Channing, Texas
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Channing is a city in
Hartley County, Texas Hartley County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 5,382. The county seat is Channing, Texas, Channing. The county was created in 1876 and l ...
, in the United States. It is the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of Hartley County. 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 ...
, the city's population was 281.


History

Channing was founded in 1888 by George Channing Rivers, a paymaster for the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway. The settlement was originally called Rivers. Since the name Rivers duplicated another community in Texas, the name was changed to Channing later that year. Channing developed directly from its association with the XIT Ranch, a property that once included land in as many as 10 counties in the Texas Panhandle. In 1891, Willis D. Twitchell platted Channing's business district. At that time, Channing was the headquarters of the XIT. Albert Boyce, the ranch's general manager and one of the most prominent early citizens, built the first house in the community. By 1900, Channing had two stores, a post office, lumber yard, and school. Two elections, one in November 1896 and the other in 1903, were required for Channing to replace
Hartley Hartley may refer to: Places Australia *Hartley, New South Wales *Hartley, South Australia **Electoral district of Hartley, a state electoral district Canada *Hartley Bay, British Columbia United Kingdom *Hartley, Cumbria *Hartley, Plymou ...
as county seat. The frame courthouse was pulled to Channing on wheels by mounted XIT cowboys in 1903. A brick courthouse was completed in 1906 and the original courthouse was converted into the once-famous Hotel Rivers. One of the first public libraries in the Panhandle was established in 1908 by a local women's club. The estimated population at this time was about 600. The XIT, which conducted most of its business from Channing, was the town's chief customer until liquidation of the ranch in 1911. The local economy was severely impacted, although the real-estate market temporarily thrived from the sale of XIT lands. A fire swept through the business district on September 6, 1931, destroying seven buildings, including Hotel Rivers. By 1940, Channing had an estimated population of 475 with several businesses, a high school, and three churches. A restored XIT office building is located in Channing as a museum. Channing was incorporated in 1960. At the time of incorporation, the population was 390. The number of inhabitants declined to 336 in 1970, 304 in 1980, and 277 in 1990, mainly because of its accessibility to the larger communities of
Dalhart Dalhart is a city in Dallam and Hartley counties in the U.S. state of Texas, and the county seat of Dallam County. The population was 7,930 at the 2010 census. History Founded in 1901, Dalhart is named for its location on the border of Dalla ...
and Amarillo. By 2000, the population rose to 356, a 28.5% increase over the 1990 figure.


Government services

City government consists of a mayor and two city council members. Mayor Karen Schulz was elected to fill a vacancy in May 2009. Current council members are Ms. Janie Ray and Ms. Betty Edwards. Law enforcement is provided by the Hartley County Sheriff's Office, as the city does not have a police force of its own. Fire protection for the city and much of southern Hartley County is provided by an all-volunteer fire department, headquartered in the city. As of October 2009, a limited number of businesses operated in the city: a cafe, a mercantile, and a rendering plant. Most citizens were either involved in ranching, dairy, or other agricultural professions, or were employed in businesses in surrounding communities.


Geography

Channing is located at (35.683612, –102.331817). It is situated at the junction of
U.S. Highway 385 U.S. Route 385 (US 385) is a spur of U.S. Route 85 that runs for 1,206 miles (1,941 km) from Deadwood, South Dakota to Big Bend National Park in Texas. Route description , - , TX , 545 , 877 , - , OK , 36 , 58 , - , CO , 317 , 510 ...
, State Highway 354, and FM 767 in southeastern Hartley County, about 30 miles south of Dalhart. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of 0.3  sq mi (2.6 km2), all of it land.


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 ...
, Channing has a semiarid climate, ''BSk'' on climate maps.Climate Summary for Channing, Texas
/ref>


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 281 people, 124 households, and 91 families residing in the city.


2000 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, 356 people, 135 households, and 103 families were living in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 357.9 people/sq mi (138.8/km2). The 154 housing units had an average density of 154.8/sq mi (60.1/km2). The
racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 94.94% White, 1.12% African American, 0.56% Native American, 1.69% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 7.02% of the population. Of the 135 households, 38.5% had children under 18 living with them, 74.1% were married couples living together, 2.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.0% were not families. About 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.63, and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the age distribution was 29.5% under 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,167, and for a family was $42,188. Males had a median income of $29,250 versus $22,679 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $16,824. About 3.5% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.


Education

The City of Channing is served by the Channing Independent School District. One building,
Channing School Channing School is an independent day school for girls at Highgate Hill in Highgate, North London. Channing School is a member of the Girls' Schools Association. The junior school is for pupils aged four to twelve and includes the Early Years ...
, houses all grades and is located in the western part of the city.


Notable people

* Walt Schlinkman, American football player


References

{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Hartley County, Texas County seats in Texas