Pleasanton is a city in
Atascosa 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. The population was 8,934 at the
2010 census.
Pleasanton's official motto is "The City of Live Oaks and Friendly Folks." It is part of the
San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Pleasanton honors its
cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...
heritage with the "Mr. Cowboy" sculpture in front of City Hall and across from the giant oak tree downtown. The roots of the cattle kingdom can be traced to Atascosa County in the 1860s, which calls itself "the birthplace of the cowboys." The sculpture is a gift from Ben and Mona Parker. The
Longhorn Museum in east Pleasanton on
Highway 97
Route 97, or Highway 97, may refer to:
Australia
- Olympic Dam Highway, South Australia
Canada
* British Columbia Highway 97
** British Columbia Highway 97A
** British Columbia Highway 97B
** British Columbia Highway 97C
** British Columb ...
contains artifacts and memorabilia of the cowboy years. The Cowboy Homecoming, begun in 1966, is an annual event held at the Atascosa River Park in Pleasanton.
History
Pleasanton was established in 1858 when conflicts with the
Native Americans caused the settlers to move the location of the county seat from
Amphion
There are several characters named Amphion in Greek mythology:
* Amphion, son of Zeus and Antiope, and twin brother of Zethus (see Amphion and Zethus). Together, they are famous for building Thebes. Pausanias recounts an Egyptian legend accor ...
. The settlers chose the current townsite because of its location at the mouth of Bonita Creek. John Bowen (died 1867), San Antonio's first Anglo-American postmaster, founded and named the town of Pleasanton after his good friend and fellow early Texas Settler John Pleasants.
At one time Pleasanton had two newspapers, the ''Pleasanton Picayune'', which became the ''Pleasanton Express'' in 1909, and the ''Pleasanton Reporter''. The county seat was relocated from Pleasanton to
Jourdanton in 1910. Pleasanton was incorporated in 1917.
In November 1957, the citizens of Pleasanton voted overwhelmingly to desegregate the
public schools. This came some two months after the crisis at
Little Rock Central High School
Little Rock Central High School (LRCHS) is an accredited comprehensive education, comprehensive public high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, Little Rock, Arkansas, Secondary education in the United States, United States. The school was the Littl ...
in
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
. Some three dozen
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
pupils were then integrated into the Pleasanton school.
Geography and climate
Pleasanton is located at (28.966953, –98.484937),
about south of downtown
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 ...
, south-southwest 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 ...
and north by north-northwest of
Corpus Christi.
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 , all land.
The average annual temperature of Pleasanton is . The mean temperature on January 1 is and on June 1 is . Average annual precipitation is .
Most soils of Pleasanton are quite sandy at the surface but have a clay-rich subsoil that holds moisture. They belong to the
Alfisol
Alfisols are a soil order in USDA soil taxonomy. Alfisols form in semi-arid to humid areas, typically under a hardwood forest cover. They have a clay-enriched subsoil and relatively high native fertility. "Alf" refers to aluminium (Al) and iron ( ...
soil order. Common soil series in town are Nusil, Poth and Rhymes.
Climate
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 ...
system, Pleasanton 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° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Pleasanton was on June 15, 1998 and September 5, 2000, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 10–11, 2010.
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 10,648 people, 3,462 households, and 2,558 families residing in the city.
2000 census
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, there were 8,266 people, 2,941 households, and 2,135 families 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 1,293.5 people per square mile (499.5/km). There were 3,212 housing units at an average density of 502.6 per square mile (194.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 79.13%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.98%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.97%
Native American, 0.50%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.17%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 15.34% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.92% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 51.15% of the population.
There were 2,941 households, out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,644, and the median income for a family was $34,718. Males had a median income of $28,849 versus $20,144 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 $14,878. About 16.8% of families and 22.2% 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 30.9% of those under age 18 and 21.8% of those aged 65 or over.
Culture
Pleasanton in steeped in Texas cattle and ranch culture, with numerous working ranches nearby.
Part of the
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
''
The Sugarland Express
''The Sugarland Express'' is a 1974 American crime drama film directed by Steven Spielberg in his directorial debut. The film follows a woman (Goldie Hawn) and her husband (William Atherton) as they take a police officer (Michael Sacks) hostage a ...
'' was filmed around the intersection of 2nd Street and Commerce Street. Every year, Pleasanton hosts the "Cowboy Homecoming Festival", which commemorates the time when the cowboys driving cattle from South Texas to the railheads up north would return home. This event takes place each October.
Education
Almost all of Pleasanton is located within the
Pleasanton Independent School District
Pleasanton Independent School District is a public school district based in Pleasanton, Texas (USA).
In 2011, the School District was rated "Academically Acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is th ...
and home to the
Pleasanton High School Eagles. In the school year, 2010–2011 Pleasanton I.S.D. received Academically Unacceptable ratings from the Texas Education Agency for their high school campus and their school of choice. The school district received an Acceptable rating for their junior high and Exceptional for the elementary and primary campuses. Pleasanton I.S.D. has seen several families move their students to Jourdanton I.S.D. and McMullen County I.S.D. due to the poor ratings of the high school campus.
A small portion of the town is in the
Jourdanton Independent School District
Jourdanton Independent School District is a public school district based in Jourdanton, Texas (USA).
In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.
Schools
In the 2012–2013 school year, the ...
.
Coastal Bend College
Coastal Bend College (CBC), formerly known as Bee County College (BCC), is a community college that has its main campus in Beeville, Texas, and which operates branch campuses in Alice, Kingsville, and Pleasanton, Texas.
As defined by the Texas ...
of
Beeville maintains a branch two-year campus in Pleasanton.
Notable people
*
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
, was a radio DJ in Pleasanton at one time
Houston Music - Willie Nelson: One Hell of a Ride
/ref>
* Pete Flores, Texas State Senator, 19th district
Gallery
Image: Downtown Pleasanton, Texas IMG_2602.JPG,
Image: Pleasanton, TX, City Hall IMG_2620.JPG,
Image: Pleasanton, TX Express newspaper IMG_2623.JPG,
Image: Law enforcement marker in Pleasanton, TX IMG_2606.JPG,
Image: First Baptist Church of Pleasanton, TX IMG_2594.JPG,
Image: Old Rock Schoolhouse in Pleasanton, TX IMG_2596.JPG,
Image: First United Methodist Church in Pleasanton, TX IMG_2603.JPG,
Image: St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Pleasanton, TX IMG_2628.JPG,
Image: Covered wagon at Longhorn Museum in Pleasanton, TX IMG_2633.JPG,
Image: UP Rail car at Longhorn Museum in Pleasanton IMG_2630.JPG,
Image:Eagle Stadium in Pleasanton, TX IMG_2589.JPG,
Image: Pleasanton, TX, Sports Complex IMG_2578.JPG,
Image:Performing Arts Center in Pleasanton, TX IMG_2577.JPG,
Image: Coastal Bend College, Pleasanton, TX MG 2592.JPG,
References
External links
City of Pleasanton official website
''The Pleasanton Express''
local newspaper
Handbook of Texas Online
article
{{authority control
Cities in Atascosa County, Texas
Cities in Texas
Greater San Antonio
Populated places established in 1858
1858 establishments in Texas