.S. state
of Texas
. The population was 2,433 at the time of the 2000 census.
The town was laid out in April 1881 by surveying crews of the Texas Central Railway as it constructed a line from Ross
, just north of Waco
, to an undecided destination in Eastland County
, with the ultimate goal of extending the line to Colorado. The first city lots were auctioned on July 7, 1881 by Robert Morris Elgin, the Texas Central's land agent and for whom the town of Elgin, Texas
had been named.
Initially incorporated by an election held on August 30, 1890, the town government appears to have dwindled over the years, and the community was reincorporated in an election held August 29, 1899. The first mayor elected under the new incorporation was former Comanche County Judge John Lambert, who took office in April 1900.
The population of De Leon remained under 1,000 until 1910, when a branch line of the Texas Central, then leased by the Missouri Kansas Texas (MKT), was extended from De Leon to Rising Star
and Cross Plains
. De Leon then became the center point for the Texas Central between Waco and Albany
, thereby relocating numerous railroad crew members and their families to the city. The census early that year showed 1,015 citizens.
On Labor Day night 1918, oil was discovered north of De Leon just inside the Comanche County line near Desdemona. During the next two years, nearly a thousand wells were drilled in the area, and the population of De Leon rose to an estimate of more than 5,000 people. The boom was short-lived, though, and by the time the actual was census taken in 1920, the population was only 3,302. Since World War II, De Leon's population has stabilized at around 2,500.
Ranching dominated Comanche County until the coming of the Texas Central in 1881. Cotton soon became the primary crop, as immigrants from the southern states, and in particular the area around Oxford and Pontotoc, Mississippi, came to the De Leon vicinity starting in 1890. When the boll weevil began to make inroads in the area after 1910, farmers just west of town began to plant the small Spanish peanut. That quickly became the dominate crop, and in 1913, the De Leon Peanut Company was organized. Over time, Comanche County became the leading peanut producing county in the U.S. Coupled with production around the neighboring community of Gorman
in Eastland County, most of the peanuts went into candy, particularly Curtis Candies' Baby Ruth and Butterfinger candy bars. Nabisco eventually purchased the De Leon Peanut Company. In the last two decades, peanut production has dropped dramatically.
De Leon boasts one of the oldest festivals in Texas, the De Leon Peach and Melon Festival, which had its beginnings in 1914. Celebrated during the first full week in August, it features a free melon slicing, dances, and the Melon Patch Bicycle Tour--"a peach of a ride"--that draws about a thousand riders who travel the backroads of the area. The current watermelon seed-spitting distance record, as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, of 78 feet 6 inches, was set at the festival on August 12, 1995, by Jason Schaynot then of Georgetown, Texas. Schaynot is a descendant of two long-time De Leon families.
Among De Leon's unique events is the only paid appearance by Elvis Presley in which he sang only gospel music. It occurred at Hodges Park on July 4, 1955, when he followed his friends, the Blackwood Brothers, at the Battle of Songs show. The Blackwoods had lost family members in a plane crash in Alabama the previous year, just prior to a scheduled appearance in De Leon, and had remembered them in a performance immediately preceding Elvis' performance. Elvis followed with more gospel music. It was one of three appearances Elvis made that day for promoter W.B. Nowlin, then Mayor of De Leon. The other two were in Brownwood
and Stephenville
.
Included among De Leon's most distinguished citizens are former Texas Speaker of the House and later Lieutenant Governor
Ben Barnes, a protege of John B. Connally and Lyndon B. Johnson
, and the 1955 Pulitzer Prize
winner William White, whose The Taft Story focuses upon Republican
presidential contender Robert A. Taft. Winston Lee Moore, composer and singer of "Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes" was reared just north of De Leon. He is better known under his stage name, Slim Willet
. Also of note is Kelsey Menzel, starting point guard for the Lady De Leon Basketball Team. She was instrumental in leading the team to a riveting 47-39 victory over Gorman on January 19, 2007.
