Bryan, Texas

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Bryan, Texas
City
Downtown Bryan, 2009
Nickname(s): The Good Life, Texas Style
Location in the state of Texas
Coordinates: 30°39′56″N 96°22′0″W / 30.66556°N 96.36667°W / 30.66556; -96.36667Coordinates: 30°39′56″N 96°22′0″W / 30.66556°N 96.36667°W / 30.66556; -96.36667
Country United StatesUnited States
State TexasTexas
County Brazos
Government
 • Type Council-Manager
 • City Council Mayor Jason Bienski
 • City Manager Kean Register
Area
 • Total 43.3 sq mi (112.3 km2)
 • Land 43.29 sq mi (112.1 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation 374 ft (114 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 76,201
 • Density 1,759.8/sq mi (678.5/km2)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 77801-03, 77807-08
Area code(s) 979
FIPS code 48-10912[1]
GNIS feature ID 1353099[2]
Website www.bryantx.gov

Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County[3] and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley (Southeast Central Texas). It borders the city of College Station, which lies to its south. Together they are referred to as the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area, the sixteenth largest Metropolitan area in Texas containing around 190,000 people.[citation needed]

History

The area around Bryan, Texas was part of a land grant to Moses Austin by Spain. Moses Austin's son, Stephen F. Austin helped bring settlers to the area. Among the settlers was William Joel Bryan, the nephew of Stephen F. Austin. The town of Bryan was founded in 1821. It grew quickly when the Houston and Texas Central Railroad arrived in 1860. In 1866, the county seat of Brazos County, Texas was changed from Boonville, Texas to Bryan. A short time later, in 1871, the City of Bryan became incorporated.

Modern history in Bryan began in the 1820s when the area was first settled by members Stephen F. Austin's colony. The next major change took place in 1859 when The Houston and Texas Central Railroad was constructed in the area. In 1866 a post office was allowed to open in Bryan. Bryan also replaced Boonville, Texas as the Brazos County seat. In 1867, after many delays caused by the Civil War, the railroad, which had only previously gotten as far as Millican, Texas, finally reached Bryan. the first Bryan courthouse was built in 1871, and in 1872 Bryan was incorporated. In nearby College Station Texas A&M College opened in 1876. The following year, 1877 saw the establishment of the Bryan Independent School District. Keeping up with progress in the rest of the country, Bryan added electric lighting and a waterworks to its community in 1889. The fifth Brazos County courthouse was built in 1892, and by the turn of the century, in 1900, the International-Great Northern Railroad stopped in Bryan.

Using a generous grant of $10,000 from Andrew Carnegie, the Carnegie Library of Bryan opened its doors in 1902. In 1910 the town built and interurban railroad to College Station Texas. by 1923 the line will be abandoned. The first Jewish place of worship, the Temple Freda synagogue, is opened in 1913.[4] During the 1930s the town of North Oakwood merged with Bryan. Now Bryan and College Station are "twin" cities. In 1936 State Highway 6 is built, running right through town.

In 2006 the Texas A&M University System announces the new Texas A&M Health Science Center campus will be built in Bryan near the new Traditions Golf Course development.[citation needed]

A fire at the El Dorado Chemical Co. in 2009 caused the evacuation of 70,000 residents due to the burning of ammonium nitrate, possibly causing minor respiratory problems.[5] However, the city requested that only "anyone who can smell smoke or see smoke to evacuate their homes and businesses" and did not enforce an evacuation except for 500 homes in the nearby vicinity of the fire.[6][7] Less than 1,000 residents chose to evacuate, taking shelter at Texas A&M University, which closed its campus for the day to ease traffic problems. City fire officials chose to let the fire burn down before tackling it, since the chemicals are water reactive.[6][8][9] The evacuation, which started at 2:30 pm CST ended at 7 pm, except for a small, defined area immediately around the fire, where approximately 100 Bryan residents lived.[8] In the end, only 500 residents were under a mandatory evacuation, and 35 people were treated for respiratory problems from the smoke. Officials from El Dorado said there was never any danger from the smoke or fire. The warehouse, valued at just under $1 million, was destroyed.[7]

