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Electra is a city in
Wichita 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. It is part of the
Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area. The population was 2,791 at the
2010 census., down from 3,168 in 2000. Electra claims the title of
Pump Jack Capital of Texas, a title made official by the state in 2001,
[Bernadette Pruit]
"A fading town's liquid legacy: Once-thriving Electra hopes 'Pump Jack' title brings new fortune,"
''The Dallas Morning News'', September 23, 2001. Retrieved December 30, 2007. and has celebrated an annual Pump Jack Festival since 2002.
[First Pump Jack Festival](_blank)
photographs of the April 20, 2002, festival. Retrieved December 30, 2007. It was named in honor of
Electra Waggoner
Electra Waggoner (January 6, 1882 – November 26, 1925) was an American rancher and socialite from Texas. She was an heiress to the Waggoner Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the United States. The town of Electra, Texas was named in her honor ...
, an heiress to the
Waggoner Ranch
The Waggoner Ranch is a historic north Texas ranch located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattle and horses as well as for oil production. It was notable for being the largest ranch within one fen ...
.
History
Daniel Waggoner
Daniel Waggoner (July 7, 1828 – September 5, 1902) was an early American settler and rancher in Texas. He also owned five banks, three cottonseed oil mills, and a coal company. He established the Waggoner Ranch, which spanned eight counties: Wise ...
started a ranch in present-day Electra in 1852. Around 30 years later, the
Fort Worth and Denver Railway was built, and its railroad tracks ran through the area. In 1885, Waggoner's son,
William Thomas Waggoner
William Thomas Waggoner (August 31, 1852 – December 11, 1934) was an American rancher, oilman, banker, horsebreeder and philanthropist from Texas. He was the owner of the Waggoner Ranch, where he found oil in 1903. He was the founding President o ...
, successfully lobbied railroad executives to build a railroad station at the site. By this time, the Waggoner ranch covered a half-million acres. Until this time, the town was called Waggoner, but following the building of the station and a post office in 1889, it was dubbed Beaver Switch, after the nearby Beaver Creek. The opening of of land north of the railroad station brought more farmers to the area. The town was renamed again in 1907, this time after Waggoner's daughter, Electra Waggoner.
Water can be scarce in this region of Texas, so Waggoner started drilling for water for the town's new residents. Most of these drilling sites were befouled by crude oil, which made the water unfit for drinking. Three years later, a developer from Fort Worth named Solomon Williams bought the land from Waggoner. Soon thereafter, he annexed nearby land, subdivided the land, and placed advertisements in national media trying to increase the population. His efforts were successful, and the town grew from a population of 500 to 1,000 between 1907 and 1910. The Waggoner family still owns much of the same land they did in the beginning and still drills for oil there.
In 1911, the
Electra Independent School District
Electra Independent School District is a public school district based in Electra, Texas, United States. In 2007 and 2009, the district received a rating of "academically acceptable" from the Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agenc ...
was created.
On 1 April 1911, the Clayco Oil
gusher brought in an oil strike at a depth of , producing 260
BOPD
A barrel is one of several units of volume applied in various contexts; there are dry barrels, fluid barrels (such as the U.K. beer barrel and U.S. beer barrel), oil barrels, and so forth. For historical reasons the volumes of some barrel units ...
. Word spread quickly, and the population increased to over a 1000, with many more oil workers commuting from Wichita Falls. The town soon had brick buildings, cement sidewalks, and a telephone exchange.
In 1936, Electra had well over 6,000 residents, but by the 1960s, the population had decreased to just over 5,000. The
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex was growing, and many people moved away. By 2000, Electra's population had fallen to about 3,000.
Geography
Electra is located at (34.030809, –98.917281).
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 2.4 mi
2 (6.3 km
2), all of it land.
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 2,292 people, 1,253 households, and 606 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, 3,168 people, 1,279 households, and 860 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 1,299.0 people per square mile (501.3/km). The 1,529 housing units averaged 626.9 per mi
2 (241.9/km
2). 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 87.66% White, 4.58% African American, 1.10% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 4.29% from other races, and 2.30% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.68% of the population.
Of the 1,279 households, 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were not families; 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city, the population was distributed as 27.7% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,022, and for a family was $30,116. Males had a median income of $25,610 versus $17,292 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 $13,213. About 17.8% of families and 20.6% 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 24.3% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Electra is served by the
Electra Independent School District
Electra Independent School District is a public school district based in Electra, Texas, United States. In 2007 and 2009, the district received a rating of "academically acceptable" from the Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agenc ...
, which is composed of .
The three public schools are
B.M. Dinsmore Elementary School with 225 students enrolled in prekindergarten through fourth grade
Electra Junior Highwith 172 students in grades five through eight; an
Electra High Schoolwith 149 students enrolled in ninth through 12th grades. Electra High School's athletic teams are called the Tigers. The student/teacher ratio at each of the schools is 14:1, 13:1, and 9:1, respectively.
Notable people
*
Ace Reid
Asa Elmer "Ace" Reid, Jr., (March 10, 1925 – November 10, 1991) was the creator of the cartoon ''Cowpokes'' and a Western humorist. ''Cowpokes'', at one time, ran in over 400 weekly newspapers across the United States. He produced many popula ...
, An artist and humorist, he grew up and lived in Electra until 1943, when he joined the Navy
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 ...
system, Electra 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.
References
Further reading
2006–2007 Academic Excellence Indicator System* Adams, Jerry
Electra, Texas'' The Handbook of Texas'' Online
* Pruitt, Bernadette
''Dallas Morning News''. 2001-09-23.
* Yates, John
''Masonry in the Oil Patch: The First 75 Years of Electra'' Lodge No.1067 AF & AM.Electra Lodge No. 1067. 1988-06-25.
External links
Electra Official Website The Pump Jack Capital Association
Electra ISD Electra Independent School District
Electra Hospital DistrictCowpokes Film Festival Official Website for Electra
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Cities in Texas
Cities in Wichita County, Texas
Wichita Falls metropolitan area