O'Donnell is a

West Texas West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the desert climate, arid and semiarid climate, semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita Falls, Abilene, Texa ...

city that lies primarily in Lynn County, with a small portion extending south into Dawson County, Texas, United States. Its population was 704 at the 2020 census. The Lynn county portion of O'Donnell is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan area.

History

O'Donnell was settled in 1910 and named for Tom J. O'Donnell, a railroad promoter. O'Donnell was a railroad-created town, founded in anticipation that the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway would lay tracks through the area. A branch of the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway was constructed from Slaton to Lamesa in 1910. The rails were abandoned and removed in 1999. In 2016, a controversy arose when the school was reported for having the ten commandments on its wall; when forced to take it down, the students came together and wrote Bible verses on sticky notes and posted them on the wall.

Geography

O'Donnell is on the High Plains of the

Llano Estacado The Llano Estacado (), sometimes translated into English as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. One of the largest mesas or tablelands on the North A ...

at (32.9637085 –101.8326542). U.S. Highway 87 passes just northwest of the city limits, leading southwest to Lamesa and north to Lubbock. 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 ...

, O'Donnell has an area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 704 people, 353 households, and 252 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, O'Donnell had 831 people, a 17.8% reduction from the 2000 US Census. The population resided in 315 households, of which 237 were identified as family households. The racial makeup of the city was 73.4% White, 1.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 20.3% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 62.8% of the population. In the city, the age distribution was 31.2% under 18, 52.0% from 18 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38.5 years. The median income for a household in the city was $26,103, and for a family was $30,833. Males had a median income of $26,193 versus $15,917 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 $12,924. About 24.4% of families and 24.8% 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 31.1% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

O'Donnell is served by the O'Donnell Independent School District and is home to the O'Donnell High School Eagles.

Notable people

Dan Blocker Bobby Dan Davis Blocker (December 10, 1928 – May 13, 1972) was an American television actor and Korean War veteran, who played Hoss Cartwright in the NBC Western fiction, Western television series ''Bonanza''. Biography Early life Blocker was ...

, was born in

DeKalb, Texas De Kalb ( ) is a city in Bowie County, Texas, Bowie County, Texas, United States; it is part of the Texarkana metropolitan statistical area. Its two area codes are 430 and 903. Its ZIP code is 75559. It is in the Central Time Zone, and its populat ...

, and moved with his parents to O'Donnell shortly after his birth. He is best known for playing

Hoss Cartwright ''Bonanza'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-runnin ...

on the NBC television series ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

''. The O'Donnell Heritage Museum has a room which features Blocker memorabilia * Phil Hardberger, a former mayor of

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 ...

, grew up in O'Donnell. His parents, Homer Reeves Hardberger and the former Bess Scott, are buried in O'Donnell

Gallery

File:Heritage Museum, O'Donnell, Texas IMG_1493.JPG, O'Donnell Heritage Museum at the intersection of Doak and Eighth streets File:O'Donnell Texas cemetery 2011.jpg, O'Donnell Cemetery File:Former Blocker Store, O'Donnell, Texas IMG 1497.JPG, The former Blocker Store in downtown O'Donnell

Notes

References

External links

Roadside America, Dan Blocker Memorial

Handbook of Texas: O'Donnell, Texas
* {{DEFAULTSORT:O'donnell, Texas Populated places established in 1910 Cities in Lynn County, Texas Cities in Dawson County, Texas Cities in Texas 1910 establishments in Texas