Megargel, Texas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Megargel is a town in Archer County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 248 at the 2000 census. The town is named for Roy C. Megargel, the president of the railroad that developed the town. The proper pronunciation of the town is "me gargle".

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Education
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Megargel is located at 33°27′14″N, 98°55′39″W (33.453883, -98.927546)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 248 people, 104 households, and 66 families residing in the town. The population density was 157.0/km² (404.4/mi²). There were 132 housing units at an average density of 83.6/km² (215.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.55% White, 0.81% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.21% Asian, and 4.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.05% of the population.

There were 104 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 31.7% 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 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,000, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $26,429 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,783. About 4.2% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.

[edit] Education

Megargel is served by the Olney Independent School District.

Megargel was served by the Megargel Independent School District. The April 11, 2006 Dallas Morning News featured the Megargel School [1] in a front page article. The school (along with the town) has been declining for years, and is currently running out of funds. The school board has voted to consolidate with Olney ISD, the neighboring school district in Olney, Texas (about 12 miles southeast), subject to voter approval on May 13, 2006. Proponents argued that the school (which has only 63 students, including only one in seventh grade) simply cannot continue to function, and consolidation with the neighboring district (which has nearly 800 students) would provide more opportunities for educational achievement. Opponents feared that closure of the school would essentially cause the town to disappear as well (though currently most of the businesses along Main Street are boarded up).

The vote was in favor of consolidation. The school and district closed after the school year ended [2].