Smyer, Texas

Smyer, Texas
Community
CRMWA water tower north of Smyer
Smyer
Coordinates: 33°35′03″N 102°09′48″W / 33.58417°N 102.16333°WCoordinates: 33°35′03″N 102°09′48″W / 33.58417°N 102.16333°W[1]
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Hockley
Region	Llano Estacado
Established	1917
Elevation[1]	3,389 ft (1,033 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	480
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
ZIP code	79367
Area code	806
Website	Handbook of Texas: Smyer

Smyer is a town in Hockley County, Texas, United States. The population was 480 at the 2000 census.

History

Spade Ranch of Hockley County

In 1902, Isaac L. Ellwood acquired 262,000 acres (1,060 km²) in Hockley and Lamb counties and formed the Spade Ranch.^[2] The ranch, located deep within the heart of the Llano Estacado, was 10 mi (16 km) wide by 54 mi (87 km) long. The ranch's main headquarters was located in southeastern Lamb County and the south pasture operations were headed up in eastern Hockley County, near present-day Smyer. The town of Smyer was founded in 1924 when Wlliam L. Ellwood began selling portions of the Spade Ranch to farmers. The town was platted in 1925 and named after Clinton E. Smyer, a Santa Fe Railroad division superintendent.^[2]

Geography

Smyer is located on the high plains of the Llano Estacado at 33°35′03″N 102°09′48″W / 33.58417°N 102.16333°W (33.5842563 -102.1632291).^[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1970	265		—
1980	455		71.7%
1990	442		−2.9%
2000	480		8.6%
2010	474		−1.2%
Est. 2015	480	[4]	1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]

As of the census^[6] of 2000, there were 480 people, 179 households, and 141 families residing in the town. The population density was 617.3 people per square mile (237.6/km²). There were 215 housing units at an average density of 276.5 per square mile (106.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.88% White, 2.08% African American, 1.25% Native American, 13.12% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 29.17% of the population.

There were 179 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.7% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town the population was spread out with 32.1% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,667, and the median income for a family was $32,000. Males had a median income of $23,594 versus $20,313 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,784. About 16.4% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Town of Smyer is served by the Smyer Independent School District.

See also

• Spade Ranch (Texas)
• Llano Estacado
• Caprock Escarpment

References

1. "Smyer". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
2. "Smyer, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
3. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
4. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
6. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Handbook of Texas: Smyer, TX
• Photos of the Llano Estacado