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McLean, Texas
McLean Commercial Historic District.jpg
Location of McLean, Texas
Location of McLean, Texas
Gray County McLean.svg
Country United States
State Texas
County Gray
Area
 • Total 1.16 sq mi (3.00 km2)
 • Land 1.16 sq mi (3.00 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
2,861 ft (872 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total -800
 • Estimate 
(2019)
744
 • Density 642.49/sq mi (248.02/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
79057
Area code(s) 806
FIPS code 48-45780
GNIS feature ID 1362506

McLean is a town in Gray County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Pampa micropolitan statistical area. Its population was 778 as of the 2010 census.

Geography

McLean is located in southeastern Gray County at 35°14′2″N 100°36′0″W / 35.23389°N 100.60000°W / 35.23389; -100.60000 (35.233836, -100.600055). Interstate 40 passes through the southern part of the town, leading east 185 miles (298 km) to Oklahoma City and west 74 miles (119 km) to Amarillo. Interstate 40 Business (Old U.S. 66) passes through the town as First Street (westbound) and Railroad Street (eastbound), connecting to I-40 at Exit 141 west of town and Exit 143 to the east. Texas State Highway 273 runs along the western edge of McLean, accessing I-40 at Exit 142 and running north then northwest 35 miles (56 km) to Pampa, the Gray County seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, McLean has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.0 km2), all of it land.

History

McLean Texas aerial view
McLean as seen from an airplane, looking south

In 1901, Alfred Rowe, an English rancher who later perished in the sinking of the Titanic, donated land near a railroad cattle loading stop for the establishment of a town site. The Choctaw, Oklahoma and Texas Railroad Company constructed a water well and a switch and section house there. The town was named for Judge William P. McLean (1836–1925) of the Texas Legislature and Railroad Commission. The town grew rapidly. By 1904 McLean had three general stores, a bank, two wagonyards and livery stables, a lumberyard, and a newspaper, the McLean News. A windmill pumped water from a well drilled in the middle of Main Street, and citizens hauled the water in barrels and buckets. The town was incorporated in 1909 with C. S. Rice as mayor and became a center for agriculture.

In 1927, the Mother Road, U.S. Route 66, was built through the town, and it became a stop for tourists as well as a center for oil, livestock, and agriculture processing and shipping. By 1940 the population had risen to 1,500 with six churches, 59 businesses, and a newspaper. In 1942, a prisoner of war camp was built east-northeast of the town and was operated until 1945, housing about 3,000 German prisoners.

As the prominence of other Texas Panhandle cities, especially Amarillo and Pampa, surpassed McLean, the town began to decrease slowly in size. In 1984, the town was bypassed as part of the final phase of construction of Interstate 40, which replaced the old U.S. Route 66 through that area.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 633
1920 741 17.1%
1930 1,521 105.3%
1940 1,489 −2.1%
1950 1,439 −3.4%
1960 1,330 −7.6%
1970 1,183 −11.1%
1980 1,160 −1.9%
1990 849 −26.8%
2000 830 −2.2%
2010 778 −6.3%
2019 (est.) 744 −4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
Phillips 66 station, McLean, TX
Former Phillips 66 station

As of the census of 2000, 830 people, 343 households, and 186 families were residing in the town. The population density was 706.2 people/sq mi (271.6/km2). The 459 housing units averaged 390.6/sq mi (150.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.87% White, 0.36% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.60% from other races, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.17% of the population.

Of the 343 households, 23.3% had children under 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were not families. About 42.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.12, and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town, age distribution was 20.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 17.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 35.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $22,847, and for a family was $34,286. Males had a median income of $26,667 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,843. About 12.9% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

National Register of Historical Places

The McLean Commercial District, consisting of most of the downtown area, was listed in the historical register on December 20, 2006.

Education

The town is served by the McLean Independent School District and is home to the McLean Tigers.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: McLean (Texas) para niños

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