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Waxahachie, Texas

Coordinates:32°23′59″N96°50′50″W/ 32.39972°N 96.84722°W/32.39972; -96.84722
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Waxahachie" redirects here. For theNatick-class large harbor tug, seeWaxahachie (YTB-814).
Not to be confused withWaxahatchee.

Waxahachie, Texas
City
The Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie
TheEllis County Courthousein Waxahachie
Nickname:
TheCrape MyrtleCapital of Texas[1]
Location of Waxahachie, Texas
Location of Waxahachie, Texas
Coordinates:32°23′59″N96°50′50″W/ 32.39972°N 96.84722°W/32.39972; -96.84722
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyEllis
Founded1850
Government
• TypeCouncil-manager
•City CouncilMayorBillie Wallace
Mayor Pro TemChris Wright
Patrick Souter
Travis Smith
Tres Atkins[2]
•City ManagerMichael Scott
Area
[3]
• Total50.73 sq mi (131.40 km2)
• Land49.50 sq mi (128.21 km2)
• Water1.23 sq mi (3.19 km2)
Elevation
558 ft (170 m)
Population
(2020)
• Total41,140
• Estimate
(2021)[4]
43,368
• Density767.43/sq mi (296.31/km2)
DemonymWaxahachian[5]
Time zoneUTC−6(Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)UTC−5(CDT)
ZIP Codes
75165, 75167, 75168
Area code(s)214, 469, 945, 972
FIPS code48-76816[6]
GNISfeature ID1349560[7]
Websitewww.waxahachie.com

Waxahachie(/ˌwɒksəˈhætʃi/WOK-sa-HATCH-ee) is thecounty seatofEllis County, Texas,United States. Its population was 41,140 in 2020.[8]The city was founded in 1850, and incorporated in 1871. Much of the employment is provided by a number of industries and by educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools, a community college and a private university. In the mid-1980s, the city became a filming location for a number of movies and occasional episodes of television series.

Etymology

[edit]
Waxahachie welcome sign

Some sources state that the name means "cow" or "buffalo" in an unspecifiedNative Americanlanguage.[9]One possible Native American origin is theAlabama language,originally spoken in the area of Alabama around Waxahatchee Creek by theAlabama-Coushattapeople, who had migrated by the 1850s to eastern Texas. In the Alabama language,waakasi hachimeans "calf's tail" (the Alabama wordwaakabeing a loan from Spanishvaca).[10]

A Waxahatchee Creek near present-dayShelby, Alabama,suggests that Waxahachie shares the same name etymology. Many place names in Texas and Oklahoma have their origins in the Southeastern United States, largely due to forced removal of various southeastern Indian tribes. The area in central Alabama that includes Waxahatchee Creek was for hundreds of years the home of the Upper Creek moiety of theMuscogeeCreek Nation. Again, this would suggest a Muscogee Creek-language origin of Waxahachie. "Waxahachie", therefore, may be an anglicized pronunciation of the Muscogee compound wordwakvhvcefrom the Muscogee wordswakv(meaning "cow" derived from the Spanishvaca) and the Muscogee wordhvcce(meaning "river" or "creek" ).[11]

History

[edit]
Aerial view of Waxahachie, looking north,c. 1908
TheUnited Daughters of the ConfederacyMonument was unveiled in 1912 at the Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie.
The Texas Theater, across from the courthouse, hosts community events in Waxahachie.
The historic Rogers Hotel, adjacent to the Ellis County courthouse in downtown Waxahachie.
Waxahachie City Hall

Waxahachie was founded in August 1850 as the seat of the newly established Ellis County on a tract of land donated by early settler Emory W. Rogers, a native ofLawrence County, Alabama,who migrated to Texas in 1839.[9][12]It was incorporated on April 28, 1871, and in 1875, the state legislature granted investors the right to operate a rail line fromWaxahachie Tap RailroadtoGarrett, Texas,which greatly increased the population of Waxahachie.[9]

From 1902 to 1942, Waxahachie was the second home ofTrinity University,which was a Presbyterian-affiliated institution founded in 1869. Then-Trinity's main administration and classroom building is today the Farmer Administration Building ofSouthwestern Assemblies of God University.Trinity's present-day location isSan Antonio.

The town is the namesake of the formerUnited States Naval ShipWaxahachie(YTB-814).