Buried in the De Leon Cemetery is Cyrus Campbell, an early resident, who as a blacksmith made the leg irons placed on Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
following his capture at the battle of San Jacinto. Campbell's family tradition is that he and his three brothers were the men who actually captured Lopez de Santa Anna the day following the battle.
The town motto, "Busiest Town, Friendliest People", is a reminder of the slower-paced lifestyle still available in a few communities in this country.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,433 people, 949 households, and 605 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,175.1 people per square mile (453.8/km²). There were 1,127 housing units at an average density of 544.3 per square mile (210.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.72% White, 0.12% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 10.69% from other races
, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 27.54% of the population.
There were 949 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were not families. About 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the city, the population was distributed with 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,563, and the median income for a family was $29,167. Males had a median income of $25,802 versus $19,583 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $11,451. About 23.4% of families and 25.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.1% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.
.
In May 2009, a bond was passed for construction to begin on a new high school.
Comanche County, Texas
Comanche County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. In 2000, its population was 14,026. Comanche was founded in 1856. Comanche is named for the Comanche Native American tribe...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The population was 2,433 at the time of the 2000 census.
The town was laid out in April 1881 by surveying crews of the Texas Central Railway as it constructed a line from Ross
Ross, Texas
Ross is a city in McLennan County, Texas, United States. The population was 228 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Ross is located at ....
, just north of Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, to an undecided destination in Eastland County
Eastland County, Texas
*Carbon*Cisco*Desdemona, a ghost town*Eastland*Gorman*Mangum*Olden*Ranger*Rising Star*Romney-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Eastland County, Texas*Santa Claus Bank Robbery-External links:** at the University of Texas*...
, with the ultimate goal of extending the line to Colorado. The first city lots were auctioned on July 7, 1881 by Robert Morris Elgin, the Texas Central's land agent and for whom the town of Elgin, Texas
Elgin, Texas
Elgin is a city in Bastrop and Travis Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 5,700 at the 2000 census. By 2005, the population grew to an estimated 8,689...
had been named.
Initially incorporated by an election held on August 30, 1890, the town government appears to have dwindled over the years, and the community was reincorporated in an election held August 29, 1899. The first mayor elected under the new incorporation was former Comanche County Judge John Lambert, who took office in April 1900.
The population of De Leon remained under 1,000 until 1910, when a branch line of the Texas Central, then leased by the Missouri Kansas Texas (MKT), was extended from De Leon to Rising Star
Rising Star, Texas
Rising Star is a town in Eastland County, Texas, United States. The population was recorded by the 2000 Census as 835.-Geography:Rising Star is located at ....
and Cross Plains
Cross Plains, Texas
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.-Geography:Cross Plains is located at ....
. De Leon then became the center point for the Texas Central between Waco and Albany
Albany, Texas
Albany is a city in Shackelford County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,034 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Shackelford County.-History:...
, thereby relocating numerous railroad crew members and their families to the city. The census early that year showed 1,015 citizens.
On Labor Day night 1918, oil was discovered north of De Leon just inside the Comanche County line near Desdemona. During the next two years, nearly a thousand wells were drilled in the area, and the population of De Leon rose to an estimate of more than 5,000 people. The boom was short-lived, though, and by the time the actual was census taken in 1920, the population was only 3,302. Since World War II, De Leon's population has stabilized at around 2,500.
Ranching dominated Comanche County until the coming of the Texas Central in 1881. Cotton soon became the primary crop, as immigrants from the southern states, and in particular the area around Oxford and Pontotoc, Mississippi, came to the De Leon vicinity starting in 1890. When the boll weevil began to make inroads in the area after 1910, farmers just west of town began to plant the small Spanish peanut. That quickly became the dominate crop, and in 1913, the De Leon Peanut Company was organized. Over time, Comanche County became the leading peanut producing county in the U.S. Coupled with production around the neighboring community of Gorman
Gorman, Texas
Gorman is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,236 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gorman is located at ....
in Eastland County, most of the peanuts went into candy, particularly Curtis Candies' Baby Ruth and Butterfinger candy bars. Nabisco eventually purchased the De Leon Peanut Company. In the last two decades, peanut production has dropped dramatically.
