Lewisville, Texas
Encyclopedia
Lewisville (ˈ) is a city in Denton County
in the U.S. state
of Texas
. The 2010 United States Census placed the population at 95,290 within 35.4 square miles (91.7 km²). The city also includes 6.07 square miles (15.7 km²) of Lewisville Lake
.
The origin of the community began in the early 1840s, and the arrival of the town's first railroad in 1881 engendered its initial growth. It incorporated in 1925, making it one of the oldest incorporated cities in the northern area of the Dallas
-Fort Worth
Metroplex
. The city began to expand rapidly in the early 1950s and today it is a major economic and residential hub of the region.
chartered the Peters Colony Land Grant Company (named for William Smalling Peters, publisher of the song "Oh! Susanna
") to settle the North Texas area. In 1844, John W. King and his wife, Jane King, settled on the east side of the prairie, where the city currently lies. Other Baptist settlers from Platte County, Missouri
, settled on the west side, including John and James Holford, who named the area "Holford's Prarie". Further south, Presbyterians established a church and named it Flower Mound
. In the ensuing confusion regarding land ownership after the Hedgcoxe War
, Basdeal Lewis purchased Holford's Prarie in 1853 and renamed it after himself.
Few families in the town could afford slaves, but since many of the area's settlers were came from non-slave states, the practice was not as popular in Lewisville as it was elsewhere. In 1845, the Fox family, which owned about a dozen slaves, buried a slave child named Melinda on the family farm, which eventually became the town's cemetery for black residents. Named Fox-Hembry Cemetery, the plot still exists today. Though it sometimes falls into disrepair, local residents and businesses gathered to restore it in 2011. Though Abraham Lincoln
was not on the ballot in the area for the 1860 Presidential election
, residents of Lewisville (listed as "Hollforts" on election results) still gave John C. Breckinridge
only a slim majority of votes (44 to 31) against a fusion
option.
During Reconstruction, Lewisville became home to the first cotton gin in Denton County
, built in 1867 by T.M. Claytor and George Craft. The mill could produce up to three bales per day. The Thirteenth Texas Legislature
chartered the Dallas and Wichita Railroad (later the Missouri-Kansas-Texas) under the terms that 20 miles of track had to be in running order by July 1, 1875. Lewisville paid the company $15,000 to come to the city with a promise of another $5,000 upon completion. The company saved the deal by completing the railroad tracks to just south of Lewisville the morning of the deadline. The line began running full time in 1881. Republicans in the Fourteenth Texas Legislature
passed a law on April 30th, 1874 prohibiting alcohol within two miles of the town. The law was extremely unpopular with residents and the city still had as many as 17 saloons at one point. The population of the unincorporated town was 500 in 1888.
, Sanger
, and Pilot Point
). During this time and the decade after it, residents accomplished a number of important tasks. On January 15, 1925, residents voted to incorporate the area as a city by a margin of 17 votes. The incorporation established the official boundries of the new town.
Because the city had diversified its economy before the Wall Street Crash of 1929
, Lewisville was fairly insulated from the Great Depression
. Still, Lewisville residents, including business leaders like J.L. Huffines and James Degan, supported Franklin D. Roosevelt's
New Deal
programs. By 1936, the Works Progress Administration
operated a cannery in the town to provide temporary jobs to the unemployed. As an extension of the Good Roads Movement
, which had been prominent in Denton County since the early 1910s, residents formed the Good Roads Committee of Lewisville to lobby state and federal officials for funding to create better streets. In 1931, Lewisville celebrated the paving of the highway between Denton and Dallas
with a "Coming Out of the Mud" ceremony. The new pavement closed the "Lewisville Gap" between the two cities, a stretch of dirt roads that often became too muddy for travel.
The new road also indirectly led to the downfall of the area's public transit system. Between 1925 and 1932, the Texas Interurban Railway, an electric commuter rail service, operated a station in Lewisville. Business leaders in the Lewisville Chamber of Commerce welcomed the service at the time, proudly citing the city's progressive
citizenship. The area's low population density could not sustain the venture, however. In 1932, the line went out of business and immediately halted service. On April 25, 1934, Raymond Hamilton
of the Barrow gang (minus leaders Bonnie and Clyde
) robbed the First National Bank of Lewisville. Residents chased him to Howe, Texas
, where he was captured at a roadblock and transferred to Dallas County Jail.
. The city adopted a home-rule charter for a Council-Manager style of municipal government in 1963, becoming one of only a few home-rule cities in Texas with a population of less than 5,000.
