Sweetwater, Texas

Sweetwater is a city in and the county seat of Nolan County, Texas, United States.^[3] The population was 11,415 at the 2000 census.

History

At Sweetwater during World War II, the Women Airforce Service Pilots were trained under the direction of the famed aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran at the former Avenger Field. The airstrip closed abruptly at the end of the war. The women were not recognized for having served in the armed forces until 1977, when U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona and Colonel Bruce Arnold, late son of General Hap Arnold, persisted in obtaining their official recognition as military veterans. In 1970, the field became the site of Texas State Technical College in Sweetwater.^[4]

Parts of Sweetwater were devastated by tornadoes that swept through west Texas in 1986.^{[citation needed]}

Sweetwater is the center of the Western Hemisphere's leading wind power generation region. It is sometimes called the "Wind Turbine Capital of Texas", which does not regulate wind power.^{[citation needed]}

The Sweetwater Jaycees Rattlesnake Round-Up is held annually the second weekend in March.^[5] A similar round-up is held in Freer in Duval County in south Texas.^{[citation needed]}

According to Tom Henderson, a member of the Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors:

"If you're bored here, it's your own fault."^[6]

Geography

Sweetwater is located at 32°28′5″N 100°24′26″W / 32.46806°N 100.40722°W (32.468147, -100.407125)^[7].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.0 square miles (26.0 km²), all of it land.^{[citation needed]}

Sweetwater is the center of the Western Hemisphere's leading wind power generation region and West Texas has more than 4,000 MW of operational wind energy. Nolan County alone would currently rank as the eighth largest "nation" in terms of wind energy generation - with more than 1,500 MW installed. ref>Composite Technology's DeWind Announces Texas Wind Turbine Demonstration Site</ref>

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 11,415 people, 4,545 households, and 3,017 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,139.4 people per square mile (439.9/km²). There were 5,202 housing units at an average density of 519.2/sq mi (200.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.29% White, 5.83% African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 15.71% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.70% of the population.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,293, and the median income for a family was $29,953. Males had a median income of $27,722 versus $18,064 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,065. About 20.5% of families and 23.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.5% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The City of Sweetwater is served by the Sweetwater Independent School District, which includes J.P.Cowen Early Childhood Center, East Ridge Elementary, Southeast Elementary, Sweetwater Intermediate School, Sweetwater Middle School, and Sweetwater High School. For more information about Sweetwater ISD visit the Official SISD website at [1].

Sweetwater is the home of the West Texas campus of the Texas State Technical College System, which added the first community college wind energy program in Texas in 2007. ^[8] Also in 2007, TSTC constructed a demonstration 2 MW 60Hz DeWind D8.2 prototype wind turbine for student training.^[9]

Use in popular culture

In the fictional Harry Potter universe, Sweetwater is the hometown of the professional Quidditch team the Sweetwater All-Stars.^[10]

On the albumn All the Pain Money Can Buy by Fastball, Sweetwater, Texas is name of the last song.^[11]

Notable residents

• Royston Campbell Crane, Sr., Sweetwater attorney who in 1924 proposed the establishment of the West Texas Historical Association and served as its president from 1924-1948.^[12]
• L.W. "Buck" Hatfield, a leader of Independent Baptists in Texas, lived in Sweetwater during the 1950s.^[13]
• Texas Secretary of State and Texas Supreme Court Justice Zollie Coffer Steakley, Jr. practiced law in Sweetwater during the 1930s, and his wife, Leona Ruth Butler, was a Sweetwater native.^[14]
• Tex Robertson, University of Texas Swimming coach was born in Sweetwater.^[15]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
4. ^ Marina Nemir of Sweetwater, "WASP (Women's Airforce Pilots) and the Avenger Field in Sweetwater", West Texas Historical Association, annual meeting, West Texas A&M University at Canyon, April 5, 2008
5. ^ The Sweetwater Jaycees' Annual Rattlesnake RoundUp - Home Page
6. ^ Henderson, Tom (2009). The Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce Home Page. Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved from http://www.sweetwatertexas.org/main.html.
7. ^ "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.
8. ^ Block, Ben (2008-07-24). "In Windy West Texas, An Economic Boom". http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/008271.html. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
9. ^ "DeWind Plans Wind Turbine Demo Site in Sweetwater, Texas". BNET Business Network. 2007-09-06. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5CNK/is_2007_Sept_6/ai_n25011477. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
10. ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. pp. 31•46. ISBN 1551924544.
11. ^ http://www.fastballtheband.com/?page_id=11
12. ^ " Ernest Wallace, "West Texas Historical Association"". tshaonline.org. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/WW/vtw3.html. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
13. ^ L.W. "Buck" Hatfield obituary, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 15 February 1995.
14. ^ Zollie Coffer Steakley,
15. ^ "Biography - Tex Robertson". Texas Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame. http://www.tsdhof.org/bio-Tex%20Robertson.html. Retrieved 25 May 2010.

External links

• The website for Emmanuel Fellowship Church of Sweetwater
• TimeLapse video at YouTube showing construction of a DeWind turbine for Texas State Technical College in Sweetwater

Categories: Nolan County, Texas | Cities in Texas | County seats in Texas | Micropolitan areas of Texas