In 2010 the Brazos County District Attorney's Office started the enforcement of a 'Gang Safety Zone' in response to an escalation in violence within Bryan. Major US papers and ABC news covered this history-making move. Cities like Houston and Los Angeles, California, looked to the Bryan model of safety enforcement surrounding gang violence. The injunction declared a 3.2-mile area in Bryan as the Gang Safety Zone. This placed about half of downtown in this area.[10]

In 2013 the Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan closed as a result of state budget cuts which impact family-planning facilities. Area right to life advocates celebrated a long-awaited victory; critics expressed dismay about the status of women's rights and access to health care in the Bryan region. The facility began offering abortions in 1998; it is one of three in the state which ceased operations on August 31, 2013.[11]

Geography

Bryan is located at 30°39′56″N 96°22′00″W / 30.665547°N 96.366745°W / 30.665547; -96.366745 (30.665547, −96.366745).[12] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.4 square miles (112 km2), of which, 43.3 square miles (112 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.21%) is water.

The city is centrally located, approximately equidistant from three of the 10 largest cities in the United States. It is 92 miles (148 km) north-northwest of Houston, 166 miles (267 km) northeast of San Antonio and 169 miles (272 km) south of Dallas. It is 104 miles (167 km) east of Austin, the state capital of Texas.

Climate

The local climate is subtropical and temperate and winters are mild with periods of low temperatures usually lasting less than two months. Snow and ice are extremely rare. Summers are warm and hot with occasional showers being the only real variation in weather.

Climate data for Bryan, Texas
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 86
(30)		 99
(37)		 94
(34)		 94
(34)		 100
(38)		 104
(40)		 109
(43)		 108
(42)		 106
(41)		 98
(37)		 89
(32)		 86
(30)		 109
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 61
(16)		 66
(19)		 73
(23)		 79
(26)		 85
(29)		 92
(33)		 96
(36)		 96
(36)		 91
(33)		 82
(28)		 71
(22)		 63
(17)		 79.6
(26.5)
Average low °F (°C) 40
(4)		 44
(7)		 50
(10)		 57
(14)		 65
(18)		 72
(22)		 74
(23)		 73
(23)		 69
(21)		 59
(15)		 49
(9)		 42
(6)		 57.8
(14.3)
Record low °F (°C) 7
(−14)		 14
(−10)		 17
(−8)		 28
(−2)		 42
(6)		 53
(12)		 58
(14)		 60
(16)		 44
(7)		 29
(−2)		 19
(−7)		 2
(−17)		 2
(−17)
Precipitation inches (mm) 3.32
(84.3)		 2.38
(60.5)		 2.84
(72.1)		 3.20
(81.3)		 5.05
(128.3)		 3.79
(96.3)		 1.92
(48.8)		 2.63
(66.8)		 3.91
(99.3)		 4.22
(107.2)		 3.18
(80.8)		 3.23
(82)		 39.67
(1,007.6)
Source: weather.com[13]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18902,979
—
19003,58920.5%
19104,13215.1%
19206,30752.6%
19307,81423.9%
194011,84251.5%
195018,07252.6%
196027,54252.4%
197033,71922.4%
198044,33731.5%
199055,00224.1%
200065,66019.4%
201076,20116.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 65,660 people, 23,759 households, and 14,873 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,515.2 people per square mile (584.9/km2). There were 25,703 housing units at an average density of 593.1 per square mile (229.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 64.65% White, 31.72% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.65% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 13.32% from other races, and 2.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any ethnicity/nationality were 17.83% of the population.

