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Cuero ( ) is a city in and 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 DeWitt 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. Its population was 8,128 at the 2020 census.


History

The city of Cuero had its start in the mid-19th century as a stopping point on the
Chisholm Trail The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The trail was established by Black Beaver, a Lenape guide and rancher, and his friend Jesse Chisholm, a Cheroke ...
cattle route to
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
. It was not recognized as a town until 1873, though, when it was officially founded. The city was named for the Spanish word "hide", referring to the leather made from animal hides. The industry was extremely short-lived, however, and gave way to various forms of ranching. The city had several
Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
gunfights related to clan feuding following the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. Cuero's population grew considerably in the 1870s and 1880s, as residents from the coastal town of
Indianola, Texas Indianola is a ghost town located on Matagorda Bay in Calhoun County, Texas, United States. The community, once the county seat of Calhoun County, is a part of the Victoria, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1875, the city had a populatio ...
, settled here after major hurricanes in this period destroyed sizeable portions of that city. Cuero thrived through much of the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the introduction and practice of turkey ranching in the area. Today, agriculture is still the primary industry in the region. Cuero is considered to be one of the top cattle producers and shippers in Texas.


Geography

Cuero is located east of the center of DeWitt County near the mouth of Sandies Creek, where it empties into the Guadalupe River. U.S. Routes 87, 77 Alternate, and
183 Year 183 ( CLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 936 ''Ab urbe ...
pass through the city. All three highways follow South Esplanade Street into the center of town; US 87 then leaves town via East Broadway Street, while US 77A and 183 continue north out of town on North Esplanade Street. US 87 leads southeast to
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
and west to
San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...
. US 77 Alternate leads northeast to Yoakum, and US 183 leads north to
Gonzales Gonzales may refer to: Places * Gonzales, California, U.S. * Gonzales, Louisiana, U.S. * Gonzales, Texas, U.S. * Gonzales County, Texas Other uses * Battle of Gonzales, 1835 * Gonzales (horse) (1977 – after 1996), an American-bred Thoroughbred ...
. Both 77 Alternate and 183 lead south to
Goliad Goliad ( ) is a city in Goliad County, Texas, United States. It is known for the 1836 Goliad massacre during the Texas Revolution. It had a population of 1,620 at the 2020 census. Founded on the San Antonio River, it is the county seat of Gol ...
. 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 ...
, Cuero has a total area of , of which , or 0.36%, is covered by water.


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. 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 ...
, Cuero 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° ...
, ''Cfa'' on climate maps. Cuero has an annual average precipitation of 38.0 in (965.2 mm), all rain, as snow is negligible in the area.


Demographics

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 8,128 people, 2,323 households, and 1,472 families residing in the city. 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, 6,571 people, 2,500 households, and 1,695 families resided 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 1,331.1 people per square mile (513.6/km). The 2,867 housing units had an average density of 580.8 per sq mi (224.1/km). 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 67.25% White, 16.71% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 12.84% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 34.73% of the population. Of the 2,500 households, 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were not families. About 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.13. In the city, the age distribution was 27.1% under 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 women, there were 86.1 men. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 80.6 men. The median income for a household in the city was $24,931, and for a family was $29,500. Men had a median income of $26,154 versus $16,551 for women. 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 $14,286. About 21.5% of families and 26.8% 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 34.6% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture

Turkey Fest is a local festival during which the townsfolk compete with people at various turkey-centric events. The competitions revolve around the turkeys each town raises and in which each takes immense pride. The events are the prettiest turkey contest, turkey toss, turkey trot, and turkey race. Unlike most
turkey trot Turkey trot are footraces, usually of the long-distance variety, held on or around Thanksgiving Day in the United States. The name is derived from the use of turkey as a common centerpiece of the Thanksgiving dinner. A few races in the United Ki ...
s, where humans do the racing, in Cuero, the "turkey trot" involves racing actual turkeys. In 1972,
Charles Kuralt Charles Bishop Kuralt (September 10, 1934 – July 4, 1997) was an American television, newspaper and radio journalist and author. He is most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on '' The CBS Evenin ...
did an "On the Road" report for CBS News from Cuero, where he did his own turkey call. Christmas in Cuero began in 2000 with the lighting of the gazebo in Cuero Municipal Park. It has grown to over 100 displays of Victorian and Western scenes, 12-car trains, gingerbread houses, and other scenes. A live
nativity scene In the Christianity, Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian language, Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christ ...
is sponsored by a church in Cuero. Two of the scenes were vandalized by two teens in November 2009. The park was still open to the public excluding the two damaged scenes. The teens arrested for the crime had their bonds set at $150,000, in part because of the effect the crime had on the community.


