Vega, Texas
Encyclopedia
Vega is a city in Oldham County, Texas
, United States
. It is the county seat
of Oldham County . The population was 936 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2009, U.S. Census Bureau
estimate placed the population at 896.
In 2005, Vega was the setting for the CMT
reality show, Popularity Contest.
It is located west of Amarillo
on historic U.S. Route 66
.
(Old Route 66
) and U.S. Highway 385 in southern Oldham County, approximately 30 miles west of Amarillo
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
for "meadow," was chosen because it reflected the vast prairie and surrounding countryside of the area. Soon after, Miller opened a store, and a post office, saloon, and a school that doubled as a Masonic Lodge were built in the community. In 1907, ranchers Patrick and John Landergin purchased a part of the LS Ranch from Swift & Company
. Working in association with the Amarillo
-based Pool Land Company, the Landergin brothers brought more prospective settlers to the community. The following year, they established a bank in Vega. When the railroad was completed, Vega began to thrive. There were several stores, a blacksmith, two churches, and a newspaper – the Vega Sentinel – operating in the community by early 1909.
The nearby town of Tascosa
, which was designated Oldham County seat in 1880, declined in both importance and population as Vega grew. A five-year battle over which community should serve as Oldham County's seat of government was put to a vote in 1915. In the special election, citizens chose to move the county seat from Tascosa to Vega. Until a permanent courthouse was built, county business was conducted in Vega's Oldham Hotel.
Modern amenities, such as telephone service, were introduced during the 1920s. In 1926,Route 66 (superseded by Interstate 40
) was commissioned as a link from Chicago to Los Angeles
and ran through Vega along the Old Ozark Trail
. The arrival of Route 66 provided an economic boost for the community. The Route 66 heritage is honored by a restored Magnolia gasoline station located adjacent to the courthouse, which appears as it would have in the 1920s or 1930s.
Vega was officially incorporated in 1927, and the population was 519 in the 1930 census. On May 3, 1931, a fire destroyed six buildings west of the courthouse square. Two months later, a second fire burned two buildings on the north side of the square. These fires prompted the town to establish a municipal water system.
Vega was home to 515 people in 1940, 619 in 1950, and 658 in 1960. By 1980, over one-third of the population of Oldham County resided in Vega. After a slight decline in the 1990s, the population had risen to 936 as of 2000.
of 2000, there were 936 people, 378 households, and 275 families residing in the city. The population density
was 866.7 people per square mile (334.6/km²). There were 407 housing units at an average density of 376.9/sq mi (145.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.76% White, 0.96% African American, 0.75% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 2.88% from other races
, and 0.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.40% of the population.
There were 378 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were married couples
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,481, and the median income for a family was $35,227. Males had a median income of $27,120 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,315. About 12.3% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
. In recent years, the district has had a total enrollment of between 250 and 300 students.
All Vega ISD students are housed on a single campus located at 200 Longhorn Drive. The campus is split into two schools – Vega Elementary School (grades K-6) and Vega High School
http://www.vegalonghorn.com/vnews/display.v/ART/48daa0ade08a1 (grades 7-12). In addition, students in grades 7-12 from the neighboring Wildorado Independent School District
in Wildorado
attend Vega High School unless their parents choose another of Wildorado's neighboring districts.
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...
. It is the county seat
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 Oldham County . The population was 936 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2009, 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 placed the population at 896.
In 2005, Vega was the setting for the CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
reality show, Popularity Contest.
It is located west of Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
on historic U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
.
Geography
Vega is located at 35°14′44"N 102°25′30"W (35.245547, -102.425112). It is situated at the junction of Interstate 40Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
(Old Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
) and U.S. Highway 385 in southern Oldham County, approximately 30 miles west of Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
History
In 1879, the area was opened by the state for homesteading. The first settler, N.J. Whitfield, arrived in 1899. On October 17, 1899, he purchased an area of Oldham County known as 'Section 90' for $1.00 per acre. In 1903, Whitfield sold a 100-foot strip of land that extended across the southern part of Oldham County to the Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Texas (later Rock Island) Railroad as a right-of-way. He then sold portions of land on the south side of the right-of-way to other settlers. A.M. Miller and Howard Trigg surveyed the town site that eventually became Vega in May 1903. The name Vega, which is SpanishSpanish 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...
for "meadow," was chosen because it reflected the vast prairie and surrounding countryside of the area. Soon after, Miller opened a store, and a post office, saloon, and a school that doubled as a Masonic Lodge were built in the community. In 1907, ranchers Patrick and John Landergin purchased a part of the LS Ranch from Swift & Company
Swift & Company
Swift & Company is an American food procession company a wholly owned subsidiary of JBS S.A. , a Brazilian company that is the world's largest processor of fresh beef and pork, with more than US$30 billion in annual sales as of 2010. It is also the largest beef processor in Australia.Swift &...