De Leon boasts one of the oldest festivals in Texas, the De Leon Peach and Melon Festival, which had its beginnings in 1914. Celebrated during the first full week in August, it features a free melon slicing, dances, and the Melon Patch Bicycle Tour--"a peach of a ride"--that draws about a thousand riders who travel the backroads of the area. The current watermelon seed-spitting distance record, as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, of 78 feet 6 inches, was set at the festival on August 12, 1995, by Jason Schaynot then of Georgetown, Texas. Schaynot is a descendant of two long-time De Leon families.
Among De Leon's unique events is the only paid appearance by Elvis Presley in which he sang only gospel music. It occurred at Hodges Park on July 4, 1955, when he followed his friends, the Blackwood Brothers, at the Battle of Songs show. The Blackwoods had lost family members in a plane crash in Alabama the previous year, just prior to a scheduled appearance in De Leon, and had remembered them in a performance immediately preceding Elvis' performance. Elvis followed with more gospel music. It was one of three appearances Elvis made that day for promoter W.B. Nowlin, then Mayor of De Leon. The other two were in Brownwood
Brownwood, Texas
Brownwood is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,813 at the 2000 census.-History:The original site of the Brown County seat of Brownwood was on the east of Pecan Bayou. A dispute arose over land and water rights, and the settlers were forced...
and Stephenville
Stephenville, Texas
Stephenville is a city in and the county seat of Erath County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,921 at the 2000 census. Founded in 1856, it is home to Tarleton State University. Stephenville is among several communities that calls itself the "Cowboy Capital of the...
.
Included among De Leon's most distinguished citizens are former Texas Speaker of the House and later Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the...
Ben Barnes, a protege of John B. Connally and Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
, and the 1955 Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winner William White, whose The Taft Story focuses upon Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
presidential contender Robert A. Taft. Winston Lee Moore, composer and singer of "Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes" was reared just north of De Leon. He is better known under his stage name, Slim Willet
Slim Willet
Slim Willet was an American disc jockey, musician, and songwriter....
. Also of note is Kelsey Menzel, starting point guard for the Lady De Leon Basketball Team. She was instrumental in leading the team to a riveting 47-39 victory over Gorman on January 19, 2007.
Buried in the De Leon Cemetery is Cyrus Campbell, an early resident, who as a blacksmith made the leg irons placed on Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
following his capture at the battle of San Jacinto. Campbell's family tradition is that he and his three brothers were the men who actually captured Lopez de Santa Anna the day following the battle.
The town motto, "Busiest Town, Friendliest People", is a reminder of the slower-paced lifestyle still available in a few communities in this country.
Geography
De Leon is located at 32°6′35"N 98°32′19"W (32.109746, -98.538488).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 city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 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 2,433 people, 949 households, and 605 families residing in the city. 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 1,175.1 people per square mile (453.8/km²). There were 1,127 housing units at an average density of 544.3 per square mile (210.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.72% White, 0.12% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 10.69% 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 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 27.54% of the population.
There were 949 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% 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 36.2% were not families. About 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the city, the population was distributed with 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,563, and the median income for a family was $29,167. Males had a median income of $25,802 versus $19,583 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 city was $11,451. About 23.4% of families and 25.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.1% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of De Leon is served by the De Leon Independent School DistrictDe Leon Independent School District
De Leon Independent School District is a public school district based in De Leon, Texas .Located in Comanche County, small portions of the district extend into Erath and Eastland counties....
.
In May 2009, a bond was passed for construction to begin on a new high school.