Sheridan is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and

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 counte ...

Colorado County Colorado County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 20,557. Its county seat is Columbus. It is named for the Colorado River of Texas. The county was founded in 1836 and organized the next ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States.

History

Sheridan is on U.S. Highway 90-A and the Middle and West Forks of Sandy Creek, near the southwestern boundary of Colorado County. Although it was developed as a farming community, it now derives most of its income from cattle ranching and the Sheridan oil and gas field. The town dates from 1908, when Hugh Sheridan, from whom the town got its name, sold extensive acreage to the San Antonio Loan and Securities Company. The company, in turn, entered into an agreement with the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway to develop the town and promote the sale of lots and small farms. In September 1908, a post office was established with Mrs. Lea A. Scott as postmistress. The plat of the town was recorded in the Colorado County clerk's office in 1909, and on March 6 of that year, a hotel was completed to accommodate prospective buyers. Sheridan was widely advertised in the Midwest, and the town grew and prospered. The foremost crop at the time was figs, and the Sheridan Fig Preserving Company shipped crates by rail throughout the United States. Other popular crops included cucumbers, melons, potatoes, and strawberries. The post office moved briefly to nearby Cheetham in 1912, but was returned in a few months to Sheridan, which by 1914 had 150 residents and several businesses. After several false starts, the Shell Oil Company brought in a gas-producing discovery well in 1940 in what became the Sheridan oil and gas field. The use of the land for farming declined steeply. Termination of rail service following World War II coincided with the improvement of U.S. Highway 90-A, and the town suffered little in consequence. In 1986, Sheridan had a population of 225 served by 17 businesses, and was noted for its cattle production, its oil and gas field, and the excellent deer hunting in the surrounding area. Through 2000, the population was still recorded at 225.

Demographics

Sheridan first appeared as a

in the 2020 U.S. Census.

2020 census

Education

Sheridan is served by the

Rice Consolidated Independent School District Rice Consolidated Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Altair, Texas (USA). In addition to Altair, the district serves the city of Eagle Lake, the communities of Garwood and Sheridan, as well as ...

. The designated community college for Rice CISD is

Wharton County Junior College Wharton County Junior College (WCJC) is a public community college with its main campus in Wharton, Texas. The college also has campuses in Richmond, Sugar Land, and Bay City. WCJC offers a range of postsecondary educational prog ...

.Texas Education Code Sec. 130.211. WHARTON COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
/ref> File:Sheridan TX Elementary School.JPG, The Sheridan Elementary School is on FM 2437. File:Sheridan TX Waterpark.JPG, The Splashway Waterpark is on US 90A in Sheridan. File:Sheridan TX Post Office.JPG, The US Post Office shares a building with a business.

References

* *

External links

Colorado County
official website * {{authority control Unincorporated communities in Colorado County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas