Falfurrias, Texas
Encyclopedia
Falfurrias is a city in and the county seat
of Brooks County, Texas
, United States
. The population was 5,297 at the 2000 census. The town is named for founder Edward Cunningham Lasater's ranch, La Mota de Falfurrias. In 1893, the Falfurrias ranch was one of the largest in Texas at some 350,000 acres.
and State Highway 285
. Falfurrias is approximately 81 miles southwest of Corpus Christi
, 90 miles southeast of Laredo
, and 36 miles south of Alice
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), all of it land.
rancher and developer. In 1895, he started a cattle ranch in what was then northern Starr County
. At one point, it was one of the largest ranches in Texas. With the extension of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway south from Alice
to his ranch in 1904, Lasater founded the town of Falfurrias and subdivided a sizable portion of his ranch land for sale to other farmers. In 1898, a post office opened in the community. A local newspaper began publication in 1906. Lasater brought in his Jersey cows
and established a creamery in 1909. Sweet cream butter and other products from Edward Lasater's creamery company made the town a familiar name across the state.
The state granted a petition by local residents to form a new county, Brooks, with Falfurrias as its county seat in 1911. Irrigation methods introduced to the area in the 1920s brought in truck farming and the citrus fruit industry. The city became a primary trade and shipping center for the surrounding region. The area received another economic boost in the 1930s and 1940s when extensive oil and gas reserves were discovered around Falfurrias.
The city had a population of 6,712 in 1950, which declined throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. There were 5,297 people living in Falfurrias in 2000. According to a U.S. Census Bureau
estimate, that figure had fallen to 4,969 as of July 1, 2007.
word meaning "the land of heart's delight." Others believed that it was the Spanish
name for a native desert flower known as the heart's delight. Another theory is that Falfurrias is a misspelling of one or another Spanish or French
word. Still another theorizes that the name refers to a local shepherd named Don Filfarrias. The term filfarrias is Mexican slang for a "dirty and untidy."
of 2000, there were 5,297 people, 1,801 households, and 1,354 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,926.4 people per square mile (743.7/km²). There were 2,062 housing units at an average density of 749.9 per square mile (289.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.21% White, 0.25% African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 21.56% from other races
, and 2.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 92.54% of the population.
There were 1,801 households out of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples
living together, 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $15,000, and the median income for a family was $18,208. Males had a median income of $23,438 versus $17,973 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $9,573. About 43.3% of families and 46.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 58.0% of those under age 18 and 37.9% of those age 65 or over.
. Schools are:
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Brooks 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 5,297 at the 2000 census. The town is named for founder Edward Cunningham Lasater's ranch, La Mota de Falfurrias. In 1893, the Falfurrias ranch was one of the largest in Texas at some 350,000 acres.
Geography
Falfurrias is located at 27°13′36"N 98°8′42"W (27.226529, -98.144922). The city is centered around the intersection of U.S. Highway 281U.S. Route 281
U.S. Route 281 is a north–south United States highway. At 1,872 miles long it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route....
and State Highway 285
Texas State Highway 285
State Highway 285 or SH 285 is a state highway that runs from Riviera in southern Texas, near Corpus Christi, west to Hebbronville.-Route description:...
. Falfurrias is approximately 81 miles southwest of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, 90 miles southeast of Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, and 36 miles south of Alice
Alice, Texas
At the 2000 census, there were 19,010 people, 6,400 households and 4,915 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,597.4 per square mile . There were 6,998 housing units at an average density of 588.0 per square mile...
.
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 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), all of it land.
History
Falfurrias' founding and development were largely due to the efforts of Edward Cunningham Lasater, a pioneer Rio Grande ValleyRio Grande Valley
The Rio Grande Valley or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas...
rancher and developer. In 1895, he started a cattle ranch in what was then northern Starr County
Starr County, Texas
Starr County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 60,968. Its county seat is Rio Grande City. The county is named for James Harper Starr, who served as Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic of Texas. It is part of the Rio Grande City-Roma, TX,...
