First Lockhart (TX) National Bank IMG 9190

Lockhart is a city 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 ...

Caldwell County, Texas Caldwell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 45,883. Its county seat is Lockhart. The county was founded in 1848 and named after Mathew Caldwell, a ranger captain who fought in the B ...

, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 14,379.

History

The city of Lockhart is named after

Byrd Lockhart Byrd Lockhart (1782–1839), was a 19th-century American surveyor, Alamo defender, courier, and Texian officer during the Texas Revolution. Early life and family Lockhart was born in Virginia in 1782. At age 32, Byrd Lockhart was known to be a ...

, an assistant surveyor of

Green DeWitt Green DeWitt (February 12, 1787 – May 18, 1835) was an empresario in Mexican Texas. He brought families from the United States to what is now South-central Texas and founded the DeWitt Colony. Missouri Green Dewitt was elected as the first Ralls ...

and reportedly the first Anglo to set foot in Caldwell County. Lockhart was the site of a victory of the Texans over the

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...

, at the

Battle of Plum Creek The Battle of Plum Creek was a clash between allied Tonkawa, militia, and Rangers of the Republic of Texas and a huge Comanche war party under Chief Buffalo Hump, which took place near Lockhart, Texas, on August 12, 1840, following the Great Rai ...

in 1840. Lockhart was originally called "Plum Creek", but the name was later changed to Lockhart. The town's economic growth began with the arrival of the railroad in the late 19th century, when the town became a regional shipping center for local

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

. Following the arrival of the railroad, immigrants arrived in Lockhart and opened various businesses. Lockhart has several claims to fame. In 1999, the

Texas Legislature The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ...

proclaimed Lockhart the "Barbecue Capital of Texas"; Lockhart has four major

barbecue restaurants Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke t ...

. The Dr. Eugene Clark Library is the oldest operating

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

in Texas. Lockhart was also the subject of an article by the architectural historian and critic Colin Rowe and architect John Hejduk, first published in ''

Architectural Record ''Architectural Record'' is a US-based monthly magazine dedicated to architecture and interior design. "The Record," as it is sometimes colloquially referred to, is widely-recognized as an important historical record of the unfolding debates in a ...

'' in 1957 and republished in the collection of his writings ''As I Was Saying'' (1996). Rowe and Hejduk see Lockhart as a "curiously eloquent" example of a Victorian post-frontier American town. Lockhart has played host to many film sets, as this quaint, small town is located just south 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 ...

. The 1996

Christopher Guest Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born February 5, 1948) is an American-British screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor, and comedian. Guest is most widely known in Hollywood for having written, directed, and starred in ...

comedy film ''

Waiting for Guffman ''Waiting for Guffman'' is a 1996 American mockumentary comedy film written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy, and directed by Guest. The film's ensemble cast includes Guest, Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard, and Parker Posey. The film's ...

'' and the 1993 drama ''

What's Eating Gilbert Grape ''What's Eating Gilbert Grape'' is a 1993 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis and Darlene Cates. It follows 25-year-old Gilbert (Depp), a grocery store clerk c ...

'' were filmed partly in Lockhart, including the historic courthouse and the town square. The city's

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

store was featured in the 2000 film '' Where the Heart Is''. On July 30, 2016, a hot air balloon struck a power line and caught on fire, killing all 16 people on board when it crashed near the unincorporated community of Maxwell.

Geography

Lockhart is located at (29.881870, –97.676040). Located near

central Texas Central Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas surrounding Austin and roughly bordered by San Saba to Bryan and San Marcos to Hillsboro. Central Texas overlaps with and includes part of the Texas Hill Country and corresponds to a ph ...

, Lockhart is south of downtown

U.S. Highway 183 U.S. Route 183 (US 183) is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Presho, South Dakota, at an intersection with Interstate 90. Its southern terminus is in Refugio, Texas, at the southern intersection ...

. It is northeast 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

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

. 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 , of which , or 0.14%, is covered by water.

Climate

Climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. 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 ...

subtype for this climate is

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''.

