Post, Texas
Encyclopedia
Post is a city in and the county seat
of Garza County
, Texas
, United States
. The population was 3,708 at the 2000 census.
There are many ranchers and civic boosters in Garza County, among them Giles McCrary
, a former mayor who operates the OS Museum
, a hybrid of exhibits from both the American West and Asia
, which are changed three times per year.
from Post, Texas. Old Mill Trade Days offered six hours of live music as well as other activities. Throughout the weekend commemoration, there were art shows, museum exhibits, and theater productions to observe the centennial.
In 1987, the Texas Historical Commission
designated Post as a Texas Main Street City. Main Street is lined with gift and clothing stores located in restored historic buildings. Centennial Plaza on the courthouse lawn honors veterans and Post civic leaders.
The Garza Theatre (1920-1957) on Main Street was among the first theaters in West Texas
dating back to the age of the silent screen. In 1986, the Garza was renovated and reopened for community events.Regular films are offered at the Tower Theater.
escarpment of the Llano Estacado
, the southeastern edge of the Great Plains
. It is at the crossroads of U.S. Routes 84
and 380
. Post was originally founded in 1907 as "Post City" as a utopian colonizing venture of Charles William (C. W.) Post
, the breakfast cereal
manufacturer. Post devised the community as a model town. He purchased 200000 acres (809.4 km²) of ranchland and established the Double U. Company to manage the town's construction. The company built trim houses and numerous structures, which included the Algerita Hotel, a gin, and a textile
plant. They planted trees along every street and prohibited alcohol
ic beverages and brothel
s. The Double U Company rented and sold farms and houses to settlers. A post office began in a tent during the year of Post City's founding, being established (with the name Post) July 18, 1907, with Frank L. Curtis as first postmaster. Two years later the town had a school, a bank
, and a newspaper
, the Post City Post, the same name as the daily in St. Louis
, Missouri
. The Garza County paper today is called the Post Dispatch. The railroad reached the town in 1910. The town changed its name to "Post" when it incorporated in 1914, the year of C. W. Post's death. By then, Post had a population of one thousand, ten retail businesses, a dentist
, a physician
, a sanitarium
, and Baptist
, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.
From 1910 to 1913, Post experimented with attempts at rainmaking. Explosives were detonated in the atmosphere at timed intervals. Precipitation records, however, showed that the efforts failed.
The C. W. Post estate pledged $75,000, and the town raised $35,000 in 1916 to bid unsuccessfully to become the site of the proposed West Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College, later Texas Tech University
. Postex Cotton Mills began production in 1913 with 250 employees. When the Post interests sold the business in 1945 to Ely and Walker Dry Goods Company of St. Louis, Missouri, the plant was producing six million yards of cloth a year and employed 375 workers who manufactured Postex cotton sheets and Garza pillow cases. Ely and Walker sold Postex in 1955 to Burlington Industries, the world's largest textile manufacturer at that time. By 1973, the company employed 450 persons. The mill has since closed.
Oilfield service companies have been important to the economy, as have farming and ranching. In 1989, Post had two libraries, a hospital, a nursing home, an airport, the Post Dispatch (founded 1926), and ninety businesses. The population reached 3,400 in 1928, declined to 2,000 in 1940, and increased to 3,100 during the 1950s. With the development of the local oil industry, the town's population attained its highest level of 4,800 in 1964. The 1980 census
showed a population of 3,864, but by 1988, the Texas Almanac
reported 4,162. In 1990, the population was 3,768.
The former sanitarium in Post is preserved as the Garza County Historical Museum
. It is located to the right rear of the courthouse. Linda G. Puckett is the museum director.
at 33°11′30"N 101°22′50"W (33.191789, -101.380432).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²), of which, 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.53%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,708 people, 1,243 households, and 873 families residing in the city. The population density
was 988.8 people per square mile (381.8/km²). There were 1,419 housing units at an average density of 378.4 per square mile (146.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 51.54% White (European, non-Hispanic), 5.47% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 18.69% from other races
, and 2.91% from two or more races. 42.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.
