Wilmer, Texas
Encyclopedia
Wilmer is a city in Dallas County
, Texas
, United States
. The population was 3,393 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2008 U.S. Census Bureau
estimate placed the population at 3,576. It is part of the Dallas, Texas
–Fort Worth
–Arlington
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Union Pacific's Dallas Intermodal Terminal is located partly in the city of Wilmer and partly in the city of Hutchins
. The shipping facility, was built by AUI Contractors LP, Prime Rail Interests Inc. and Halff Associates, Inc. is a 70 million U.S. dollar project.
in southeastern Dallas County, approximately 14 miles south of downtown Dallas.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), all of it land.
commenced. A fire destroyed most of Wilmer's business district on July 4, 1929. The community's shallow wells were unable to pump the adequate amount of water needed to extinguish the blaze.
Wilmer incorporated in 1945 and its first mayor, J.H. May, was elected on a platform of installing a water system. At the time of incorporation, Wilmer had 136 homes and a population of approximately 450. In 1949, a volunteer fire department was established and a fire truck was purchased. Around the same time, Wilmer and the neighboring city of Hutchins
consolidated their schools. By 1960, Wilmer was home to 1,785 residents. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, Wilmer continued to grow, but at a much slower rate than other communities in Dallas County. With 3,393 residents as of the 2000 census, Wilmer is currently one of the smallest incorporated cities in Dallas County.
of 2000, there were 3,393 people, 958 households, and 714 families residing in the city. The population density
was 538.9 people per square mile (207.9/km²). There were 1,078 housing units at an average density of 171.2/sq mi (66.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.89% White, 23.43% African American, 1.12% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 24.55% from other races
, and 2.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.50% of the population.
There were 958 households out of which 40.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 3.71.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 115.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,843, and the median income for a family was $35,820. Males had a median income of $26,742 versus $22,007 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,167. About 16.3% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
. The area is within the Board of Trustees District 5; as of 2008 Lew Blackburn represents the district. As of fall 2011 the area is zoned to Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School, Kennedy-Curry Middle School, and Wilmer-Hutchins High School
.
The charter school group Honors Academy
operates the Wilmer Academy, a K-8 school, in Wilmer.
used to serve Wilmer. Until the end of the school district, Wilmer Elementary School was located in Wilmer. In addition, Kennedy-Curry Middle School and Wilmer-Hutchins High School
in Dallas, then under WHISD control, served Wilmer. WHISD was closed after spring 2005 with official termination in June 2006. After the closure of WHISD property values in the district increased.
From 2005-2009 Wilmer was served by various DISD schools. From 2005-2006 to 2008-2009 W. W. Bushman, B. F. Darrell, J. N. Ervin, and Whitney M. Young elememtary schools served sections of Wilmer. From 2009-2010 to 2010-2011 only Bushman, Ervin, and Young served sections of Wilmer.
In the 2005-2006 and the 2006-2007 school years Sarah Zumwalt Middle School served as Wilmer's middle school. From 2006-2007 to 2010-2011 Zumwalt (Darrell, Young, and Ervin zones) and Maynard H. Jackson Middle School (Bushman zone) served portions of Wilmer.
From 2005-2006 to 2010-2011 A. Maceo Smith High School
served as Wilmer's high school."Building Usage in High Schools Fall 2005." Dallas Independent School District
. Retrieved on September 6, 2011.
Dallas ISD was considering opening a new Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School building, restoring the Wilmer-Hutchins High School building, and demolishing the Kennedy-Curry Middle School building as part of its 2008 bond campaign. The district will open Wilmer Hutchins Elementary School in an area within the City of Dallas in 2011. In November 2010 DISD announced that three schools (Wilmer Hutchins ES, Kennedy-Curry Middle School, and Wilmer-Hutchins HS) would open/re-open in the Wilmer-Hutchins area in 2011.
Dallas County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,218,899 people, 807,621 households, and 533,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,523 people per square mile . There were 854,119 housing units at an average density of 971/sq mi...
, 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 3,393 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2008 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 3,576. It is part of the Dallas, Texas
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...
–Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Union Pacific's Dallas Intermodal Terminal is located partly in the city of Wilmer and partly in the city of Hutchins
Hutchins, Texas
Hutchins is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,805 at the 2000 census.Union Pacific's Dallas Intermodal Terminal is located partly in the city of Hutchins and partly in the city of Wilmer . The shipping facility, was built by AUI Contractors LP, Prime Rail Interests...
. The shipping facility, was built by AUI Contractors LP, Prime Rail Interests Inc. and Halff Associates, Inc. is a 70 million U.S. dollar project.
Geography
Wilmer is located at 32°35′27"N 96°40′57"W (32.590743, -96.682619). It is situated along Interstate 45Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
in southeastern Dallas County, approximately 14 miles south of downtown Dallas.
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 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), all of it land.
