Floresville, Texas
Floresville is a city in Wilson County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,868 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wilson County.[3] The city is also part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Floresville was the birthplace of former Texas Governor, United States Secretary of the Treasury, and Republican presidential contender John Bowden Connally, Jr. (1917•1993), and his seven siblings, including actor Merrill Connally (1921•2001) and Wayne Connally (1923•2000), a former member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature. The Connally Memorial Medical Center in Floresville is named for John, Merrill, and Wayne Connally.
Floresville was also the birthplace of Vicente T. Ximenes (born 1919), a former member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a civil rights activist.
Contents |
Geography
Floresville is located at 29°8′11″N 98°9′28″W / 29.13639°N 98.15778°W (29.136255, -98.157908).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.3 km²), all of it land.
History
Early settlers of the area were Native American Indians. Soon came the local Spanish missions, that would turn indigenous tribes into good Spanish citizens. Thus, in the mid 1700s Rancho de las Cabras, "the goat ranch," was established near Floresville as a mission ranching operation for Mission Espada. Indian and Spanish vaqueros would live and worship here, while caring for the herds of animals. This would be the precursor of the Texas ranching industry.
The land and name for this town would be given to honor the Flores de Abrego family, who were descendants of the former Canary Islanders. Don Francisco Flores de Abrego was early settler of this area, his ranch was six miles northwest of the site of present Floresville. Four of his sons, Salvador, Manuel, Nepomuceno, and Jose Maria would serve Texas in the 1835-1836 Revolution. Don Erasmo Seguin also settled in this area in late 1824. His ranch "Casa Blanca" began as a 9,000 acre tract near present Floresville. His son, Texas military and political figure Juan Seguin, would also have a ranch nearby.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 5,868 people, 1,908 households, and 1,457 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,234.5 people per square mile (477.0/km²). There were 2,114 housing units at an average density of 444.8/sq mi (171.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 7.32% White, 1.64% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 22.89% from other races, and 3.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 64.01% of the population.
There were 1,908 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.36.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,093, and the median income for a family was $34,482. Males had a median income of $27,152 versus $19,616 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,340. About 14.0% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Floresville is served by the Floresville Independent School District.
Film Appearances
Portions of the 1974 feature film Sugarland Express directed by Steven Spielberg were filmed in Floresville. In the film the town is called "Rodrigo". Other scenes were filmed at various locations in Wilson County and at the nearby Lone Oak Community.
Portions of the 1980s movie The Big Brawl with Jackie Chan were filmed in Floresville's downtown area.
Portions of The Great Waldo Pepper, starring Robert Redford, were filmed just outside Floresville and the neighboring city of Poth.
Gallery
| At the center of downtown Floresville, the Wilson County Courthouse is decorated at Christmas time, 2009. | Floresville City Hall is near the Wilson County Courthouse. | Veterans monument in Floresville was dedicated on November 11, 2004. | Floresville Tourist and Visitor Center on U.S. Highway 181 loop |
| Connally Memorial Medical Center on Highway 181 is named for three brothers, John, Wayne, and Merrill Connally. | Cattle graze adjacent to the Connally Memorial Medical Center. | The Roy G. Sanchez Pavilion at Floresville River Park commemorates the career of the first Mexican American mayor of Floresville. He served from 1984-1992. | The still-operating Arcadia Theater in Floresville is directly across the street from the Wilson County Courthouse. |
| Wells Fargo Bank in Floresville is across the street from the First Baptist Church. | First Baptist Church of Floresville | In Floresville, the First United Methodist Church is located across the street from the First Baptist Church. | Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Floresville also operates an adjacent parochial school. |
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Categories: Cities in Texas | Wilson County, Texas | County seats in Texas | San Antonio metropolitan area | Texas communities with Hispanic majority populations
|
