McCamey, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
McCamey, Texas
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McCamey City Hall at 207 E. 6th St.
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Location of McCamey, Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Upton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.03 sq mi (5.25 km2) |
| • Land | 2.03 sq mi (5.25 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,467 ft (752 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,831 |
| • Density | 902.0/sq mi (348.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
79752
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| Area code(s) | 432 |
| FIPS code | 48-45432 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1362369 |
McCamey is a city in Upton County, Texas, United States. In 2020, about 1,831 people lived there. The Texas government calls McCamey the "Wind Energy Capital of Texas." This is because many wind farms, which make electricity from wind, are built nearby. But long ago, McCamey was famous for its oil. It started as a busy town during the oil boom.
Contents
History of McCamey
McCamey is named after George B. McCamey. In 1925, he found oil in the area. This discovery started a big oil boom. He brought in a land developer from Corpus Christi. They planned a town near the oil field. This new town was along the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway. It was designed to hold up to 10,000 people.
At first, the town was just a mix of tents and small wooden shacks. It was a bit wild and lawless. Slowly, things became more organized. A post office was built in 1926. The town officially became a city later that year. In 1927, the McCamey Independent School District was created. Also, a newspaper called the Tri-County Record started printing.
Water Supply Challenges
Getting enough water was a big problem in McCamey's early days. The water sources nearby were not safe to drink. Water had to be brought in by train from Alpine. This town was almost 100 miles (160 km) away. One barrel of water cost $1, which was a lot of money then. In 1929, a good water source was found. It was only 17 miles (27 km) away. Pipes were built to bring this water to town.
Oil Industry in McCamey
McCamey was home to one of the first oil refineries in West Texas. This refinery belonged to the Humble Oil Company. Humble Oil & Refining Company later became part of Exxon Company.
Shell Oil Company tried a big experiment in McCamey. They built a huge earthen tank to hold one million barrels of oil. But this experiment did not work well. The ground under the tank was made of limestone. It cracked under the heavy weight of the oil. A lot of the oil leaked into the ground.
Population Changes Over Time
The town's population went down during the Great Depression. This was because oil prices dropped. Also, new oil fields were found elsewhere. Many workers moved away to find jobs. In 1940, about 2,600 people lived in McCamey. By 1980, the number was 2,436. The 2000 census showed the population had shrunk to 1,805.
Population Information
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2020 Census Details
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 498 | 27.2% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 43 | 2.35% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 1 | 0.05% |
| Asian (NH) | 2 | 0.11% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 1 | 0.05% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 44 | 2.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,242 | 67.83% |
| Total | 1,831 |
In 2020, the United States census counted 1,831 people living in McCamey. There were 693 households and 425 families in the city.
Geography and Location
McCamey is located at 31°7′56″N 102°13′20″W / 31.13222°N 102.22222°W. The town is about five miles (8 km) east of the Pecos River. It is also located along U.S. Route 67.
The United States Census Bureau says the city covers 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2). All of this area is land.
Climate in McCamey
McCamey has a hot semi-arid climate. This means it is usually hot and dry. On climate maps, this is shown as "BSh".
The hottest temperature ever recorded in McCamey was 113°F (45°C). This happened on June 20, 1934, August 12, 1936, and June 27, 1994. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -2°F (-19°C). This was on January 11, 1962.
| Climate data for McCamey, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1932–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) |
94 (34) |
99 (37) |
105 (41) |
109 (43) |
113 (45) |
112 (44) |
113 (45) |
108 (42) |
103 (39) |
93 (34) |
91 (33) |
113 (45) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 79.9 (26.6) |
84.3 (29.1) |
90.9 (32.7) |
96.2 (35.7) |
102.3 (39.1) |
105.3 (40.7) |
104.2 (40.1) |
102.6 (39.2) |
99.5 (37.5) |
94.8 (34.9) |
84.9 (29.4) |
79.4 (26.3) |
107.2 (41.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 60.5 (15.8) |
65.8 (18.8) |
74.2 (23.4) |
82.3 (27.9) |
89.8 (32.1) |
95.5 (35.3) |
96.3 (35.7) |
95.9 (35.5) |
89.5 (31.9) |
80.8 (27.1) |
69.6 (20.9) |
61.4 (16.3) |
80.1 (26.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.7 (8.2) |
51.5 (10.8) |
59.4 (15.2) |
67.6 (19.8) |
76.3 (24.6) |
83.2 (28.4) |
84.8 (29.3) |
84.3 (29.1) |
77.6 (25.3) |
68.1 (20.1) |
56.0 (13.3) |
47.8 (8.8) |
66.9 (19.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 32.8 (0.4) |
37.2 (2.9) |
44.6 (7.0) |
53.0 (11.7) |
62.8 (17.1) |
70.9 (21.6) |
73.3 (22.9) |
72.7 (22.6) |
65.7 (18.7) |
55.3 (12.9) |
42.5 (5.8) |
34.1 (1.2) |
53.7 (12.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 20.7 (−6.3) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
36.6 (2.6) |
47.5 (8.6) |
61.9 (16.6) |
66.8 (19.3) |
65.4 (18.6) |
53.1 (11.7) |
37.6 (3.1) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
21.0 (−6.1) |
16.8 (−8.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −2 (−19) |
−1 (−18) |
12 (−11) |
26 (−3) |
33 (1) |
44 (7) |
60 (16) |
55 (13) |
38 (3) |
22 (−6) |
12 (−11) |
6 (−14) |
−2 (−19) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.69 (18) |
0.55 (14) |
0.86 (22) |
1.08 (27) |
1.26 (32) |
2.11 (54) |
1.69 (43) |
1.88 (48) |
1.81 (46) |
1.42 (36) |
0.82 (21) |
0.65 (17) |
14.82 (378) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.6 (1.5) |
1.1 (2.77) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.2 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 38.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Education in McCamey
The city of McCamey has its own school system. It is called the McCamey Independent School District.
Famous People from McCamey
- Gary Gilmore was born in McCamey on December 4, 1940. He was the first person to face a legal punishment in the United States after it was allowed again in 1976.
- Jill Jackson was born in McCamey on May 20, 1942. She was part of a music group in the 1960s called Paul & Paula. Their song "Hey Paula" was a number one hit in 1963.
- Bill Keffer was born in McCamey in 1958. He is a lawyer from Dallas. He was a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. His brother, Jim Keffer, was also a state representative.
- Dan Seals was a country singer and musician. He was also known as "England Dan" from the music group England Dan & John Ford Coley. He was born in McCamey on February 8, 1948. He passed away on March 25, 2009, at age 61.
See also
In Spanish: McCamey (Texas) para niños
