Azle ( ) is a city west of

Fort Worth Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

Parker Parker may refer to: People * Parker (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Parker (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname Arts and entertainment * ''Parke ...

and Tarrant Counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 13,369. Azle is the home of the Azle Marching Green Pride marching band and the Fighting Azle Hornets.

History

Azle - Silver Creek United Methodist Church - 20231030161028

The first recorded settlement at the site occurred in 1846, when James Azle Steward, a young doctor, moved into a log cabin built by a Dutchman named Rumsfeldt. Other settlers came and established themselves near the local streams, Ash Creek, Silver Creek, and Walnut Creek. Steward helped establish the first cemetery, Ash Creek. The oldest graves there are those of Dave Morrison (1849–1874) and W. P. Gregg (1833–1874). The first post office opened in 1881, and the town took the name of O'Bar, in honor of the man who obtained the postal service. A short time later in 1883, the name was changed to Azle at the request of Steward, who donated the land for a townsite. The community's economy was based on

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. Several crops were grown, including

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), goober pea, pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large ...

sorghum ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...

, and

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

Watermelon The watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, that has a large, edible fruit. It is a Glossary of botanical terms#scandent, scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, and is plant breeding ...

cantaloupe The cantaloupe ( ) is a type of true melon (''Cucumis melo'') with sweet, aromatic, and usually orange flesh. Originally, ''cantaloupe'' refers to the true cantaloupe or European cantaloupe with non- to slightly netted and often ribbed rind. ...

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...

es,

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...

s, and

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in late summer into mid-autumn. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the Family (biology), family Rosaceae, bearing the Pome, po ...

s were also produced.

Dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

became important in the early decades of the 20th century, when local milk products were sold to creameries in Fort Worth. Azle's population grew steadily, and by 1920, the census recorded 150 residents. By 1933, State Highway 34 (later State Highway 199) had reached Azle from Fort Worth, greatly improving transportation between the town and the city. Also,

Eagle Mountain Lake Eagle Mountain Lake is a reservoir in North Texas, formed by the damming the West Fork of the Trinity River. The reservoir sits below Lake Bridgeport reservoir and above Lake Worth reservoir. History The Texas State Board of Water Engineers gra ...

was formed by a dam on the Trinity River, east of Azle. In the late 1930s, electricity was supplied to Azle and the surrounding countryside. The population grew between 1940 and 1960 from 800 to 2,696. It was 5,822 by 1980. After the 1930s, agriculture gradually declined; fields were converted from wheat and corn production to

housing development A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex, housing development, subdivision or community) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throug ...

Manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...

increased, and in 1984, Azle had 26 businesses. In 1985, the population was estimated at more than 7,000. In 1990, the population was 8,868. It grew to 9,600 by 2000.

Geography

Azle is on State Highway 199, northwest of downtown

, in the northwest corner of Tarrant County; the town extends partly into Parker County. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.20%, is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,369 people, 4,705 households, and 3,499 families residing in the city.

Economy

Top employers

According to Azle's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,City of Azle ACFR
Retrieved 2023-08-24 the top employers in the city are:

Education

The City of Azle is served by the

Azle Independent School District Azle Independent School District is a public school district based in Azle, Texas, United States. The district covers northwestern Tarrant County, northeastern Parker County, and a small portion of southern Wise County. In addition to Azle, ...

. The Azle High School

Math Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

Science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

and

Journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...

teams combined won the 2005 UIL State Academic Meet championship with a total of 110 points. In 2003, 2007, and 2009, the Marching Green Pride band of Azle directed by Dr. Ross Grant advanced to the State Marching competition in

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

. In November 2011, the Marching Green Pride, under the direction of Shawn Murphy, placed 18th out of 244 4A marching bands in the state of Texas. In 2013, the Marching Green Pride placed 13th out of the same category.

Notable people

* John Atwell, NASCAR driver * James Casey professional football coach * Andrew Greer, musician * Stephanie Klick, member of the

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. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...

from District 91 * Robert Landers, Senior PGA golfer * Ken Maddox, California politician, Azle High School alumnus * Les Peden, American baseball player *

James Reasoner James Reasoner (born June 5, 1953) is an American writer. He is the author of more than 350 novels and many short stories in a career spanning more than thirty years. Reasoner has used at least nineteen pseudonyms, in addition to his own name: Jim ...

, author of over 150 Westerns *

Jon Shirley Jon A. Shirley (born April 12, 1938) is a former president, chief operating officer, and director of the Microsoft Corporation. He is a collector of vintage cars and modern art. Early life and education Shirley was born to Joseph and Mercedes ...

, president of Microsoft Corporation *

Chas Skelly Chas Skelly (born May 11, 1985) is an American retired mixed martial artist who competed in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2009, he has also competed for Bellator MMA and Legacy Fighting Ch ...

, UFC Fighter *

Red Steagall Russell "Red" Steagall (born December 22, 1938) is an American actor, musician, poet, and stage performer, who focuses on American Western and country music genres. Personal Life: Red Steagall married Barbara Lee Hobbs in 1968-divorced 1977. ...

, American actor, musician, poet, and stage performer *

Shelbi Vaughan Shelbi JoDae Vaughan (born August 24, 1994) is an American track and field athlete. She is a specialist in the discus throw. World Competition Shelbi competed at the Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics - Women's discus throw and threw to p ...

, Olympic discus thrower * John T. Walker, USMC Lieutenant General

References

External links

City of Azle official website

Local Paper: Azle News
{{authority control Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex Cities in Texas Cities in Parker County, Texas Populated places established in 1846 1846 establishments in Texas