In September 1969, just 13 days after Woodstock, the city hosted the Texas International Pop Festival
on Labor Day weekend. The festival drew over 250,000 rock and jazz fans and featured performances by Janis Joplin
, B.B. King and Led Zeppelin
. In 2011, the Texas Historical Commission
dedicated a historical event marker at the Denton County Transportation Authority
A-train
Hebron station.
When Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
opened to the south of the city in 1974 and Vista Ridge Mall
opened at the intersection of Interstate 35E
and Round Grove Road in 1987, Lewisville began to experience rapid suburban growth. The city's population increased from 24,273 in 1980 to 46,521 in 1990, making it the 40th most populous state in Texas. In the early 1990s, the Lewisville Chamber of Commerce marketed the city with the slogan "City of Expanding Horizons". The city elected three different female mayors between 1985 and 2000. The population count reached 77,737 in 2000 and 95,290 in 2010.
. It is located in the eastern part of the Cross Timbers
area of Texas between the Texas Blackland Prairies
and the Grand Prairie. Although physical geography is not extremely varied in North Texas
, significant geographical features include Lewisville Lake
, the Elm Fork of the Trinity River
, and two local tributaries of the Elm Fork, Prairie Creek and Timber Creek. Vista Ridge, a small plateau, is in the southeast corner of Lewisville. The lowest part of Denton County, at 484 feet, is located in Lewisville. The city has a total area of 42.47 square miles (110 km²), of which 36.398 square miles (94.3 km²) is land and 6.072 square miles (15.7 km²) is water.
in Old Town Lewisville. The theater functions as a hub for the arts in Lewisville with its ability to show films, host meetings, and feature other artistic performances in various mediums. The project began in 2004, when community leaders decided to fulfill the long-term goal of building a center for the arts that would coincide with the opening of the new Old Town
A-train
station in 2011. The city hosted the grand opening of the facility in January 2011 with a series of performances, children’s shows, and ballet recitals. On the final day of the festivities, Neil Ferguson, president of the Greater Lewisville Arts Alliance, presented the theater with a $25,000 contribution from the organization, beginning their fundraiser to place a Steinway & Sons
piano in the venue.
Presidential library
.
area, but there are a number of niche publications that cater to the city. The Lewisville Leader, formerly The Lewisville Enterprise and The Lewisville Headlight, has changed hands a number of times. Jack Lewis, the city's second mayor, owned and edited the publication from 1920 to 1945. In 1962, The Enterprise merged with The Leader. The new publisher, U.O. Clements, was a staunch conservative but vociferously supported integration of Lewisville schools, which led to his receiving of many anonymous threats from the Ku Klux Klan
. The paper was sold to a corporation in 1971. In 2011, the Lewisville City Council named the Lewisville portion of Neighborsgo
, a weekly section of the Dallas Morning News, as the official newspaper of record for the city.
.
It is also home to professional golfer Chad Campbell
, winner of the 2003 Tour Championship
, and Jimmy Johnson, caddie to professional golfers Nick Price
, Michelle Wie
, Steve Stricker
, and Charles Howell III
. In February of 2011, Cool Clubs in Lewisville was listed as one of the top 100 clubfitters in the country.
, and 3.2% from two or more races. 29.2% of the all races were considered of Hispanic or Latino descent. Of the 37,496 households, 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.21. The population was spread out in age. The median age was 30.9 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.
style of municipal government. Residents elect six members of the City Council, including a mayor, who are elected for three-year terms and are not term-limited.
The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
, Joaquin Phoenix
, and Robert Patrick
visited the fire department to promote their new film Ladder 49
.
in Texas and is represented by Representative Michael C. Burgess
in the United States House of Representatives
. It is currently represented by Chris Harris in District 9
of the Texas Senate
. The city is split between two Texas House of Representatives
districts, including the 63rd District
, represented by Tan Parker
, and the 65th District
, represented by Burt Solomons. The city has been home to two former Speakers of the Texas House
, Charles G. Thomas and Fred H. Minor.
(DCTA) which operates express coach service to downtown Dallas
and Denton
. In 2011, 79 years after the Texas Interurban Railway halted service, the Old Town
and Hebron
stations in Lewisville opened as commuter rail stations along the route of DCTA's A-train
. The route continues to Frankford station in Carrollton
, where commuters can then board the Dallas Area Rapid Transit
(DART) Green Line
to Dallas.
for the city was $24,703. About 3.9% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. The top employers in the city are:
Denton County, Texas
Denton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 432,976; in 2009 the estimated population had reached 628,300. Part of the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex, it is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. The county seat is Denton. The county...