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 14,379 people, 4,503 households, and 2,944 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, 11,615 people, 3,627 households, and 2,691 families were residing 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 1,032.7 people per sq mi (398.6/km). The 3,871 housing units averaged 344.2 per sq mi (132.9/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 65.42% White, 12.68% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 18.00% from other races, and 2.82% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 47.41% of the population. Of the 3,627 households, 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were not families. About 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81, and the average family size was 3.28. In the city, the age distribution was 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,762, and for a family was $41,111. Males had a median income of $29,329 versus $20,923 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 $13,621. About 12.2% of families and 14.6% 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 14.8% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Lockhart is served by a seven-person city council. The mayor and two council members are elected at large. The remaining four council members are elected from single-member districts. *Mayor – Lew White *City Council At-Large – Angie Gonzales-Sanchez *City Council At-Large – Brad Westmoreland *City Council District 1 – Juan Mendoza *City Council District 2 – David Bryant *City Council District 3 – Kara McGregor *City Council District 4 – Jeffry Michelson

Education

Lockhart is served by the

Lockhart Independent School District The Lockhart Independent School District is a public school district based in Lockhart, Texas. In addition to Lockhart, the district also serves the portions of Mustang Ridge, Niederwald, and Pettytown in Caldwell County, as well as the unincor ...

and is home to the Lockhart High School Lions. The city has a museum, the Southwest Museum of Clocks and Watches.

Movies shot in Lockhart

The following are some of the films that have been shot in whole or in part in Lockhart:

Significant historic buildings

*Dr. Eugene Clark Library, the oldest continuously operating public library in Texas * Caldwell County Courthouse

Notable people

Scott H. Biram Scott H. Biram aka The Dirty Old One Man Band (born April 4, 1974) is an American blues, punk blues, punk, country, heavy metal musician, record producer, and ordained minister. He is primarily known as one of the prominent musicians of the o ...

, musician *

Lily Cahill Lily Cahill (July 17, 1888 – July 20, 1955) was an American stage and screen actress. Early life Lily Cahill was born July 17, 1888 in San Antonio, Texas. She was the granddaughter of Confederate Army Colonel John Jacob Myers. Career She bega ...

, actress * John Cyrier, state representative for District 17; Lockhart native * Willie Ellison, professional football player * Maud A. B. Fuller, educator, missionary and community leader *

Billy Grabarkewitz Billy Cordell Grabarkewitz (born January 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball infielder, who played seven years in Major League Baseball (MLB). Early years Grabarkewitz lettered in baseball, basketball, football, golf and track ...

, Major League Baseball player *

James McMurtry James McMurtry (born March 18, 1962, in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American rock and folk rock/americana singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, and occasional actor (''Daisy Miller'', ''Lonesome Dove'', and narrator of ''Ghost Town: 24 Hours i ...

, musician *

Primo Miller Ralph Edward "Primo" Miller (September 18, 1915 – February 19, 1999) was an American football tackle who played two seasons with the Cleveland Rams of the National Football League. He played college football at Rice University and attended Bra ...

, football player *

Robert Schwarz Strauss Robert Schwarz Strauss (October 19, 1918 – March 19, 2014) was an influential figure in American politics, diplomacy, and law whose service dated back to future President Lyndon Johnson's first congressional campaign in 1937. By the 1950s, he ...

, politician and diplomat

Gallery

Image:Emmanuel episcopal church 2011.jpg, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, completed in 1856, is the oldest known unaltered church building in use by Protestants in Texas. Image:First christian church lockhart 2013.jpg, First Christian Church, c. 1898 File:St. Mary's Catholic Church, Lockhart, TX IMG_9174.JPG, St. Mary's

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in Lockhart File:First United Methodist Church, Lockhart, TX IMG_9173.JPG, First

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...

of Lockhart File:Southwest Museum of Cl;ocks, Lockhart, TX IMG_9196.JPG, Entrance to Southwest Museum of Clocks and Watches in downtown Lockhart Image:Eugene clark library 2013.jpg, Dr. Eugene Clark Library, c. 1899 Eugene Clark Library Lockhart interior 2018.jpg, Interior of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library Image:Lockhart post office 2014.jpg, United States Post Office in Lockhart, constructed in 1936

References

External links

City of Lockhart official website

Lockhart Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Caldwell County, Texas County seats in Texas Cities in Greater Austin