Eastland, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eastland, Texas
City
Downtown Eastland, Texas
Location of Eastland, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Eastland
Founded	1875
Incorporated	June 6, 1891
Named for	M. W. Eastland
Area
• Total	4.392 sq mi (11.375 km2)
• Land	4.364 sq mi (11.304 km2)
• Water	0.028 sq mi (0.073 km2)
Elevation	1,440 ft (439 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,609
• Estimate  (2023)	3,645
• Density	834.0/sq mi (322.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC–6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC–5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	76448
Area code(s)	254
FIPS code	48-22132
GNIS feature ID	1335045
Sales tax	8.25%

Eastland is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,609 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Eastland County.

History

The recession of 1921 exacerbated racial tensions between Anglos and Mexicans. Naturally, unemployment increased in town and whites attempted to oust Mexicans who were hired during the World War I boom. Masked men ravaged shacks used by Mexicans as living quarters. Whites threatened Mexicans' lives, and fearful, they fled to nearby Fort Worth to seek help from the Mexican Consulate, since local authorities took the side of the Anglo locals.

In 1928, the current courthouse was erected, the prior cornerstone was opened, and "Old Rip" was allegedly found alive. The animal, a kind of lizard, received national publicity. It died in 1929 of pneumonia, and was placed in a glass-front casket on view in the present courthouse.

Geography

Eastland is located north of the center of Eastland County at 32°23′05″N 98°49′03″W / 32.38472°N 98.81750°W / 32.38472; -98.81750 (32.4015199, -98.8175623). It is 96 miles (154 km) west-southwest of Fort Worth and 55 miles (89 km) east of Abilene. The city is accessed by Interstate 20 between exits 340 to the south and 343 to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.392 square miles (11.38 km²), of which 4.364 square miles (11.30 km²) is land and 0.028 square miles (0.07 km²) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 3,609 people, 1,474 households, and 909 families residing in the city. There were 1,805 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 79.3% White, 1.6% African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 7.0% from some other races and 10.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.7% of the population.

Education

The city is served by the Eastland Independent School District and is home of the Eastland Mavericks.

Notable people

• Emma Carter Browning (1910–2010), aviation executive and pilot
• Hayden Fry (1929–2019), college football coach
• Ira L. Hanna (1908–1978), 36th mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming
• Richard D. Lawrence, United States Army lieutenant general
• Don Pierson (1925–1996), former mayor of Eastland, business innovator, communications pioneer (Radio England), and civic leader
• Doc Scurlock (1849–1929), Old West figure and founding member of the Regulators, who rode with such men as Billy the Kid
• Barney Smith
• Clayton W. Williams, Sr. (1895–1983), an engineer with the Oil Belt Power Company, lived in Eastland during the early 1920s

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Eastland has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.

Gallery

• 

  United States Post Office

• 

  The Majestic Theatre in Eastland

• 

  Facade of historic First United Methodist Church of Eastland

• 

  The Eastland Historic Hotel

• 

  First Christian Church in downtown Eastland

• 

  First Baptist Church in Eastland

• 

  Downtown Eastland

• 

  Drug building in Eastland, Texas

See also

In Spanish: Eastland (Texas) para niños