There were 1,243 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples
living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 114.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,034, and the median income for a family was $29,135. Males had a median income of $26,318 versus $17,266 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $11,113. About 23.0% of families and 27.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.2% of those under age 18 and 25.9% of those age 65 or over.
Post is served by two weekly newspaper, nearby stations KBXJ (FM) and KPET (AM), and the various Lubbock radio and TV stations. KPOS(AM) was licensed to Post but was deleted (license turned into FCC) for cancellation in 1998 when the sister FM was upgraded to cover Slaton and the Lubbock area. KSSL(FM)is licensed to Post but operates primarily from offices and studios in Slaton.
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 Garza County
Garza County, Texas
Garza County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas southeast of Lubbock. In 2000, its population was 4,872. Its county seat is Post. Garza is named for a pioneer Bexar County family, as it was once a part of that 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 3,708 at the 2000 census.
There are many ranchers and civic boosters in Garza County, among them Giles McCrary
Giles McCrary
Giles Connell McCrary, Sr. , was a self-employed oil operator, investor, art collector, rancher, and the owner of the OS Museum in Post, the seat of Garza County, southeast of Lubbock on the Texas South Plains....
, a former mayor who operates the OS Museum
OS Museum
The OS Museum, also known as the OS Ranch Museum, is a hybrid collection of mainly sculpture and paintings of Texas, the American West, and Asia located in the small city of Post, the seat of Garza County in West Texas...
, a hybrid of exhibits from both the American West and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, which are changed three times per year.
Centennial
Post observed its centennial in 2007. Festivities began with a parade and were followed by The All-School Reunion Dance, which featured the band Thrift Store CowboysThrift Store Cowboys
Thrift Store Cowboys are an alternative country and indie rock band, formed in 1999, in Lubbock, Texas by Daniel Fluitt and Colt Miller. Presently the band also includes Clint Miller, Amanda Shires, Cory Ames, Kris Killingsworth....
from Post, Texas. Old Mill Trade Days offered six hours of live music as well as other activities. Throughout the weekend commemoration, there were art shows, museum exhibits, and theater productions to observe the centennial.
In 1987, 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....
designated Post as a Texas Main Street City. Main Street is lined with gift and clothing stores located in restored historic buildings. Centennial Plaza on the courthouse lawn honors veterans and Post civic leaders.
The Garza Theatre (1920-1957) on Main Street was among the first theaters in West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
dating back to the age of the silent screen. In 1986, the Garza was renovated and reopened for community events.Regular films are offered at the Tower Theater.
History
Post is located on the edge of the caprockCaprock
The Caprock is a region in the Panhandle of Texas . It is the land to the west of the Caprock Escarpment, which separates it from plains stretching to the east at a much lower elevation....
escarpment of the Llano Estacado
Llano Estacado
Llano Estacado , commonly known as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, including the South Plains and parts of the Texas Panhandle...
, the southeastern edge of the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
. It is at the crossroads of U.S. Routes 84
U.S. Route 84
U.S. Route 84 is an east–west United States highway. It started as a short Georgia-Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme, but now extends all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short distance east of Midway, Georgia, at an intersection with I-95. The road continues...
and 380
U.S. Route 380
U.S. Route 380 is an east–west United States highway. The highway's eastern terminus is in Greenville, Texas at an intersection with Interstate 30, of which the easternmost 3–4 miles are co-located with US 69 in a loop around the west and south sides of Greenville. Its western terminus is at...
. Post was originally founded in 1907 as "Post City" as a utopian colonizing venture of Charles William (C. W.) Post
C. W. Post
Charles William Post , also known as C.W. Post, was an American breakfast cereal and foods manufacturer and a pioneer in the prepared-food industry.-Biography:...
