Roby is a city in 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 ...
of
Fisher County,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, United States.
The population was 643 at the
2010 census.
History
In 1885, shortly after Fisher County was organized, a dispute arose between business partners from Mississippi and a town called Fisher. Both wanted their land to host the courthouse. The partners were M.L. and D.C. Roby, and the town of Fisher is now called North Roby.
In 1886, construction was begun on the new courthouse and a school and post office opened. The community had 13 houses by that summer. In 1890, the population was estimated to be 300 people and the town had a hotel, two general stores, Baptist and Methodist churches, a restaurant, and a weekly newspaper, the ''Fisher County Call''.
Roby had no jail until 1892, when one was constructed out of stone. A new jail was built in 1926 out of brick, and remained in use until 2016. In 2016, a new jail was built and the brick jailhouse was declared a historic landmark.
It has had three different courthouses during its existence, unlike many Texas county seats, which have preserved and restored original courthouses. The most recent courthouse was built in 1972, and is strikingly modern in comparison to those found in many Texas counties.
In 1898, the first bank was chartered and the Roby school district was formed. The area covered by the school district grew slowly over the years as it absorbed rural schools in the vicinity, including those of Longworth and McCaulley.
By 1900, the population had grown to 712 residents. By 1914, it had Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Nazarene churches. Telephone service was also established as of 1914.
Roby received its first railroad in 1907 (the Texas Central), and in 1915, the Roby and Northern laid 4.4 miles of track to connect Roby proper with North Roby. It actually increased during the Great Depression—reaching 904 for the 1940 Census. The Roby and Northern line was scrapped during World War II and its rails went to the war effort.
Roby incorporated in 1915, and its population grew to 801 in 1930 and 904 in 1940. The population peaked in 1950 with 1,040 people calling Roby and North Roby home, and 60 businesses. The city was plagued by insufficient water throughout its life and finally in 1953 during a long period of drought, water from Oak Creek Lake at Blackwell was piped in. By 1970, the population had fallen below 800 with 22 businesses in operation. It further declined to 616 in 1990 before rebounding to 673 in 2000, and as of the 2010 Census, the population had fallen to 643.
Geography
Roby is located at (32.744839, –100.381100).
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 area of , all of it land. Roby is surrounded by wide cotton fields.
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 ...
, 591 people, 306 households, and 216 families were 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 in ...
of 2000, 673 people, 264 households, and 175 families resided in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was 936.1 people per square mile (360.9/km). The 312 housing units averaged 434.0 per square mile (167.3/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 86.18% White, 3.27% African American, 0.45% Native American, 8.32% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 22.14% of the population.
Of the 264 households, 31.1% had children under 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were not families. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45, and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city, the age distribution was 27.8% under 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.4 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,031, and for a family was $34,632. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $19,286 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 $13,926. About 14.8% of families and 15.9% 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 18.9% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.
The Roby 42
Forty-two lucky residents of Roby put $10 each in a lottery pool in 1996 and won the $46,000,000 jackpot on Thanksgiving of that year, making 6–7% percent of the population millionaires instantly (before taxes).
Education
The City of Roby is served by the
Roby Consolidated Independent School District
Roby Consolidated Independent School District is a public school district based in Roby, Texas ( USA). Located in Fisher County, a small portion of the district extends into Jones County. The district also serves the unincorporated communities ...
and is home to the
Roby High School
Roby High School is a public high school located in the city of Roby, Texas, USA and classified as a 1A school by the UIL. It is a part of the Roby Consolidated Independent School District, a consolidation of McCauley and Roby in 1990 that is l ...
Lions.
Climate
Roby's climate type occurs primarily on the periphery of the true deserts in low-latitude
semiarid steppe regions. 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 ''BSk'' (tropical and subtropical steppe climate).
References
External links
History of Roby Court HousesHandbook of Texas Online
{{authority control
Cities in Fisher County, Texas
Cities in Texas
County seats in Texas
1915 establishments in Texas