Calvert, Texas
| Calvert, Texas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 30°58′42″N 96°40′22″W / 30.97833°N 96.67278°WCoordinates: 30°58′42″N 96°40′22″W / 30.97833°N 96.67278°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Robertson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.9 sq mi (10.1 km2) |
| • Land | 3.9 sq mi (10.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 328 ft (100 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,192 |
| • Density | 366.6/sq mi (141.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 77837 |
| Area code(s) | 979 |
| FIPS code | 48-11992[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1353586[2] |
Calvert is a city in Robertson County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area.
Geography
Calvert, a city in Robertson County, is located in western central Texas and encompasses a total area of 3.9 square miles (10 km2).
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 1,192 people, 509 households, and 374 families residing in the city. The population density was 366.6 people per square mile (141.5/km²). There were 675 housing units at an average density of 186.6 per square mile (72.1/km²).
The racial makeup of the city was 36.7% White, 49.1% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 8.77% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race are 16.3% of the population.
There were 574 households. In the city, 27.4% of households had children under the age of 18, 34.7% were married couples living together, 25.4% were households led by single females, and 34.7% were non-related groups. In the city, 32.4% of all households consisted of individuals and 16.6% of households were single people at least 65 years old. The average household size was 2.44 people and the average family size was 3.07 people.
The average age of the population varied, with 29.7% of residents under the age of 18, 7.1% between the ages of 18 to 24, 21.9% aged 25 to 44, 22.1% aged 45 to 64, and 19.1% at least 65 years of age. The median age was 38 years of age. For every 100 female residents there were 85.2 male residents but for every 100 female residents age 18 and over, there were only 78.0 male residents.
The median household income was $18,105, and the median family income was $23,214. Median income for males was $24,722 and $17,885 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,165. About 30.3% of families and 36.9% of the population are below the poverty line, including 53.4% of residents under age 18 and 32.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Calvert is served by the Calvert Independent School District.
Media and events
Calvert is served by the Robertson County News.
Calvert Tour of Homesis one of the main events held in Calvert, Texas. There are two tours held each year: one in the winter and one in the spring. The two seasons feature different houses.
History
In the same manner that the railroad enabled Calvert to prosper through increased commerce, cotton planters (many of whom arrived in the area following the Civil War) established huge plantations with a reputation for prosperity and Southern hospitality.
Later, many of these families moved from plantations located in the Brazos River Bottoms into the City of Calvert. These families built many large Victorian style mansions, many of which are still in existence today.
The earliest white settler in the area was Joseph Harlan, whose 1837 land grant lay five miles south of what is now the City of Calvert. In 1850 another white settler for whom the town as named, Robert Calvert, established a plantation west of the town.
Robert Calvert, a former Texas Representative, and area farmers urged the Houston and Texas Central Railway to build through the area. The railroad was completed in 1868. The City of Calvert was founded in 1868 after a group of investors purchased land at the town site and platted the community. In January, the town was named in honour of Robert Calvert. Robert Calvert was a large plantation owner and was instrumental in directing the railroad through Robertson County.
A post office also opened at the community in 1868. The first trains arrived there in 1869. Calvert incorporated with an alderman form of government in 1870. From 1870 to 1879, Calvert replaced Owensville as county seat due to Reconstruction in Robertson County. In 1870, the first school was founded in the community.
The Republican political party in the county drew much of its strength from black voters on the plantations in the Calvert area, and for a number of years the party was able to elect black people from Calvert to county and state office. As a rail center and as county seat, Calvert prospered, and in 1871 the town claimed to have the largest cotton gin in the world. In 1873 a severe yellow fever epidemic killed many in the community. The county jail, built in 1875 and now known as The Hammond House, is still a local landmark.
In 1878 Calvert was a thriving community with 52 businesses. The next year, in 1879, the town of Morgan replaced Calvert as the county seat, but Calvert continued to prosper as a commercial center. By 1884 Calvert had an estimated 3,000 inhabitants, with Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, and Catholic churches, public schools, two banks, an opera house, and a newspaper entitled Weekly Courier. Prior to 1900, the community was a major cotton center, with many gins, cotton compresses, and cottonseed oil mills. However, in 1899 the town was damaged by floods, and in 1901 a fire destroyed much of Calvert's business district.
In 1968, many of Calvert's former residents visited to help celebrate its centennial anniversary.
Calvert's population was reported as 3,322 in 1900, but thereafter it began to decrease. The community had 2,579 residents in 1910, 2,099 in the mid-1920s, 2,366 in 1940, 2,561 in 1950, 2,073 in 1960, and 1,950 in the mid-1960s. The population was 1,714 in 1980, 1,536 in 1990, and 1,426 in 2000.
Attractions
- Calvert Historic District
- Katy Hamman-Stricker Women's Heritage Center – Historic library and museum honoring the efforts of the American Woman's League in Calvert, Texas.
- Ken Wilkinson - Cocoamoda
Notable people
- Chalie Boy (rapper) — Charles Williams of Dirty 3rd records
- Tom Bradley — Mayor of Los Angeles, California
- Rube Foster — Baseball player, manager and pioneer executive in the Negro Leagues. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981
- Tex McCrary — Originator of the talk-show format, adviser to presidents
- Joe Sneed — U.S. federal Judge.
Public Safety
Police - Calvert is served by the Calvert Police Department.
Fire Department - Calvert is served by the Calvert Fire Department and the Robertson County EMS.
References
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
Bibliography
- J. W. Baker, History of Robertson County, Texas (Franklin, Texas: Robertson County Historical Survey Committee, 1970).
External links
- City of Calvert – official website.
- Calvert Chamber of Commerce
- Calvert Fire Department
- Handbook of Texas
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