Burkburnett, Texas
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| Burkburnett, Texas | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Wichita |
| Area | |
| - Total | 9.5 sq mi (24.6 km²) |
| - Land | 9.5 sq mi (24.6 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 1,060 ft (323 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 10,927 |
| - Density | 1,149.5/sq mi (443.8/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 76354 |
| Area code(s) | 940 |
| FIPS code | 48-11368[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1353321[2] |
Burkburnett is a city in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 10,927 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
Burkburnett is located at (34.082663, -98.568217).[3]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Historical development
Originally settled by ranchers as early as 1856, this community was known by some locals as Nesterville. By 1880 the town had a small store with a population of 132. From 1882 until 1903, a post office operated there under the designation Gilbert, named after the north Texas pioneer Mabel Gilbert. In 1906, a nearby wealthy rancher named Samuel Burk Burnett sold over 16,000 acres (65 km²) of his land in northern Wichita County to a group of investors who were seeking to extend the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway north through Oklahoma and Kansas.[4] Within Burnett’s former land near the railroad, lots were auctioned off the following year and a post office was established. The town was named Burkburnett by President Theodore Roosevelt, who visited the area for a wolf hunt that was hosted by the wealthy rancher Burnett.[5] In 1912, oil was discovered west of the town attracting thousands to the area and by 1918, an approximate twenty-thousand people had settled around the oilfield. The Great Depression would have a negative impact on the town’s population, which would be boosted again in 1941 as Sheppard Air Force Base would be established nearby.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 10,445 people, 4,139 households, and 3,108 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,149.5 people per square mile (443.6/km²). There were 4,449 housing units at an average density of 468.0/sq mi (180.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.67% White, 2.88% African American, 1.06% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.66% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.20% of the population.
There were 4,139 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,408, and the median income for a family was $42,917. Males had a median income of $31,720 versus $21,977 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,507. About 7.9% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
The City of Burkburnett is served by the Burkburnett Independent School District.
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
A story written in Cosmopolitan magazine titled A Lady Comes to Burkburnett would be the inspiration of the 1940 film Boom town.
'Superfly Guy', an 1989 dance music track recorded by the British group S-Express references the town in the closing seconds using a snippet of footage from a local radio station (K-Okla?), in which a female DJ proclaims, "Ain't nuthin' goin' on!".
In the 1956 film 'Giant', James Dean's character Jett Rink proclaims to Rock Hudson and others, "You thought ol' Spindletop and Burkburnett was the only well there was. Well you were wrong!"
In November 2007, citizens of Burkburnett voted and made the town "wet'. Meaning alcoholic beverages can now be sold in Burkburnett. The town had been "dry" for about 60 years prior to this.
In summer 2007 the town's only Wal-Mart closed it's doors. Leaving the citizens to drive to nearby Wichita Falls for all their essentials.
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ TSHA Online - Texas State Historical Association
- ^ Welcome to the City of Burkburnett
[edit] External links
- Burkburnett, Texas is at coordinates Coordinates:
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