O'Donnell is a

West Texas West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio. No consensus exists on the boundary betwee ...

city that lies primarily in Lynn County, with a small portion extending south into

Dawson County, Texas Dawson County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 12,456. The county seat is Lamesa, Texas, Lamesa. The county was created in 1876 and later organi ...

. Its population was 831 at the 2010 census, down from 1,011 at the 2000 census. The Lynn county portion of O'Donnell is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan area.

History

O'Donnell was settled in 1910 and named for Tom J. O'Donnell, a railroad promoter. O'Donnell was a railroad-created town, founded in anticipation that the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway would lay tracks through the area. A branch of the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway was constructed from Slaton to Lamesa in 1910. The rails were abandoned and removed in 1999. In 2016, a controversy arose when the school was reported for having the ten commandments on its wall; when forced to take it down, the students came together and wrote Bible verses on sticky notes and posted them on the wall.

Geography

O'Donnell is on the High Plains of the

Llano Estacado The Llano Estacado (), sometimes translated into English as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. One of the largest mesas or tablelands on the North A ...

at (32.9637085 –101.8326542).

U.S. Highway 87 U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...

passes just northwest of the city limits, leading southwest to Lamesa and north to Lubbock. 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 ...

, O'Donnell has an area of , 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 704 people, 353 households, and 252 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, O'Donnell had 831 people, a 17.8% reduction from the

2000 US Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

. The population resided in 315 households, of which 237 were identified as family households. 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 73.4% White, 1.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 20.3% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 62.8% of the population. In the city, the age distribution was 31.2% under 18, 52.0% from 18 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38.5 years. The median income for a household in the city was $26,103, and for a family was $30,833. Males had a median income of $26,193 versus $15,917 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 $12,924. About 24.4% of families and 24.8% 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 31.1% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

O'Donnell is served by the

O'Donnell Independent School District O'Donnell Independent School District is a public school district based in O'Donnell, Texas (USA). Located in Lynn County, portions of the district extend into Dawson and Terry counties. In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acce ...

and is home to the

O'Donnell High School O'Donnell High School is a 1A high school located in O'Donnell, Texas (USA). It is part of the O'Donnell Independent School District located in southeast Lynn County. In 2011, the school was rated "Academically Acceptable" by the Texas Education ...

Eagles.

Gallery

File:Heritage Museum, O'Donnell, Texas IMG_1493.JPG, O'Donnell Heritage Museum at the intersection of Doak and Eighth streets File:O'Donnell Texas cemetery 2011.jpg, O'Donnell Cemetery File:Former Blocker Store, O'Donnell, Texas IMG 1497.JPG, The former Blocker Store in downtown O'Donnell

Notable people

* Dan Blocker, was born in DeKalb, Texas, and moved with his parents to O'Donnell shortly after his birth. He is best known for playing

Hoss Cartwright ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

on the NBC television series ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

''. A small museum in O'Donnell features limited Blocker memorabilia *

Phil Hardberger Phillip Duane Hardberger (born July 27, 1934) is an American politician and lawyer who served as mayor of San Antonio, taking office in June, 2005. A Democrat, he was elected on a non-partisan ballot. Life and career Family and early years Hardb ...

, a former mayor 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 ...

, grew up in O'Donnell. His parents, Homer Reeves Hardberger and the former Bess Scott, are buried in O'Donnell

References

External links

Roadside America, Dan Blocker MemorialHandbook of Texas: O'Donnell, Texas
* {{DEFAULTSORT:O'donnell, Texas Populated places established in 1910 Cities in Lynn County, Texas Cities in Dawson County, Texas Cities in Texas 1910 establishments in Texas