| Silsbee, Texas. | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Nickname(s): Smoke town | |
| Location of Silsbee, Texas | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Hardin |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.5 sq mi (19.5 km2) |
| • Land | 7.5 sq mi (19.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 82 ft (25 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 6,393 |
| • Density | 849.0/sq mi (327.8/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 77656 |
| Area code(s) | 409 |
| FIPS code | 48-67832[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1347123[2] |
Silsbee is a city in Hardin County, Texas, United States. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 96 and State Highway 327. The population was 6,393 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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Silsbee is located at (30.348095, -94.180220)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19 km2), all land.
Silsbee was first referred to as Mill Town when the site was first reached by the Gulf, Beaumont, and Kansas City Railway in 1894. The town was renamed in recognition of Nathaniel Silsbee, an investor from Boston, Massachusetts who helped provide funds for the railway.[4] The railroad was a project of John Henry Kirby who would soon establish the Kirby Lumber Company in the city. This business would be the main employer and strength of the Silsbee economy from the city’s beginning.[5]
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 6,393 people, 2,385 households, and 1,714 families residing in the city. The population density was 849.0 people per square mile (327.8/km²). There were 2,662 housing units at an average density of 353.5 per square mile (136.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.85% White, 32.04% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.39% of the population.
There were 2,385 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,549, and the median income for a family was $40,784. Males had a median income of $35,351 versus $23,558 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,111. About 15.9% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.
The City of Silsbee has at least 11 gasoline stations, 9 restaurants and takeout food stores, 2 motels, 2 RV parks and several stores. It is located near the intersection of Highway 327 and Business 96.
The City of Silsbee is served by the Silsbee Independent School District, with a total of 5 schools — The John Henry Kirby Elementary School (Pre K-1), The Read-Turrentine Elementary School (2-3), The Laura Reeves Elementary (4-5), The Edwards-Johnson Memorial Silsbee Middle School (6-8), and Silsbee High School.
Silsbee High School and the school district have been criticized for expelling a cheerleader from the school's cheerleading squad because of her refusal to cheer for a basketball player who pled guilty to sexually assaulting her. The charges were dropped down to assault a year later and he was given probation.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in November 2010 that the victim — who is known only as H.S. — had no right to refuse to applaud her attacker because as a cheerleader in uniform, she was an agent of the school. The Fifth Circuit dismissed her case as "frivolous" and sanctioned the girl, ordering her family to pay the school district's $45,000 legal fees.[6][7][8] The Supreme Court declined to review the case. As of June, 2011, Change.org and Ms. Magazine were promoting a proposal by journalist Scott Rose calling for individuals to send the district superintendent one penny each, accompanied by notes protesting the district's decision if it did not waive its right to payment.[9][10]
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