Vernon is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

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 ...

of Wilbarger County, Texas, United States. and as of the 2010 Census had a population of 11,002.

History

The original town was called Eagle Springs by the indigenous community as early as 1858. After the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, more settlers began moving in the area, and in 1880, they applied for a post office as Eagle Flat. However, the U.S. Post Office rejected the name, saying too many Texas towns were already called Eagle something. The town then chose the name Vernon, after

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

's home, Mount Vernon. An estimated seven million head of

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

passed through Vernon on the

Great Western Cattle Trail The Great Western Cattle Trail was used during the late 19th century for movement of cattle and horses to markets in eastern and northern states. It is also known as the Western Trail, Fort Griffin Trail, Dodge City Trail, Northern Trail and Texa ...

between 1873 and the 1890s. The historic trail was located 90 miles west of and parallel to the better-known Chisholm Trail.

Geography

Vernon is located at (34.151116, −99.290473). 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 th ...

, the county has a total area of 8.1 sq mi (21.0 km²), of which 8.1 sq mi (21.0 km²) are land and 0.12% is covered by water.

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, nota ...

, Vernon 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° ...

, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.

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 off ...

, there were 10,078 people, 4,160 households, and 2,426 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 inc ...

of 2000, 11,660 people, 4,506 households, and 2,946 families were 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 1,439.2 people/sq mi (555.8/km²). The 5,166 housing units averaged 637.6/sq mi (246.2/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 city was 76.33% White, 9.65% African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 10.74% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 22.39% of the population. Of the 4,506 households, 31.3% had children under 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were not families. About 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the age distribution was 26.6% under 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,194, and for a family was $36,913. Males had a median income of $25,167 versus $18,971 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 $15,747. About 10.2% of families and 14.1% 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 ...

, including 17.2% of those under 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

In 1905, the Wichita Mill and Elevator Company, owned and managed by the entrepreneur

Frank Kell Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Cur ...

of Wichita Falls, bought a mill in Vernon. Kell's business partner was W. O. Anderson. Major businesses and industries in Vernon include a Tyson Foods (formerly Wright Brand Foods) bacon processing plant, a Rhodia, Inc. guar processing plant,

North Texas State Hospital The North Texas State Hospital (NTSH) is an inpatient mental health facility owned by the State of Texas and under the Texas Health and Human Service Commission's Health and Specialty Care System division. NTSH has three campuses, one in Wichita ...

, which is operated by the Texas Department of State Health Services (an agency of the Texas Health and Human Services System), Victory Field Correctional Academy (a juvenile detention facility operated by the

Texas Youth Commission The Texas Youth Commission (TYC) was a Texas state agency which operated juvenile corrections facilities in the state. The commission was headquartered in the Brown-Heatly Building in Austin. As of 2007, it was the second largest juvenile correct ...

), and the Texas AgriLife (Texas A&M System)

Research Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...

and

Extension Extension, extend or extended may refer to: Mathematics Logic or set theory * Axiom of extensionality * Extensible cardinal * Extension (model theory) * Extension (predicate logic), the set of tuples of values that satisfy the predicate * Ext ...

Center. The nearby Waggoner Ranch holds the distinction of being the largest spread in Texas under one fence. The ranch remains operational, with business in

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

s, and

. The Waggoner produces some of the best ranch horses in Texas, many from the breeding of the

quarter horse The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at ...

Poco Bueno __NOTOC__ Poco Bueno was a brown American Quarter Horse stallion foaled April 10, 1944.Simmons ''Legends'' p. 31-37 He was sired by King P-234 and out of the mare Miss Taylor who was by Old Poco Bueno. Poco Bueno was named for his maternal gran ...

. According to the wishes of E. Paul Waggoner, Poco Bueno is buried in a standing position on the corner at the main entrance to the ranch.

Arts and culture

Santa Rosa Roundup Rodeo

Vernon is host to various events annually including the four-day Santa Rosa Roundup rodeo in May, which is sponsored by the local Santa Rosa Palomino Club. VSMCA is host to Summer's Last Blast, held the second weekend of August every year: a car show that exhibits a variety of 1950s to late 2000s cars.

Doan's May Picnic

Since 1884, Doan's May Picnic has been held on the first Saturday of May at the

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

of Doans, located 15 miles north of Vernon. A

barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke ...

lunch and

T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a '' crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are genera ...

s are available for sale, and a king and queen are crowned at the annual event. One of the shirts for 2017 featured a design by Harold Dow Bugbee, the late

curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in

Canyon, Texas Canyon is a city in, and the county seat of, Randall County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,836 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Amarillo, Texas, metropolitan statistical area. Canyon is the home of West Texas A&M University a ...

, which depicts Longhorns and a

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 '' vaqu ...

crossing the Red River at Doan's Crossing, where the postmaster Corwin F. Doan (1848–1929) also operated a store to supply the cowboys. Bugbee's sculpture is part of the 1931 Trail Drivers Monument located at Doans. Riders cross the river from Oklahoma and usually arrive just before noon. The 1881

adobe Adobe ( ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for '' mudbrick''. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is used to refer to any kind of ...

house, the oldest in Wilbarger County, is open for tours during the picnic.

