Gainesville, Texas

History

Founded in 1850, the city of Gainesville was established on a 40-acre (16 ha) tract of land donated by Mary E. Clark. City residents called their new community "Liberty", which proved short-lived, as a Liberty, Texas, already existed. It was suggested by one of the original settlers of Cooke County, Colonel William Fitzhugh, that the town be named after General Edmund Pendleton Gaines. Gaines, a United States general under whom Fitzhugh had served, had been sympathetic with the Texas Revolution.

The first hint of prosperity arrived with the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach in September 1858, bringing freight, passengers, and mail. During the Civil War, the Great Hanging at Gainesville, a controversial trial and hanging of 40 suspected Union loyalists, brought the new town to the attention of the state and came close to ripping the county apart. In the decade after the Civil War, Gainesville had its first period of extended growth, catalyzed by the expansion of the cattle industry in Texas. Gainesville, only 7 miles (11 km) from the Oklahoma border, became a supply point for cowboys driving herds north to Kansas. The merchants of Gainesville reaped considerable benefits from the passing cattle drives.

Within 20 years, the population increased from a few hundred to more than 2,000. Gainesville was incorporated on February 17, 1873, and by 1890 was established as a commercial and shipping point for area ranchers and farmers. In the late 1870s two factors drastically altered the historic landscape of North Central Texas. The first of these was barbed wire. In 1875, Henry B. Sanborn, a regional sales agent for Joseph Glidden's Bar Fence Company of DeKalb, Illinois, traveled to Texas. That autumn, he chose Gainesville as one of his initial distribution points for the newly invented barbed wire which his employer had patented the previous year. On his first visit to Gainesville, he sold ten reels of the wire to the Cleaves and Fletcher hardware store—the first spools of barbed wire ever sold in Texas.

World War II had an enormous impact on Cooke County. Camp Howze, an army infantry training camp, was established on some of the best farmland in the county. The construction of the camp helped bring Cooke County out of the Great Depression by providing jobs. The county population doubled and the area boomed. In the last several years, tourism has brought renewed prosperity to the area. The return of Amtrak on June 14, 1999, brought Gainesville back full circle to one of the original sources of its growth and success. In the early 1990s, Gainesville had 600 businesses and a population of 14,587. In 2000, the population was 15,538, with the population after the 2010 Census being just over 16,000 people.

Courthouse

Gainesville is home to a courthouse with an octagonal rotunda topped by stained glass, erected in 1910. "The 1912 Cooke County Courthouse was designed by the Dallas firm of Lang & Witchell. The courthouse was designed in the Beaux Arts style with some Prairie Style features and influences from famed Chicago architect Louis Sullivan. The courthouse in the center of Gainesville features black and white marbled interiors and a tall central atrium capped by a stained glass skylight under the tower." The courthouse is undergoing a major renovation project, resulting in the move of many county offices to surrounding buildings; thus allowing for construction to take place.

Camp Howze, World War II

Gainesville was once home to Camp Howze, one of the largest infantry replacement training centers during World War II. Only a few remnants of the camp continue to exist, but are now located on private property.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 15,538 people, 5,969 households, and 4,005 families residing in the city. The population density was 914.1 people per square mile (352.9/km²). There were 6,423 housing units at an average density of 377.9 per square mile (145.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.77% White, 6.00% African American, 1.33% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 9.09% from other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.47% of the population.

There were 5,969 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city, the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,571, and the median income for a family was $37,137. Males had a median income of $30,480 versus $21,459 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,154. About 17.0% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Gainesville ISD

The city is served by the Gainesville Independent School District. The district consists of the following campuses:

The high school boasts various championships won from athletic and academic competitions. The GHS Varsity Basketball team won the 3A-Division I State Championship in 2002, and the Varsity Football team won the 3A-Division I State Championship in 2003. One notable member of the 2003 championship football team was Darcel McBath, who was recruited by and played for the Texas Tech University Red Raiders and drafted in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. Another player that went on to play for the NFL is Kevin Mathis, who played first for the Dallas Cowboys, then for the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. The high school has also been historically competitive in UIL (University Interscholastic League) academic competition; boasting numerous district, regional, and state championships in many categories. Furthermore, Gainesville High School boasts a 15.3 student to teacher ratio.

Higher education

North Central Texas College, a five-campus community college system, is headquartered in Gainesville, with the main campus being located on the west side of town. The college serves the North Texas area, with locations in Gainesville, Bowie, Corinth, Graham, and Flower Mound. Satellite locations exist at Northwest High School, Little Elm High School, and Graham Education & Workforce Center. NCTC began as Gainesville Junior College in 1924, and because of this it has the distinction of being the oldest continuously operated community college in the state of Texas. In the past several years, NCTC has come to be noted for their ever-growing health science program. They offer help such as writing and math labs, tutoring centers for people to get more out of their education. Some of the degrees of study offered include Certified Nursing Assistant, Associate degree Nursing (LVN), Registered Nurse, Emergency Medical Technician, and Radiology Technician programs. As well as non-credited classes that could be very useful in the future such as pottery, and cake decorating if that is something you enjoy.

