Kirbyville, Texas
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Kirbyville is a city in Jasper 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. The population was 2,036 at the 2020 census.


History


Early development

The town was first established in 1895 when the Gulf, Beaumont, and Kansas City railroad reached the site. It was first named Kirby for
John Henry Kirby John Henry Kirby (November 16, 1860 – November 9, 1940) was an American businessman whose ventures made him the largest lumber manufacturer in Texas and the Southern United States. In addition to serving two terms in the Texas Legislature, ...
, a lumber businessman who intended to use the site for building a facility to market his lumber. The post office was established the same year, but the name was changed to Kirbyville when a town already called
Kirby Kirby may refer to: Buildings * Kirby Building, a skyscraper in Dallas, Texas, United States * Kirby Lofts, a building in Houston, Texas, United States * Kirby Hall, an Elizabethan country house near Corby, Northamptonshire, England * Kirby Ho ...
was discovered. The town became incorporated in 1926.


Significant events

On September 24, 2005,
Hurricane Rita Hurricane Rita was the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Gulf of Mexico, tying with Hurricane Milton in 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, 2024, as well as being the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. Part of the ...
made landfall in extreme
Southwest Louisiana Southwest Louisiana (SWLA) is a five-parish area intersecting the Acadiana and Central Louisiana regions in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is composed of the following parishes (counties): Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Da ...
as a Category 3 hurricane. As Rita moved inland, the center of the storm moved very near Kirbyville. According to the
National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
, wind gusts around the area reached speeds of up to 120 mph. As a result, wind damage throughout the town and surrounding towns was extensive. Several buildings in the city sustained damage, some of which sustained major damage or were destroyed. Many residents were without power for several weeks due to the storm.


Geography

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 0.41% is covered by water.


Climate

The climate of Kirbyville and surrounding areas consists of mainly hot and humid summers, while winters are usually mild. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Kirbyville has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, mainly because of its close proximity to the warm waters of the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
.Climate of Kirbyville, Texas
Retrieved on 2018-02-17


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,036 people, 972 households, and 511 families residing in the city. 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, 2,085 people, 828 households, and 550 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 931 housing units averaged 382.2 per square mile (147.3/km). The racial makeup of the city was 76.31% White, 21.20% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 1.20% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.69% of the population. Of the 828 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% 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, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were not families. About 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was distributed as 27.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,438, and for a family was $32,381. Males had a median income of $30,144 versus $20,060 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 $12,839. About 22.6% of families and 26.1% 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 33.9% of those under age 18 and 17.2% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture

* The Calaboose Museum in displays artifacts from the city's rich history. * The Palace Theater in Downtown Kirbyville hosts the Country Music Show on the second Saturday of every month.


Education

The City of Kirbyville is served by the Kirbyville Consolidated Independent School District and home to the Kirbyville High School Wildcats.


Notable people

* Ernest "Bubba" Bean, football player who was born in Kirbyville *
Ivory Joe Hunter Ivory Joe Hunter (October 10, 1914 – November 8, 1974) was an American rhythm-and-blues singer, songwriter, and pianist. After a series of hits on the US R&B chart starting in the mid-1940s, he became more widely known for his hit recordi ...
, R&B singer, was born in Kirbyville in 1914 *
Bhob Stewart Robert Marion Stewart, known as Bhob Stewart (November 12, 1937 – February 24, 2014) was an American writer, editor, cartoonist, filmmaker, and active fan who contributed to a variety of publications over a span of five decades. His articles a ...
, writer, editor, cartoonist, and filmmaker


See also

*
List of municipalities in Texas Texas is a U.S. state, state located in the Southern United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, 29,145,505 (93.14%) of the 31,290,831 residents of Texas lived in a Municipal corporation, municipality in the 2024 estimate. ...


Notes


References


External links

{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Jasper County, Texas