In 1988, the area around Waxahachie was chosen as the site for theSuperconducting Super Collider,which was to be the world's largest and most energeticparticle accelerator,with a planned ring circumference of 54.1 miles (87.1 km). Seventeen shafts were sunk and 14.6 miles (23.5 km) of tunnel were bored[13]before the project was cancelled by Congress in 1993.

In 2020, County Judge Todd Little came into the national spotlight when the county's only elected African American, Constable Curtis Polk, Jr., protested having his office located in the basement of the courthouse next to a segregation-era sign that read "Negroes".[14][15][16]The controversy was resolved amicably when Little worked with Polk to relocate him to another office.

Geography

[edit]

Climate

[edit]

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen climate classification,Waxahachie has ahumid subtropical climate,Cfaon climate maps.[17]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18801,354—
18903,076127.2%
19004,21537.0%
19106,20547.2%
19207,95828.3%
19308,0421.1%
19408,6557.6%
195011,20429.5%
196012,74913.8%
197013,4525.5%
198014,6248.7%
199018,16824.2%
200021,42617.9%
201029,62138.2%
202041,14038.9%
2021 (est.)43,368[18]5.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[19]
Waxahachie racial composition as of 2020[8]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[a]
Race Number Percentage
White(NH) 22,174 53.9%
Black or African American(NH) 5,861 14.25%
Native AmericanorAlaska Native(NH) 153 0.37%
Asian(NH) 353 0.86%
Pacific Islander(NH) 52 0.13%
Some Other Race (NH) 314 0.76%
Multiracial(NH) 1,558 3.79%
Hispanic or Latino 10,675 25.95%
Total 41,140

As of the2020 United States census,41,140 people, 12,522 households, and 9,073 families resided in the city.

Economy

[edit]

Employment opportunities in the city are highly oriented toward industry.Owens Corning,Georgia-Pacific,International Paper,James Hardie Industries,Berry Global,Americase, Cardinal Glass, Magnablend, andDart Containerare located within a few miles of each other. Nonindustrial employers include Baylor Scott & White Health, Waxahachie Independent School District, Walgreen Distribution Center, Walmart, HEB Grocery, Navarro College, and Southwestern Assemblies of God University.[21]

Arts and culture

[edit]

Annual cultural events

[edit]

TheScarborough Renaissance Festival(also called Scarborough Faire), aRenaissance fairtheme park,is located southwest of the town. It opens annually during April and May, and has been in operation since 1981.[22]The city's annual Gingerbread Trail Festival features tours of many of theGingerbread homes.[23]

Bethlehem Revisited, a re-enactment of the birth ofJesus,occurs behind Central Presbyterian Church in early December.[24]

TheTexas Country ReporterFestival (hosted by Bob Phillips) features artists, craftsmen, music, and food from all over the Lone Star State – much of it featured on the TV show over the years.[25]

Tourism

[edit]

Waxahachie is locally known for its elaborateRichardsonian Romanesquecourthouse.[26]The town also features many examples ofVictorian architectureand Gingerbread-style homes, several of which have been converted intobed and breakfastinns. The Ellis County Art Association hosts ART on the Square (Cultural Attractions- Events and Facilities; 113 West Franklin Street).

Waxahachie "Gingerbread City" sign

Parks and recreation

[edit]

Parks in Waxahachie include Spring Park, Getzendaner Memorial Park, Richards Park, Chapman Park, and Brown-Singleton Park.[27]Getzendaner Park features the historicChautauqua Auditorium,built in 1902.Lake Waxahachiefeatures a range of camping and fishing areas.[28]

Government

[edit]

The city of Waxahachie is a voluntary member of theNorth Central Texas Council of Governmentsassociation, the purpose of which is to coordinate individual and collective local governments and facilitate regional solutions, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and enable joint decisions.

State government

[edit]

Waxahachie is represented in theTexas Senateby RepublicanBrian Birdwell,District 22, and in theTexas House of Representativesby Republican Brian Harrison, District 10.

TheTexas Department of Criminal Justiceoperates the Waxahachie District Parole Office in Sherman.[29]

Federal government

[edit]

At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are RepublicansJohn CornynandTed Cruz;since 2003, Waxahachie has been part ofTexas's 6th congressional district,which is currently represented by RepublicanJake Ellzey.