, the breakfast cereal
Breakfast cereal
A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
manufacturer. Post devised the community as a model town. He purchased 200000 acres (809.4 km²) of ranchland and established the Double U. Company to manage the town's construction. The company built trim houses and numerous structures, which included the Algerita Hotel, a gin, and a textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
plant. They planted trees along every street and prohibited alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
ic beverages and brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
s. The Double U Company rented and sold farms and houses to settlers. A post office began in a tent during the year of Post City's founding, being established (with the name Post) July 18, 1907, with Frank L. Curtis as first postmaster. Two years later the town had a school, a bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
, and a newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, the Post City Post, the same name as the daily in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. The Garza County paper today is called the Post Dispatch. The railroad reached the town in 1910. The town changed its name to "Post" when it incorporated in 1914, the year of C. W. Post's death. By then, Post had a population of one thousand, ten retail businesses, a dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
, a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, a sanitarium
Sanitarium
Sanitarium may refer to:*An alternate spelling of sanatorium, a medical facility for long-term illness or a summer resort.*Sanitarium, California, in Napa County*Battle Creek Sanitarium, made famous by John Harvey Kellogg...
, and Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.
From 1910 to 1913, Post experimented with attempts at rainmaking. Explosives were detonated in the atmosphere at timed intervals. Precipitation records, however, showed that the efforts failed.
The C. W. Post estate pledged $75,000, and the town raised $35,000 in 1916 to bid unsuccessfully to become the site of the proposed West Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College, later Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
. Postex Cotton Mills began production in 1913 with 250 employees. When the Post interests sold the business in 1945 to Ely and Walker Dry Goods Company of St. Louis, Missouri, the plant was producing six million yards of cloth a year and employed 375 workers who manufactured Postex cotton sheets and Garza pillow cases. Ely and Walker sold Postex in 1955 to Burlington Industries, the world's largest textile manufacturer at that time. By 1973, the company employed 450 persons. The mill has since closed.
Oilfield service companies have been important to the economy, as have farming and ranching. In 1989, Post had two libraries, a hospital, a nursing home, an airport, the Post Dispatch (founded 1926), and ninety businesses. The population reached 3,400 in 1928, declined to 2,000 in 1940, and increased to 3,100 during the 1950s. With the development of the local oil industry, the town's population attained its highest level of 4,800 in 1964. The 1980 census
Census
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...
showed a population of 3,864, but by 1988, the Texas Almanac
Texas Almanac
The Texas Almanac is a biennially published reference work providing information for the general public on the history of the state and its people, government and politics, economics, natural resources, holidays, culture, education, recreation, the arts, and other topics...
reported 4,162. In 1990, the population was 3,768.
The former sanitarium in Post is preserved as the Garza County Historical Museum
Garza County Historical Museum
The Garza County Historical Museum houses a large collection of mostly ranch, cowboy, Indian, and pioneer artifacts located in a 1912 two-story colonial-style building of twenty-six rooms and hallways in Post, Texas, a community established by and named for the cereal magnate C. W. Post.The museum...
. It is located to the right rear of the courthouse. Linda G. Puckett is the museum director.
Geography
Post is located on the rolling plains at the foot of the Llano EstacadoLlano Estacado
Llano Estacado , commonly known as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, including the South Plains and parts of the Texas Panhandle...
at 33°11′30"N 101°22′50"W (33.191789, -101.380432).
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 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²), of which, 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.53%) is water.
Major roads and highways
U.S. Highway 84
U.S. Highway 380
State Highway 207
Farm to Market Road 669Farm to Market Road 669Farm to Market Road 669 is a Farm to Market Road in West Texas. It extends in a northerly direction for from Big Spring in Howard County to Post in Garza County....
Farm to Market Road 651
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 3,708 people, 1,243 households, and 873 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 988.8 people per square mile (381.8/km²). There were 1,419 housing units at an average density of 378.4 per square mile (146.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 51.54% White (European, non-Hispanic), 5.47% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 18.69% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.91% from two or more races. 42.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.
There were 1,243 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% 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, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 114.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,034, and the median income for a family was $29,135. Males had a median income of $26,318 versus $17,266 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $11,113. About 23.0% of families and 27.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.2% of those under age 18 and 25.9% of those age 65 or over.
Post is served by two weekly newspaper, nearby stations KBXJ (FM) and KPET (AM), and the various Lubbock radio and TV stations. KPOS(AM) was licensed to Post but was deleted (license turned into FCC) for cancellation in 1998 when the sister FM was upgraded to cover Slaton and the Lubbock area. KSSL(FM)is licensed to Post but operates primarily from offices and studios in Slaton.