McLean is a town in
Gray County, Texas
Gray County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 21,227. The county seat is Pampa. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1902. is named for Peter W. Gray, a Confederate lawyer ...
, United States. It is part of the
Pampa
The Pampas (from the qu, pampa, meaning "plain") are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all of Uruguay; and Brazil ...
micropolitan statistical area. Its population was 778 as of the 2010 census.
Geography
McLean is located in southeastern Gray County at (35.233836, –100.600055).
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...
passes through the southern part of the town, leading east to
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
and west to
Amarillo
Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat, seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County. It is the List of cities in Texas by population, 14th-most populous city in Texas and th ...
. Interstate 40 Business (Old
U.S. 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
) passes through the town as First Street (westbound) and Railroad Street (eastbound), connecting to I-40 at Exit 141 west of town and Exit 143 to the east.
Texas State Highway 273
State Highway 273 (SH 273) is a state highway that runs from Pampa in northern Texas east and south to SH 203 near Hedley.
History
The route was originally designated on July 30, 1938 from Pampa to McLean. On November 4, 1971, an extension a ...
runs along the western edge of McLean, accessing I-40 at Exit 142 and running north then northwest to Pampa, the Gray County seat.
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 ...
, McLean has a total area of , all of it land.
History
![McLean Texas aerial view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/McLean_Texas_aerial_view.JPG)
In 1901, Alfred Rowe, an English rancher who later perished in the sinking of the
''Titanic'', donated land near a railroad cattle-loading stop for the establishment of a town site. The Choctaw, Oklahoma and Texas Railroad Company constructed a water well and a switch and section house there. The town was named for Judge William P. McLean (1836–1925) of 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 ...
and
Railroad Commission. The town grew rapidly. By 1904, McLean had three general stores, a bank, two wagon yards and livery stables, a lumber yard, and a newspaper, the ''McLean News''. A windmill pumped water from a well drilled in the middle of Main Street, and citizens hauled the water in barrels and buckets. The town was incorporated in 1909, with C. S. Rice as mayor, and became a center for agriculture.
In 1927, the Mother Road,
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
, was built through the town, and it became a stop for tourists and a center for oil, livestock, and agriculture processing and shipping. By 1940, the population had risen to 1,500 with six churches, 59 businesses, and a newspaper. In 1942, a prisoner-of-war camp was built east-northeast of the town, and was operated until 1945, housing about 3,000
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
prisoners.
As the prominence of other
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a square-shaped area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east. It is adjacent to ...
cities, especially Amarillo and Pampa, surpassed McLean, the town began to decrease slowly in size. In 1984, the town was bypassed as part of the final phase of construction of Interstate 40, which replaced the old U.S. Route 66 through that area.
Demographics
![Phillips 66 station, McLean, TX](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Phillips_66_station%2C_McLean%2C_TX.jpg)
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, 830 people, 343 households, and 186 families were residing in the town. 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 706.2 people/sq mi (271.6/km
2). The 459 housing units averaged 390.6/sq mi (150.2/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 town was 96.87% White, 0.36% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.60% from other races, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.17% of the population.
Of the 343 households, 23.3% had children under 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were not families. About 42.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.12, and the average family size was 2.96.
In the town, age distribution was 20.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 17.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 35.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $22,847, and for a family was $34,286. Males had a median income of $26,667 versus $20,000 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 town was $13,843. About 12.9% of families and 16.4% 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 17.9% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The town is served by the
McLean Independent School District and is home to the
McLean
MacLean, also spelt Maclean and McLean, is a Goidelic languages, Gaelic surname Mac Gille Eathain, or, Mac Giolla Eóin in Irish language, Irish Gaelic), Eóin being a Gaelic form of Johannes (John (given name), John). The clan surname is an A ...
Tigers.
Public library
The Lovett Memorial Library was established August 9, 1940, in the City Hall of McLean. The city council voted to give $10.00 a month to help finance the new library, and appointed a library board to be the governing body. Mrs. Lady Bryant was hired to open the library from 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm daily (closed on Sundays). Since 1940, the library has seen some changes. The current location of 302 N. Main Street in McLean now houses five public-access computers, Wi-Fi access, fax, coping, printing, movies, audio books, and a selection of large-print, fiction, mystery, Western and nonfiction titles. The library is a member of the Texas Panhandle Library System and the Harrington Library Consortium.
National Register of Historical Places
The McLean Commercial District, consisting of most of the downtown area, was listed in the historical register on December 20, 2006.
References
External links
Devil's Rope Museum, McLean, Texas
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Towns in Gray County, Texas
Towns in Texas
Pampa, Texas micropolitan area