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 2010 United States Census placed the population at 95,290 within 35.4 square miles (91.7 km²). The city also includes 6.07 square miles (15.7 km²) of Lewisville Lake
Lewisville Lake
Lewisville Lake is a reservoir located in North Texas on the Elm Fork of the Trinity River in Denton County near Lewisville. The lake is primarily used recreationally for boating and watercraft, however, it was built for flood control purposes and to serve as a water source for Dallas and its...
.
The origin of the community began in the early 1840s, and the arrival of the town's first railroad in 1881 engendered its initial growth. It incorporated in 1925, making it one of the oldest incorporated cities in the northern area of the Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
-Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
Metroplex
Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
. The city began to expand rapidly in the early 1950s and today it is a major economic and residential hub of the region.
Settlement
In 1841, the Republic of TexasRepublic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
chartered the Peters Colony Land Grant Company (named for William Smalling Peters, publisher of the song "Oh! Susanna
Oh! Susanna
"Oh! Susanna" is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster . It was published by W. C. Peters & Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1848. The song was introduced by a local quintette at a concert in Andrews' Eagle Ice Cream Saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1847. Foster was said to have written...
") to settle the North Texas area. In 1844, John W. King and his wife, Jane King, settled on the east side of the prairie, where the city currently lies. Other Baptist settlers from Platte County, Missouri
Platte County, Missouri
As of the census of 2000, there were 73,781 people, 29,278 households, and 20,231 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 people per square mile . There were 30,902 housing units at an average density of 74 per square mile...
, settled on the west side, including John and James Holford, who named the area "Holford's Prarie". Further south, Presbyterians established a church and named it Flower Mound
Flower Mound, Texas
Flower Mound is a town in Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas, and a suburb of Fort Worth and Dallas. Its population was 50,702 at the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 census, and 64,669 at the 2010 Census. The town derives its name from the prominent mound located in the southern...
. In the ensuing confusion regarding land ownership after the Hedgcoxe War
Hedgcoxe War
The Hedgcoxe War of 1852, also known as the Peters colony rebellion, was an armed uprising of Texas colonists protesting what they viewed as an attempt by the land company to invalidate their land claims. From its inception the colony had been embroiled in controversy regarding the terms of...
, Basdeal Lewis purchased Holford's Prarie in 1853 and renamed it after himself.
Few families in the town could afford slaves, but since many of the area's settlers were came from non-slave states, the practice was not as popular in Lewisville as it was elsewhere. In 1845, the Fox family, which owned about a dozen slaves, buried a slave child named Melinda on the family farm, which eventually became the town's cemetery for black residents. Named Fox-Hembry Cemetery, the plot still exists today. Though it sometimes falls into disrepair, local residents and businesses gathered to restore it in 2011. Though Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
was not on the ballot in the area for the 1860 Presidential election
United States presidential election, 1860
The United States presidential election of 1860 was a quadrennial election, held on November 6, 1860, for the office of President of the United States and the immediate impetus for the outbreak of the American Civil War. The nation had been divided throughout the 1850s on questions surrounding the...
, residents of Lewisville (listed as "Hollforts" on election results) still gave John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
only a slim majority of votes (44 to 31) against a fusion
Electoral fusion
Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate...
option.
During Reconstruction, Lewisville became home to the first cotton gin in Denton County
Denton County, Texas
Denton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 432,976; in 2009 the estimated population had reached 628,300. Part of the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex, it is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. The county seat is Denton. The county...
, built in 1867 by T.M. Claytor and George Craft. The mill could produce up to three bales per day. The Thirteenth Texas Legislature
Thirteenth Texas Legislature
The Thirteenth Texas Legislature met from 14 January to 4 June 1873 in its regular session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1872.-Senate:Lieutenant Governor: Vacant...
chartered the Dallas and Wichita Railroad (later the Missouri-Kansas-Texas) under the terms that 20 miles of track had to be in running order by July 1, 1875. Lewisville paid the company $15,000 to come to the city with a promise of another $5,000 upon completion. The company saved the deal by completing the railroad tracks to just south of Lewisville the morning of the deadline. The line began running full time in 1881. Republicans in the Fourteenth Texas Legislature
Fourteenth Texas Legislature
The Fourteenth Texas Legislature met from 13 January 1874 to 15 March 1875 in two regular sessions. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1873.-Sessions:...
passed a law on April 30th, 1874 prohibiting alcohol within two miles of the town. The law was extremely unpopular with residents and the city still had as many as 17 saloons at one point. The population of the unincorporated town was 500 in 1888.