TheUnited States Postal Serviceoperates the Waxahachie Post Office.[30]

Education

[edit]

Primary and secondary

[edit]

Waxahachie is served by theWaxahachie Independent School District(WISD), which currently has eight elementary campuses, three middle-school campuses, and two high schools. WISD aims to offer all of its students a well-rounded education and offers advanced-placement and dual-credit courses, and varied career and technology courses.

Waxahachie High School,classified as 6A, offers a range of extracurricular activities to its students, including football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball, golf, tennis, concert and marching band, drama, choir, drill team, and dozens of academic teams and clubs. The football program made the playoffs every year from 1989 to 2010.[citation needed]Waxahachie Global High School,an ECHS T-STEM school emphasizing instruction in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in a small-learning-community environment, opened on August 27, 2007.

In addition to the district schools,Life School,a public charter-school system, operates a 7–12 grade campus.[31]On April 15, 2014, Life School broke ground on a new high school in Waxahachie, planned to accommodate about 1,000 9th–12th graders.[32]

Private schools

[edit]

The several private schools include Waxahachie Preparatory Academy (K-12), First Christian Day School (through 8th grade),[33]and St. Joseph Catholic School (through 8th grade).[citation needed]

Colleges and universities

[edit]

Two postsecondary educational institutions have campuses in the city of Waxahachie:Navarro College,acommunity collegebased inCorsicana, Texas,andNelson University,a private, four-year university affiliated with theAssemblies of God,which offers accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees.

  • Nelson University in Waxahachie
    Nelson University in Waxahachie
  • Second Trinity University Campus 1
    The Farmer Administration Building on the campus of Nelson University. The building was formerly home to Trinity University.

Media

[edit]
The formerWaxahachie Daily Lightnewspaper office at 200 West Marvin Avenue. The newspaper relocated its office in 2020, and the building now houses the Ellis County offices ofKeller Williams Realty.[34]

The first newspaper in Waxahachie, the now-defunctWaxahachie Argus,was established in 1870.[9]TheWaxahachie Daily Lighthas served the town since 1891.[35]Additionally, 47 radio stations are within close listening range of Waxahachie.[36]KBECradio has served the community and surrounding area since 1955.[37]

[edit]
  • Downtown Waxahachie, at the intersection of Rogers and West Franklin Streets
    Downtown Waxahachie, at the intersection of Rogers and West Franklin Streets
  • West Franklin Street between South College and Rogers Streets, downtown Waxahachie
    West Franklin Street between South College and Rogers Streets, downtown Waxahachie

Infrastructure

[edit]

Health care

[edit]

Both Altus Emergency Center and Baylor Scott & White Health at Waxahachie provide emergency services locally, as does Ennis Regional Medical Center, about 14 miles away in Ennis.[27]Between 2003 and 2010, Waxahachie's healthcare industry added 555 jobs, making it the city's fourth-largest employment sector.[38]

Transportation

[edit]
  • Interstate 35Eis a major north-south freeway serving as a bypass around the west side of Waxahachie. The freeway connects withRed Oak,DeSoto/Lancaster,andDallasto the north;Italy,Hillsboro,andWacoto the south.
  • U.S. Route 287,also a freeway, runs in a northwest-southeast direction through the north side of the city. The freeway connects withMidlothian,Mansfield,andFort Worthto the west and Ennis to the east.
  • U.S. Route 77,a north-south highway, serves as the main thoroughfare through the city, passing through downtown and the north side of the city. The highway parallels Interstate 35 and reconnects with the interstate just outside the city limits. Many of the city's commercial developments line Highway 77.

Notable people

[edit]
[edit]

In the mid-1980s, Waxahachie became a filming location for the movie industry.

The majority ofTender Mercies,a 1983 film about acountry western singer,was filmed in Waxahachie. DirectorBruce Beresforddeliberately avoided the city's picturesque elements and Victorian architecture, and instead filmed more rural locations that more closely resembled theWest Texasarea. The Texas town portrayed inTender Merciesis never specifically identified.Tender MerciesstarredRobert Duvall,who won the 1983 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film.

The 1984 filmPlaces in the HeartstarringSally Fieldwas also filmed in Waxahachie. UnlikeTender Mercies,it was filmed deliberately in the town square and used theVictorianandplantationhomes still intact in the area. Field won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1985 for her role in the film.

The 1985 filmThe Trip to BountifulstarringGeraldine Pagewas also filmed in Waxahachie. Page won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1986 for her role inBountiful.