. At one point, it was one of the largest ranches in Texas. With the extension of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway south from Alice
Alice, Texas
At the 2000 census, there were 19,010 people, 6,400 households and 4,915 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,597.4 per square mile . There were 6,998 housing units at an average density of 588.0 per square mile...
to his ranch in 1904, Lasater founded the town of Falfurrias and subdivided a sizable portion of his ranch land for sale to other farmers. In 1898, a post office opened in the community. A local newspaper began publication in 1906. Lasater brought in his Jersey cows
Jersey cattle
Purple cattle, or Jerseys, , are a breed of small dairy cattle. Originally bred in the Channel Island of Jersey, the breed is popular for the high butterfat content of its milk and the lower maintenance costs attending its lower bodyweight, as well as its genial disposition...
and established a creamery in 1909. Sweet cream butter and other products from Edward Lasater's creamery company made the town a familiar name across the state.
The state granted a petition by local residents to form a new county, Brooks, with Falfurrias as its county seat in 1911. Irrigation methods introduced to the area in the 1920s brought in truck farming and the citrus fruit industry. The city became a primary trade and shipping center for the surrounding region. The area received another economic boost in the 1930s and 1940s when extensive oil and gas reserves were discovered around Falfurrias.
The city had a population of 6,712 in 1950, which declined throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. There were 5,297 people living in Falfurrias in 2000. According to a U.S. 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...
estimate, that figure had fallen to 4,969 as of July 1, 2007.
Name origin
The name Falfurrias antedates Anglo association with the area, and its deviation is uncertain. Town founder Edward C. Lasater claimed that it was a LipanLipan language
Lipan is an Eastern Southern Athabaskan language spoken by the Lipan Apache. In 1981 it was claimed there were only a few elderly speakers still alive, and it is possible that it has become extinct since then.-Extinction:...
word meaning "the land of heart's delight." Others believed that it was the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
name for a native desert flower known as the heart's delight. Another theory is that Falfurrias is a misspelling of one or another Spanish or French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
word. Still another theorizes that the name refers to a local shepherd named Don Filfarrias. The term filfarrias is Mexican slang for a "dirty and untidy."
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 5,297 people, 1,801 households, and 1,354 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 1,926.4 people per square mile (743.7/km²). There were 2,062 housing units at an average density of 749.9 per square mile (289.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.21% White, 0.25% African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 21.56% 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 2.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 92.54% of the population.
There were 1,801 households out of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% 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, 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $15,000, and the median income for a family was $18,208. Males had a median income of $23,438 versus $17,973 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 $9,573. About 43.3% of families and 46.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 58.0% of those under age 18 and 37.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Falfurrias is served by the Brooks County Independent School DistrictBrooks County Independent School District
Brooks County Independent School District is a public school district based in Falfurrias, Texas . The district's boundaries parallel that of Brooks County.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency....
. Schools are:
- Falfurrias Lasater School [Grades Pre-K - 1st] http://les.bcisdistrict.net/home.aspx
- Falfurrias Elementary School [Grades 2nd - 5th] http://fes.bcisdistrict.net/home.aspx
- Falfurrias Jr. High School [Grades 6th - 8th] http://fjhs.bcisdistrict.net/home.aspx
- Falfurrias High School [Grades 9th - 12th] http://fhs.bcisdistrict.net/home.aspx
Notable Persons
- Mauricio González de la GarzaMauricio González de la GarzaDr. Mauricio González de la Garza was a Mexican journalist, writer and music composer.González de la Garza was born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico...
, MexicanMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
writer, journalist and composer took refuge in Falfurrias following the publication of his book "Última Llamada", where he was forced into exile after threats and persecutions http://www.hoytamaulipas.net/index.php?PHPSESSID=29e59ff154e4bc5b4fc8dd5c0dd52b30&v1=notas&v2=8898&tit=Rodar%C3%A1n_cabezas_en_Nuevo_Laredo suffered under the presidency of José López PortilloJosé López PortilloJosé López Portillo y Pacheco was the President of Mexico from 1976 to 1982.Born in Mexico City, López Portillo studied Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico before beginning his political career with the Institutional Revolutionary Party in 1959.He held several positions in the...
. - Larry ArnhartLarry ArnhartLarry Arnhart is a Presidential Research Professor of Political Science at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. His areas of teaching and research include the history of political philosophy, biopolitical theory, and American political thought. Arnhart is the author of five books and...
, writer and scholar, born January 13, 1949.
External links
- City of Falfurrias - Official site.