China, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
China, Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Jefferson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.29 sq mi (3.34 km2) |
| • Land | 1.28 sq mi (3.32 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,260 |
| • Density | 941.45/sq mi (363.40/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
77613
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| Area code(s) | 409 |
| FIPS code | 48-14704 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1332764 |
| Website | City of China, Texas |
China is a city in Jefferson County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,260 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
China was first known as "China Grove", for a water stop for the Texas and New Orleans Railroad that sat amidst a grove of chinaberry trees. In the 1860s a small community grew around the water stop, and another a few miles away named Nashland. A post office with the name "China" was established there in 1893. When fire destroyed the China Grove depot in 1906, the railroad rebuilt in the larger Nashland area, but retained the established name "China" as the name of the depot. The Nashland post office changed its name to China shortly afterward. It was only in 1971 that the (now-merged) community voted to incorporate as the city of China, Texas.
During World War II, a small branch camp was built for German prisoners of war who were detailed to China from the larger Camp Huntsville in Walker County (now a part of Sam Houston State University). These prisoners helped to maintain rice paddies while local farmers were serving in the military.
The chinaberry trees that gave the community its name are rare in the area today. In fact, two trees that were transplanted to the front lawn of the city's civic complex in the mid 1990s are some of the only remaining examples. However, several local China and Meeker natives have taken to cultivating and nurturing new and transplanted chinaberry trees.
In 1999, Walt Disney Home Video celebrated the video release of Mulan in China. They built a miniature version of the Great Wall of China on what used to be Henderson Middle School (now China Elementary School) football field.
For years, China Elementary hosted an annual Chinaberry Festival, to celebrate the city's people and history. The festival featured a parade, local country musicians, and many booths fielded by local vendors and church groups. However the elementary school has not hosted the festival since the destruction of Hurricane Rita in 2005. Instead the City of China has attempted somewhat unsuccessfully to reinstate the festival.
In 2004, former Mayor Hermann Edwards pleaded guilty to tampering with governmental records and was sentenced to a year of probation.
Geography
China is located at 30°3′15″N 94°19′55″W / 30.05417°N 94.33194°W (30.054259, –94.331882). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2), of which 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2) is land and 0.77% is water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1980 | 1,351 | — | |
| 1990 | 1,144 | −15.3% | |
| 2000 | 1,112 | −2.8% | |
| 2010 | 1,160 | 4.3% | |
| 2020 | 1,260 | 8.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 741 | 58.81% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 351 | 27.86% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 3 | 0.24% |
| Asian (NH) | 12 | 0.95% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 1 | 0.08% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 51 | 4.05% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 101 | 8.02% |
| Total | 1,260 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,260 people, 523 households, and 308 families residing in the city.
School system
China is part of the Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District, a school system which spans a large area including China and neighboring cities Nome and Sour Lake, as well as the communities of Meeker, Pinewood, Countrywood, and Greyburg.
Until the 2009–2010 school year began, China was home to two of the district's schools, China Elementary (located in the city center across from China's city park) and Henderson Middle School (located on the outskirts of town across Highway 90). However, with the opening of the district's new high school in neighboring Sour Lake, the old high school campus was repurposed into the new Henderson Middle School, and the old middle school campus was renovated and made the new China Elementary. Portions of the old elementary school were utilized as the city hall for a few years until spring of 2020. the building is still owned by the school district but is not used
China Elementary caters to families from China and Nome. Students attend China Elementary from kindergarten until the fifth grade (and some attend the school's pre-kindergarten services).From there, all students move down Highway 326 to Henderson Middle School between Nome and Sour Lake for sixth through eighth grades, and then to the Hardin-Jefferson High School for ninth through twelfth grades.
Both old China Elementary and the old Henderson Middle School used to be part of China School District prior to the consolidation of the local school districts. Before desegregation of schools nationwide in the 1950s, China Elementary (then China School) served white students, whereas Henderson served the African American population.
See also
In Spanish: China (Texas) para niños
