Pampa (from the
Quechua
Quechua may refer to:
*Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru
*Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language
**So ...
: ''pampa'', meaning "plain") is a city 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 lawy ...
, United States. Its population was 16,867 as of the
2020 census.
Pampa is 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 Gray County and is the principal city of the
Pampa micropolitan statistical area, which includes both Gray and
Roberts Counties.
Pampa is named after the
Pampas
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 Brazi ...
Lowlands in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
, and southern Brazil.
Pampa hosts the Top o' Texas Rodeo each year in July, which brings competitors from Texas and the surrounding states to Gray County. The White Deer Land Company Museum, which showcases ranching exhibits, is located in downtown Pampa.
History
In 1888, the
Santa Fe Railroad
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...
was constructed through the area where Pampa would be established. A rail station and telegraph office were built, and the townsite was laid out by George Tyng, manager of the White Deer Lands ranch. The town was first called "Glasgow", then "Sutton", and then the name was changed to "Pampa" after the ''
pampas
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 Brazi ...
'' grasslands of South America at Mr. Tyng's suggestion.
Timothy Dwight Hobart
Timothy Dwight Hobart (October 6, 1855 – May 19, 1935) was an American businessman, best known as the manager of the JA Ranch. He was also mayor of Pampa, Texas
Pampa (from the Quechua: ''pampa'', meaning "plain") is a city in Gray Count ...
, a native of
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
, sold plots of land for the town only to people who agreed to settle there and develop the land, and Pampa soon became a center for agriculture. Gas and oil were discovered in the
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 ...
in 1916. Pampa prospered greatly in the resulting oil boom, and the Gray County seat of government was moved in 1928 from
Lefors to Pampa.
The
Army Air Forces Training Command
The United States Army Air Forces during World War II had major subordinate Commands below the Air Staff level. These Commands were organized along functional missions. One such Command was the Flying Training Command (FTC). It began as Air Corp ...
operated the
Pampa Army Air Field
Pampa Army Airfield is an abandoned airfield located about 11 miles east of Pampa, Texas, Pampa in Gray County, Texas. During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces used Pampa Airfield as a training airfield by the Air Training Command ...
that was in operation from 1942 to 1945. The former base is located near the intersection of
SH 152 and
FM 1474, about 10 miles east of the town.
1995 tornado
On June 8, 1995, a violent
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
hit the industrial section on the west side of Pampa, destroying or damaging about 250 businesses and homes. It resulted in $30 million in damage and was the costliest and the most destructive tornado on record for this town. It had a 3-mile-long path and was 200 yards wide. At its peak, it was rated an F4 on the
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale (F-Scale; ), or Fujita–Pearson scale (FPP scale), is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation. The official Fujita scale category is deter ...
.
Geography
Pampa is located in northwestern Gray County.
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 t ...
, the city has a total land area of , all land.
U.S. Route 60 passes through Pampa, leading northeast to
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
and southwest to
Amarillo
Amarillo ( ; Spanish for " yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall Cou ...
.
Texas State Highway 70
State Highway 70 (SH 70) is a state highway in Texas. The route runs approximately from US 277 near Blackwell to US 83 south of Perryton.
Route description
SH 70 begins in far northeastern Coke County at a junction with US&nb ...
crosses US 60 in the southwest part of Pampa and leads north to
Perryton and south to
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 ...
.
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 16,867 people, 6,601 households, and 4,234 families residing in the city.
2010 Census
As of the census of 2010, 17,994 people resided in Pampa, a 0.6% increase from 2000. The population density was 2,008.3 people per square mile (775.6/km). The racial makeup of the city was 80.9% White, 3.3% Black, 0.8% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 0.4% Asian, had 2.6% reporting two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 26% of the population.
The 7,123 households (2006–2010) averaged 2.6 persons per household. Persons under 18 years of age accounted for 27%, and under 5 years of age accounted for 8.1% of the population. Persons over age 65 accounted for 16% of the population.
The median household income was $40,358, with the per capita income in the past 12 months (2010 dollars) 2006–2010 being $22,025. The home ownership rate (2006–2010) was 76.2%, with the median value of owner-occupied housing units was $65,300.
2000 Census
As of the census
of 2000, 17,887 people, 7,387 households, and 5,074 families were residing in the city. The population density was 2,050.0 people per square mile (791.1/km). The 8,785 housing units averaged 1,006.8 per mi
2 (388.5/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 83.69% White, 3.85% African American, 1.07% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 8.25% from other races, and 2.73% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 13.72% of the population.
Of the 7,387 households, 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were not families. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city, the age distribution was 25.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,213, and for a family was $39,810. Males had a median income of $32,717 versus $20,492 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,791. About 12.1% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Media
The ''
Pampa News'', a
daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports ...
published in Pampa, serves Pampa and the surrounding areas of Gray County. The paper is published daily except Sundays, Mondays, and major holidays. Its daily circulation is about 3,600.
Pampa is served by four commercial radio stations. KGRO 1230 AM, KOMX 100.3 FM, and KDRL 103.3 FM serve the Panhandle region with local news. KGRO went on the air in 1966, and has been the longtime home of Pampa Harvester sports. The stations are owned by Pampa Broadcasters Inc.
