Bushland is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in southwestern Potter County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. A small portion of the CDP extends south into Randall County. According to the

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

, the community had an estimated population of 130 in 2000. The community is part of the

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

Geography

Bushland is located at (35.1919978, -102.0646392), at an elevation of 3,825 feet. The community is situated along

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

, approximately 14 miles west of Amarillo in southwestern Potter County. Bushland is the halfway point between Chicago and Los Angeles, 1,062 miles from either city. The two cities were the original endpoints of

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

History

Established as a station on the

Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway The Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway was a Texas subsidiary of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. The railroad was chartered in 1902 with intention to construct a railway from Fort Worth, Texas to Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ...

, Bushland was named for William Henry Bush, a

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

native. In 1898, land owner

Joseph Glidden Joseph Farwell Glidden (January 18, 1813 – October 9, 1906) was an American businessman and farmer. He was the inventor of the modern barbed wire. In 1898, he donated land for the Northern Illinois State Normal School in DeKalb, Illinois, whic ...

(the inventor of barbed wire) transferred the Frying Pan Ranch to Mr. Bush, who was his son-in-law. The total cost was $68,000. Thereafter, Bush donated land for a town site and a railroad right-of-way. On July 3, 1908, the town was formally dedicated by Bush and his associate S.H. Smiser. Bushland0025

Farmers soon settled in and around Bushland. A public school district was established, followed by the opening of a post office in January 1909. The community's population remained small, hovering near 20 during the 1910s and 1920s. By 1940, that figure had risen to 175 with four businesses operating in the community. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, Bushland's population has remained steady at around 130. In 2009, Bushland made National News after a gas pipeline ruptured near Prairie West, a local neighborhood. At 1:00 AM on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, a gas line operated by El Paso Natural Gas Company malfunctioned, shooting flames 700 feet into the air. 3 residents of the neighborhood were injured, and transported to Lubbock for health treatment.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 2,234 people, 709 households, and 672 families residing in the CDP.

Education

Public education in the community of Bushland is provided by the

Bushland Independent School District Bushland Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Bushland, Texas, Bushland, Texas (United States, USA). In addition to Bushland, the district also serves the town of Bishop Hills, Texas, Bishop Hills, as ...

. The district operates three campuses – Bushland Elementary School (grades PK-4), Bushland Middle School (grades 5-8), and Bushland High School (grades 9-12). In 2011, Bushland residents voted in favor of a bond issue to build additions to the High School, build a cafeteria for the Middle School and purchase new buses for the district.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Bushland has a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Bushland, Texas
/ref>

References

External links

* {{authority control Census-designated places in Texas Census-designated places in Potter County, Texas Census-designated places in Randall County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Unincorporated communities in Potter County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Randall County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Amarillo metropolitan area