Dalhart, Texas

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Dalhart, Texas
City
Dalhart Consumers Grain Elevator is tallest building in city.
Dalhart Consumers Grain Elevator is tallest building in city.
Location of Dalhart, Texas
Location of Dalhart, Texas
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountiesDallam, Hartley
Area
 • Total4.3 sq mi (11.1 km2)
 • Land4.3 sq mi (11.1 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
3,983 ft (1,214 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total7,237
 • Density1,686.1/sq mi (651.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
79022
Area code806
FIPS code48-18524Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1355552Template:GR

Dalhart is a city in Dallam and Hartley counties in the U.S. state of Texas, and the county seat of Dallam County.Template:GR The population was 7,237 at the 2000 census. Founded in 1901, Dalhart is named for its location on the border of Dallam and Hartley counties. Dalhart sits at the intersection of U.S. Highway 87, 385, and 54.

The city of Dalhart is known by many Texans as a gateway to the Colorado Rockies. The city's position in the northwestern corner of the Texas Panhandle -- only the town of Texline is further northwestward in Texas -- makes it a pivotal stopover for travelers returning from or going to the mountains.

Two miles south of Dalhart is Rita Blanca Canyon, site of Rita Blanca Lake State Park.

The Empty Saddle Monument at the crossroads of Dalhart (U.S. Highways 87, 385, and 54) has since the 1940s honored the memory of the cowboys of the defunct XIT Ranch.

Dalhart is also known as the "XIT City" because of its relationship with the historic XIT Ranch. The ranch was a 3,000,000-acre (12,000 km2) plot of land traded in exchange for the construction of the Texas State Capitol in Austin. The ranch was dissolved in 1912, but its history is celebrated with the city's XIT Museum and the XIT Rodeo and Reunion. Held annually on the first full Thursday through Sunday weekend of August, the event includes the world's largest free barbecue, junior and PRCA rodeo events, three nights of live music, and a variety of other events to celebrate the occasion. The Empty Saddle Monument, located at the crossroads of Dalhart, was constructed in the early 1940s to recognize the contribution of the XIT cowboys to the history of the region.

Dalhart was in the center of the Dust Bowl, an area adversely affected by a long period of drought and dust storms during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

At the Dallam County Courthouse, Dalhart honors the memory of James R. Fox, Jr. (March 16, 1919—March 11, 1943), who flew supplies to China for Pan American Airways during World War II through the treacherous Hump Route. Fox and his two Chinese copilots were killed, when their Douglas C-52 cargo plane crashed. In 2002, the Peoples Republic of China made a bronze bust in Fox's honore and presented it to Dalhart.[1]

Geography

Dalhart is located at 36°3′39″N 102°31′7″W / 36.06083°N 102.51861°W / 36.06083; -102.51861Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (36.060856, -102.518656)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²).None of the area is covered with water.

Dalhart is located closer to six other state capitals than to Texas' capital of Austin. In surface mileage (over major highways), Dalhart is 579 miles (932 km) from Austin[1], but is 263 miles (423 km) from Santa Fe, New Mexico[2], 343 miles (552 km) from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma[3], 348 miles (560 km) from Denver, Colorado[4], 448 miles (721 km) from Cheyenne, Wyoming[5], 461 miles (742 km) from Topeka, Kansas[6], and 540 miles (870 km) from Lincoln, Nebraska[7].

As the "crow flies," Dalhart is 491 miles (790 km) from Austin, but 201 miles (323 km) from Santa Fe, New Mexico, 281 miles (452 km) from Oklahoma City, 289 miles (465 km) from Denver, Colorado, 375 miles (604 km) from Cheyenne, Wyoming, 434 miles (698 km) from Topeka, Kansas, and 458 miles (737 km) from Lincoln, Nebraska.[8]

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 7,237 people, 2,779 households, and 1,939 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,686.1 people per square mile (651.3/km²). There were 3,101 housing units at an average density of 722.5/sq mi (279.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.44% White, 1.46% African American, 0.79% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 9.96% from other races, and 2.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.80% of the population.

There were 2,779 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,897, and the median income for a family was $39,193. Males had a median income of $29,521 versus $19,899 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,530. About 8.5% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 19.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Dalhart's economy is centered around agribusiness, including farming, ranching, feedlot operations, large scale pig farms, and, more recently, relocated California dairies. The construction of a cheese processing plant near the city by California based Hilmar Cheese Company will add an estimated three hundred jobs to the local economy and require additional dairies to meet the daily needs of the plant. The Hilmar plant itself is employing 120 people, of which about 30 were relocated from their original facility. Dalhart is also home to a state prison.

During the heyday of the XIT Ranch, the land was in native grass. Some land was diverte into dry farmland, but there was insufficient rain to make it productive. Then a few irrigation wells were drilled in areas where the soil was not sandy and was level enough for row irrigation. Later center pivot irrigation entered and was perfect for the rolling sandy soils. About the same time frame, big feedlots were built due to the low-humidity climate. This created a good market for corn.

In the early 1970s, a young Realtor, Mike Justice. moved to Dalhart and realized the abundance of water for irrigation, local market and climate for corn, and low taxes. He launched an advertising campaign to sell an idea to Corn Belt farmers. They could trade one acre for three or four acres in Dalhart, and he showed them how to trade and defer the capital gain taxes. Some 150 farm families hence sold their farms and relocated their families to Dalhart. Each brought from $500,000 to $5 million dollars to the economy. The new residents came from as far away as Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Canada, and the Netherlands.

Most of the transplanted northerners did not remain in Dalhart because of the long-term water shortage. The lack of water could also adversely impact the recent turn to dairying about Dalhart.

Education

The Dalhart Independent School District serves the city of Dalhart.

Gallery

References

  1. ^ Historical marker at Dallam County Courthouse, Dalhart, Texas

Timothy Egan, The Worst Hard Time (Mariner Books, 2006). ISBN 0-618-34697-X

External links

Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

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