Santa Anna is a town in
Coleman County in
Central Texas
Central Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas roughly bordered on the west by San Saba, to the southeast by Bryan- College Station, the south by San Marcos and to the north by Hillsboro. Central Texas overlaps with and includes part ...
, United States. Its population was 1,014 at the
2020 census.
Geography
Santa Anna is located in east central Coleman County. Three U.S. highways pass through the center of town.
U.S. Route 283 leads south to
Brady,
U.S. Route 67
U.S. Route 67 is a major north–south U.S. highway which extends for 1,560 miles (2,511 km) in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues ...
leads west to
Ballinger, while
U.S. Route 84
U.S. Route 84 (US 84) is an east–westUS 84 was signed north-south in parts of Colorado and New Mexico. United States Numbered Highway that started as a short Georgia–Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme. Later, in 1941, it h ...
and US 283 together lead northwest to
Coleman
Coleman may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Coleman Glacier (Antarctica)
* Coleman Peak, Ross Island
Canada
* Coleman, Alberta
* Coleman, Ontario
* Coleman, Prince Edward Island
United Kingdom
* Coleman, Leicester, England
United States
* C ...
, 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 US 67 and 84 together lead east to
Brownwood.
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 town has a total area of , all of it land.
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, Santa Anna 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 Santa Anna, Texas
/ref>
History
The twin mesas in central Coleman County have always been a landmark. One of the earliest maps of Texas shows a mountain near the center of the state with the notation, "Santa Anna's Peaks". The mountain and later the town were named for Comanche
The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...
war chief Santanna, or Santa Anna.
Texas Rangers camped at the foot of the mountain long before the area was settled. Cattle drives from South Texas to the northern markets passed through the gap in the mountain along a military road. This road helped supply the outpost forts along the Texas Forts Trail. The first permanent European-American settlers soon built homes near a freshwater spring at the foot of the mountain. One enterprising settler stocked a supply of goods for trail drivers and settlers, starting the first business at "The Gap" in the early 1870s. In 1879, a petition to open a post office was filed, and the name of "Santa Anna" was chosen.
During the construction of the 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 variou ...
, a group of residents bought land along the right-of-way. Stone buildings were built from limestone quarried from the cap rock of the west mountain. Several businesses moved from Trickham and Brownwood to be a part of the new community. In 1886, ''The Santa Anna News'' was established. The first telephone in the county was a private line from Brownwood to Coleman, connected in the Melton Hotel in Santa Anna. A small local exchange was opened in 1892. A drugstore and a bank were opened in the 1880s, and a one-room school was opened that soon expanded to four rooms.
As the open range was preempted and sold, land was cultivated, with cotton
Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
the principal crop. Santa Anna eventually had four cotton gin
A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); ...
s in operation, and was also a major rail shipping point for livestock. The town became a trade center with a thriving business district that included drugstores, hotels, banks, livery stables, and produce houses. One of the early buildings, still a landmark downtown, housed an opera house, where traveling groups and local performers provided entertainment and culture.
After World War I, Dr. T.R. Sealy established a hospital that soon became widely known. A nursing school was founded in the 1920s to provide trained nurses, continuing until the death of Dr. Sealy in the mid-1930s.
During the first half of the 20th century, Santa Anna thrived as a small farming and ranching community. It later developed businesses related to the area oil industry.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
has emerged as a new industry in Santa Anna. Currently, 38 businesses are located in Santa Anna, of which 13 are less than three years old. Custom hand-crafted furniture has become a hallmark of the city. Other popular draws include numerous antique stores, furniture stores, and specialty shops. Santa Anna and the surrounding area are also popular among dove, quail, turkey, and deer hunters.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,014 people, 405 households, and 268 families residing in the town.
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, 1,081 people, 446 households, and 283 families resided in the town. The population density was . The 574 housing units averaged 296.3 per square mile (114.2/km). The racial makeup of the town was 88.90% White, 3.89% African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 4.72% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.06% of the population.
Of the 446 households, 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were not families. About 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the town, the population was distributed as 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $22,857, and for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $29,886 versus $17,917 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 town was $11,065. About 20.4% of families and 23.2% 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 26.6% of those under age 18 and 24.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The town is served by the Santa Anna Independent School District.
Notable people
* Louis Crump, Texas state senator
* Bobby Layne
Robert Lawrence Layne (December 19, 1926 – December 1, 1986) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns before ...
, Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
quarterback
Gallery
Image: SantaAnnaTXCommunity.JPG, Sights near main street
Image: Downtown Santa Anna 2 (1 of 1).jpg, Downtown Santa Anna
Image: Downtown Santa Anna 3 (1 of 1).jpg, Downtown Santa Anna
Image: Downtown Santa Anna City Hall Fire Department (1 of 1).jpg, City Hall and Fire Department in Santa Anna, Texas
References
External links
Town of Santa Anna official website
Santa Anna Economic Development Corporation
Santa Anna Historical Development
Coleman County Telephone Cooperative, Inc.
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Towns in Coleman County, Texas
Towns in Texas