Nederland, Texas
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| Nederland, Texas | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Jefferson |
| Area | |
| - Total | 5.7 sq mi (14.8 km²) |
| - Land | 5.7 sq mi (14.7 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 17,422 |
| - Density | 3,063.2/sq mi (1,182.7/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 77627 |
| Area code(s) | 409 |
| FIPS code | 48-50580[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1363634[2] |
Nederland is a city in Jefferson County, Texas, United States. The population was 17,422 at the 2000 census.
The city is adjacent to the Southeast Texas Regional Airport in Port Arthur, which serves the nearby cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur.
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[edit] Geography
Nederland is located at (29.973113, -93.996715)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²), of which, 5.7 square miles (14.7 km²) of it is land and 0.18% is water.
[edit] History
Nederland was founded in 1897 by Dutch settlers (Nederland is Dutch for The Netherlands). The more prominent families were named Rienstra and Doornbos, and their descendants still live in the area today. Tradition says they were attracted to the flat coastal terrain that reminded them of their homeland (although the heat and humidity most certainly did not). Nederland's Dutch heritage is commemorated by the Dutch Windmill Museum located on Boston Avenue.
Nederland became incorporated as a township in 1948. Its early economy was agricultural. The Port of Beaumont attracted shipping interests to support the east Texas logging industry. With the discovery of oil at the nearby Spindletop well in Beaumont, Nederland would become the bedroom community for a burgeoning oil refining industry that would grow up in the area. The surrounding larger cities of Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange came to be known as the Golden Triangle. Nederland High School, with its black and gold colors, came to be called the "golden pride of the Golden Triangle." In the 1940s and 1950s, the Port of Beaumont was as important as New Orleans or Houston/Galveston, and Nederland thrived as a result.
The refineries also attracted a large population of blue-collar laborers into the area, and the community became heavily unionized. The area drew particularly heavily from southern Louisiana, and a strong Cajun flair is evident throughout the community. At the height of the labor union movement, the Golden Triangle was said to have been more virulently pro-union than Detroit, or even Youngstown, OH. Strikes against the unionized refineries were commonplace.
With the decline of oil prices in the 1980s, the local economy suffered and Nederland experienced slight population losses.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 17,422 people, 6,858 households, and 5,020 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,063.2 people per square mile (1,182.2/km²). There were 7,226 housing units at an average density of 1,270.5/sq mi (490.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.51% White, 0.89% African American, 0.33% Native American, 2.02% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.01% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.25% of the population.
There were 6,858 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,188, and the median income for a family was $51,525. Males had a median income of $43,691 versus $25,457 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,408. About 5.5% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
The city is served by the Nederland Independent School District. The schools in Nederland include four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The four elementary schools are Langham Elementary, Helena Elementary, Highland Park Elementary, and Hillcrest Elementary. The two middle schools are C.O.Wilson Middle School, and Central Middle School. The one high school is Nederland High School.[1] Nederland's mascot is the Bulldog. And are long time rivals with the Port Neches-Groves Indians. Nederland's fans famously cheer, "2 bits, 4 bits, 6 bits a dollar, all for the bulldogs, stand up and holler."
[edit] Notable citizens
- Clay Buchholz, baseball player for the Boston Red Sox
- Leon Fuller, college football coach (University of Texas, Colorado State University)
- Kendrick Perkins, basketball player for the Boston Celtics
- Bum Phillips, NFL Head Coach (Houston Oilers)
- Tex Ritter, country/western singer
- Karen Silkwood, American Labor Union Activist
- Chris Stroud, PGA Tour Player
[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.
[edit] External links
- Nederland, Texas is at coordinates Coordinates:
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