Progress
From 1920 to 1930, Lewisville's population increased slightly from 815 to 853, making it the fourth most populous town in Denton County (behind DentonDenton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
, Sanger
Sanger, Texas
Sanger is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,534 at the 2000 census. The 2006 population was 6,200. -Geography:Sanger is located at ....
, and Pilot Point
Pilot Point, Texas
Pilot Point is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,538 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pilot Point is located at ....
). During this time and the decade after it, residents accomplished a number of important tasks. On January 15, 1925, residents voted to incorporate the area as a city by a margin of 17 votes. The incorporation established the official boundries of the new town.
Because the city had diversified its economy before the Wall Street Crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
, Lewisville was fairly insulated from the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Still, Lewisville residents, including business leaders like J.L. Huffines and James Degan, supported Franklin D. Roosevelt's
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
programs. By 1936, the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
operated a cannery in the town to provide temporary jobs to the unemployed. As an extension of the Good Roads Movement
Good Roads Movement
The Good Roads Movement occurred in the United States between the late 1870s and the 1920s. Advocates for improved roads led by bicyclists turned local agitation into a national political movement....
, which had been prominent in Denton County since the early 1910s, residents formed the Good Roads Committee of Lewisville to lobby state and federal officials for funding to create better streets. In 1931, Lewisville celebrated the paving of the highway between Denton and Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
with a "Coming Out of the Mud" ceremony. The new pavement closed the "Lewisville Gap" between the two cities, a stretch of dirt roads that often became too muddy for travel.
The new road also indirectly led to the downfall of the area's public transit system. Between 1925 and 1932, the Texas Interurban Railway, an electric commuter rail service, operated a station in Lewisville. Business leaders in the Lewisville Chamber of Commerce welcomed the service at the time, proudly citing the city's progressive
Progressivism in the United States
Progressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
citizenship. The area's low population density could not sustain the venture, however. In 1932, the line went out of business and immediately halted service. On April 25, 1934, Raymond Hamilton
Raymond Hamilton
Raymond Hamilton was a member of the notorious Barrow Gang during the early 1930s. By the time he was 21 years old he had accumulated a prison sentence of 362 years.-The Barrow Gang:...
of the Barrow gang (minus leaders Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
) robbed the First National Bank of Lewisville. Residents chased him to Howe, Texas
Howe, Texas
Howe is a town in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,478 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sherman–Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area-Geography:Howe is located at ....
, where he was captured at a roadblock and transferred to Dallas County Jail.
Growth
Lewisville's rapid growth began when construction of the Garza-Little Elm Dam finished in 1954. The dam expanded the Garza-Little Elm Reservoir into the what is now Lewisville LakeLewisville Lake
Lewisville Lake is a reservoir located in North Texas on the Elm Fork of the Trinity River in Denton County near Lewisville. The lake is primarily used recreationally for boating and watercraft, however, it was built for flood control purposes and to serve as a water source for Dallas and its...
. The city adopted a home-rule charter for a Council-Manager style of municipal government in 1963, becoming one of only a few home-rule cities in Texas with a population of less than 5,000.
In September 1969, just 13 days after Woodstock, the city hosted the Texas International Pop Festival
Texas International Pop Festival
The Texas International Pop Festival was a music festival held at Lewisville, Texas, on Labor Day weekend, August 30-September 1, 1969. It occurred two weeks after Woodstock...
on Labor Day weekend. The festival drew over 250,000 rock and jazz fans and featured performances by Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, B.B. King and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. In 2011, the Texas Historical Commission
Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas....
dedicated a historical event marker at the Denton County Transportation Authority
Denton County Transportation Authority
The Denton County Transportation Authority is the transit authority that operates in Denton County, Texas, USA, which is northwest of Dallas County...
A-train
A-train (Denton County Transportation Authority)
The A-train is a commuter rail line in Denton County, Texas, United States that parallels Interstate 35E and acts as an extension with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Green Line at Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton. It is operated by the Denton County Transportation Authority and serves Denton...
Hebron station.
When Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, and is the busiest airport in the U.S. state of Texas...
opened to the south of the city in 1974 and Vista Ridge Mall
Vista Ridge Mall
Vista Ridge Mall is a shopping mall in Lewisville, Texas, USA, and was constructed in 1989. It is located on the southwest corner of Round Grove Road and the portion of Interstate 35E known as Stemmons Freeway. It contains 160 stores, five of which are anchor tenants.The mall had its grand opening...
opened at the intersection of Interstate 35E
Interstate 35E (Texas)
Interstate 35E , an Interstate Highway, is the eastern half of Interstate 35 where it splits to serve different cities in Texas. I-35 splits into two branch routes, I-35W and I-35E at Hillsboro. I-35E runs north for , maintaining I-35's sequence of exit numbers. It runs through Dallas before...
and Round Grove Road in 1987, Lewisville began to experience rapid suburban growth. The city's population increased from 24,273 in 1980 to 46,521 in 1990, making it the 40th most populous state in Texas. In the early 1990s, the Lewisville Chamber of Commerce marketed the city with the slogan "City of Expanding Horizons". The city elected three different female mayors between 1985 and 2000. The population count reached 77,737 in 2000 and 95,290 in 2010.
Topography
Lewisville is located at 33°2′18"N 97°0′22"W (33.038316, -97.006232) at an elevation of about 550 ft (165 m). It is situated at the southern end of Denton County and the northern end of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplexDallas–Fort Worth metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
. It is located in the eastern part of the Cross Timbers
Cross Timbers
The term Cross Timbers is used to describe a strip of land in the United States that runs from southeastern Kansas across Central Oklahoma to Central Texas...
area of Texas between the Texas Blackland Prairies
Texas blackland prairies
The Texas Blackland Prairies are a temperate grassland ecoregion located in Texas that runs roughly from the Red River in North Texas to San Antonio in the south.-Setting:...
and the Grand Prairie. Although physical geography is not extremely varied in North Texas
North Texas
North Texas is a distinct cultural and geographic area forming the central-northeastern section of the U.S. state of Texas. North Texas is generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, and north of Waco...
, significant geographical features include Lewisville Lake
Lewisville Lake
Lewisville Lake is a reservoir located in North Texas on the Elm Fork of the Trinity River in Denton County near Lewisville. The lake is primarily used recreationally for boating and watercraft, however, it was built for flood control purposes and to serve as a water source for Dallas and its...
, the Elm Fork of the Trinity River
Trinity River (Texas)
The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....
, and two local tributaries of the Elm Fork, Prairie Creek and Timber Creek. Vista Ridge, a small plateau, is in the southeast corner of Lewisville. The lowest part of Denton County, at 484 feet, is located in Lewisville. The city has a total area of 42.47 square miles (110 km²), of which 36.398 square miles (94.3 km²) is land and 6.072 square miles (15.7 km²) is water.
Climate
Surrounding municipalities
MCL Grand Theater
The Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, known primarily as the MCL Grand, is located in the east side of Interstate 35EInterstate 35E (Texas)
Interstate 35E , an Interstate Highway, is the eastern half of Interstate 35 where it splits to serve different cities in Texas. I-35 splits into two branch routes, I-35W and I-35E at Hillsboro. I-35E runs north for , maintaining I-35's sequence of exit numbers. It runs through Dallas before...
in Old Town Lewisville. The theater functions as a hub for the arts in Lewisville with its ability to show films, host meetings, and feature other artistic performances in various mediums. The project began in 2004, when community leaders decided to fulfill the long-term goal of building a center for the arts that would coincide with the opening of the new Old Town
Old Town Station
Old Town Station is an A-train commuter rail station in Lewisville, Texas. It serves commuters from Lewisville and is a destination station in the city's historic downtown area....
A-train
A-train (Denton County Transportation Authority)
The A-train is a commuter rail line in Denton County, Texas, United States that parallels Interstate 35E and acts as an extension with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Green Line at Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton. It is operated by the Denton County Transportation Authority and serves Denton...
station in 2011. The city hosted the grand opening of the facility in January 2011 with a series of performances, children’s shows, and ballet recitals. On the final day of the festivities, Neil Ferguson, president of the Greater Lewisville Arts Alliance, presented the theater with a $25,000 contribution from the organization, beginning their fundraiser to place a Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
piano in the venue.
Libraries
The city government started the Lewisville Public Library in 1968 when it named Cindy Bennett as its first library director. A 5,000 square-foot structure was built where the current city hall stands. In 1986, the city built a new structure as part of the municipal building on Main Street. In 2001, Lewisville voters approved a 4B tax package, part of which was dedicated to building a new library facility. The $11 million renovation project was unveiled in 2006. The children's wing of the new facility was dedicated to Bennett. The library received the Achievement of Excellence in Libraries Award in 2006 and 2009. As of 2011, Lewisville is the official home of the George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
Presidential library
Presidential library
In the United States, the Presidential library system is a nationwide network of 13 libraries administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration...