KHNZ 101.3 FM is a classic country station owned by Route 66 Media of Shamrock.
Education
The city is served by the
Pampa Independent School District. The school district administers four elementary schools (Austin, Lamar, Travis, and Wilson) and one junior high school.
Pampa High School and the nontraditional Pampa Learning Center are also part of the school system.
Pampa is also served by the Pampa Center branch of
Clarendon College.
Library
The Lovett Memorial Library was built on the entire west half of the 100 block of North Houston Street. The building was dedicated on January 18, 1955. In 1985, the Harrington Foundation of Amarillo paid for the computerization of library records, joining the library for the first time into a consortium with most of the public libraries in the Panhandle. By the mid-1990s, Lovett Library was showing its age, and not compliant with the Americans for Disabilities Act. In October 1995, it was announced that Mrs. Ruth Ann Holland has left $500,000 to the Library Foundation in her will.
In 1996, the Lovett Library Foundation, which managed the Holland bequest and several other substantial bequests, announced that a plan was being made to extensive renovate the old building. In January 1998, the library staff, along with all books and much equipment, moved from the Houston Street facility to the old B. M. Baker school on the south side, where the library was set up in the cafeteria and classroom annex in the south part of the school complex.
This freed the old building on Houston Street for renovation. The children's area was moved to the second floor; a bridge was built between the second floor facility and other children's rooms in the south part of the building; an elevator was installed; new shelves, lighting, and ceiling tiles were installed; and the building was made completely ADA compliant.
In June 2003, it was announced that R. L. Franklin, prominent rancher of Pampa, would donate two statues to the library to honor the 50th anniversary of the opening of the building in January 1955. One statue, by Don Ray of Channing, represents a seated woman reading to a child; this is erected in front of the library. Another statue representing a Pioneer Woman was by David Frech of New York was placed in the library's Reading Garden. Both statues were dedicated to four local women, including the donor's mother, each of whom had a long involvement with the library. The statues were dedicated on January 9, 2005, and at one of the dedicatory events, author
Elmer Kelton
Elmer Stephen Kelton (April 29, 1926Kelton, Elmer (2007). - ''Sandhills Boy: The Winding Trail of a Texas Writer''. - New York, New York: Forge. - p.26. - . – August 22, 2009) was an American journalist and writer, known particularly for hi ...
was the guest speaker.
Climate
Notable people
*
Black Bart, retired
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
*
Cody Canada
Cody Jay Canada (born May 25, 1976) is an American rock/alt-country musician who currently is the lead singer and lead guitarist of the rock band The Departed since 2010. From 1994 to 2010, Canada was the lead singer of rock/alt country band Cro ...
, American southern rock/alt-country artist
*
Mary Castle
Mary Ann Castle, ''née'' Mary Ann Noblett, (January 22, 1931 – April 29, 1998) was an American actress. She appeared in the films '' When the Redskins Rode'' in 1951, ''Three Steps to the Gallows'' in 1953 and '' Gunsmoke'' in 1953. In 1954 ...
(1931–1998), actress
*
Phil Cates (1947–2014), former state representative for House District 66
*
Duane Lee Chapman, or
Dog the Bounty Hunter, was raised in Pampa
*
Warren Chisum Warren D. Chisum (born July 4, 1938) is an American politician who served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1989 to 2013.
Legislative career
Chisum started his political career as a Democrat, but he party switched to the Republican Par ...
, politician
*
Gene Cockrell, American football player
*
Gerald J. Ford
Gerald J. Ford (born 1944) is an American attorney and businessman. , most recently the Chairman of the Trustees of
Southern Methodist University
, mottoeng = "The truth will make you free"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = SACS
, academic_affiliations =
, religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church
, president = R. Gerald Turner
, ...
in
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 ...
*
Ben H. Guill (1909–1994),
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 ...
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from
Texas's 18th congressional district
Texas's 18th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives includes much of inner city Houston and the surrounding area. It has been the Downtown Houston district since 1972. The current Representative from the 18th dis ...
from 1950 to 1951
*
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...
, the songwriter, moved to Pampa with his father Charles Guthrie and attended high school there briefly
*
John Jenkins, former
University of Houston
The University of Houston (UH) is a public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the university in Texas with over 47,000 students. Its campus, which is primarily in s ...
head football coach
*
Randy Matson, a former World Champion
shot putter
*
Tom Mechler, state chairman of the
Republican Party of Texas
The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in the state of Texas. It is currently chaired by Matt Rinaldi, succeeding Allen West who resigned prior to the expiration of his term to run for governo ...
from 2015 to 2017
*
T. Boone Pickens, chairman of the private equity firm BP Capital Management, and former CEO of Mesa Petroleum
*
Trae Young
Rayford Trae Young (born September 19, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners. In 2017, he tied the then-reco ...
, basketball player (
point guard)
*
Zach Thomas
Zachary Michael Thomas (born September 1, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a middle linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for Texas Tech University, and was ...
, retired
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
References
External links
City of Pampa official websitePampa in the Handbook of Texas''The Pampa News''First Baptist Church
{{authority control
Cities in Gray County, Texas
Cities in Texas
Pampa, Texas micropolitan area
County seats in Texas