Education

Public education

The

Vernon Independent School District Vernon Independent School District is a public school district based in Vernon, Texas ( USA). The district serves a large portion of Wilbarger County and extends into a small portion of northeastern Foard County. In 2009, the school distr ...

serves students in grades prekindergarten through 12. The district's school campuses include three elementary schools (grades prekindergarten through 5), a middle school (grades 6–8) and Vernon High School (grades 9–12). The district also operates an alternative education program and an education program for juveniles of the Adolescent Forensic Program at North Texas State Hospital Vernon High School's football team, the Vernon Lions, was one of the strongest programs in the 3A division until recently. The Lions won the 3A state championship in 1990 and were ranked number one all year. They finished in second place the previous year. The Lions have finished as semifinalists in 2003 and 2006, and were ranked in top 10 for the 2007 season, when they lost in a close game in the state quarterfinals to Snyder. The overall record of Vernon High School football is 595-363-38 (a winning percentage of 62.27%) Vernon High School's first team state championship came in the 1984–1985 season as the Lady Lions won the 3A girls basketball state title. The Lady Lions returned to Austin the next season and were defeated in the semifinals. Vernon High School is also known for its tennis team, which has completed 23 straight years of going to the Texas Tennis Coaches Association State Team Tennis Tournament. VHS Tennis has six TTCA state team tennis titles and has finished no lower than third place in 22 of the 23 years.

Vernon College

Vernon College, a two-year

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior s ...

, is located here and maintains a branch campus in Wichita Falls. Academic offerings include cosmetology,

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

, and vocational-technical programs. Athletically, Vernon College fields women's softball, women's volleyball, men's baseball, and

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...

teams. The rodeo team is consistently ranked high in the JUCO level of competition.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Vernon is located 50 miles northwest of Wichita Falls, Texas and about 160 to 180 miles from surrounding metropolitan areas, including Amarillo, Abilene, Oklahoma City, and the DFW Metroplex. The city is served by four U.S. routes: 70, 183,

283 Year 283 ( CCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Carus and Carinus (or, less frequently, year 1036 ''Ab urbe cond ...

, and 287. Wilbarger County Airport is located 5 miles north of Vernon and the nearest airport with scheduled flights is Wichita Falls Municipal Airport 50 miles to the east, which predominantly offers flights of commuter airlines to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The nearest international airports from Vernon with major airline connections include Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, and Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport in Amarillo. The area is also served by a BNSF line bypassing downtown from Ft. Worth to Amarillo.

Notable people

Marguerite Oswald Marguerite Frances Claverie Oswald Ekdahl (also known as Marguerite Oswald), (July 19, 1907 – January 17, 1981) was the mother of Lee Harvey Oswald. Early life and family New Orleans and Dallas Oswald was born Marguerite Frances Claverie in 1 ...

(1907-1981), mother of Lee Harvey Oswald * Kay Adams (born 1941), country singer * Skandor Akbar, former professional wrestler in the Universal Wrestling Federation, 2021 inductee into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame *

James Dixon James Dixon (August 5, 1814 – March 27, 1873) was a United States representative and Senator from Connecticut. Biography Dixon, son of William & Mary (Field) Dixon, was born August 5, 1814 in Enfield, Connecticut, Dixon pursued preparat ...

, former professional football player for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...

Robert L. Duncan Robert Lloyd Duncan (born August 5, 1953) is an American attorney and politician who served as the fourth chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, serving from 2014 to 2018. A Republican, he previously served as a member of both houses ...

(born 1953), Republican former member of

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...

and Texas State Senate, born in Vernon, resided in Lubbock, where in 2014, he was named chancellor of Texas Tech University System * Roy C. Farrell (1912–1996), co-founder of Cathay Pacific * Lawrence Gaines, former professional football player for

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...

* Clyde Gates (born 1986), NFL wide receiver and

return specialist A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position ...

for

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

* Robert Gauldin (born 1931), classical music composer *

Rick Hardcastle Richard Lynn Hardcastle, known as Rick Hardcastle (born April 6, 1956), is an American businessman and rancher who is a Republican former member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 68 in the eastern South Plains. In Hardcastle's ...

(born 1956), Republican former member of

from Vernon * Jerry Haymes (born 1940), musician *

Bill Herchman William E. Herchman (March 10, 1933 – January 22, 2009) was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League and American Football League. Herchman played for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys of the NFL, and ...

, former professional football player for

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...

and

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...

* Jack English Hightower (born 1926), politician, former 46th Judicial District Attorney * Dan Kubiak (1938–1998), politician; taught and coached in Vernon in 1962–1963 academic year * John C. Morgan (1914–1991), World War II United States Army Air Forces B-17 pilot and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient * Roy Orbison (1936–1988), nicknamed "The Big O," Orbison was a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist, and a pioneer of rock and roll, whose recording career spanned more than four decades *

Mac Percival Mac L. Percival (born February 26, 1940, in Vernon, Texas) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys. He played college basketball at Texas Tech University. Early years P ...

, former professional football player for

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...

and

Daryl Richardson Daryl Lashay Richardson (born April 12, 1990) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Abilene Christian. College career Richard ...

(born 1990), NFL

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...

for the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...

Eck Robertson Alexander Campbell "Eck" Robertson (born November 20, 1887 in Delaney, Arkansas, died February 15, 1975 in Borger, Texas) was an American fiddle player, mostly known for commercially recording the first country music songs in 1922 with Henry Gi ...

(1887–1975), fiddle player, noted as first country musician to be commercially recorded (1922) * Cory Roper (born 1977), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver * Bernard Scott (born 1984), former NFL

for the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...

* Kenneth Starr, lead prosecutor in Clinton impeachment and later president of Baylor University *

Jack Teagarden Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an American jazz trombonist and singer. According to critic Scott Yannow of Allmusic, Teagarden was the preeminent American jazz trombone player before the bebop era of the 1 ...

(1905–1964), influential jazz trombonist and vocalist

1979 tornado

On April 10, 1979, Vernon and surrounding Wilbarger County were struck by an F4 tornado, a part of a large storm in the

Red River Valley The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...

. Much of Vernon was damaged or destroyed, and 11 people were killed as the tornado passed through Foard and Wilbarger Counties before it dissipated in a rural portion of Tillman County, Oklahoma. That same day, tornadoes also devastated the larger nearby cities of Wichita Falls and Lawton.