Borger, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Borger, Texas
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Downtown Borger
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| Nicknames:
Smokey City,
The Dirty B, Brick Town, Booger Town B-Town |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Hutchinson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.79 sq mi (22.78 km2) |
| • Land | 8.79 sq mi (22.76 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,097 ft (944 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,551 |
| • Density | 1,412.72/sq mi (545.45/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
79007-79008
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| Area code | 806 |
| FIPS code | 48-09556 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2409881 |
| Website | Borger, Texas |
Borger is the biggest city in Hutchinson County, Texas, United States. In 2020, about 12,551 people lived there. The city is named after a businessman called Asa Philip "Ace" Borger. He also helped start other towns in Texas and Oklahoma.
Contents
History of Borger
The first oil well in the Texas Panhandle was drilled near Borger on May 2, 1921. This discovery, along with others nearby, started an oil boom. A special drilling rig, costing $25,000, was used here. It could drill through hard rock.
How Borger Started
Ace Borger and his partner John R. Miller bought land near the Canadian River in March 1926. This was after oil was found nearby. In just a few months, the town grew very fast. About 45,000 people moved there, hoping to find "black gold" (oil).
In October 1926, Borger became an official city, and Miller was chosen as mayor. A railroad line was built to Borger, a post office opened, and schools were started. Soon, Borger had electricity, telephones, a hotel, and a jail. A famous artist, Thomas Hart Benton, even painted a picture called "Boomtown" about this time in Borger.
Early Challenges
As the town grew, many different kinds of people arrived. Some were oil workers and prospectors. Others were people looking for trouble. The city became known for its wild side. In 1927, the Texas Governor sent Texas Rangers to help bring order to the town. These Rangers were led by Captains Frank Hamer and Thomas R. Hickman.
Even with the Rangers, Borger faced challenges. In 1929, the local District Attorney was killed. This led the Governor to send state troops to help make the town safer. Over time, Borger became a more peaceful place.
Growth and Change
By the late 1930s, the Great Depression changed Borger. Oil companies like Phillips Petroleum still made money from the oil fields. But the price of oil dropped, and the fast growth of Borger slowed down.
During this time, plants that made carbon black added black soot to the air. This made the Dust Bowl storms even worse, covering the town in dark dirt. Many people from Oklahoma, who had lost their farms, came to Borger to work in the plants and refineries. New brick streets were built, and older shacks were replaced with stronger buildings.
During World War II, Borger became important for making synthetic rubber and other oil products. By the 1960s, Borger was a major producer of oil, carbon black, and chemicals in Texas. The creation of nearby Lake Meredith also helped the town's economy by becoming a popular place for fun activities.
Borger Today
Today, Borger is still an important place for shipping farm products and oil-related goods. It has some of the world's largest chemical plants. For example, Chevron-Phillips Chemical Company makes special chemicals and plastics. Phillips 66 Petroleum Company processes oil and natural gas. Agrium makes fertilizer, and other companies produce carbon black, which is used to make things like rubber tires stronger.
The Story of Isom
Before Borger, there was a small community called Isom. It was founded around 1898 by a rancher named John F. Weatherly. He built a dugout and opened a store and post office. His wife also opened a cafe, and a school was started by 1907.
In 1919, the Isom post office closed. The Weatherlys moved away in 1922. But they still owned the land where Isom was. When oil was found in 1926, they came back. They moved the town closer to the new railroad line near Borger.
For a few months in 1926, Isom and Borger were rivals. But Borger grew much faster. By December 1926, Isom's school joined Borger's schools, and Isom became part of Borger.
Winter Snow Record
In the winter of 1982–1983, Borger received a lot of snow. It got 58.7 inches (about 1.5 meters) of snow in total. This is the most snow any Texas town has ever received in one winter season!
Geography and Climate
Borger is located in the Texas Panhandle. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers about 8.77 square miles (22.72 square kilometers) of land.
