Seguin, Texas
Seguin (pronounced /səˈɡiːn/) is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011. It is the county seat of Guadalupe County[3].
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History
Seguin was founded in 1838 by members of Mathew Caldwell's Gonzales Rangers on land originally granted to Umphries (or Humphries) Branch by the Mexican government.[4] The Rangers had found that Seguin was a good halfway stop between their patrol points. The area had become a familiar and pleasant location, for they had maintained a camp under the big oaks on the Spring Branch Creek since 1828.[5]
Home to the Texas Ranger Patriot
Although settled by Rangers and veterans of the Texas revolution, it was not incorporated until 1853. Its original name was Walnut Springs but was changed just six months later to honor Juan Seguín.[4] Manuel Flores, veteran of San Jacinto and Brother-in-law of Juan Seguin, would establish a ranch in Seguin in 1838.[6] It would become a safe-haven for San Antonio families and a staging point for counter attack when Bexar was overrun in 1842 by Santa Anna's forces under Rafael Vasquez [7]and Adrian Woll.[8] Leading the resistance forces from this location was Texas Ranger "Jack" John Coffee Hays. When duty allowed, "Jack" would be a familiar resident of Seguin. Hays would set up a training location or "station" in Seguin, where the classic Ranger character would be born.[9] He would meet Susan Calvert of Seguin and later marry her at the Magnolia Hotel (an early stagecoach stopover) in 1847.[10] Serving under Hays were two other famous Ranger residents of Seguin: Henry McCulloch and Ben McCulloch. Their home station known as "Hardscramble" still stands and was designated a Texas State Cenntenial historic site in 1936.[11] Another important figure of Texas history, Jose Antonio Navarro also had a ranch near Seguin[12] and Col. James Clinton Neill, commander of the Alamo, was known to be buried here. The site was also historically marked during the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition[13]. Seguin became a stopping point and trade center for German immigrants along their route from the ports of Indianola and Galveston to the German settlements of New Braunfels and Fredericksburg.[14]
Education was important in Seguin. By 1849, it chartered a school and the first schoolhouse was built in 1850. "Guadalupe High School", as it was called, was recognized by the state in 1962, as the oldest continuously used school building in Texas.
Seguin is also home to Parks Concrete (limecrete). Known as the Concrete City in the 1850's, it was the site of nearly 100 homes constructed of limecrete. In 1857, Frederick Olmsted, landscape architect of New York's Central Park, toured Seguin and described the Concrete City as "the prettiest town in Texas." One such home, the Sebastopol House[15]; built in 1856, is a Texas Historical Commission Landmark and is in the National Register of Historic Places due to its unusual limecrete construction and architectural style.[16]
Seguin is the location of the historic Wilson Pottery site; the first freed slave business of 1869 in Texas.[17]
The oldest railway in Texas, the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad chartered on February 11, 1850, as the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway Company built the first Seguin depot in 1876.[18]
John Ireland the 18th Governor of Texas 1883-1887, was a resident of Seguin.
Since 1912, Seguin has been the home of Texas Lutheran University.[19]
During the 1920's oil boom, it was home to the Darst Creek fields, only fifteen miles east of town.
Another popular attraction is the Texas Agricultural Education and Heritage Center, where visitors may learn the mechanics and history of farming in the state of Texas.[20]
Seguin is a large producer of pecans and is often attributed the nickname "Pecan Capital of Texas."[21] The city boasts of having the "World's Largest Pecan," a five feet long, two-and- a-half feet wide concrete pecan located in front of the county courthouse The city recently announced plans to build a pecan-shaped sculpture that is substantially larger.
Seguin is the setting of the 1994 Janice Woods Windle historical novel True Women [22][23] and the 1997 CBS miniseries adaptation, True Women, starring Dana Delaney and Angelina Jolie.[24] Seguin is where Nanci Griffith, the Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist and songwriter, was born.
Geography
Seguin is located at 29°34′28″N 97°57′55″W / 29.57444°N 97.96528°W (29.574329, -97.965332)[25].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.7 km²), of which, 19.0 square miles (49.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.89%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 22,011 people, 7,526 households, and 5,238 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,157.2 people per square mile (446.8/km²). There were 8,164 housing units at an average density of 429.2/sq mi (165.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.41% White, 9.10% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 20.34% from other races, and 3.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 53.01% of the population.
There were 7,526 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,618, and the median income for a family was $36,931. Males had a median income of $27,007 versus $19,690 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,740. About 13.2% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The main offices of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority are located in Seguin.[26]
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Seguin Parole Office in Seguin.[27]
The United States Postal Service operates the Seguin Post Office and the Seguin Annex in Seguin.[28][29]
Education
The City of Seguin is served by the Seguin Independent School District.
Navarro Independent School District[2]
Texas Lutheran University is located in Seguin.
Sister cities
Seguin has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc (SCI):[30]
- Millicent, South Australia, Australia
- Vechta, Lower Saxony, Germany
- San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico
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.
- ^ a b "Seguin, Texas" Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ Famous Trees of Texas TAMU
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ Ranger James W. Nichols Journal 1843
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ http://www.texas-settlement.org/markers/guadalupe/22.html
- ^ http://www.texas-settlement.org/markers/guadalupe/38.html
- ^ http://www.texas-settlement.org/markers/guadalupe/40.html
- ^ Wolff, Linda. Indianola and Matagorda Island 1837-1887. Eakin Press, Austin, Texas, 1999.
- ^ http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/sebastopol/
- ^ Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- ^ Wilson Pottery Foundation
- ^ Texas Transportation Museum
- ^ Texas Lutheran University Website
- ^ Texas Agricultural Education and Heritage Center
- ^ Center for Community and Economic Development
- ^ Seguin.net
- ^ Windle, Janice Woods. True Women. ISBN 0804113084 Ivy Books, 1994
- ^ Yahoo TV
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Contact Us." Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. Accessed August 31, 2008.
- ^ "Parole Division Region IV." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on May 21, 2010.
- ^ "Post Office™ Location - SEGUIN." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 21, 2010.
- ^ "Post Office™ Location - SEGUIN ANNEX." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 21, 2010.
- ^ "Sister Cities International: Online Directory: Texas, USA". http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/usa/TX. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
External links
| Texas portal |
- Guadalupe County Apprisal District
- Official website of the City of Seguin
- Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce
- Texas Lutheran University
- Wilson Historical Foundation
- Newspapers and Publications:
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Categories: Cities in Texas | Guadalupe County, Texas | County seats in Texas | Populated places established in 1838 | Texas communities with Hispanic majority populations | San Antonio metropolitan area | Guadalupe River (Texas)
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