Wildorado, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wildorado
|
|
|---|---|
Wildorado Wind Ranch, photographed from U.S. Route 385
|
|
 Wildorado
Location in Texas
Wildorado
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Oldham |
| Elevation | 3,924 ft (1,196 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
79098
|
| GNIS feature ID | 2805826 |
Wildorado is a small community in Oldham County, Texas, United States. It's called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own local government like a city does. In 2000, about 180 people lived there.
Contents
Where is Wildorado Located?
Wildorado is found along a road called FM 809. It's also near Interstate 40, a major highway. The community is east of Vega, which is the main town in Oldham County. The closest big city is Amarillo, about 20 miles to the east.
The Story of Wildorado
Wildorado got its name from a nearby creek. The community started in 1900 as a railway town when the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railroad was being built.
Early Days and Growth
- Two men, Eugene Binford and John R. Goodman, were among the first to settle here before 1900. They raised cattle in the area.
- A post office opened in 1904, helping people send and receive mail.
- By 1908, the railroad was finished, and a town area was planned out.
- John R. Goodman started the Wildorado State Bank and built the Wildorado Hotel.
- A local newspaper, the Wildorado Progress, began in 1909.
- By 1915, about 100 people lived in Wildorado.
Challenges and Changes
- During the 1920s and 1930s, Wildorado faced tough times with droughts and big dust storms.
- In 1936, the population dropped to 57, and there were only seven businesses.
- However, by the late 1940s, the number of residents grew to about 125.
- The Ozark Trail, which later became Route 66 and then Interstate 40, helped Wildorado grow.
- After World War II, more people started traveling. Wildorado offered services along Route 66, and its population went up to over 200 by the late 1950s.
- In 1976-1977, the Wildorado Water Supply Corporation was formed. This helped make sure people in the area had a good water supply.
- For the rest of the 1900s, the population stayed around 180.
- Even though Wildorado doesn't have its own city government, it still has a post office with the ZIP code 79098.
Who Lives in Wildorado?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 201 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 |
|||
Wildorado's Population in 2020
In 2020, a special count called the United States census showed that 201 people lived in Wildorado. There were 63 households (groups of people living together) and 41 families.
| Group | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 149 | 74.13% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1 | 0.5% |
| Asian (NH) | 1 | 0.5% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 22 | 10.95% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 28 | 13.93% |
| Total | 201 |
Education in Wildorado
Kids in Wildorado go to school through the Wildorado Independent School District. This district has one main campus that teaches students from pre-kindergarten all the way up to 12th grade.
Wildorado Independent School District
- The district is led by Superintendent Troy Duck.
- The Texas Education Agency has given Wildorado ISD an "Exemplary District" rating, which means it's a very good school district.
- Wildorado Elementary School accepts students who transfer from other areas and even provides bus transportation for them.
- For a while, students in grades 9-12 attended high school in nearby districts.
- However, a new high school is now open in Wildorado. It will add one grade level each year until it teaches students through 12th grade.
- The first class to graduate from the new Wildorado high school was in 2021.