Other movies made in or around Waxahachie are:

  • 1918,directed by Ken Harrison, tells of the severe influenza outbreak after soldiers returned from World War I. Local talent in the film includes L.T. Felty, a former high-school principal and local actor, who was cast as the mayor.
  • On Valentine's Day,also directed by Ken Harrison, is the central film in Horton Foote's semiautobiographical trilogy that also includesCourtshipand1918.It is a nearly verbatim retelling of his stage play and the sets and costumes.
  • Missionary ManstarsDolph Lundgrenand was filmed in downtown Waxahachie around the Rogers Hotel.
  • The Curse of Inferno,starringPauly ShoreandJanine Turner

Additionally, the long-running television seriesWalker, Texas Ranger,starringChuck Norris,was filmed in Waxahachie on occasion. Some scenes inPrison Breakwere filmed in Waxahachie. Scenes fromBonnie and Clyde(1967) were also shot here.[52]

In 2018, an animated short film fromCrypt TVtitledDark Vesselfeatured the town as its 1977-based setting.[53]

In 2021,Miranda Lambert,Jon RandallandJack Ingramreleased a song named for the city on their acoustic albumThe Marfa Tapes.It was later recorded again with full production for inclusion on Lambert's solo albumPalominoin 2022.[54]

Sister cities

[edit]

SabinasinCoahuila, Mexico,has been proposed as Waxahachie'ssister city.Sabinas is located about 70 miles (110 km) south ofEagle Pass, Texas.[55]

Notes

[edit]
  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.[20]

