Clarendon, Texas

Clarendon, Texas
City
Clarendon welcome sign on U.S. Highway 287
Clarendon welcome sign on U.S. Highway 287
Location of Clarendon, Texas
Location of Clarendon, Texas
Coordinates: 34°56′12″N 100°53′28″W / 34.93667°N 100.89111°W / 34.93667; -100.89111
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyDonley
Area
[1]
 • Total3.01 sq mi (7.79 km2)
 • Land2.90 sq mi (7.52 km2)
 • Water0.10 sq mi (0.27 km2)
Elevation
[2]
2,743 ft (836 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,877
 • Density620/sq mi (240/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code
79226
Area code806
FIPS code48-15112[3]
GNIS feature ID2409467[2]
Having been closed in 1984, the Sandell Drive-in theater reopened in August 2002.
Map of the city in 1890
The grain elevator in Clarendon
The streets of Clarendon

Clarendon is a city in Donley County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,877 at the 2020 census.[4] The county seat of Donley County,[5] Clarendon is located on U.S. Highway 287 in the Texas Panhandle, 60 miles (97 km) east of Amarillo.

History

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Clarendon, established in 1878, was one of the three original Panhandle settlements, the other two being Mobeetie and Tascosa. Clarendon was relocated after its original location was bypassed by the Fort Worth and Denver Railway.[6]

The town founder was a Methodist clergyman, L.H. Carhart, who envisioned a "sobriety settlement" in contrast to typical boomtowns of that era. Clarendon acquired the sobriquet "Saints Roost" from local cowboys, hence the unusual name of the Clarendon museum, the Saints' Roost Museum.[7]

The town was hit by two tornadoes simultaneously on March 13, 2021. The first tornado caused minor damage west of town before strengthening and causing EF2 damage on the north side of town. The other tornado damaged several homes and sheds in the town at EF0 strength.[8][9]

Geography

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Clarendon is located southwest of the center of Donley County. U.S. Highway 287 passes through the city, leading west 60 miles (97 km) to Amarillo and southeast 57 miles (92 km) to Childress. Texas State Highway 70 leads north 17 miles (27 km) to Interstate 40 and south 42 miles (68 km) to Turkey.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2), of which 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 3.49%, is covered by water.[10]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1890949—
19101,946—
19202,45626.2%
19302,75612.2%
19402,431−11.8%
19502,5776.0%
19602,172−15.7%
19701,974−9.1%
19802,22012.5%
19902,067−6.9%
20001,974−4.5%
20102,0262.6%
20201,877−7.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

2020 census

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Clarendon racial composition[4]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[a]
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 1,381 73.57%
Black or African American (NH) 160 8.52%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 14 0.75%
Asian (NH) 8 0.43%
Pacific Islander (NH) 1 0.05%
Some Other Race (NH) 4 0.21%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 86 4.58%
Hispanic or Latino 223 11.88%
Total 1,877

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,877 people, 705 households, and 404 families residing in the city.

2000 census

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As of the census[3] of 2000, 1,974 people, 768 households, and 489 families resided in the city. The population density was 679 people per sq mi (262/km2). The 929 housing units averaged of 320 per sq mi (123/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.49% White, 7.19% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 2.99% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.23% of the population.

Of the 768 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were not families. About 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city, the age distribution was 23.5% under 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,824, and for a family was $37,083. Males had a median income of $25,486 versus $18,882 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,436. About 11.2% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 19.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

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Clarendon is served by the Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District. The school colors are maroon, white, and black.[13] The school mascot is the Bronco.

Clarendon is home to Clarendon College (established 1898), the oldest center of higher education in the Texas Panhandle. It was originally affiliated with the Methodist Church. The college is located off Highway 287 in north Clarendon. The mascot is the bulldog. The colors are green and white.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Clarendon, Texas
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ a b "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  6. ^ Lester Fields Sheffy, The Life and Times of Timothy Dwight Hobart, 1855-1935: Colonization of West Texas (Canyon, Texas: Panhandle-Plains Historical Society, 1950), p. 156
  7. ^ "Texas-on-line.com". Texas-on-line.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  8. ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". apps.dat.noaa.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  9. ^ NWS Damage Survey for 3/13/21 Tornado Event Update #3 (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021 – via National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Amarillo, Texas.
  10. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Clarendon city, Texas". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  11. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  13. ^ Website. http://www.clarendon.k12.tx.us Archived November 21, 2002, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "Clarendon College". Clarendoncollege.edu. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  1. ^ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[12]
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