.
Media
Residents are generally served by media outlets from the DallasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
area, but there are a number of niche publications that cater to the city. The Lewisville Leader, formerly The Lewisville Enterprise and The Lewisville Headlight, has changed hands a number of times. Jack Lewis, the city's second mayor, owned and edited the publication from 1920 to 1945. In 1962, The Enterprise merged with The Leader. The new publisher, U.O. Clements, was a staunch conservative but vociferously supported integration of Lewisville schools, which led to his receiving of many anonymous threats from the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. The paper was sold to a corporation in 1971. In 2011, the Lewisville City Council named the Lewisville portion of Neighborsgo
Neighborsgo
Neighborsgo is a weekly community newspaper published by The Dallas Morning News. Each Friday, 11 print editions are distributed to more than 340,000 households in the Dallas area. The material in print editions comes primarily from user-submitted material on the Web site, neighborsgo.com, where...
, a weekly section of the Dallas Morning News, as the official newspaper of record for the city.
Lewisville Lake Park
Lewisville is bordered to the north by Lewisville Lake, which serves as a major recreation focus of the city. In addition to casual boating and fishing, it hosts regular Bassmaster Tournaments hosted by the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. The Bassmaster 2011 Central Open event also included the first ever Wounded Warrior Benefit Tournament, an informal competition benefiting the Warrior & Family Support Center at Fort Sam HoustonFort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
.
Toyota of Lewisville Railroad Park
Using the revenue from a quarter-cent sales tax increase, Lewisville built the $20 million Railroad Park, the largest capital project in the city’s history at the time. In 2010, the city reached a deal worth $1.5 million with Toyota of Lewisville to name the park Toyota of Lewisville Railroad Park. The park is unlike most of its kind in the area. Its amenities include a a baseball/softball complex, a football complex, eight lighted soccer fields, two concession buildings, a perimeter walking/jogging trail, and three man-made lakes. It also includes a six acre section for dogs and their owners as well as the Scion Skate Park. In 2010 and 2011, the skate park hosted the Scion Regional Amateur Tour, a series of six skateboarding competitions held across the country each year.Golf
Lewisville is a major hub of the Northern Golf Corridor of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and is sometimes referred to as the "golf mecca" of the area. Courses and facilities located in the city include:- The Hank HaneyHank HaneyHank Haney is an American professional golf instructor best known for coaching Tiger Woods and two-time major championship winner Mark O'Meara...
Golf Ranch at Vista Ridge, owned and operated by Hank Haney Golf, which also has its headquarters in Lewisville. Haney is the former swing instructor of Tiger WoodsTiger WoodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
. - The Lakes at Castle Hills, which opened in 1999. It is home to the Arnold PalmerArnold PalmerArnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
Golf Academy and was designed by Jay MorrishJay MorrishJay Morrish is an American golf course designer. Jay Morrish graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Landscape and Nursery Management. In 1964, he taught Horticulture at that university while pursuing graduate degrees....
. - Timbercreek Golf Center, owned by former Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
lineman Glen TitensorGlen TitensorGlen Weston Titensor is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League... - Lake Park Golf Course.
It is also home to professional golfer Chad Campbell
Chad Campbell
David Chad Campbell is an American professional golfer.-Early years and amateur career:Campbell was born in Andrews, Texas and grew up in west Texas. He was a member of a strong junior college men's golf squad during the years he played at Midland College...
, winner of the 2003 Tour Championship
The Tour Championship
The Tour Championship was historically the final event of golf's PGA Tour season. Since 2007, it has been the final event of the FedEx Cup, the competition for the first official championship trophy for the PGA Tour season. From 1987 to 1996, several courses hosted the event...
, and Jimmy Johnson, caddie to professional golfers Nick Price
Nick Price
Nicholas Raymond Leige Price is a South African-Zimbabwean Professional golfer and an inductee in the World Golf Hall of Fame. In the mid-1990s, Price reached number one in the Official World Golf Rankings.-Background:...
, Michelle Wie
Michelle Wie
Michelle Sung Wie is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. At age 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. Wie would also become the youngest winner of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links and the youngest to qualify for a LPGA Tour event...