History
The area was initially settled by Andrew K. Gray before 1850. The settlement was originally known as Prairie Valley when the Houston and Texas Central Railroad arrived in 1872. In 1884, the post office in Prairie Valley was renamed Wilmer, after A.J. Wilmer, a conductor on the Houston and Texas Central line. The population was estimated at 100 in 1890, with several stores and businesses operation in the community. That figure had risen to over 200 by the World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
commenced. A fire destroyed most of Wilmer's business district on July 4, 1929. The community's shallow wells were unable to pump the adequate amount of water needed to extinguish the blaze.
Wilmer incorporated in 1945 and its first mayor, J.H. May, was elected on a platform of installing a water system. At the time of incorporation, Wilmer had 136 homes and a population of approximately 450. In 1949, a volunteer fire department was established and a fire truck was purchased. Around the same time, Wilmer and the neighboring city of Hutchins
Hutchins, Texas
Hutchins is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,805 at the 2000 census.Union Pacific's Dallas Intermodal Terminal is located partly in the city of Hutchins and partly in the city of Wilmer . The shipping facility, was built by AUI Contractors LP, Prime Rail Interests...
consolidated their schools. By 1960, Wilmer was home to 1,785 residents. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, Wilmer continued to grow, but at a much slower rate than other communities in Dallas County. With 3,393 residents as of the 2000 census, Wilmer is currently one of the smallest incorporated cities in Dallas County.
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 3,393 people, 958 households, and 714 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 538.9 people per square mile (207.9/km²). There were 1,078 housing units at an average density of 171.2/sq mi (66.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.89% White, 23.43% African American, 1.12% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 24.55% 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 2.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.50% of the population.
There were 958 households out of which 40.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 3.71.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 115.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,843, and the median income for a family was $35,820. Males had a median income of $26,742 versus $22,007 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 $12,167. About 16.3% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Wilmer is served by the Dallas Independent School DistrictDallas Independent School District
The Dallas Independent School District is a school district based in Dallas, Texas . Dallas ISD, which operates schools in much of Dallas County, is the second largest school district in Texas and the twelfth largest in the United States.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically...
. The area is within the Board of Trustees District 5; as of 2008 Lew Blackburn represents the district. As of fall 2011 the area is zoned to Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School, Kennedy-Curry Middle School, and Wilmer-Hutchins High School
Wilmer-Hutchins High School
Wilmer-Hutchins High School is a public secondary school in Dallas, Texas . A part of the Dallas Independent School District, Wilmer-Hutchins High was formerly part of the now defunct Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District....
.
The charter school group Honors Academy
Honors Academy
Honors Academy Charter School District is a group of state charter schools with its administrative offices in Farmers Branch, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.-Schools:6-12* Legacy Academy 9-12* Landmark School K-9...
operates the Wilmer Academy, a K-8 school, in Wilmer.
School histories
Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School DistrictWilmer-Hutchins Independent School District
Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District was a school district in southern Dallas County, Texas serving the cities of Wilmer and Hutchins, a portion of Dallas , and a small portion of Lancaster. The district served urban, suburban, and rural areas...
used to serve Wilmer. Until the end of the school district, Wilmer Elementary School was located in Wilmer. In addition, Kennedy-Curry Middle School and Wilmer-Hutchins High School
Wilmer-Hutchins High School
Wilmer-Hutchins High School is a public secondary school in Dallas, Texas . A part of the Dallas Independent School District, Wilmer-Hutchins High was formerly part of the now defunct Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District....
in Dallas, then under WHISD control, served Wilmer. WHISD was closed after spring 2005 with official termination in June 2006. After the closure of WHISD property values in the district increased.
From 2005-2009 Wilmer was served by various DISD schools. From 2005-2006 to 2008-2009 W. W. Bushman, B. F. Darrell, J. N. Ervin, and Whitney M. Young elememtary schools served sections of Wilmer. From 2009-2010 to 2010-2011 only Bushman, Ervin, and Young served sections of Wilmer.
In the 2005-2006 and the 2006-2007 school years Sarah Zumwalt Middle School served as Wilmer's middle school. From 2006-2007 to 2010-2011 Zumwalt (Darrell, Young, and Ervin zones) and Maynard H. Jackson Middle School (Bushman zone) served portions of Wilmer.
From 2005-2006 to 2010-2011 A. Maceo Smith High School
A. Maceo Smith High School
A. Maceo Smith New Tech High School is a four-year public high school serving grades 9-12 in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas . It is part of the Dallas Independent School District, where it was founded in 1978...
served as Wilmer's high school."Building Usage in High Schools Fall 2005." Dallas Independent School District
Dallas Independent School District
The Dallas Independent School District is a school district based in Dallas, Texas . Dallas ISD, which operates schools in much of Dallas County, is the second largest school district in Texas and the twelfth largest in the United States.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically...
. Retrieved on September 6, 2011.
Dallas ISD was considering opening a new Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School building, restoring the Wilmer-Hutchins High School building, and demolishing the Kennedy-Curry Middle School building as part of its 2008 bond campaign. The district will open Wilmer Hutchins Elementary School in an area within the City of Dallas in 2011. In November 2010 DISD announced that three schools (Wilmer Hutchins ES, Kennedy-Curry Middle School, and Wilmer-Hutchins HS) would open/re-open in the Wilmer-Hutchins area in 2011.