Burke is a city in southwestern
Angelina County,
Texas, United States. The population was 737 at the
2010 census.
History
Burke was founded in 1881 when construction of the
Houston, East and West Texas Railway reached the western edge of
Bradley Prairie. The town was originally named Rhodes for general store owner W. R. Rhodes and postmaster H. R. Rhodes, but about 1885 it was renamed for Edmund L. Burke, a railroad employee who directed the railroad survey.
By 1885 Burke had three sawmills, three cotton gins, a church, and a school. In 1886 it received a post office, which remained there until 1955. By 1888 it had a larger school, three general stores, a drugstore, a sawmill, a dentist and watchmaker, and a Farmers' Alliance store. In 1897 Burke had an estimated population of 650. By 1904 Burke's population had declined to 161, due to the rise of
Lufkin
Lufkin is the largest city in Angelina County, Texas and the county seat. The city is situated in Deep East Texas and about 60 miles west of the Texas-Louisiana border. Its estimated population is 35,021 as of July 1, 2019.
Lufkin was founded ...
, eight miles north, as an industrial center for the county. However, by 1915 the population had risen to 200, and by 1925 it reached 300. The Burke Methodist Church was organized in 1899–1900, and the First Baptist Church of Burke in 1905.
Education was a priority at Burke. The first school, a one-room structure, was enlarged to three rooms within a few years. Voters approved a bond in 1910 to erect a brick schoolhouse for grades one through seven. The brick building was torn down in 1935 and replaced with a larger schoolhouse built with
Works Progress Administration funds. The Burke Independent School District consolidated with the
Diboll schools in 1964.
Burke was incorporated as a city in 1966, and a municipal water system was constructed. Burke had a population of 322 in 1980 and 314 in 1990.
Geography
Burke is located at (31.235704, –94.764849). According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 315 people, 114 households, and 85 families residing in the city. The
population density was 501.5 people per square mile (193.1/km
2). There were 138 housing units at an average density of 219.7 per square mile (84.6/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.43%
White, 1.27%
African American, 1.90%
Native American, 3.81% from
other races, and 1.59% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 22.22% of the population.
There were 114 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,821, and the median income for a family was $34,375. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $18,472 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $12,033. About 15.7% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Burke is a part of the
Diboll Independent School District
Diboll Independent School District is a public school district based in Diboll, Texas (USA).
In addition to Diboll, the district also serves the city of Burke.
In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Educ ...
. A very small portion is within the
Lufkin ISD
Lufkin Independent School District is a public school district based in Lufkin, Texas (USA). In addition to the city of Lufkin, Lufkin ISD serves a small portion of Burke.
In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the ...
.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification system, Burke has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Climate Summary for Burke, Texas
/ref>
References
External links
A Town That Might Have Been
the Burke History Project
The Handbook of Texas Online
{{authority control
Cities in Angelina County, Texas
Cities in Texas
Populated places established in 1881
1881 establishments in Texas