Taylor, Texas

History

In 1876 the Texas Land Company auctioned lots in anticipation of the arrival of the International-Great Northern Railroad when Taylor was founded that year. The city was named after Edward Moses Taylor, a railroad official, under the name Taylorsville which officially became Taylor in 1892. Immigrants from Moravia and Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) and other Slavic states, as well as from Germany and Austria, helped establish the town. It soon became a busy shipping point for cattle, grain, and cotton.

By 1878 the town had 1,000 residents and thirty-two businesses, twenty-nine of which were destroyed by fire in 1879. Recovery was rapid, however, and more substantial buildings were constructed. In 1882 the Taylor, Bastrop and Houston Railway (later part of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad) reached the community, and machine shops and a roundhouse serviced both rail lines. In 1882 the town was incorporated with a mayor-council form of city government, and in 1883 a public school system replaced a number of private schools.

By 1890 Taylor had two banks and the first savings and loan institution in Texas. An electric company, a cotton compress, and several newspapers were among the new enterprises. A water line from the San Gabriel River, a 100-man volunteer fire department, imported and local entertainment, and an annual fair made noteworthy news items by 1900.

Since 1900, Taylor's population growth has averaged approximately 128 new residents per year, based on an estimated population of 1100 in the year 1900, and the population in 2010 of 15191, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Between the years 2000 and 2010, the population grew 11.9%, from 13575 to 15191, about 1.2% per year.

Geography

Taylor is located at 30°34′21″N 97°25′00″W (30.572371, -97.416546), about 9 miles east of Hutto and 8 miles south of Granger. Taylor is about 29 miles northeast of Austin.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.6 square miles (35.1 km²), of which, 13.5 square miles (35.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.22%) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Taylor has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,191 people and approximately 5,300 households in the city. The population change between 2000 and 2010 was 11.9% (while the overall population change for the State of Texas was 20.6%).

The racial makeup of the city was 71.7% White, 10.2% African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.8% of the population.

7.7% of the population was under 5 years old, 27.5% were under 18 years old, and 11.9% were 65 years old or older.

The percent of high school graduates at age 25+ between the years 2005 and 2009 was 75.9%. The percentage of the population having a bachelor's degree or higher, age 25 or more, between the years of 2005 and 2009 was 17.6%. This is somewhat lower than the 25.4% Statewide average.

The Per-Capita Income of $18,859 was lower than the State average of $24,318, and the Median Household Income of $41,814 was lower than the State average of $48,199. The percentage of persons living at or below the poverty level in 2009 was 15.4%.

Education

In 2011, Taylor Independent School District was quoted as being a Gem by the Texas Education Agency, District XIX, for the improvements made to the curriculum and programming. In addition, Taylor ISD won six Gold Performance Standard awards for academic performance, according to the State of Texas during the 2011 school year. The City of Taylor is home to the Taylor High School Ducks. As of 2011, Taylor Independent School District was ranked 634th of 953 Texas school districts, and Taylor High School is ranked 850th of 1517 Texas public high schools, placing both the school district and the high school in the bottom one-third of Texas schools.

In 2011, the Taylor Independent School District opened a brand-new High School, where each student gets a Mac Book as part of their educational curriculum. The new high school currently accommodates 900 students in the 207,000 sq. foot campus, with a core facility for 1,200 students. Students also utilize a Wi-Fi network, two gyms, a 2nd floor library, and 58 classrooms including a Culinary Arts Academy, a modern welding lab and a band hall.

In the 2011-2012 school year, students from Taylor ISD won their fifth invitation to the World Odyssey of the Mind competitions, and the high school Academic Decathlon team won 2nd place at the state's highest academic competition, the Academic Decathlon. The school district as a whole also merited six achievement awards from Texas Education Agency in 2011-2012.

One of the most progressive education systems in the state is the Legacy Early College High School where students earn an associate degree before graduating high school. The district currently has more than 3,000 students enrolled.

Economy

Taylor's largest employers include the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Durcon Inc., Burrows Cabinets and the T. Don Hutto Residential Center.

The City of Taylor, along with the Taylor Economic Development Corporation (Taylor EDC) and the Taylor Chamber of Commerce, has worked to attract new investment to improve the economic base and economic vitality of the community. Since 2008, nearly 20 companies have expanded or relocated to Taylor, creating nearly 300 new jobs and investing almost $40 million combined.

The community has made capital improvements in facilities and infrastructure to improve the educational offerings and quality of life in the community. Over the last five years, the City Council has made numerous significant investments in capital improvements related to water, wastewater, drainage, and parks & recreations. To address the need for improvements in streets, the city commissioned a study performed by Sledge Engineering which included a comprehensive, GIS-based Pavement Management System for future capital improvements.

One of the largest street redevelopment projects ($16M) is the Second Street / US79-B rehabilitation project in cooperation with Williamson County. The project includes all of Second Street from just inside the loop on the west side all the way east to Main Street.

Media

The local newspaper is the Taylor Daily Press. The 1990 Dennis Hopper film The Hot Spot was filmed on location in Taylor.

Transportation

Notable people

Taylor is also the hometown of Bill Pickett, Tex Avery, K.C. Jones, and birthplace of former Texas governor Dan Moody. Actor Rip Torn graduated from Taylor High School. Greg Ginn of Black Flag relocated SST records to Taylor in 2007