Impact, Texas
Encyclopedia
Impact is a village in Taylor County
, Texas
, United States
. The population was 39 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 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²), all of it land.
in all cities and counties surrounding Abilene. The prohibition of legal liquor sales encouraged bootleggers to produce illegal liquor commonly called "moonshine
".
Perkins capitalized on the potential market for legal liquor among the wets
by purchasing 27 acres of land adjacent to his farm on the outskirts of Abilene and then pushing for its incorporation. Calling the village "Impact" after his advertising business, 29 signatures of local residents were collected and it was incorporated in 1960.
Soon after, the village's citizens - consisting mostly of Perkins' family and friends - voted 18 to 2 to permit liquor sales. Abilene lawyers immediately filed motions to oppose the town's incorporation, but a Texas Supreme Court ruling in 1963 upheld Impact's incorporation and its right to sell liquor.
Two liquor stores opened in Impact in 1963. The first month's sales were $463,000 (equivalent to roughly $3 million in 2006). With the newfound revenues, the village's roads were paved and lighted, garbage pickup was introduced, and a policeman was hired. One of the liquor stores was Pinky's, which was owned by Perkins and his associates and used a logo of a pink elephant
, thus the name.
Impact remained the only wholly wet municipality in Taylor County until 1978, when Abilene voters narrowly legalized (by a 131-vote margin) liquor sales in the city. With that vote, Impact lost its reason for being. The liquor stores in Impact soon dried up and closed and the community became just another suburb of Abilene.
Impact has been and still is one of the smallest incorporated communities in Texas. Its population peaked at 61 in 1970 and had declined to 39 by 2000.
of 2000, there were 39 people, 14 households, and 9 families residing in the town. The population density
was 450.2 people per square mile (167.3/km²). There were 16 housing units at an average density of 184.7 per square mile (68.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 58.97% White, 7.69% African American, 30.77% from other races
, and 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 64.10% of the population.
There were 14 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples
living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the village the population was spread out with 35.9% under the age of 18, 15.4% from 18 to 24, 15.4% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 129.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $23,750. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $18,125 for females. The per capita income
was $12,488. There were 30.0% of families and 36.4% of the population living below the poverty line, including 28.6% of under eighteens and 20.0% of those over 64.
Taylor County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 126,555 people, 47,274 households, and 32,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 138 people per square mile . There were 52,056 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile...
, 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 39 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
Abilene metropolitan area
The Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in west central Texas that covers three counties—Taylor, Jones, and Callahan. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 160,245 .-Counties:*Callahan*Jones*Taylor-Places with 2,500 to 5,000 people:*Anson*Clyde*Dyess...
.
Geography
Impact is located at 32°30′2"N 99°44′41"W (32.500573, -99.744790).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 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²), all of it land.
History
The area that became known as Impact began as a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) poultry farm owned by advertising businessman Dallas Perkins. Prior to 1960, liquor sales were prohibitedProhibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
in all cities and counties surrounding Abilene. The prohibition of legal liquor sales encouraged bootleggers to produce illegal liquor commonly called "moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
".
Perkins capitalized on the potential market for legal liquor among the wets
Wets
During the 1980s, members of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom who opposed some of the more hard-line policies of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher were often referred to as "wets"...
by purchasing 27 acres of land adjacent to his farm on the outskirts of Abilene and then pushing for its incorporation. Calling the village "Impact" after his advertising business, 29 signatures of local residents were collected and it was incorporated in 1960.
Soon after, the village's citizens - consisting mostly of Perkins' family and friends - voted 18 to 2 to permit liquor sales. Abilene lawyers immediately filed motions to oppose the town's incorporation, but a Texas Supreme Court ruling in 1963 upheld Impact's incorporation and its right to sell liquor.
Two liquor stores opened in Impact in 1963. The first month's sales were $463,000 (equivalent to roughly $3 million in 2006). With the newfound revenues, the village's roads were paved and lighted, garbage pickup was introduced, and a policeman was hired. One of the liquor stores was Pinky's, which was owned by Perkins and his associates and used a logo of a pink elephant
Seeing pink elephants
"Seeing pink elephants" is a euphemism for drunken hallucination, caused by alcoholic hallucinosis or delirium tremens. The first recorded use of the term is by Jack London in 1913, who describes one kind of alcoholic, in the autobiographical John Barleycorn, as "the man whom we all know, stupid,...
, thus the name.
Impact remained the only wholly wet municipality in Taylor County until 1978, when Abilene voters narrowly legalized (by a 131-vote margin) liquor sales in the city. With that vote, Impact lost its reason for being. The liquor stores in Impact soon dried up and closed and the community became just another suburb of Abilene.
Impact has been and still is one of the smallest incorporated communities in Texas. Its population peaked at 61 in 1970 and had declined to 39 by 2000.
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 39 people, 14 households, and 9 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 450.2 people per square mile (167.3/km²). There were 16 housing units at an average density of 184.7 per square mile (68.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 58.97% White, 7.69% African American, 30.77% 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 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 64.10% of the population.
There were 14 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% 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, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the village the population was spread out with 35.9% under the age of 18, 15.4% from 18 to 24, 15.4% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 129.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $23,750. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $18,125 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...
was $12,488. There were 30.0% of families and 36.4% of the population living below the poverty line, including 28.6% of under eighteens and 20.0% of those over 64.