Kaufman 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
Kaufman 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 6,797 at the 2020 census.
History
Kaufman was founded as "Kings Fort", named after Dr. William P. King, who established the fort in 1840 after purchasing of land where the city is now located. The community was renamed "Kingsboro" after five years of growth. In 1852, Kingsboro was renamed "Kaufman" after the newly formed Kaufman County, which in turn was named after
David S. Kaufman.
Kaufman was the first place that
Bonnie Parker
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The co ...
, of
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The co ...
, was incarcerated.
Nearby Camp Kaufman was used as a German
POW camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...
during World War II.
Geography
U.S. Route 175
U.S. Highway 175 (US 175) is a east-west United States Numbered Highway located completely within the state of Texas. It comes very close to meeting its parent route, US 75, but decommissioning and rerouting in Downtown Dallas leaves it sho ...
, a four-lane limited access highway, passes through the southwest side of the city, leading northwest to
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
and southeast to
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
.
Texas State Highway 34
State Highway 34 (SH 34) is a route that runs from Honey Grove to Italy just east of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
History
SH 34 was originally proposed on November 19, 1917, starting in Ft. Worth travelling southeast to Ennis. On October 1 ...
passes through the south and east sides of the city, leading north to
Terrell
Terrell, Terell, Terrel, or Terrelle may refer to:
Places United States
*Terrell, Georgia, unincorporated community
*Terrell, North Carolina, unincorporated community in Catawba County, North Carolina, United States
*Terrell, Texas, city in Kau ...
and southwest to
Ennis
Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...
.
State Highway 243 leads east from Kaufman to
Canton.
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 ...
, Kaufman has a total area of , of which , or 2.08%, 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 ...
, Kaufman 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.
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 6,797 people, 2,177 households, and 1,427 families residing in the city.
Sports
Kaufman was home to
minor league baseball. The 1915
Kaufman Kings played as members of the
Class D level
Central Texas League
The Central Texas League was a minor league baseball league that played from 1914 to 1917. The Central Texas League played as a six–team Class D (baseball), Class D level league and consisted of teams based exclusively in Texas. The Central Texa ...
before the league disbanded.
Education
Public schools
Kaufman and surrounding portions of
Kaufman County are served by the
Kaufman Independent School District
Kaufman Independent School District is a public school district based in Kaufman, Texas, United States.
In addition to Kaufman, the district serves the cities of Oak Ridge, Oak Grove, and Post Oak Bend.
In 2009, the school district was rated ...
.
Private schools
Honors Academy operates the Legacy Academy, a grades 6–12 charter school, in Kaufman.
In addition,
Kaufman Christian School, a church-run school with classes from prekindergarten to 12th grade, also serves the area.
Colleges and universities
Trinity Valley Community College
Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC) is a public community college based in Athens, Texas. It has four campuses serving five counties across the southeast and eastern parts of the state.
About
TVCC operates four campuses serving the Texas co ...
operates its Health Science Center in Kaufman. (The college offers other nonmedical general-education courses at other TVCC campuses.)
Notable people
*
Ted Healy
Ted Healy (born Charles Ernest Lee Nash; October 1, 1896 – December 21, 1937) was an American vaudeville performer, comedian, and actor. Though he is chiefly remembered as the creator of The Three Stooges and the style of slapstick comedy th ...
, comedian, actor and discoverer of
The Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...
, was born in Kaufman in 1896
*
Stuart Spitzer, surgeon in Kaufman and former 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 ...
*
Sonny Strait
Sonny Strait is an American voice actor, ADR director, and writer at Funimation, known for his work on a number of English versions of Japanese anime series and as an illustrator for the independently published comic book series '' Elfquest.''
C ...
, voice actor
See also
*
References
External links
Official websiteKaufman Chamber of Commerce*
{{authority control
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
Cities in Texas
Cities in Kaufman County, Texas
County seats in Texas
U.S. Route 175