Fritch is a city in

Moore Moore may refer to: Language * Mooré language, spoken in West Africa People * Moore (surname) ** List of people with surname Moore * Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador * Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior ...

and Hutchinson Counties,

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. The population was 1,859 at the 2020 census.

History

1992 tornado

On June 27, 1992, a mile-wide, multi-vortex F4 tornado struck the Fritch area, resulting in major damage to the city and seven injuries, but no loss of life.

2014 wildfire

On May 11, 2014, a fast-moving

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

in the area began, causing much destruction and loss of homes in the Fritch area, which was evacuated by authorities. Media reported 100 structures destroyed with numerous people in local shelters.

Geography

Fritch is located in the southwest corner of Hutchinson County at the geographic center of the Texas Panhandle region. It is north-northeast of Amarillo and west of Borger. Fritch sits in an area where the typically flat High Plains are divided into canyons and draws by the

Canadian River The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .Lake Meredith Lake Meredith is a reservoir formed by Sanford Dam on the Canadian River at Sanford, Texas. It is about northeast of Amarillo, Texas in the Texas Panhandle. It is named for A.A. Meredith, the former city manager of Borger, Texas. It histor ...

on the Canadian River lies northwest of the city and is a main source of water for surrounding communities, though Fritch uses water drawn from the

Ogallala Aquifer The Ogallala Aquifer () is a shallow water table aquifer surrounded by sand, silt, clay, and gravel located beneath the Great Plains in the United States. As one of the world's largest aquifers, it underlies an area of approximately in po ...

for its municipal supply.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,859 people, 824 households, and 616 families residing in the city.

2000 census

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, 2,235 people, 886 households, and 679 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 961 housing units averaged . The racial makeup of the city was 95.53% White, 0.09% African American, 1.66% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 1.30% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.30% of the population. Of the 886 households, 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were not families. About 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.93. In the city, the population was distributed as 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $42,098, and a family was $46,600. Males had a median income of $41,134 versus $21,860 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 city was $17,745. None 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 ...

. Fritch is primarily a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

, with the majority of citizens commuting to nearby Borger and Amarillo for work. Major employers in the area include Pantex,

ConocoPhillips ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational corporation engaged in hydrocarbon exploration and production. It is based in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas. The company has operations in 15 countries and has production in t ...

, and

Agrium Agrium Inc. was a major retail supplier of agricultural products and services in North America, South America and Australia and a wholesale producer and marketer of all three major agricultural nutrients and a supplier of specialty fertilizers ...

, all located within a short distance of Fritch. Due to its nature as a commuting town, Fritch differs from most small towns in the region, which rely more 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 ...

as their economic base. Though several large ranches are adjacent to the town, little to no farming occurs due to the uneven topography, and the town has few agriculture-related services.

Recreation

Fritch is located adjacent to the Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, which offers residents and visitors ample opportunities for outdoor activities including boating, fishing, camping, hiking, and seasonal hunting.

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument is a U.S. national monument in the state of Texas. For thousands of years, people came to the red bluffs above the Canadian River for flint, vital to their existence. Demand for the high-quality, rainbow ...

is southwest of Fritch along Lake Meredith. The city is home to the Lake Meredith Historical Museum.

Notable people

* John LaGrone (1944–2022), American football player and judge *

Krum Krum (, ), often referred to as Krum the Fearsome () was the Khan of Bulgaria from sometime between 796 and 803 until his death in 814. During his reign the Bulgarian territory doubled in size, spreading from the middle Danube to the Dnieper a ...

(born 1977), rapper *

Ron White Ronald Dee White (born December 18, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and author, best known as a charter member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Nicknamed "Tater Salad", he is the author of the book ''I Had the Right to Remain Sil ...

(born 1956), comedian

Education

Fritch is served by the Sanford-Fritch Independent School District.

Images

Image:Lake Meredith Rattlesnake Island.jpg, Rattlesnake Island in Lake Meredith Image:West Texas Sunrise.jpg, Sunrise near Fritch, TX Image:Fritch Fortress Boat Ramp.jpg , Fritch Fortress boat ramp on Lake Meredith Image:Canadian River Fritch.jpg , Canadian River wetlands near Fritch, TX

References

External links

City of Fritch official website

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area
{{authority control Cities in Hutchinson County, Texas Cities in Moore County, Texas Cities in Texas