, Steve Stricker
Steve Stricker
Steven Stricker is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won 11 tournaments on the PGA Tour including the 2001 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and two FedEx Cup playoff events. His most successful season on tour came in 2009, when he had three tournament victories...
, and Charles Howell III
Charles Howell III
Charles Gordon Howell III is an American golfer. He has been featured in the top 15 of the Official World Golf Rankings.-Early years and amateur career:...
. In February of 2011, Cool Clubs in Lewisville was listed as one of the top 100 clubfitters in the country.
Proposed Trail System
In 2011, the Lewisville Park Board proposed a new trails master plan that included a major overhaul of the trail system for the city, which will include 51 miles of off-street trails, 50 miles of enhanced sidewalks, 50 miles of bike routes, a 7.4 paddling trail down the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, and 31 major and minor trailheads throughout the area, many of which connect to other trail systems. The city currently has a network of linear trails spanning approximately 14 miles. The plan also includes numerous crossings across Interstate I35E in an effort to minimize safety risk for pedestrians.Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 95,290, including 37,496 households and 23,417 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 65.3% White, 11.2% African American, 0.7% Native American, 7.8% Asian, 11.3% from other racesRace (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 3.2% from two or more races. 29.2% of the all races were considered of Hispanic or Latino descent. Of the 37,496 households, 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.21. The population was spread out in age. The median age was 30.9 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.
Government
The City of Lewisville uses a council-managerCouncil-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
style of municipal government. Residents elect six members of the City Council, including a mayor, who are elected for three-year terms and are not term-limited.
| Mayor | Dean Ueckert |
| Council member for Place 1 | Leroy Vaughn |
| Council member for Place 2 | (Vacant) |
| Council member for Place 3 | TJ Gilmore |
| Council member for Place 4 | John Gorena |
| Council member for Place 5 | Rudy Durham |
Finances
In the fiscal year 2010-2011, the city had a total city-wide operating budget of $103,072,207. Lewisville has the lowest property tax in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
| City Department | Director |
|---|---|
| City Manager | Claude King |
| City Secretary | Julie Heinze |
| City Attorney | Lizbeth Plaster |
| Municipal Judge | Brian Holman |
| Assistant City Manager – Development | Steven L. Bacchus |
| Assistant City Manager – Administrative Services | Donna Barron |
| Budget and Research Director | Gina Thompson |
| Community Development Director | Eric Ferris |
| Community Relations and Tourism Director | James Kunke |
| Economic Development Director | Nika Reinecke |
| Finance Director | Brenda Martin |
| Fire Chief | Tim Tittle |
| Human Resources Director | Melinda Galler |
| Information Technology Services Director | Larry Buchanan |
| Parks and Recreation Director | Robert Monaghan |
| Police Chief | Russell Kerbow |
| Public Services Director | Carole Bassinger |
Police
As late as 1977, the Lewisville Police Department had 27 sworn police officers, but that number increased to 136 by 2007. As of 2011, there are 199 full time employees of the department, four of which are classified as administration. There were 94 police vehicles in operation.Fire
As of 2011, the Lewisville Fire Department had 135 full time employees, six of which are considered administration. Until 2011, the fire department was led by Chief Rick Lasky, who now works as a consultant and motivational speaker. After the September 11 attacks, Lasky and the fire department attracted national attention when they raised a large amount of donations for the families of the victims of the attacks. In 2004, as a reward for their fundraising, John TravoltaJohn Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
, Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later...
, and Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
visited the fire department to promote their new film Ladder 49
Ladder 49
Ladder 49 is a 2004 film about the heroics of a Baltimore fireman Jack Morrison, who is trapped inside a warehouse fire and his recollection of the events that got him to that point. The movie is a celebration of the firefighting profession and the life that comes with it...
.
National and State Representation
Lewisville is located within the 26th Congressional districtTexas's 26th congressional district
-2006 election:-2008 election:-2010 election:-References:*...
in Texas and is represented by Representative Michael C. Burgess
Michael C. Burgess
Michael Clifton Burgess, is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus.-Early life, education, and early career:...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. It is currently represented by Chris Harris in District 9
Texas Senate, District 9
District 9 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 9 is Chris Harris.-2004:-2002:-2000:...
of the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
. The city is split between two Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
districts, including the 63rd District
Texas House of Representatives, District 64
District 64 is a district of the Texas House of Representatives that serves a portion of Denton County. The current representative for District 64 is Republican Myra Crownover, who has served the district since 2000 when she was selected to complete the unexpired term left by her late husband,...
