Purmela, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Purmela, Texas
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 Purmela, Texas
Location in Texas
Purmela, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Coryell |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
76566
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| GNIS feature ID | 1365866 |
Purmela is a small, unincorporated community in Coryell County, Texas, United States. Being "unincorporated" means it doesn't have its own city government. It's part of the larger Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History of Purmela
Purmela was founded by a businessman named Martin Dremien. He later became the postmaster when the town got its own post office in 1879.
There's a story that Dremien wanted to name the town "Furmela" after his sweetheart. However, the postal service made a mistake and wrote "Purmela" instead! The story says Dremien was so upset he sold his business and moved away.
In the 1950s and 1960s, about 125 people lived in Purmela. By 1968, the population dropped to 65, and by 1970, only 40 people lived there. In the 1980s, Purmela had a chapel and its post office. In 1990 and 2000, the population was around 61 people. Even though it's unincorporated, Purmela still has its own post office with the ZIP code 76566.
Geography and Location
Purmela is located in northwestern Coryell County. You can find it near where Farm to Market Road 932 and Farm to Market Road 1241 meet. It's about 13 miles (21 km) northwest of Gatesville. Another small place called South Purmela is just two miles south.
Local Climate
The weather in Purmela is usually hot and humid in the summer. Winters are generally mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate. It means there's a lot of moisture in the air, especially in summer.
On May 21, 2011, a small tornado, called an EF0 tornado, briefly touched down in Purmela. It didn't cause much damage, but it did knock down a few trees.
Education in Purmela
In 1901, several smaller schools combined to form the Purmela school district. These schools included Basham, Sycamore, and Evergreen.
After 1950, Purmela School joined the Gatesville Independent School District. Today, students in the Purmela community attend schools in the Evant Independent School District.
