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Kosse, Texas

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Country
  
United States

County
  
Limestone

FIPS code
  
48-39844

Area
  
3.4 km²

Zip code
  
76653

Population
  
464 (2013)

State
  
Texas

Time zone
  
Central (CST) (UTC-6)

GNIS feature ID
  
1360753

Elevation
  
152 m

Local time
  
Friday 12:36 PM

Area code
  
254

Kosse, Texas wwwforttumbleweednetkossekossejpg

Weather
  
21°C, Wind S at 31 km/h, 82% Humidity

Kosse is a town in Limestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 497 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2009 U.S. Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 507.

Contents

Map of Kosse, TX 76653, USA

Kosse calls itself "A Little Town with a Big Heart."

Geography

Kosse is located at 31°18′27″N 96°37′49″W (31.307452, -96.630267). It is situated at the junction of State Highways 7 and 14 in southwestern Limestone County, approximately 16 miles east of Marlin and 17 miles south of Groesbeck. The closest large cities are Waco, 42 miles to the northwest, and Bryan/College Station, 52 miles south of Kosse.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2), all land.

History

Initial settlement of the area dates back to the mid 1840s. Settlers built homes near Duck Creek and ran a stage stop for the Franklin-Springfield and Waco-Marlin stage routes. Following the Civil War, the area was chosen as the destination for the Houston and Texas Central Railway (H&TC). The community that sprang up around the site was named Kosse, after H&TC chief engineer Theodore Kosse. Eutaw, a much larger settlement two miles east of Kosse, began to decline when the railroad bypassed the community in favor of its smaller neighbor. Businesses and residents followed. The post office moved from Eutaw to Kosse in 1870. In 1871, the town of Kosse was chartered and a municipal government was organized. By 1880, the town had a population of 476 and four churches. Five years later, Kosse had multiple cotton gins, two sawmills, and three gristmills. An acre of land was granted for the construction of a public school on October 1, 1884. Kosse became an independent school district in 1893, with J. Thomas Hall as its first superintendent. The district had a total of 225 students. A separate school with 80 students and two teachers served the area's black community. By 1890 there were 647 residents. Kosse was home to 700 residents in 1914. A local Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1921. The Great Depression severely impacted Kosse as businesses closed and people left in search of greater employment opportunities. Declining student enrollment caused the Kosse School Board to vote in favor of consolidation with Groesbeck in 1968. Kosse had eleven businesses in 1989. The 1990 census put the number of inhabitants at 505. That figure had dropped to 497 in 2000.

Near Kosse is the historic Ebenezer Cemetery, established in 1865.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 497 people, 205 households, and 137 families residing in the town. The population density was 381.7 people per square mile (147.6/km²). There were 269 housing units at an average density of 206.6 per square mile (79.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 73.24% White, 18.31% African American, 1.01% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 5.84% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.66% of the population.

There were 205 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town, the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,227, and the median income for a family was $30,781. Males had a median income of $24,167 versus $16,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,868. About 19.6% of families and 25.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.4% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the town of Kosse is provided by the Groesbeck Independent School District.

Notable people

  • Bob Wills - Western swing musician, songwriter and bandleader
  • Kenneth Sims - Former professional football player (New England Patriots; 1982–1989)
  • Kosse Johnson - Former All-American football player (Rice University; 1951-1953)
  • References

    Kosse, Texas Wikipedia