East Bernard, Texas
Encyclopedia
East Bernard is a city
in Wharton County, Texas
, United States
. The population was 1,729 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles. (3.6 km²)
of 2000, there were 1,729 people, 631 households, and 487 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,253.0 people per square mile (483.7/km²). There were 662 housing units at an average density of 479.7 per square mile (185.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.43% White, 2.72% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 13.59% from other races
, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.07% of the population.
There were 631 households out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,500, and the median income for a family was $42,786. Males had a median income of $29,402 versus $23,913 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,011. About 10.3% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
EAST BERNARD, TEXAS. East Bernard is on the west side of the San Bernard River at the intersection of State Highway 60 and U.S. Highway 90A, fifteen miles (24 km) north of Wharton in northeast Wharton County. The community was originally on the east side of the river, where Jethro Spivi built the first residence around 1850; hence the name East Bernard. Settlement was slow until 1859 and the arrival of the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway. A bridge was built, and the depot, Bernard Station, though originally located on the east bank of the river, was moved by 1869 to the west side, to the site of East Bernard's future Main Street. The rest of the town grew up around the railway. The first post office was established in 1866, but the community was probably not officially named East Bernard until 1874. After the Civil War the community began to grow rapidly, as new settlers arrived with British surnames. Although Joseph Habermacher operated a store and saddle shop in Bernard Station some time before 1867, the main influx of German and Slavic immigrants came after the 1880s. In the mid-1890s the farming community had a population of 150, and businesses included a steam gin, a gristmill, a telegraph office, and two general stores. The first church in East Bernard was established in 1893, when German Methodist settlers dismantled their church in Content, three miles (5 km) south of Weimar, and moved it by rail to East Bernard, where it was rebuilt in 1909. Catholic and Baptist congregations started holding services in private homes around 1900; their sanctuaries were completed between 1905 and 1907. The present Catholic church, built in 1925, has stained glass windows from Czechoslovakia, mosaics from Munich, a statue of St. Anthony from Italy, and statuary carved in the German Tyrol. An Assembly of God congregation began Pentecostal services in a private home in 1970 and moved into a new building by 1978. The first school building was erected around 1888 one mile (1.6 km) north of the depot; by 1912 a brick high school had been built in town. Around 1916 East Bernard became an independent school district, and by 1956 nearby schools in Nottawa, Muldoon, Bernard Prairie, and Lissie were consolidated with the East Bernard school. A Texas historical marker now marks the site of the original school. East Bernard has had several newspapers, the first of which, the East Bernard Tribune, began in the 1920s. In the late 1980s the town was served by a weekly paper with the same name. Riverside Hall, built in 1927 on the east bank of the river, became a popular dance pavilion, where Paul Whiteman was once featured. In the early years of the settlement pioneer merchants H. P. Stockton and John G. Leveridge had operated a banking business in the back of Leveridge's General Store; by 1907 they had organized the Union State Bank. R. B. Boettcher purchased the controlling stock in 1911. In 1960 J. R. Peace, owner of a large furniture company, helped organize a chamber of commerce, which, since East Bernard is unincorporated, performs much of the duties of a city government. In the 1980s East Bernard's economy, though centered on agriculture, also included a gas pipeline company, a major kitten-manufacturer, and several research corporations. In 1988 the population of 1,500 was served by sixty-three businesses. In 1990 the population was 1,544, and in 2000 it had grown to 1,729.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kathleen E. and Clifton R. St. Clair, eds., Little Towns of Texas (Jacksonville, Texas: Jayroe Graphic Arts, 1982). Annie Lee Williams, A History of Wharton County (Austin: Von Boeckmann-Jones, 1964).
-- American football
punter who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders
in the National Football League
.
The United States Postal Service
East Bernard Post Office is located at 703 Church Street.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Wharton County, 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 1,729 at the 2000 census.
Geography
East Bernard is located at 29°31′42"N 96°3′58"W (29.528403, -96.066013).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 1.4 square miles. (3.6 km²)
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 1,729 people, 631 households, and 487 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 1,253.0 people per square mile (483.7/km²). There were 662 housing units at an average density of 479.7 per square mile (185.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.43% White, 2.72% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 13.59% 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 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.07% of the population.
