| West, Texas | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Top: Czech Stop & Little Czech Bakery, Bottom Left: Aerial view of the town of West, Texas - looking northeast, Bottom Right: View from Oak Street | |
| Nickname(s): The Kolache Capital of Texas | |
| Location of West, Texas | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | McLennan |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jerrel Bolton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.6 sq mi (4.0 km2) |
| • Land | 1.6 sq mi (4.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 650 ft (198 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 2,692 |
| • Density | 1,731.1/sq mi (668.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 76691 |
| Area code(s) | 254 |
| FIPS code | 48-77332[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1349669[2] |
West is a city in McLennan County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,692 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Despite its name, West is located in the northern part of Texas, 19.3 miles north of Waco. Also, most of the city is located on the eastern side of Interstate 35. The town was named for its first postmaster, T. M. West.
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West is located at (31.803369, -97.093106)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), all of it land.
The first settlers of northern McLennan County arrived in the 1840s. They were farm and ranch families drawn from the east by the rich lands made available by the government sale of land to build schools in Texas. The area farmers cultivated the land growing cotton, wheat and maize and raising cattle. The farming community centered around a fresh water spring that became known as Bold Springs. In 1860, Bold Springs had a population of about 300 and provided services such as a blacksmith, churches, and a post office.
The Katy Railroad was laid between Hillsboro and Waco in the fall of 1881. The path of the railroad cut through land owned by Thomas West. Mr. West moved to the area in 1859. He farmed land that he had purchased and served as postmaster of Bold Springs. A train depot was built on the land he sold to the railroad company and the land running beside the tracks was divided into small sections and sold to people wanting to start businesses. The new depot included a post office and from that time forward it was known as the West Post Office. Mr. West served as postmaster while opening the first general store. He became a successful businessman later owning a hotel, a furniture store and a bank.
The railroad brought prosperity to the area during the 1880s. More businesses were opened and more surrounding land was purchased. Czech immigrants came to the area purchasing the rich lands to farm and start a fresh life in the new world. They also opened businesses sharing their European culture. By the 1890s the Czech businesses flourished in West.
On June 11, 1892 West was officially organized into a town. It had become the center of commerce for the area. There were cotton gins, grocery stores, churches, schools, doctor's offices. Many of the farmers and business men of West contributed to the success of West as a great little farming community.
The turn of the century brought electricity, running water, and natural gas. The population of West and surrounding area grew. The Czechs brought with them the custom of having very large families and by the 1920s they became the dominant culture in West.
Many of the descendants of the original settlers continue to farm the lands and run the businesses still today. You can still hear Czech spoken by some of the older folks around town.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,692 people, 1,045 households, and 698 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,731.1 people per square mile (666.3/km²). There were 1,143 housing units at an average density of 735.0 per square mile (282.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.09% White, 4.20% African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.78% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.14% of the population. The majority of the White population is of Czech descent; West bills itself as "the kolache capital of Texas".
There were 1,045 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,580, and the median income for a family was $43,090. Males had a median income of $30,292 versus $22,825 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,421. About 13.7% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.
West is the home of Major League Baseball player Scott Podsednik, a member of the 2005 World Series championship Chicago White Sox team.
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