Baird is a city 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 st ...
of
Callahan County, Texas
Callahan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,708. Its county seat is Baird. The county was founded in 1858 and later organized in 1877. It is named for James Hughes Callahan, an A ...
,
United States. Its population was 1,496 at the
2010 census.
The city is named after
Matthew Baird
Matthew Baird (October 8, 1817 – May 19, 1877) was one of the early partners in the Baldwin Locomotive Works.
Early life
Baird was born in Derry, Ireland, in 1817. In 1821, at the age of four, his parents brought him to Philadelphia, Pennsy ...
, the owner and director of the
Texas and Pacific Railway
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company (known as the T&P) was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California.
History
Under the influence of ...
. The railway depot is now operated as the visitor center and a transportation museum.
Baird is part of the
Abilene, Texas 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 town, incorporate ...
.
Geography
Baird is located in north-central Callahan County at (32.396035, –99.397140).
passes through the northern part of the city, leading west to
Abilene and east to
Cisco
Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, ...
.
U.S. Route 283 crosses the east side of town, leading north to
Albany and south to
Coleman.
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 the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which , or 2.55%, is covered by water.
History
Baird, Texas was named after Matthew Baird, a director of the Texas and Pacific Railway. He was also sole proprietor of the
Baldwin Locomotive Works, the largest locomotive firm in the United States, headquartered in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Pennsylvania.
The city was officially founded in 1880. In 1993, the
Texas Legislature
The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ...
designated Baird as the "Antique Capital of West Texas". It has 12
antique shops.
The former Callahan County Jail, at 100 W. 5th Street, was originally located in nearby
Belle Plain, then the county seat. When the county seat moved to Baird, the jail was disassembled brick by brick, and reassembled at its current location. Belle Plain lost population and became a
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), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...
.
The town has five churches, four gas stations, a feed store, and a small locally owned grocery store. Franchises here include a
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen (DQ) is an American chain of soft serve ice cream and fast food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc. (a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway since 1998) which also owns Orange Julius, and formerly owned Karmelkorn and ...
,
Love's
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, doing business as Love's (or stylized as Loves), is an American family-owned chain of more than 500 truck stop and convenience stores in 41 states in the United States. The company is privately owned and he ...
truck stop, and a Dollar General. The truck stop has a
Subway and a
Chester's Chicken.
Library
The Callahan County Library was started in 1937 by the Baird Wednesday Club. The Pioneer Museum was added in 1940. Both are located on the basement floor of the Callahan County Courthouse. The museum features farm and ranch implements, household items, clothing,
barbed wire
A close-up view of a barbed wire
Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire, is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. Its primary use is t ...
, and documents.
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 of ...
, there were 1,479 people, 728 households, and 461 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 incl ...
of 2000, 1,623 people, 677 households, and 429 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 RosenberPopul ...
was 619.0 people/sq mi (239.2/km
2). The 806 housing units averaged 307.4/sq mi (118.8/km
2). 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 90.51% White, 0.18% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.80% Asian orPacific Islander, 7.09% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 13.43% of the population.
Of the 677 households, 28.4% had children under 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were not families. About 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.32, and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city, theage distribution was 23.4% under 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,446, and for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $21,974 versus $16,298 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 $13,951. About 12.3% of families and 14.0% 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 18.4% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Baird is served by the
Baird Independent School District, located at 600 West 7th Street. Baird ISD is classified as a 1A district.
Notable people
*
Lou Halsell Rodenberger (1926–2009), Texas author that lived much of her later years southeast of Baird, in the small community of Admiral
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 ...
, Baird 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.
Climate Summary for Baird, Texas
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References
External links
Baird Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in Texas
Cities in Callahan County, Texas
County seats in Texas
Cities in the Abilene metropolitan area