Parks and recreation

Cuero has many places for recreation, including a baseball complex, a golf course, volleyball courts, tennis courts, a basketball pavilion, and a park area with access to public swimming pool.


Education

The City of Cuero is served by the
Cuero Independent School District Cuero Independent School District is a public school district based in Cuero, Texas (USA). Located in DeWitt County, a small portion of the district extends into Gonzales County. Middle and high school students from the community of Nursery m ...
. John C. French serves prekindergarten and kindergarten, Hunt Elementary serves grades 1–3, Cuero Intermediate School serves grades 4–6, Cuero Junior High serves grades 7–8, and Cuero High School serves grades 9–12. In addition, the City of Cuero is served by St. Michael's Catholic School. Providing education for the children of DeWitt County for over 130 years, the school has a fully accredited early childhood program (prekindergarten to grade 4) and offers education for kindergarten-grade 6.


Notable people

*
Frank Bass Frank M. Bass (December 27, 1926 – December 1, 2006) was an American academic in the field of marketing research and marketing science. He was the creator of the Bass diffusion model that describes the adoption of new products and technologi ...
, professor and inventor of the
Bass diffusion model The Bass model or Bass diffusion model was developed by Frank Bass. It consists of a simple differential equation that describes the process of how new products get adopted in a population. The model presents a rationale of how current adopters and ...
* MSG
Roy Benavidez Master Sergeant Raul Perez "Roy" Benavidez (August 5, 1935 – November 29, 1998) was a United States Army master sergeant who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his valorous actions in combat near Lộc Ninh, South Vietnam on May 2, 1968, while ...
, Medal of Honor recipient *
Alois Blackwell Alois Sterling Blackwell (born November 12, 1954) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at the University of Houston. Early years Bla ...
, NFL player * Robert E. Blake, lawyer and athlete *
Leo Frank Leo Max Frank (April 17, 1884August 17, 1915) was an American factory superintendent who was convicted in 1913 of the murder of a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan, in Atlanta, Georgia. His trial, conviction, and appeals attracted national at ...
, lynching victim *
Fred Hansen Frederick Morgan "Fred" Hansen (born December 29, 1940) is an American former athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault. A 1963 graduate of Rice University, he competed for the United States in the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Jap ...
, Olympic champion pole vaulter * Frank Horton, U.S. Congressman for
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
* Henry Joseph Huck (1822–1905), once "the leading lumberman and supplier of building materials in the young State of Texas" and the first judge of
Calhoun County, Texas Calhoun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,106. Its county seat is Port Lavaca. The county is named for John Caldwell Calhoun, the seventh vice president of the United States. Ca ...
,Let's Hear It: Stories by Texas Women Writers, p. 100. * Caesar Kleberg, conservationist *
Barr McClellan Oliver Barr McClellan (born 1939 in Cuero (aka Rawhide), Texas) is an American entrepreneur, counsel and author who became widely known by his 2003 book ''Blood, Money & Power'' on the Kennedy assassination. He has also written on globalization. ...
, lawyer, author (''Blood, Money & Power: How LBJ Killed JFK''), entrepreneur *
Jo Morrow Beverly Jo Morrow (born November 1, 1939) is an American actress who played the female lead in six B films between 1958 and 1964, and supporting roles in four major studio features, as well as appearing in 12 television episodes. Following a six ...
and actress *
Sam Neely Sam Neely (August 22, 1948 – July 19, 2006) was an American country music, country and folk music musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and performer. Born in Cuero, Texas, Cuero, Texas, Neely began playing guitar at age ten. After m ...
(1948–2006), country/folk musician and writer * Aurora Estrada Orozco (1918–2011), Mexican-American community leader *
Robert Strait Robert Strait (born November 14, 1969) is a former American football running back. Strait is considered one of the best high-school football players in Texas history. While playing at Cuero High School from 1985–88, Strait rushed for 8,411 ya ...
, high-school football running back *
Cody Wallace Cody Layne Wallace (born November 26, 1984) is a former American football Guard (American football), guard and Center (American football), center. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played col ...
, NFL player *
Arthur Whittington Arthur Lee Whittington (born September 4, 1955) is a former American football running back. He played for five seasons for the Oakland Raiders and the Buffalo Bills, and from 1983 to 1985 with the Oakland Invaders of the USFL. Career As a rooki ...
, NFL player


See also

* Terrell-Reuss Streets Historic District


References


External links


City of Cuero official website

Cuero Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in DeWitt County, Texas County seats in Texas Populated places on the Guadalupe River (Texas)