Weatherford, Texas

Geography

Weatherford is located 25 miles (40 km) west of Fort Worth on Interstate 20. It is the county seat for Parker County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.7 square miles (59 km²) of which 20.9 square miles (54 km²) of it is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it (7.86%) is water.

Demographics

The 2008 census for the population of the City of Weatherford, Texas is 26,686 with a population density of 1,175.59 people per square mile. The population grew by 40.5% from 2000 to 2008. The racial makeup of the city in 2008 is 85.50% White, 10.20% Hispanic, 2.10% Black, 1.30% American Indian, 0.70% Asian, 4.10% other. Weatherford's average household size is 2.5.

The average income per household was $50,924, in the year 2007. The estimated 2007 city capita was $26,380.

According to the 1999 census, 25.0% of the population is under the age of 18, 10.6% is 18 to 24, 26.3% is 25 to 44, 21.8% is 45 to 64, and 16.4% is 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years.

Education

The City of Weatherford is served by the Weatherford Independent School District and Weatherford College.

Weatherford ISD

Weatherford ISD has classes from pre-kindergarten through high school serving 7,200 students throughout 254 square miles (660 km²) at 11 campuses.

Weatherford College

Weatherford College is a 145-year-old community college. There are more than 35 study areas and 19 professional/technical programs. Financial aid packages and scholarships are also available. The College was originally built by Masons and was one of the first in Texas.

Beginnings

In 1855, Parker County was created by the Texas State Legislature and named for pioneer and State Representative Isaac Parker. Parker was the uncle of Cynthia Ann Parker, a little girl who was stolen from her home by Indians during the Texas Revolution. Cynthia Ann lived among the Comanche and became the mother of Chief Quanah Parker. Later, when she was overtaken in flight with an Indian raiding party, Isaac Parker recognized her as his long-lost niece.

The Town of Weatherford was named for the state senator for this district, Thomas Jefferson Weatherford (1811–1867) of Dallas. According to his cousin, Senator Weatherford never set foot in the town.

The first settlers had arrived less than ten years earlier. There were many Native American attacks between the years of 1846 and 1874. Several headstones in Parker County read "Killed by Indians."

The railroad arrived in June 1880. The Santa Fe Depot (which houses the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce) was built in 1908 under Jim Crow laws, with waiting rooms segregated and separated by the ticket office.

In 1895, the town’s still existing daily newspaper, the Weatherford Democrat, began publication. The Weatherford Telegram began publishing as a weekly newspaper in 2006.

Western Heritage

Cattle drover Oliver Loving is buried in Weatherford’s Greenwood Cemetery. After being attacked by Indians in New Mexico in 1867, Loving’s dying wish to his friend, Charles Goodnight, was to be buried at his home, Parker County. Goodnight brought the body back six hundred miles by wagon for burial. The story is the inspiration behind Texas author Larry McMurtry’s novel, Lonesome Dove.

A year earlier, Goodnight had invented the first chuckwagon which catered to cowboys on a cattle drive that would later become known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail.

Bose Ikard, who served with Goodnight and for whom the McMurtry character “Deets” was modeled, was also laid to rest in the Greenwood Cemetery.

Religion

Weatherford lies in a geographic region commonly referred to as the "Bible Belt". As such, it is home to churches of several Christian traditions including Disciples of Christ, Church of Christ, Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Anglican, Episcopal, Mormon and Catholic. There are no worship centers for any other major religions within the city limits. Practitioners of other religions commonly travel to nearby Fort Worth to attend religious services.

Peach Capital of Texas

The city was named by the Texas Legislature as the Peach Capital of Texas due to the peaches produced by area growers. The peach is celebrated each year at the Parker County Peach Festival, which is Weatherford’s largest event and one of the best-attended festivals in Texas.

Cutting Horse Capital of the World

Weatherford is known as the Cutting Horse Capital of the World.

Historic buildings

Weatherford has a number of historic homes and buildings. More than 60 Queen Anne, Victorian, and other architecturally significant homes built at the turn of the 20th century sit along the tree-lined avenues. Several of these homes are open for tours, arranged by the Parker County Heritage Society, during the Christmas season.

Another landmark is the Second Empire style Parker County Courthouse, which is located in the geographical center of the county in downtown Weatherford. The building is surrounded by other buildings which served other purposes at the turn of the 20th century, including saloons and cat-houses. In recent years, both the interior and exterior of the courthouse structure have been restored to its original character and attractiveness.

Notable people

Two state representatives

Parker County has been represented in the Texas State House since 1985 by two Republicans, Richard F. "Ric" Williamson (1952–2007) and Phillip Stephen King. Originally a Democrat, Williamson switched parties and served until 1999, when he was succeeded by King, one of the more conservative members of the legislature. Williamson's old friend and former legislative colleague, Governor Rick Perry, appointed him to the Texas Transportation Commission, of which he became the chairman in 2004. Williamson died of a third heart attack on December 30, 2007. He had been a champion of Perry's controversial Trans-Texas Corridor toll road project.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate System describes the weather as humid subtropical, and uses the abbreviation Cfa.