Salado ( ) is a village in
Bell County, Texas
Bell County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in Central Texas and its county seat is Belton, Texas, Belton. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 370,647. Bell County is part o ...
, United States. Salado was first incorporated in 1867 for the sole purpose of building a bridge across Salado Creek. In 2000, the citizens of Salado voted in favor of reincorporation, before which it was a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
. The population was 2,394 at the
2020 census.
History
Archaeological evidence of a
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...
Native American settlement dating back about 15,500 years, the
Buttermilk Creek Complex, has been unearthed in Salado.
The first record of white settlers in the area occurred in 1834, but by 1836, the pioneer settlers abandoned the area due to frequent Indian attacks and the invasion by General
Santa Anna and the Mexican Army. The first permanent Anglo-American settler at Salado was Archibald Willingham in 1850. In 1852, the Salado Post Office was established. In 1859, the Salado College Joint Stock Company was created by Col.
Elijah Sterling Clack Robertson, who donated 320 acres north and south of the springs to be broken into lots and form the village of Salado, with the proceeds of the sale going to form
Salado College. The college operated from 1860 to 1885 and 1895 to 1913; the former college building was occupied by the Thomas Arnold High School.
From 1866 to 1885, the famous
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail ( ) was a stock trail and wagon route used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in southern Texas, across the Red River into Indian Territory, and northward to rail stops in Kansas. The trail cons ...
cattle drives passed through this area, with the Stagecoach Inn being one of the stops. In 1867, Salado incorporated to build a bridge across Salado Creek. By 1884, Salado had a population of 900, seven churches, 14 stores, two hotels, two blacksmiths, and three cotton gins. However, after the railroads bypassed Salado to the north and south, trade moved away from the town and the population began to dwindle, hitting 400 by 1914 and down to 200 by 1950.
The town is home to the
Stagecoach Inn, the oldest continuously running hotel in Texas.
Nineteen Salado locations are listed in the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
, including the
George Washington Baines House.
File:NortonOrgain1.jpg, Norton-Orgain house
File:Anderson house 2008.jpg, Anderson house
File:Fowler house salado 2008.jpg, Fowler house
File:Tyler house salado 2008.jpg, Tyler house
File:DavisHouse1.JPG, Davis house
File:Robert halley house 2008.jpg, Halley house
Geography
Salado is located in south-central Bell County.
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...
runs through the village, leading north to
Belton, the county seat, and south to
Jarrell and then even further south to
Georgetown.
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 village has a total area of , of which , or 2.10%, is covered by water.
Salado is located along the
Balcones Fault
The Balcones Fault or Balcones Fault Zone is an area of largely normal faulting Edwards Aquifer in the U.S. state of Texas that runs roughly from the southwest part of the state near Del Rio to the north-central region near Dallas along Inte ...
, which causes the emergence of surface waters. The fault line is also a demarcation line for some species' natural ranges. For example, the California fan palm, ''
Washingtonia filifera
''Washingtonia filifera'' pygmy date palm, the desert fan palm, California fan palm, or California palm,Flora of North America Association. ''Flora of North America: North of Mexico Volume 22: Magnoliophyta: Alismatidae, Arecidae, Commelinidae (i ...
'', occurs strictly west of Salado or the Balcones Fault.
Salado Creek was selected as the first Texas Natural Landmark.
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 ...
system, Salado 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.
Demographics
Salado first appeared as a
census designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
in the
1980 U.S. Census
The 1980 United States census, conducted by the United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4% over the 203,184,772 persons Enumeration, enumerated dur ...
.
[ After incorporation, it was listed as a village in the 2010 U.S. Census.][ It is part of the Killeen–]Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
–Fort Hood
Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is currently named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. The post is located halfway between Austi ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,394 people, 990 households, and 761 families residing in the village.
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, 3,475 people, 1,382 households, and 1,112 families resided in the village. The population density was . The 1,465 housing units averaged 86.1 per square mile (33.2/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.37% White, 0.26% African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 5.15% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.66% of the population.
There were 1,382 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.1% 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, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the village, the population was distributed as 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household was $63,646, and for a family was $70,667. Males had a median income of $48,098 versus $26,528 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 ...
was $29,685. About 3.0% of families and 3.8% 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 2.5% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Salado is served by the Salado Independent School District.
The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools
The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, or TAPPS, is an organization headquartered in the Lone Star Tower at Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth, Texas. It was formerly headquartered at the Salado Civic Center in Sa ...
was headquartered in the Salado Civic Center in downtown Salado.
Notable people
* George Washington Baines was the maternal great-grandfather of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
.
* Liz Carpenter, journalist
* Scott Cawthon, former video game developer, creator of the ''Five Nights at Freddy's
''Five Nights at Freddy's'' (''FNaF'') is a video game series and media franchise created by Scott Cawthon that includes video games, novels, graphic novels, and films. The story arcs typically follow a night guard or other character trying t ...
'' series
* Miriam Amanda Ferguson, 29th and 32nd governor of Texas
* James Edward Ferguson, 26th governor of Texas
* Lela and Raymond Howard, an older married couple who disappeared and became the basis for a 1998 hit song " The Way"
See also
* Texas Brazos Trail
References
Further reading
* Felda Davis Shanklin. 1960. ''Salado, Texas'' Bell, Belton, Texas
External links
Salado Chamber of Commerce
''Salado Village Voice''
local newspaper
*
{{Authority control
Villages in Bell County, Texas
Former census-designated places in Texas
Villages in Texas
Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan area
Populated places established in 2003
2003 establishments in Texas