Junction, Texas
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Junction is a city in and the
seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...
of
Kimble County, Texas Kimble County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 4,286. Its county seat is Junction. The county was created in 1858 and organized in 1876. It is named for George ...
, United States. Its population was 2,574 at the 2010 census.


Geography

Junction is located at (30.489772, –99.771335), about northwest of
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 ...
and west of
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
in central Kimble County.
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...
runs through the northern and eastern parts of the city, with access from Exits 456 and 457. I-10 leads southeast to
Kerrville Kerrville is a city in, and the county seat of, Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population of Kerrville was 24,278 at the 2020 census. Kerrville is named after James Kerr, a major in the Texas Revolution, and friend of settler- ...
and beyond to San Antonio, and west to
Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
.
U.S. Route 83 U.S. Route 83 (US 83) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that extends in the central United States. Only four other north–south routes are longer: US 1, US 41, US 59, and US 87, while US ...
follows I-10 past Junction, leading north to
Menard Menard may refer to: Places Canada *Menard River, a tributary of the Wawagosic River in Quebec, Canada United States * Menard County, Illinois ** Menard, Illinois * Menard County, Texas ** Menard, Texas * Menard–Hodges site, archaeological s ...
and south to Uvalde.
U.S. Route 377 U.S. Route 377 (US 377) is a north–south United States highway. Originally formed as a short spur to connect Denton, Texas with Fort Worth, Texas, it has since been extended to Oklahoma and Mexico. Route description Texas The south ...
passes through the center of Junction as Main Street and 11th Street. To the northeast, U.S. 377 leads to Mason, and to the southwest it leads to Rocksprings. 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 ...
, Junction has a total area of , of which , or 0.26%, is covered by water. The city is named for its location at the confluence of the North and South
Llano River The Llano River ( ) is a tributary of the Colorado River (Texas), Colorado River, about long, in Texas in the United States. It drains part of the Edwards Plateau in Texas Hill Country northwest of Austin, Texas, Austin. Two spring-fed tributa ...
s.


History

The community was founded in 1876 after the organization of Kimble County earlier that year. The original town site was named "Denman" after Marcellus Denman, who had surveyed and platted the new community. The name was quickly changed to "Junction City". In late 1876, Junction City won the designation of county seat from the unsuccessful and flood-prone settlement of Kimbleville. By 1879, a drugstore, livery stable, sawmill, and a few general stores were active in the community. Around 300 people were living in Junction City in 1882. The ''West Texas'', Kimble County's first newspaper, began publishing in 1882. The county courthouse and its records were lost to a fire in 1884. A second, two-story brick and stone courthouse was partially destroyed in an 1888 fire, but was repaired and remained in use until 1929, when the present courthouse was constructed. In 1894, Junction City became known simply as "Junction". Infrastructure improvements marked the decade of the 1890s. Businessman Ernest Holekamp provided the city's first waterworks with a canal dug from the South Llano to Junction in 1895. A dam was built in 1896 on the South Llano River to provide power and water to the city and irrigation to surrounding lands. The population stood at 536 in 1900. Four Mile Dam, a more permanent and extensive dam, was completed in 1904. Junction continued to grow rapidly, with around 800 residents living in the community in 1910. That figure had grown to 1,250 by 1920. By the late 1920s, citizens felt the need for the benefits of a municipal government. On August 27, 1927, H.O. Denman and 152 others presented an incorporation petition to Kimble County Judge J.B. Randolph. In the election, 390 votes were cast: 274 (70%) "For Incorporation" and 116 (30%) "Against Incorporation". A city officers' election took place on October 13, 1927, with Ernest Holekamp elected as Junction's first mayor. During the mid-1920s, highway connections from Junction to Menard and
San Angelo San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage Plai ...
were made available. A sewer system was built in 1929. In the 1930 census, the city recorded 1,415 residents. Junction was the chief shipping and commercial center of Kimble County, as well as a tourist resort and hunting center. A new municipal building and fire station were opened in 1939 and 1940, respectively. In the mid-1940s, the cedar-oil business enhanced the economy, but the city's growth slowed. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st, Junction's population continued to hover around 2,600.


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 2,451 people, 1,091 households, and 661 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, 2,618 people, 1,028 households, and 699 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 1,145.0 people per square mile (441.4/km2). The 1,222 housing units averaged 534.5 per square mile (206.0/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 86.13% White, 0.04% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 11.12% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 28.99% of the population. Of the 1,028 households, 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% 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, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were not families. About 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city, the population was distributed as 28.2% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,833, and for a family was $30,865. Males had a median income of $24,096 versus $18,750 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 $14,971. About 16.4% of families and 21.7% 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 30.9% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.


Government

The city of Junction is a "Type A" General Law municipality under Texas law. The local government is headed by an elected mayor and five-member city council. The Junction Economic Development Corporation, Tourism Board, and Chamber of Commerce are given the task of attracting jobs and visitors to Junction while supporting local business establishments.


