| Burkburnett, Texas | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Nickname(s): Boomtown | |
| Motto: "Your home now" | |
| Location of Burkburnett, Texas | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Wichita |
| Incorporated City of Burkburnett | 1923 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Commissioner form of government, with a City Manager |
| 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. The community's newspaper is the Burkburnett Informer/Star. It publishes each Thursday.
Contents |
According to the United States Census Bureau, Burkburnett has a total area of 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²), all of it land.
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.[3] 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.[4] 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. This part of the town's history was chronicled in the movie Boom Town with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. 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.
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 per square mile (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.
The City of Burkburnett is served by the Burkburnett Independent School District.
The City of Burkburnett is a home-rule Texas city. The City Charter establishes a government that is a combination of the Council-Manager form and Commissioner form of city governments. Burkburnett elects all their leaders in an at-large election to sit on a Commissioners Board. The mayor is then selected from within the board. Additionally, the City Commissioners employee a professional City Manager to run the day-to-day operations of the city.
Mayor- Carl Law
Commissioners- Chase Thornton, Charlene Lewis, Bill Lindenborn, Raymond Holland, Josh Andrajack, and Randy Brewster
|
|||||||||||||||||