Menard, Texas
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Menard is a city in and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Menard County, Texas Menard County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,962. The county seat is Menard. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1871. It is named for Mi ...
, United States. Its population was 1,348 at the 2020 census.


Geography

Menard is located along the banks of the
San Saba River The San Saba River is a river in Texas, United States. It is an undeveloped and scenic waterway located on the northern boundary of the Edwards Plateau. Course The river begins in two primary branches. The North Valley Prong runs east throu ...
at the junction of U.S. Highways 83 and 190, approximately 140 miles northwest of
Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
and
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 central Menard 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 , all land.


History

The first settlement at the site of what is now Menard was the
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
Mission San Sabá and the Presidio of San Luís de Amarillas, both established in April 1757. The presidio was later replaced by the Presidio of San Sabá in 1761. Both were intended to protect New Spain's northern frontier from marauding Comanches. Due to the presidio's isolation, it suffered repeated attacks, and was finally abandoned in 1770. Stones from the old presidio walls were used by later settlers to build homes and fences. The ruins of the old presidio were reconstructed in 1936. The community was first known as Menardville when the site was laid out in 1858, after the formation of Menard County. Nearby
Fort McKavett The Fort McKavett State Historic Site is a former United States Army installation located in Menard County, Texas. The fort was first established in 1852 as part of a line of forts in Texas intended to protect migrants traveling to California. T ...
was deactivated in 1859, leaving the settlers with little protection from frequent raids from nearby Native Americans. The fort reopened after the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. By 1867, Menardville had a store, a blacksmith shop, and a saloon. The community served as a trading post and overnight stop on north and west cattle trails. A county government was organized in 1871 and a two-story courthouse was built one year later. Menardville had around 150 residents by the mid-1880s. The San Saba River flooded in 1899, causing considerable damage to the community. In 1910 or 1911, while the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Company was making plans to lay a track through the community, company officials asked residents to rename their town Menard to facilitate the painting of signs. An economic boom followed the arrival of the first train in 1911. The 1920 census recorded 1,164 people living in Menard. For many years, the town served as the principal shipping point for Menard County. Although the community was affected by the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, both of its banks—the Menard National Bank and Bevans State Bank—remained open. Menard's population stood at 1,969 in 1930, 2,375 in 1940, and 2,685 in 1950. That figure began to decline during the 1950s and 1960s, as road improvements made travel and shipping less dependent on rail service. The
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...
discontinued its service to Menard in 1972, but donated the depot to the county for use as a history museum. The Menard County Historical Society began collecting artifacts in 1975 and dedicated the museum in 1978. By 1980, 1,697 people were living in Menard. In 1990, the population fell slightly to 1,606 before rebounding to 1,653 in 2000.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,348 people, 735 households, and 356 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, 1,653 people, 666 households, and 438 families resided in the city. The population density was . There were 851 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.94% White, 0.67% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 11.98% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 39.32% of the population. Of the 666 households, 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% 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, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were not families. About 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.0% 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 3.03. In the city, the population was distributed as 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $19,698, and for a family was $27,125. Males had a median income of $21,094 versus $17,857 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 $12,768. About 26.5% of families and 33.1% 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 45.4% of those under age 18 and 28.2% of those age 65 or over.


Education

Public education in the City of Menard is provided by the Menard Independent School District and home to the Menard High School Yellow Jackets.


Attractions

Annual events in Menard include the Jim Bowie Trail Ride in September, the Saucedo family reunion, and the Silver Mine Classic Lamb Show in October.


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 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 ...
, Menard 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 ...
, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.Climate Summary for Menard, Texas
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Gallery

"The Ditch" in Menard, TX IMG 1839.JPG, "The Ditch" Revised, Pioneer Rest Cemetery, Menard, TX IMG 1842.JPG, Pioneer Rest Cemetery in Menard has graves from the 19th century Downtown Menard, TX IMG 4359.JPG, Downtown Menard on a nearly deserted summer Saturday evening Menard County Courthouse, Menard, TX IMG 4354.JPG, Menard County Courthouse in Menard, Texas Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Menard, TX IMG 4349.JPG, Sacred Heart Catholic Church (1899 building) in Menard First United Methodist Church, Menard, TX IMG 4356.JPG, First
United Methodist The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
Church in Menard


References


External links


Menard County Chamber of Commerce

Community Website
{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Menard County, Texas County seats in Texas