Weather in Borger
Borger has warm summers and mild winters. Here's a look at the average weather:
| Climate data for Borger, Texas (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 51.0 (10.6) |
55.3 (12.9) |
63.6 (17.6) |
72.3 (22.4) |
80.8 (27.1) |
88.8 (31.6) |
92.8 (33.8) |
90.0 (32.2) |
84.2 (29.0) |
73.5 (23.1) |
60.8 (16.0) |
50.1 (10.1) |
72.0 (22.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25.3 (−3.7) |
28.1 (−2.2) |
34.9 (1.6) |
43.2 (6.2) |
53.1 (11.7) |
62.1 (16.7) |
66.5 (19.2) |
65.4 (18.6) |
57.7 (14.3) |
46.1 (7.8) |
34.5 (1.4) |
25.8 (−3.4) |
45.2 (7.3) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.74 (19) |
0.71 (18) |
1.55 (39) |
1.82 (46) |
2.77 (70) |
3.30 (84) |
2.76 (70) |
3.59 (91) |
2.13 (54) |
1.93 (49) |
1.04 (26) |
0.83 (21) |
23.16 (588) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.2 (13) |
4.0 (10) |
3.4 (8.6) |
0.9 (2.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
2.1 (5.3) |
5.3 (13) |
21.1 (54) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population of Borger
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 6,532 | — | |
| 1940 | 10,018 | 53.4% | |
| 1950 | 18,059 | 80.3% | |
| 1960 | 20,911 | 15.8% | |
| 1970 | 14,195 | −32.1% | |
| 1980 | 15,837 | 11.6% | |
| 1990 | 15,675 | −1.0% | |
| 2000 | 14,302 | −8.8% | |
| 2010 | 13,251 | −7.3% | |
| 2020 | 12,551 | −5.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
What the 2020 Census Shows
The 2020 United States census found that 12,551 people lived in Borger. There were 4,223 households and 2,746 families.
Here's a breakdown of the different groups of people living in Borger in 2020:
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 7,305 | 58.2% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 375 | 2.99% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 168 | 1.34% |
| Asian (NH) | 77 | 0.61% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 2 | 0.02% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 34 | 0.27% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 560 | 4.46% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,030 | 32.11% |
| Total | 12,551 |
What the 2010 Census Showed
In 2010, Borger had 13,251 people. The city had 5,591 households. About 34.9% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.52 people. The median age in Borger was 36 years old. This means half the people were older than 36 and half were younger.
Fun Things to Do
The Dome Civic and Convention Center
This center is a place for events and meetings in Borger.
Movie Theaters
- The Morley Theater is a place to watch movies in downtown Borger.
Sports
Baseball
- The Borger Gassers were a baseball team that played from 1939–1942 and again from 1946–1954. They were part of the West Texas–New Mexico League.
Education in Borger
Most of Borger is part of the Borger Independent School District (ISD). A small part is in the Plemons-Stinnett-Phillips Consolidated Independent School District.
Borger ISD has about 2,800 students. They attend six different schools:
- Paul Belton Early Childhood Center
- Crockett Elementary
- Gateway Elementary
- Borger Intermediate School
- Borger Middle School
- Borger High School
Borger also has a community college called Frank Phillips College. About 3,000 students from Borger and Hutchinson County attend this college.
Famous People from Borger
Many interesting people have connections to Borger, including:
- Donny Anderson – A football player for the Green Bay Packers.
- Arian Archer – Miss Texas in 1994.
- Darlene Cates – An actress.
- Emy Coligado – An actress.
- Bill Dees – A musician and songwriter.
- Stan Hansen – A famous retired professional wrestler.
- Tony Hillerman – An author who used to be a reporter for the Borger News-Herald.
- Stormie Jones – The first person in the world to successfully receive both a heart and liver transplant at the same time.
- G. William Miller – A former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.
- Shanna Peeples – Named the U.S. National Teacher of the Year in 2015.
- Mike Rawlings – The 61st mayor of Dallas.
- Don Sahli – An artist and painter.
- Charlotte Mailliard Shultz – A well-known figure in California.
Images for kids
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The Hutchinson County Historical Museum, also known as Boomtown Revisited, is located in downtown Borger.
See also
In Spanish: Borger (Texas) para niños
