Burke, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Burke, Texas
|
|
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Angelina |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.85 sq mi (7.37 km2) |
| • Land | 2.82 sq mi (7.29 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) |
| Elevation | 272 ft (83 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 691 |
| • Density | 242.5/sq mi (93.76/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP |
75941-9507
|
| Area code(s) | 936 |
| FIPS code | 48-11380 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2409942 |
Burke is a small city in Angelina County, Texas, United States. In 2020, about 691 people lived there.
Contents
History of Burke
Burke was started in 1881. This happened when the Houston, East and West Texas Railway built its tracks to the edge of Bradley Prairie. The town was first called Rhodes. It was named after W. R. Rhodes, who owned a general store, and H. R. Rhodes, the postmaster. Around 1885, the town's name changed to Burke. It was named after Edmund L. Burke, a railroad worker who planned the railway's path.
Early Growth
By 1885, Burke was growing. It had three sawmills, which cut wood, and three cotton gins, which cleaned cotton. There was also a church and a school. In 1886, Burke got its own post office. This post office stayed open until 1955. By 1888, the town had a bigger school, three general stores, and a drugstore. There was also a sawmill, a dentist, and a watchmaker. In 1897, about 650 people lived in Burke.
Changes Over Time
By 1904, Burke's population went down to 161 people. This was because Lufkin, a city eight miles north, became a big industrial center. However, Burke started to grow again. By 1915, 200 people lived there, and by 1925, the population reached 300. The Burke Methodist Church was started around 1899-1900. The First Baptist Church of Burke began in 1905.
Focus on Education
Education was very important in Burke. The first school had just one room. It was soon made bigger to have three rooms. In 1910, people voted to build a new brick schoolhouse. This school was for students in grades one through seven. In 1935, the brick building was replaced. A larger schoolhouse was built with money from the WPA. In 1964, the Burke Independent School District joined with the Diboll schools.
Modern Burke
Burke officially became a city in 1966. A water system was built for the city. In 1980, Burke had 322 people. By 1990, the population was 314.
Geography of Burke
Burke is about 2.8 square miles (7.3 square kilometers) in total area. Most of this area is land, and a small part is water.
Climate
The weather in Burke has hot and humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. Burke has a humid subtropical climate. This means it gets a lot of rain and has warm temperatures for most of the year.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 188 | — | |
| 1980 | 322 | 71.3% | |
| 1990 | 314 | −2.5% | |
| 2000 | 315 | 0.3% | |
| 2010 | 737 | 134.0% | |
| 2020 | 691 | −6.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census |
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In 2000, there were 315 people living in Burke. There were 114 households. The population included people of different ages. About 27% of the people were under 18 years old. About 14.3% were 65 years or older. The average age in the city was 31 years.
Education
Most of Burke is part of the Diboll Independent School District. A very small part of the city is in the Lufkin ISD.