There were 23,759 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 18.1% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,672, and the median income for a family was $41,433. Males had a median income of $29,780 versus $22,428 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,770. About 15.5% of families and 22.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

State

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Hamilton Unit, a pre-release facility in Bryan.[14] Hamilton opened as an adult prison facility. It was renovated for juveniles and, in mid-1997,[15] re-opened as the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) J.W. Hamilton Jr. State School. On June 15, 2003, the facility was transferred back to the TDCJ.[16] The TDCJ also operates the Bryan District Parole Office in nearby College Station.[17]

Federal

The United States Postal Service operates the Bryan and Downtown Bryan post offices.[18][19] The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Federal Prison Camp, Bryan, a women's prison, is located in Bryan.[20]

Economy

Major employers include:

Sports

  • Football: Kyle Field (Largest Crowd: 90,079)
  • Football: Merrill Green Stadium (Capacity 11,800)
  • Racing: Texas World Speedway (Capacity: 23,000)
  • Basketball: Reed Arena (Largest Crowd: 12,811)
  • Baseball: Olsen Field (Largest Crowd: 11,052)
  • Baseball: Travis Field
  • Volleyball: G. Rollie White Coliseum (Largest Crowd: 3,778)
  • Track and Field: Anderson Track and Field Complex (Capacity: 3,500)
  • Soccer: Aggie Soccer Complex (Largest Crowd: 8,204)
  • Soccer: Bryan Regional Athletic Complex (BRAC)
  • Softball: Aggie Softball Complex (Capacity: 1,750)
  • Tennis: George P. Mitchell Tennis Center (Capacity: 1,500)
  • Hockey: Arctic Wolf Ice Center (Capacity: 500)
  • Golf: Traditions Golf Course at University Ranch, Miramont, Briarcrest Country Club, Bryan Municipal
  • Golf: Miramont Country Club
  • Golf: Pebble Creek Country Club
  • Golf: Bryan Municipal Golf Course
  • Fishing: Lake Bryan
  • Swimming: Bryan Aquatic Center

Education

Colleges

Public schools

Independent schools

  • Allen Academy: PK–12 College Preparatory
  • St. Joseph Catholic School: PK–12 College Preparatory
  • St. Michaels Academy: PK–12 College Preparatory
  • Brazos Christian School: PK–12 College Preparatory
  • Still Creek Ranch: Private K-12 Boarding and Day School

Media

Publications

  • The Bryan-College Station Eagle (Main newspaper)
  • The Battalion (Texas A&M)
  • The Press
  • Insite Magazine (Local magazine - monthly publication)
  • Bryan Broadcasting Publications[21]

Radio

  • KAMU-FM NPR 90.9 (National Public Radio)
  • KJXJ-FM 103.9 Rock 103.9 (Rock)
  • KBXT 101.9 THE BEAT
  • KKYS Mix 104.7 (Hot A/C)
  • KNFX-FM 99.5 The Fox (Classic Rock)
  • KNDE 95.1 Candy 95 (Top 40)
  • KVJM 103.1 La Preciosa (Regional Mexican)(Formerly V103.1 Hip Hop/Power 94)
  • KTEX 106.1 Texas Country (Country)
  • KAGG 96.1 Aggie 96 (Country)
  • KORA 98.3(Country)
  • KZNE 1150 The Zone (ESPN Sports Radio)
  • WTAW 1620 (Talk Radio)
  • KTAM 1240 Radio Alegria (Regional Mexican)
  • KEOS 89.1 (community radio)

Television

  • KAGS-LD 23 (NBC) (Daily, Live Newscasts from studio on Texas Ave. in Bryan, Texas)
  • KBTX-TV 3 (CBS) (Daily, Live Newscasts from studio on 29th Street in Bryan, Texas)
  • KAMU-TV 15 (PBS)
  • KYLE-TV 28 (FOX) (Taped Newscast weekday nights from Tyler, TX rarely covering Bryan)
  • KRHD-TV 40 (ABC) (Daily, Taped Newscasts, from Waco, Texas)

