Petersburg is a city in

Hale County, Texas Hale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 32,522. Its county seat is Plainview. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1888. It is named for Lt. John C. Hale, a hero of the ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,014.

History

Petersburg was founded in 1891 as a post office in southeast Hale County. It was named for Zack Peters and his wife, Margaret, who was the first postmistress. In 1902, Ed M. White established a store at the site of the present community, and moved the post office southwest into Hale County. Although the townsite was platted in 1909, its population remained below 100 until the

Fort Worth and Denver Railway The Fort Worth and Denver Railway , nicknamed "the Denver Road," was a Class I railroad, class I Rail transport in the United States, American railroad company that operated in the northern part of Texas from 1881 to 1982, and had a profound infl ...

was built through town in 1928. Wheat and grain sorghum (milo) were the main crops in the area until cotton was first planted in 1905. The town was incorporated with a population of 200 in 1927. Petersburg grew as a farming and rail-shipment center, and by 1949, it had 22 businesses and 500 people. By 1980, its population had grown to 1,633; businesses included the Wylie Manufacturing Company, the Hughes Trucking Company, and a weekly newspaper, the ''Post''. The population dropped to 1,262 according to the 2000 census.

Geography

Petersburg is located 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 (33.8695249, –101.5973877), in southeastern Hale County. It is south of Plainview, 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 ...

, and northeast of 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 ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,014 people, 397 households, and 272 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, 1,262 people, 428 households, and 342 families were residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 1,574.8 people/sq mi (609.1/km). The 498 housing units averaged 621.4/sq mi (240.3/km). The racial makeup of the city was 61.89% White, 2.14% African American, 1.66% Native American, 32.09% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 61.09% of the population. Of the 428 households, 39.7% had children under 18 living with them, 64.7% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were not families. About 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.95, and the average family size was 3.36. In the city, the age distribution was 31.7% under 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,263, and for a family was $33,047. Males had a median income of $24,511 versus $17,237 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 $13,531. About 14.5% of families and 19.6% 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 26.8% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The city is served by the Petersburg Independent School District, and is home to the Petersburg High School Buffaloes.

Notable people

* John Richard Fowler (1927–2007), a member and president of the Texas State Board of Pharmacy and practicing pharmacist in Memphis, Texas, graduated from high school in Petersburg

References

External links

* *
Petersburg Independent School District
{{authority control Cities in Hale County, Texas Cities in Texas 1891 establishments in Texas