NCTC Lion/Lady Lion Athletics, which consists of baseball, softball, volleyball, and women's tennis, competes as part of the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association). The NCTC Lion baseball team won the 2001 NJCAA National Championship.

Economy

Gainesville is the headquarters of Zodiac Seats U.S. Established as Weber Aircraft, LLC in 1968, it became a division of Groupe Zodiac Aerospace based in Plaisir, France. "ZSUS" is now the largest manufacturer of airline seats in the world as well as the holder of several notable patents for products created by its employees. With almost 2,000 employees (as of 2016), ZSUS is the largest single employer located within Gainesville/Cooke County.

Though gambling is not legal in Texas, Gainesville is commonly associated by visitors/tourists with the pastime due to its close proximity to WinStar World Casino. The casino, located less than 10 miles (16 km) north of Gainesville across the Red River in Thackerville, Oklahoma, has experienced exponential growth over the last decade and is now considered the largest casino in the world by total area. At over a mile long from end to end, the casino contains two hotel towers, a Global Events Center used for concerts and other events, and an 18-hole golf course. Until the construction of the Winstar World Casino Resort and Hotel, casino visitors typically stayed in Gainesville-area hotels. The casino has played host to numerous events over the years, and because of the soon to be constructed convention center, is expected to be the site for a yet to be announced Built Ford Tough Series competition of Professional Bull Riders (PBR). The convention center and/or the Winstar Global Events Center will also host World Series of Poker tournaments in the coming years.

Gainesville is home to a large outlet mall (the Gainesville Factory Shops) which used to attract visitors from north Texas as well as southern Oklahoma. Constructed in the mid 1990s as a "destination" shopping mall, it has since become a distressed mall, with very few stores remaining.

Geography

Gainesville is located slightly east of the center of Cooke County at 33°37′49″N 97°8′25″W (33.630360, -97.140323). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.0 square miles (49.3 km²), of which 19.0 square miles (49.2 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²), or 0.15%, is water.

The town is located at the interchange of two major thoroughfares: U.S. Route 82 going east/west overpassing Interstate 35 (north/south). It is an exurb of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, 71 miles (114 km) north of the center of Dallas and 65 miles (105 km) north of the center of Fort Worth. It is also a part of the Texoma region. Nearby towns and cities include:

Weather and climate

Gainesville usually enjoys sunny weather similar to the rest of Texas with the exception of a few natural disasters.

On June 18, 2007, thunderstorms moved through Gainesville, resulting in intense flooding. Over 7 inches (180 mm) fell in Gainesville and nearby Sherman. On June 20 around 5:00 a.m., straight lines winds hit and Wichita Falls had winds up to 94 mph (151 km/h). Much of the center of the town was flooded and several people died.

Government and infrastructure

The Texas Youth Commission operates the Gainesville State School in an unincorporated area east of Gainesville.

Parks, recreation, and tourism

Gainesville has a zoo, a historic train station, and a 45-acre (180,000 m²) fully integrated soccer complex. It has miniature ¼-size replica steam engine passenger train which was disassembled from its former location and then reassembled in Leonard Park for viable transportation for up to 50 passengers for tours around the Park. Leonard Parks' wooden playground was expanded in 1999 and is located near the entrance to the Frank Buck Zoo. Gainesville hosts year-round adult softball for both men's league and coed league, a couple of seasons of sand volleyball, and a season of indoor basketball.

City parks include:

Annual events

Notable people

Health system

Gainesville is served by a tax-funded public hospital district which operates North Texas Medical Center, formerly known as Gainesville Memorial Hospital.

Newspapers

Radio

Television

Rail

Gainesville has a historic rail depot. It is served by Amtrak's Heartland Flyer, which operates daily in both directions between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth.

Airport

Gainesville is served by the Gainesville Municipal Airport, a publicly owned and supported airport that was established following the transfer of the Camp Howze Army Airfield to the City of Gainesville. This followed the closing of Camp Howze in the mid to late 1940s. A general use airport, it also serves as the site of an annual balloon festival put on by the North Texas Medical Center Foundation.

Roads and highways

Major highways are

Parts of Interstate 35 through Gainesville do not contain any frontage roads. Frontage roads approaching the U.S. 82 overpass were not added until 2013. During this time, the overpass was expanded to make room for U-turn lanes.