Infrastructure

Transportation

The District began offering public transportation in the Bryan-College Station in 1974. It offers fixed bus routes throughout Bryan-College Station. Operating on weekdays on an hourly basis, the seven routes converge at a central location for transferring between routes.[22][23] It also offers paratransit services for disabled riders and an on-demand shared ride service.[24] Texas A&M University, headquartered in sister city College Station, operates student-driven free buses on weekdays for use by the general public that includes coverage around several apartment complexes in Bryan near campus and along a route that culminates at the Blinn College campus.[25][26][27]

Airports

Bryan is served commercially by Easterwood Airport, a regional airport operated by Texas A&M University in College Station, TX.[28] United Express and American Eagle offer flights to and from their larger hub airports at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (United) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (American).[29][30][31]

The city of Bryan owns and operates Coulter Field and provides fixed base operator services, hangar space, and runways for private flights.[32][33]

Major roads

See also: List of highways in Brazos County, Texas

Health care

Notable people


See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  4. ↑ "Bryan, Texas", found in the Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities,
  5. ↑ Linthicum, Kate (2009-07-31). "Thousands evacuated amid Texas factory fire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-07-30. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "City of Bryan News". City of Bryan. July 30, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Blaze prompts mass evacuation in Bryan". The Bryan-College Station Eagle. July 31, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2009. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Evacuations Ordered Following Hazmat Fire in Bryan". KBTX. July 30, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  9. ↑ KBTX 6pm broadcast
  10. ↑ Bryan gangs enforcement zone
  11. ↑ "Brooke Conrad, "Some residents lament loss of Bryan Planned Parenthood services while others celebrate end of abortions"". theeagle.com. Retrieved July 19, 2013. 
  12. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  13. ↑ "Monthly Averages for Bryan, TX". Weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  14. ↑ "Hamilton Unit." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 6, 2010.
  15. ↑ "11 TEENS ESCAPE JUVENILE CENTER; 6 STILL MISSING." Chicago Tribune. December 13, 1998. Retrieved on August 22, 2010. "Hamilton State School a former adult prison was renovated for juvenile offenders and reopened in mid1997."
  16. ↑ "Secure TYC Facilities by Opening Date." Texas Youth Commission. Retrieved on May 6, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Parole Division Region I." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
  18. ↑ "Post Office Location - BRYAN." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Post Office Location - DOWNTOWN BRYAN." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
  20. ↑ "FPC Bryan Contact Information." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on September 4, 2010.
  21. ↑ http://bryanbroadcasting.com/
  22. ↑ "Bryan College Station". The District. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  23. ↑ "Bryan Map for Web" (PDF). The District. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  24. ↑ "Paratransit". The District. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  25. ↑ "Off-Campus Transit Routes". Texas A&M University. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  26. ↑ "Route 12" (PDF). Texas A&M University. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  27. ↑ "Route 15" (PDF). Texas A&M University. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  28. ↑ "What We Do". Easterwood Airport. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  29. ↑ "FAQ". Easterwood Airport. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  30. ↑ "Arrivals". Easterwood Airport. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  31. ↑ "Departures". Easterwood Airport. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  32. ↑ "About". Coulter Field. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  33. ↑ "Services". Coulter Field. Retrieved July 30, 2009. 
  34. ↑ "Terry H. Anderson". tamu.edu. Retrieved October 12, 2010. 
  35. ↑ "Chester S.L. Dunning". tamu.edu. Retrieved October 16, 2010. 
  36. ↑ Obituary of Claude Hampton Hall (1922–2001), Bryan-College Station, Texas, Eagle, April 4, 2001
  37. ↑ Robert C. Borden, "Bull of the Brazos dies: Moore was champion of Texas A&M," Bryan-College Station Eagle, May 28, 1999, pp. 1-3
  38. ↑ "Meet John Raney". electjohnraney.com. Retrieved September 20, 2013. 

External links

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