Salado ( ) is a town in

Bell County, Texas Bell County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in Central Texas and its county seat is Belton. As of the 2020 census, its population was 370,647. Bell County is part of the Killeen– Temple, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Ar ...

, United States. Salado was first incorporated in 1867 for the sole purpose of building a bridge across Salado Creek. In 2000, the citizens of Salado voted in favor of reincorporation, before which it was a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

. The population was 2,394 at the 2020 census.

History

Archaeological evidence of a paleolithic Native American settlement dating back about 15,500 years, the Buttermilk Creek Complex, has been unearthed in Salado. The first record of white settlers in the area occurred in 1834, but by 1836, the pioneer settlers abandoned the area due to frequent Indian attacks and the invasion by General

Santa Anna Santa Anna may refer to: * Santa Anna, Texas, a town in Coleman County in Central Texas, United States * Santa Anna, Starr County, Texas * Santa Anna Township, DeWitt County, Illinois, one of townships in DeWitt County, Illinois, United States. ...

and the Mexican Army. The first permanent Anglo-American settler at Salado was Archibald Willingham in 1850. In 1852, the Salado Post Office was established. In 1859, the Salado College Joint Stock Company was created by Col. Elijah Sterling Clack Robertson, who donated 320 acres north and south of the springs to be broken into lots and form the village of Salado, with the proceeds of the sale going to form

Salado College Salado College was a college in Salado, Texas, United States that operated from 1860 until 1885. History Salado College began on October 8, 1859 at a tent meeting at Salado Springs of prominent men from throughout Bell County with a desire to cr ...

. The college operated from 1860 to 1885 and 1895 to 1913; the former college building was occupied by the Thomas Arnold High School. From 1866 to 1885, the famous Chisholm Trail cattle drives passed through this area, with the Stagecoach Inn being one of the stops. In 1867, Salado incorporated to build a bridge across Salado Creek. By 1884, Salado had a population of 900, seven churches, 14 stores, two hotels, two blacksmiths, and three cotton gins. However, after the railroads bypassed Salado to the north and south, trade moved away from the town and the population began to dwindle, hitting 400 by 1914 and down to 200 by 1950. The town is home to the

Stagecoach Inn The coaching inn (also coaching house or staging inn) was a vital part of Europe's inland transport infrastructure until the development of the railway, providing a resting point (layover) for people and horses. The inn served the needs of tra ...

, the oldest continuously running hotel in Texas. Nineteen Salado locations are listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

, including the

George Washington Baines House The George Washington Baines House is located in the city of Salado, Bell County, Texas. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1981. George Washington Baines wa ...

. File:NortonOrgain1.jpg File:Anderson house 2008.jpg File:Fowler house salado 2008.jpg File:Tyler house salado 2008.jpg File:DavisHouse1.JPG File:Robert halley house 2008.jpg

Geography

Salado is located in south-central Bell County at .

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

runs through the village, leading north to Belton, the county seat, and south to Georgetown. 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 village has a total area of , of which , or 2.10%, is covered by water. Salado is located along the Balcones Fault, which causes the emergence of surface waters. The fault line is also a demarcation line for some species' natural ranges. For example, the California fan palm, ''

Washingtonia filifera ''Washingtonia filifera'', the desert fan palm, California fan palm, or California palm,Flora of North America Association. ''Flora of North America: North of Mexico Volume 22: Magnoliophyta: Alismatidae, Arecidae, Commelinidae (in Part), and Zi ...

'', occurs strictly west of Salado or the Balcones Fault. Salado Creek was selected as the first Texas Natural Landmark.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. 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, Salado has a humid subtropical climate, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.

Demographics

It is part of the Killeen–

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

–

Fort Hood Fort Hood is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. Named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarter ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. 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 2,394 people, 990 households, and 761 families residing in the village. 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, 3,475 people, 1,382 households, and 1,112 families resided in the village. 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 204.2 people per square mile (78.8/km²). The 1,465 housing units averaged 86.1 per square mile (33.2/km²). 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 CDP was 92.37% White, 0.26% African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 5.15% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.66% of the population. There were 1,382 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.1% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.81. In the village, the population was distributed as 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males. The median income for a household was $63,646, and for a family was $70,667. Males had a median income of $48,098 versus $26,528 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 ...

was $29,685. About 3.0% of families and 3.8% 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 2.5% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Salado is served by the Salado Independent School District. The

Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, or TAPPS, is an organization headquartered in the Lone Star Tower at Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas. It was formerly headquartered at the Salado Civic Center in Salado, Texas. Foun ...

was headquartered in the Salado Civic Center in downtown Salado.

Notable people

* George Washington Baines was the maternal great-grandfather of U.S. President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

, and was also a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

clergyman who served briefly as natural science professor and president of

Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the ...

. The home on Royal Street currently serves as a bed and breakfast, The Baines House *

Liz Carpenter Mary Elizabeth Sutherland Carpenter (September 1, 1920 – March 20, 2010) was a writer, feminist, reporter, media advisor, speechwriter, political humorist, and public relations expert. As the first woman executive assistant to Vice Presiden ...

, journalist *

Scott Cawthon Scott Braden Cawthon (born June 4, 1978) is an American former video game developer and writer. He came to prominence as the creator of the ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' media franchise, which began with the development of the eponymous surviva ...

, former video game developer, creator of the ''

Five Nights at Freddy's ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' (''FNaF'') is a media franchise created by Scott Cawthon. The first video game of the same name was released on August 8, 2014, and the resultant series has since gained worldwide popularity. The main series cons ...

'' series *

Miriam Amanda Ferguson Miriam Amanda Wallace "Ma" Ferguson (June 13, 1875 – June 25, 1961) was an American politician who served two non-consecutive terms as the governor of Texas: from 1925 to 1927, and from 1933 to 1935. She was the first female governor of Texas, ...

, 29th and 32nd governor of Texas *

James Edward Ferguson James Edward Ferguson Jr. (August 31, 1871 – September 21, 1944), known as Pa Ferguson, was an American Democratic politician and the 26th Governor of Texas, in office from 1915 to 1917. He was indicted and impeached during his second ter ...

, 26th governor of Texas *

Lela and Raymond Howard "The Way" is a song by American alternative rock band Fastball. It was released on January 7, 1998, as the lead single from their second studio album, '' All the Pain Money Can Buy'' (1998). The song was written by the band's lead vocalist, Tony ...

, an older married couple who disappeared (and were later found dead) and became the basis for a 1998 hit song " The Way" by

Fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thr ...

William Whitaker Reed William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Eng ...

, one of the first settlers of Bell County and its first sheriff, was elected in 1850.Brochure "William Whitaker Reed House", 1850, Visitors Center, Salado,

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 ...

Gallery

File:Stagecoach Inn in Salado, TX IMG 2430.JPG, The Stagecoach Inn in Salado is the oldest continuously operating

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

. File:Salado, TX, Civic Center IMG 4058.JPG, Salado Civic Center File:Old Town Salado, TX IMG 4059.JPG, Old Town Salado arts and crafts shops, across from Salado Civic Center File:Salado, TX, Public Library IMG 4061.JPG, Salado Public Library File:Post Office in Salado, TX IMG 6199.jpg,

U.S. Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the Uni ...

in Salado

References

External links

Salado Chamber of Commerce

''Salado Village Voice''
local newspaper * {{Authority control Villages in Bell County, Texas Former census-designated places in Texas Villages in Texas Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan area Populated places established in 2003 2003 establishments in Texas