Coolidge is a town in Limestone County,

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, established in 1903. The population was 778 at the 2020 census.

History

The town of Coolidge was established in 1903 by the

Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway The Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway of Texas came into existence on October 7, 1902, originally chartered to build a railroad from Johnson County to the Beaumont area near the Gulf coast. It took its name from the Trinity and Brazos rivers. ...

of Texas, as it was laying down rail between Hillsboro and

Mexia Mexia ( or ) is a city in Limestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,893 at the 2020 census. The city's motto, based on the fact that outsiders tend to mispronounce the name as (), is "A great place to live, no matter how ...

. The same rail line was also responsible for the growth of nearby Tehuacana, itself established in 1847. Coolidge lost its rail service in 1942, though the depot remained and was later restored into a visitor center. Historically, the town's main industry was cotton farming, though it was largely replaced with cattle ranching by the mid-20th century, as with most of the surrounding area.

Geography

Coolidge is located at (31.752609, –96.650524). 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 town has a total area of , of which is land and (3.00%) is water.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 778 people, 327 households, and 244 families residing in the town. As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 848 people, 305 households, and 208 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 339 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 62.38%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 18.63%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.59% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 15.45% from other races, and 2.83% from two or more races. There were 305 households, out of which 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.38. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.3% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $23,558, and the median income for a family was $27,583. Males had a median income of $24,896 versus $17,132 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $11,589. About 23.6% of families and 25.2% 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 26.4% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town is served by the Coolidge Independent School District.

Notable people

* Jay T. Robbins, US Air Force Lieutenant General; World War II fighter ace (22 kills, Pacific Theater) *

E. Donnall Thomas Edward Donnall "Don" Thomas (March 15, 1920 – October 20, 2012)Frederick R. Appelbaum.Perspective: E. Donnall Thomas (1920–2012) Science 338(6111):1163, 30 November 2012 was an American physician, professor emeritus at the University o ...

, 1990 Nobel Prize-winning physician, graduated from Coolidge Senior High School * Ann Williams, dancer, born in Coolidge

References

External links

* {{authority control Towns in Limestone County, Texas Towns in Texas