Toyah is a town in Reeves 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 90 at the 2010 census.

History

On October 25, 1906 a black man in Toyah named J. I. "Slab" Pitts was dragged to death and then hanged for living with his white wife, Eva Ruff. In September, 1928 Amelia Earhart made an unscheduled five-day stop to adjust her carburetor. She relates in her journal that she landed in a small town near

Pecos, Texas Pecos ( ) is the largest city in and the county seat of Reeves County, Texas, United States. It is in the valley on the west bank of the Pecos River at the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas and just so ...

, but according to a regional book, ''The Toyah Taproots'', several local, unnamed youngsters were seen in pictures around her airplane were later identified as being from Toyah. Much of the town was destroyed by a tornado in 2004. Several abandoned homes, a deserted volunteer fire department and forgotten cars sit on the empty streets. The enormous Toyah High School also remains.

Geography

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 town has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 100 people, 47 households, and 28 families living in the town. The population density was 61.6 people per square mile (23.8/km). There were 72 housing units at an average density of 44.3 per square mile (17.2/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 town was 84.00% White, 4.00% African American, 2.00% Native American, 4.00% from other races, and 6.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 51.00%. Of the 47 households 14.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 36.2% of households were one person and 19.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.79. The age distribution was 13.0% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 28.0% 65 or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 138.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.9 males. The median household income was $16,500 and the median family income was $15,313. Males had a median income of $19,375 versus $11,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $8,611. There were 47.8% of families and 52.9% of the population living 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 100.0% of under 18 and 22.2% of those over 64.

Education

The Town of Toyah is served by the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District.

References

{{authority control Towns in Reeves County, Texas Towns in Texas Ghost towns in West Texas Lynching deaths in Texas