Mineola, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mineola, Texas
City
Downtown Mineola
Location of Mineola, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Wood
Incorporated (city)	1877
Area
• Total	10.45 sq mi (27.07 km2)
• Land	10.28 sq mi (26.61 km2)
• Water	0.18 sq mi (0.46 km2)
Elevation	417 ft (127 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,823
• Density	463.84/sq mi (179.09/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	75773
Area code(s)	903
FIPS code	48-48648
GNIS feature ID	1341708
Website	www.Mineola.com

Mineola is a city in the U.S. state of Texas in Wood County. It lies at the junction of U.S. highways 69 and 80, 80 miles east of Dallas. Its population was 4,823 at the 2020 census.

The town was incorporated as the railroads arrived in 1873. A railroad official, Ira H. Evans, combined the names of his daughter, Ola, and her friend, Minnie Patten, to create the city name Mineola.

Etymology

The town was incorporated as the railroads arrived. It is believed by some that a railroad official combined the names of two prominent locals' daughters Minnie and Olla to create the city name Mineola. While these two girls did exist, the more likely story is that the city was named after the railroad official's hometown of Mineola, New York because of the area's beauty.

History

Mineola came into existence when the railroads built lines through the Eastern part of the state. In 1873 the Texas and Pacific and the International-Great Northern raced to see which could get to Mineola first. The I-GN reached the finish fifteen minutes earlier. A city government was organized in 1873, a post office opened in 1875, and the town incorporated in 1877, but a fire in the 1880s destroyed eighteen buildings. The town's oldest paper, the Mineola Monitor, was founded in 1876. By 1890 the town had seven churches, several schools including a black free school, hotels, banks, and a population of 2,000. In 1895 Mineola became the site of the Wood County Fair.

Since Mineola was in the heart of the East Texas timber belt, timber was plentiful for railroad tiemaking and lumber. During the community's first sixty years, farm products included cotton, livestock, fruit, and berries. A chair factory opened in 1886, became a crate and basket factory in 1900, and operated until 1952. Highway improvement, the Magnolia Pipeline Company gas line, and the establishment of a railroad terminal caused growth during the 1920s, and the discovery of oil in parts of Wood County and construction of a T&P railroad shop spurred the economy during the 1940s. By 1930 the population was 3,000, and by 1970 it was 4,000. Diversified farming gave way to cattle raising and watermelon crops by 1950. The Mineola Watermelon Festival began in 1948. Subsequently, sweet-potato farming, a creamery, a nursery, and a company that supplies poles and pulpwood to the telephone company helped the economy.

The town remains a shipping center. The Mineola Memorial Library, largely financed by H. W. Meredith, was completed in 1960. Nearby Lake Holbrook, also completed in 1962, attracts residents and visitors. The Meredith Foundation has provided large sums for educational and cultural purposes since 1962. Meredith Hall Civic Center, completed in 1977, is used by large and small groups for varied events. The population of Mineola in 1980 was 4,346. The manufacture of women's clothing, sporting goods, electronic connectors, fertilizer, and cattle feed and the packaging of dry beans and meat provide employment for many people. The Wood County Airport, five miles (8 km) north of Mineola, was completed in 1984. A new city hall complex was completed in 1986, and a two-school facility was completed in 1987. The population of Mineola in 1990 was 4,321.

Geography

Mineola is located at 32°39′10.4″N 95°28′49.1″W / 32.652889°N 95.480306°W / 32.652889; -95.480306 (32.652881, -95.480296). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.339 square miles (26.78 km²), of which, 10.161 square miles (26.32 km²) of it is land and 0.178 square miles (0.46 km²) is water.

Climate

Mineola enjoys weather typical of East Texas, which is unpredictable, especially in the spring time. Mineola is humid subtropical climate typical of the Southeast in North America.

Demographics

As of 2020^[update] 4,823 people resided in the city. The population density was 463.84 inhabitants per square mile (179.09/km²). The 2,086 housing units averaged 376.5 per square mile (145.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 66.91% White, 9.64% African American, 0.81% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 9.74% from other races, and 12.25% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 22.64% of the population.

Of the 1,779 households, 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were not families. About 30.1% were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the age distribution was 23.7% under 18, 9.39% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.84% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,000, and for a family was $37,528. Males had a median income of $29,938 versus $20,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,945. About 16.2% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.3% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

First Baptist Church

• First Baptist Mineola is one of the largest churches in the Wood County area, with enrollment record around 850.
• Sand Springs Baptist Church is located just west of Mineola. The church has a regular Sunday attendance around 350.
• Broad Street Church of Christ
• Mineola First United Methodist Church
• New Hope Baptist Church
• St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, founded October 1871, in Mineola
• Johnson Chapel United Methodist Church
• Sidney Temple Church of God
• East Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
• St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads

Mineola includes the intersection of two major U.S. highways; US 69 and US 80 intersect in the downtown area. Texas Highway 37 connects Mineola and Quitman off US 69.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 69
• U.S. Highway 80

Farm to market roads

• FM 49

State highways

• Texas State Highway 37
• Loop 564 State Highway Loop 564 (large sections are outside city limits)

Railroads

Mineola is currently served by Amtrak's Texas Eagle passenger railway line. The railroad tracks which run through the southern portion of Wood County and through Mineola are currently owned and operated by Union Pacific.

Airports

Mineola is served by two airports:

• Mineola Wisner Field is identified as 3F9. This airport was established in 1917, and has been operated by the same family owners since 1926.

• Wood County Airport (Mineola/Quitman Airport) is a public airport owned by Wood County.

Sports

The Mineola Black Spiders were a non-league barnstorming African-American baseball team. In 2010, the Texas Historical Commission erected a historical marker at the corner of Hwy. 69 S and South Johnson Street.

Education

The City of Mineola is served by the Mineola Independent School District.

• Mineola High School

• Mineola Colored High School
• McFarland Elementary

Notable people

• Willie Brown, former mayor of San Francisco and former speaker of the California Assembly, attended Mineola Colored High School
• R.C. Hickman, an American civil rights photographer who documented events for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People during the 1950s
• Jim Hogg, Texas governor lived in Mineola and his daughter Ima Hogg was born in a house in this city. The house still stands and is marked by a historical marker
• Bryan Hughes, a lawyer in Mineola, has been since 2003 a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives; in 2017, he became a member of the Texas State Senate
• Bobby Ray Inman, former deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Naval Admiral, nominated by President Clinton to be secretary of defense of the United States
• William Jesse "Bill" McDonald, a former Texas Ranger, was a storekeeper and then Wood County deputy sheriff in the late 19th century
• Adam Moore, professional baseball player
• Kacey Musgraves, Grammy-winning country music artist and performer
• Jack Rhodes, influential country music songwriter and inductee in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
• Noble Willingham, television and film actor known for The Last Picture Show and Walker, Texas Ranger

Images for kids

• 

  Select Theater

• 

  Amtrak Train Station

• 

  Beckham Hotel

• 

  Downtown

• 

  United States Post Office, now a museum

• 

  Downtown

• 

  Downtown

• 

  Downtown

• 

  Downtown

See also

In Spanish: Mineola (Texas) para niños