, represented by Tan Parker
Tan Parker
Tan Parker is a politician and businessman who currently serves in the Texas House of Representatives. He was elected as a Republican to represent District 63 in 2006....
, and the 65th District
Texas House of Representatives, District 65
District 65 is a district of the Texas House of Representatives that serves a portion of Denton County. The current representative for District 65 is Republican Burt Solomons, who has served the district since 1994.-District description:...
, represented by Burt Solomons. The city has been home to two former Speakers of the Texas House
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Texas House of Representatives. The Speaker's main duties are to conduct meetings of the House, appoint committees, and enforce the Rules of the House...
, Charles G. Thomas and Fred H. Minor.
Transportation
Rail
Lewisville is served by the Denton County Transportation AuthorityDenton County Transportation Authority
The Denton County Transportation Authority is the transit authority that operates in Denton County, Texas, USA, which is northwest of Dallas County...
(DCTA) which operates express coach service to downtown Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and Denton
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
. In 2011, 79 years after the Texas Interurban Railway halted service, the Old Town
Old Town Station
Old Town Station is an A-train commuter rail station in Lewisville, Texas. It serves commuters from Lewisville and is a destination station in the city's historic downtown area....
and Hebron
Hebron Station
Hebron Station is an A-train commuter rail station in Lewisville, Texas. It is east of Interstate-35E and serves commuters from Lewisville and the Vista Ridge Mall retail area...
stations in Lewisville opened as commuter rail stations along the route of DCTA's A-train
A-train (Denton County Transportation Authority)
The A-train is a commuter rail line in Denton County, Texas, United States that parallels Interstate 35E and acts as an extension with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Green Line at Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton. It is operated by the Denton County Transportation Authority and serves Denton...
. The route continues to Frankford station in Carrollton
Carrollton, Texas
-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was 112°F in 1980.*The average coolest month is January.*The lowest recorded temperature was 1°F in 1989.*The most precipitation on average occurs in May....
, where commuters can then board the Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
(DART) Green Line
Green Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)
The Green Line is a light rail line in Dallas, USA, operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority . The US$1.7 billion project opened in phases, starting in 2009...
to Dallas.
Roads
-
Interstate 35EInterstate 35E (Texas)Interstate 35E , an Interstate Highway, is the eastern half of Interstate 35 where it splits to serve different cities in Texas. I-35 splits into two branch routes, I-35W and I-35E at Hillsboro. I-35E runs north for , maintaining I-35's sequence of exit numbers. It runs through Dallas before... -
State Highway 121 Toll Road -
Farm to Market Road 407Farm to Market Road 407Farm to Market Road 407 is a farm to market road in Wise and Denton counties, Texas.-Route description:FM 407 begins in Wise County, at in New Fairview. The route travels east into Denton County and into the city of Justin; FM 407 was the primary access route between the former and farms that...
(Justin Road) -
Farm to Market Road 1171Farm to Market Road 1171Farm to Market Road 1171 is a farm to market road in Denton County, Texas.-Route description:FM 1171 begins at IH 35W in Northlake. The two-lane route is an often-congested roadway for traffic traveling to Flower Mound, which lies to east, and Texas Motor Speedway, which lies one exit to the...
(Main Street) -
Farm to Market Road 3040Farm to Market Road 3040Farm to Market Road 3040 is a highway in the farm to market road system of Texas. It runs about from Flower Mound to Lewisville in Denton County.-Route description:FM 3040 begins at the intersection of and Flower Mound Road in Flower Mound...
(Round Grove Road) -
Farm to Market Road 3504Farm to Market Road 3504Farm to Market Road 3504 is a farm-to-market road in Denton County, located entirely within the city of Lewisville, Texas.-Route description:...
(Mill Street)
Economy
The median income for a household in the city was $54,771, and the median income for a family was $63,719. Males had a median income of $41,058 versus $31,705 for females. The per capita incomePer 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 $24,703. About 3.9% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. The top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JP Morgan Chase | 2,817 |
| 2 | Lewisville Independent School District | 2,122 |
| 3 | Vista Ridge Mall | 1,980 |
| 4 | Med Fusion Laboratories | 900 |
| 5 | Nationstar Mortgage | 900 |
| 6 | Wal-Mart | 873 |
| 7 | Lewisville Medical Center | 803 |
| 8 | City of Lewisville | 688 |
| 9 | SYSCO Foods | 625 |
| 10 | 21st Century Insurance | 500 |