Infrastructure

Notable highways serving the city include Interstate 10, U.S. Route 83, and U.S. Route 377. Kimble County Airport consists of a paved runway. Commercial service is available to and from Mathis Field in San Angelo. Electric power for the city of Junction is provided by AEP/West Texas Utilities, while member-owned Pedernales Electric distributes power to rural Kimble County. A four-member police force and county sheriff officers serve the community. The 30-member volunteer fire department, as well as the Kimble County Ranch Fire Association, has firefighting personnel and equipment. Ambulance and rescue services are also provided.


Education

Public education in the city of Junction is provided by the
Junction Independent School District Junction Independent School District is a public school district based in Junction, Texas (USA). Schools * Junction High School *Junction Middle School *Junction Elementary School In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" ...
. The district supports an elementary, middle, and
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
housed on a single campus at 1700 College Street. Junction is home to the Texas Tech University Center at Junction, a satellite school of
Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
in
Lubbock Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northwe ...
. The center is situated on a campus, and offers a broad spectrum of programs in both the undergraduate and graduate disciplines.


Notable people

*
Les Cox Leslie Warren Cox (August 14, 1904 – October 14, 1934) was an American professional baseball player. A pitcher, he appeared in two games in Major League Baseball in 1926 for the Chicago White Sox. Cox died at age 30 of complications after under ...
, former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player *
Clinton Manges Clinton Manges (August 22, 1923 – September 23, 2010) was a controversial oil tycoon in Texas in the 1970s and 1980s. Manges was born in Cement, Oklahoma. He began to amass his fortune in South Texas in the early 1970s, when he befriended Llo ...
,
South Texas South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.96 ...
businessman, spent some of his impoverished childhood in Junction, where his grandfather renovated mattresses * Andrew Murr (grandson of Coke Stevenson), current
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
member of the
Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...
from Kimble County, and the former
county judge The term county judge is applied as a descriptor, sometimes as a title, for a person who presides over a county court. In most cases, such as in Northern Ireland and the Victorian County Courts, a county judge is a judicial officer with civil ...
*
Coke Stevenson Coke Robert Stevenson (March 20, 1888 – June 28, 1975) was an American politician who served as the 35th governor of Texas from 1941 to 1947. He was the first Texan politician to hold its three highest offices (Speaker of the Texas Hou ...
,
governor of Texas The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...
from 1941 to 1947, was a native of Junction. A meeting hall north of Interstate 10 is named in his honor. Stevenson lost to
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
the 1948
US Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
Democratic
primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...
runoff election The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
by 87 disputed votes, also known as the
Box 13 scandal The Box 13 scandal was a political scandal that occurred in Jim Wells County, Texas during the Senate election of 1948, regarding disputed votes in a Democratic primary involving Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908 ...


Notable events

While coaching the
Texas A&M Aggies football The Texas A&M Aggies football program represents Texas A&M University in the sport of American football. The Aggies compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Divisio ...
team,
Paul "Bear" Bryant Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of t ...
's 10-day summer
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
camp was held in Junction in 1954. The "
Junction Boys The Junction Boys were the "survivors" of Texas A&M Aggies football coach Bear Bryant's 10-day summer camp in Junction, Texas, beginning September 1, 1954. The ordeal became the subject of a 2001 book by Jim Dent, ''The Junction Boys'',
" was the nickname given to those who made it through the entire camp. The event was portrayed in a 2002
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
made-for-television film, '' The Junction Boys'', based on a book by
Jim Dent James Lacey Dent (born May 9, 1939) is an American professional golfer. Dent was born in the golf mecca of Augusta, Georgia, home of the Masters Tournament, though as an African American he wouldn't have been allowed onto the Augusta National c ...
of the same title.


Attractions

Major celebrations in Junction include the Billie Sale and Parade held in August, and the annual Kimble Kow Kick, which takes place in September. The Kimble County Historical Museum contains documents, tools, and other relics from the days of early settlers and military artifacts. The
O.C. Fisher Ovie Clark Fisher (November 22, 1903 – December 9, 1994) was an attorney and author who served for 32 years as the U.S. representative for Texas's 21st congressional district. Early life Fisher was born in Junction in Kimble County, Texas t ...
Museum, housed in the Kimble County Library, contains an exact duplicate of the
Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
, office of the long-time congressman who represented the Junction area. Junction is home to several parks, including the
South Llano River State Park South Llano River State Park is a 2600 acre state park located along the South Llano River in Kimble County, Texas. The park opened to the public in 1990 and is managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. History The park's land was don ...
. It also has eight swimming pools, golf and tennis courts, and abundant hotel/motel options due mainly to its location along the heavily traveled Interstate 10 corridor. The
Fort McKavett State Historic Site The Fort McKavett State Historic Site is a former United States Army installation located in Menard County, Texas. The fort was first established in 1852 as part of a line of forts in Texas intended to protect migrants traveling to California. Th ...
is also located near Junction.


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 ...
, Junction 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.Climate Summary for Junction, Texas
/ref>


References


External links


Official website''Junction Eagle''
– weekly newspaper
Junction Independent School DistrictKimble County Tourism BoardKimble County Chamber of CommerceJunction, Texas Economic Development Corporation
* * {{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Kimble County, Texas County seats in Texas 1876 establishments in Texas