. Working in association with the Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
-based Pool Land Company, the Landergin brothers brought more prospective settlers to the community. The following year, they established a bank in Vega. When the railroad was completed, Vega began to thrive. There were several stores, a blacksmith, two churches, and a newspaper – the Vega Sentinel – operating in the community by early 1909.
The nearby town of Tascosa
Tascosa, Texas
Tascosa was once the capital of ten counties and a rival of Dodge City, but it is now a Ghost Town. It is located in Oldham County in the Texas Panhandle....
, which was designated Oldham County seat in 1880, declined in both importance and population as Vega grew. A five-year battle over which community should serve as Oldham County's seat of government was put to a vote in 1915. In the special election, citizens chose to move the county seat from Tascosa to Vega. Until a permanent courthouse was built, county business was conducted in Vega's Oldham Hotel.
Modern amenities, such as telephone service, were introduced during the 1920s. In 1926,Route 66 (superseded by Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
) was commissioned as a link from Chicago to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and ran through Vega along the Old Ozark Trail
Ozark Trail (auto trail)
The Ozark Trail was a network of locally maintained roads and highways organized by the Ozark Trails Association that predated the United States federal highway system. The roads ran from St. Louis, Missouri, to El Paso, Texas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, over a series of routes. These roads were...
. The arrival of Route 66 provided an economic boost for the community. The Route 66 heritage is honored by a restored Magnolia gasoline station located adjacent to the courthouse, which appears as it would have in the 1920s or 1930s.
Vega was officially incorporated in 1927, and the population was 519 in the 1930 census. On May 3, 1931, a fire destroyed six buildings west of the courthouse square. Two months later, a second fire burned two buildings on the north side of the square. These fires prompted the town to establish a municipal water system.
Vega was home to 515 people in 1940, 619 in 1950, and 658 in 1960. By 1980, over one-third of the population of Oldham County resided in Vega. After a slight decline in the 1990s, the population had risen to 936 as of 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 936 people, 378 households, and 275 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 866.7 people per square mile (334.6/km²). There were 407 housing units at an average density of 376.9/sq mi (145.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.76% White, 0.96% African American, 0.75% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 2.88% 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 0.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.40% of the population.
There were 378 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,481, and the median income for a family was $35,227. Males had a median income of $27,120 versus $22,500 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 $17,315. About 12.3% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public education in the city of Vega is provided by the Vega Independent School DistrictVega Independent School District
Vega Independent School District is a public school district based in Vega, Texas .Located in Oldham County, the district extends into a small portion of Deaf Smith County...
. In recent years, the district has had a total enrollment of between 250 and 300 students.
All Vega ISD students are housed on a single campus located at 200 Longhorn Drive. The campus is split into two schools – Vega Elementary School (grades K-6) and Vega High School
Vega High School
Vega High School is a 1A high school located in Vega, Texas . It is part of the Vega Independent School District located in southeastern Oldham County...
http://www.vegalonghorn.com/vnews/display.v/ART/48daa0ade08a1 (grades 7-12). In addition, students in grades 7-12 from the neighboring Wildorado Independent School District
Wildorado Independent School District
Wildorado Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Wildorado, Texas .Located in Oldham County, the district extends into portions of Deaf Smith and Randall counties....
in Wildorado
Wildorado, Texas
Wildorado is an unincorporated community in Oldham County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 180 in 2000.-Geography:...
attend Vega High School unless their parents choose another of Wildorado's neighboring districts.
Public Library
Originally built in 1911 and housed a silent movie theater. Today it touts 11000 volumes.Notable people
- Sam Brown, western author
- Rory Schepisi, The Next Food Network StarThe Next Food Network StarThe Next Food Network Star is a reality television series produced by and aired on the Food Network in the United States that awards the winner his or her own series on the Food Network...
finalist for 2007