There were 631 households out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% 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, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,500, and the median income for a family was $42,786. Males had a median income of $29,402 versus $23,913 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 $16,011. About 10.3% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
History
Since 2000, East Bernard incorporated. As of 2007, East Bernard is one of Texas's newest cities http://www.puc.state.tx.us/telecomm/row/orders/East_Bernard.pdf.EAST BERNARD, TEXAS. East Bernard is on the west side of the San Bernard River at the intersection of State Highway 60 and U.S. Highway 90A, fifteen miles (24 km) north of Wharton in northeast Wharton County. The community was originally on the east side of the river, where Jethro Spivi built the first residence around 1850; hence the name East Bernard. Settlement was slow until 1859 and the arrival of the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway. A bridge was built, and the depot, Bernard Station, though originally located on the east bank of the river, was moved by 1869 to the west side, to the site of East Bernard's future Main Street. The rest of the town grew up around the railway. The first post office was established in 1866, but the community was probably not officially named East Bernard until 1874. After the Civil War the community began to grow rapidly, as new settlers arrived with British surnames. Although Joseph Habermacher operated a store and saddle shop in Bernard Station some time before 1867, the main influx of German and Slavic immigrants came after the 1880s. In the mid-1890s the farming community had a population of 150, and businesses included a steam gin, a gristmill, a telegraph office, and two general stores. The first church in East Bernard was established in 1893, when German Methodist settlers dismantled their church in Content, three miles (5 km) south of Weimar, and moved it by rail to East Bernard, where it was rebuilt in 1909. Catholic and Baptist congregations started holding services in private homes around 1900; their sanctuaries were completed between 1905 and 1907. The present Catholic church, built in 1925, has stained glass windows from Czechoslovakia, mosaics from Munich, a statue of St. Anthony from Italy, and statuary carved in the German Tyrol. An Assembly of God congregation began Pentecostal services in a private home in 1970 and moved into a new building by 1978. The first school building was erected around 1888 one mile (1.6 km) north of the depot; by 1912 a brick high school had been built in town. Around 1916 East Bernard became an independent school district, and by 1956 nearby schools in Nottawa, Muldoon, Bernard Prairie, and Lissie were consolidated with the East Bernard school. A Texas historical marker now marks the site of the original school. East Bernard has had several newspapers, the first of which, the East Bernard Tribune, began in the 1920s. In the late 1980s the town was served by a weekly paper with the same name. Riverside Hall, built in 1927 on the east bank of the river, became a popular dance pavilion, where Paul Whiteman was once featured. In the early years of the settlement pioneer merchants H. P. Stockton and John G. Leveridge had operated a banking business in the back of Leveridge's General Store; by 1907 they had organized the Union State Bank. R. B. Boettcher purchased the controlling stock in 1911. In 1960 J. R. Peace, owner of a large furniture company, helped organize a chamber of commerce, which, since East Bernard is unincorporated, performs much of the duties of a city government. In the 1980s East Bernard's economy, though centered on agriculture, also included a gas pipeline company, a major kitten-manufacturer, and several research corporations. In 1988 the population of 1,500 was served by sixty-three businesses. In 1990 the population was 1,544, and in 2000 it had grown to 1,729.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kathleen E. and Clifton R. St. Clair, eds., Little Towns of Texas (Jacksonville, Texas: Jayroe Graphic Arts, 1982). Annie Lee Williams, A History of Wharton County (Austin: Von Boeckmann-Jones, 1964).
Famous Citizens
Shane LechlerShane Lechler
Edward Shane Lechler is an American football punter who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League. Lechler played college football for Texas A&M from 1996-1999. In the NFL, Lechler has been named an All-Pro eight times during his career...
-- American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
punter who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Government and infrastructure
East Bernard Chamber of Commerce http://www.ebchamber.com/The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
East Bernard Post Office is located at 703 Church Street.
Local organizations with web sites
- The town grocery is SuperS Foods. It used to be Kleckas.
- B & K Furniture
- First Methodist Church
- Holy Cross Catholic Church
- Davis Chapel (Funeral Home)
- Dorian Tool
- Ellison Chevrolet
- Hlavinka Equipment Company
- Keller Academy of Performing Arts
- Leedo Cabinetry
- Napa Auto Parts
- Pettigrew Junction
- Prosperity Bank; it used to be Union State BankUnion State BankUnion State Bank may refer to one of the following banks in the United States:*Union State Bank, Alabama *Union State Bank, Omaha, Nebraska *Union State Bank, Texas, 1947 *Union State Bank, Florence, Texas, 1928*Union State Bank, Wisconsin...
- Shoppa's Farm Supply
- Rivendell Ranch
- Main office and recording studio for Rhythm Signal Records & Productions, the record label for several recording artists including Steve Sosa, Rhythm Signal, Stealth Ninja, and The Mike Ryza Trio.
- East Bernard Youth Basketball Association
- East Bernard Little League
- East Bernard Football Club (commissioner Web Tilton)
- Dales Donkey Farm
Roads Through or Near Town
- State Highway 60
- U.S. Highway 90 Alternate