References

[edit]
  1. ^Crape Myrtle capital,chieftain.com. Accessed December 21, 2022.
  2. ^"Welcome to Waxahachie, TX".waxahachie.com.RetrievedApril 13,2022.
  3. ^"2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.
  4. ^"Population and Housing Unit Estimates".United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020.RetrievedMay 27,2020.
  5. ^Popik, Barry (December 31, 2011)."Waxahachian (inhabitant of Waxahachie)".Texas Lone Star Dictioanry.RetrievedSeptember 21,2022.
  6. ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
  7. ^"US Board on Geographic Names".United States Geological Survey.October 25, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
  8. ^ab"Explore Census Data".data.census.gov.RetrievedMay 22,2022.
  9. ^abcdFelty, Margaret L."Waxahachie".Handbook of Texas.Texas State Historical Association.RetrievedJune 5,2014.
  10. ^"On-line Alabama-English Dictionary".unt.edu.Archived fromthe originalon April 14, 2012.RetrievedJune 23,2013.
  11. ^Many place names in the Southern U.S. end with "hatchee" or "hachie" such as, famously, "Tallahatchie Bridge".Whether" hatchee "or" hatchie ", these names oftentimes derive from either the Muscogee wordhvce(tail) orhvcce(a river or a stream). For example,'Tvlvhvcce(English "Tallahatchie" ) may be interpreted as "River City" from'Tvlv(city or town) andhvcce(river or stream).
  12. ^"Our History".City of Waxahachie, Texas.RetrievedJune 5,2014.
  13. ^Staff, Wire services (December 29, 2009)."Q & A: Texas supercollider project scrapped".tampabay.com.St. Petersburg Times.Archived fromthe originalon January 3, 2010.RetrievedJuly 11,2010.
  14. ^Branham, Dana (November 17, 2020)."Ellis County moves Black constable's office near segregation-era 'negroes' sign".Dallas Morning News.
  15. ^"Black Texas official speaks out against old 'Negroes' sign".Associated Press.November 20, 2020.RetrievedApril 13,2022.
  16. ^Spearman, Kahron (November 20, 2020)."Video: Black constable moved to courthouse basement with Jim Crow 'Negroes' sign".Daily Dot.RetrievedApril 13,2022.
  17. ^"Waxahachie, Texas Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)".Weatherbase.
  18. ^"QuickFacts: Waxahachie city, Texas".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedAugust 8,2022.
  19. ^"Census of Population and Housing".Census.gov.RetrievedJune 4,2015.
  20. ^"About the Hispanic Population and its Origin".www.census.gov.RetrievedMay 18,2022.
  21. ^"Top Employers - Waxahachie Economic Development".www.crossroadsoftx.com.
  22. ^"Scarborough Renaissance Festival".Scarborough Renaissance Festival.RetrievedJune 5,2014.
  23. ^"Annual Gingerbread Trail Tour of Homes".Waxahachie Downtown.RetrievedJune 5,2014.
  24. ^"www.waxahachiecvb.com/events/event-category-1".RetrievedNovember 30,2016.
  25. ^"Festival | Texas Country Reporter".texascountryreporter.com.RetrievedNovember 30,2016.
  26. ^"Unrequited Love Carvings, Waxahachie, Texas".RoadsideAmerica.com.Archived fromthe originalon July 3, 2008.
  27. ^ab"Waxahachie, Texas".2013 Onboard Informatics.RetrievedJune 4,2014.
  28. ^"Fishing Lake Waxahachie".tpwd.texas.gov.RetrievedApril 20,2024.
  29. ^"Parole Division Region IIArchived2011-08-20 at theWayback Machine."Texas Department of Criminal Justice.Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
  30. ^"Post Office Location - WAXAHACHIE."United States Postal Service.Retrieved on May 16, 2010.
  31. ^"Contact UsArchived2011-09-03 at theWayback Machine."Life School.Retrieved on September 2, 2011. "950 South I-35E Lancaster, TX 75146"
  32. ^"Life School Breaks Ground on New High School in Waxahachie".www.lifeschools.net.
  33. ^"About".First Christian Day School about us page.RetrievedMay 24,2024.
  34. ^Staff Writer."Daily Light to move downtown".Austin American-Statesman.RetrievedJanuary 22,2023.
  35. ^"WHS Student Traces Origin of Waxahachie Daily Light - Newspapers.com".Newspapers.com.RetrievedJuly 19,2018.
  36. ^"Radio-Locator.com".radio-locator.com.
  37. ^"DFWRETROPLEX.COM - History of Radio in Dallas - Fort Worth, Texas - AM".www.dfwretroplex.com.RetrievedJanuary 22,2023.
  38. ^"Economic Development Strategic Plan 2012,"http://www.crossroadsoftx.com/ArchivedJanuary 17, 2015, at theWayback Machine
  39. ^"Robert Benton".2014 Encyclopædia Britannica.RetrievedJune 4,2014.
  40. ^abcdefg"Waxahachie, Texas".City-Data.com.RetrievedJune 5,2014.
  41. ^Hartman, Gary (2008).The History of Texas Music.Texas A&M University Press, 2008. p. 98.ISBN9781603443944.RetrievedJune 4,2014.
  42. ^"Press Releases".BessieColeman.com.RetrievedAugust 28,2022.
  43. ^Willard, Frances Elizabeth; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice (1893).A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred-seventy Biographical Sketches Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women in All Walks of Life.Moulton. pp.227–28.
  44. ^"Frederic Forrest".2014 Microsoft.RetrievedJune 4,2014.[permanent dead link]
  45. ^Winegarten, Ruthe (July 22, 2010).Black Texas Women: 150 Years of Trial and Triumph.University of Texas Press.ISBN9780292786653.
  46. ^"Bill Ham".2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC.RetrievedJune 4,2014.
  47. ^"Why Dale Hansen loves Waxahachie".wfaa.com. February 18, 2016.RetrievedApril 13,2022.
  48. ^Goldstein, Richard (September 26, 2006)."Byron Nelson".The New York Times.RetrievedJune 4,2014.
  49. ^"Jim Pitts Campaign Website".jimpitts.net. Archived fromthe originalon October 26, 2015.RetrievedSeptember 16,2015.
  50. ^"Paul Richards".2000-2014 Sports Reference LLC.RetrievedJune 4,2014.
  51. ^"About John Wray".wrayfortexas.com.RetrievedSeptember 16,2015.
  52. ^Barth, Jack (1991).Roadside Hollywood: The Movie Lover's State-By-State Guide to Film Locations, Celebrity Hangouts, Celluloid Tourist Attractions, and More.Contemporary Books. Page 63.ISBN9780809243266.
  53. ^Archived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:"Dark Vessel | Short Animated Film | Crypt TV".YouTube.April 26, 2018.
  54. ^Hudak, Joseph (March 10, 2022)."Miranda Lambert Covers Mick Jagger, Sings With the B-52's on New Album 'Palomino'".Rolling Stone.RetrievedMarch 12,2022.
  55. ^"Waxahachie, Texas".Daily Light. Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedJune 5,2014.
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