Woodson, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Woodson, Texas
Town
Downtown Woodson, December 2016
Location of Woodson, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Throckmorton
Area
• Total	0.65 sq mi (1.68 km2)
• Land	0.65 sq mi (1.68 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,234 ft (376 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	219
• Density	337/sq mi (130.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76491
Area code(s)	940
FIPS code	48-80188
GNIS feature ID	2413510

Woodson is a small town in Throckmorton County, Texas, in the United States. In 2020, about 219 people lived there.

History of Woodson

Woodson has a few notable landmarks, like the school and the First Christian Church.

Woodson was first settled in 1875 by J.O. Wood and Henry McClintick. J.O. Wood's son, O.J. Wood, helped shape the community and its economy. The town was first called Jom. It grew around a cotton gin, which helped ranchers get cottonseed to feed their cattle.

After Jom was set up, O.J. Wood gave away plots of land (about 100 by 190 feet) for free to anyone who would build a home there. This helped businesses start, and soon there was a post office and a grocery store called Wood and Sons.

Since J.O. Wood and his son built the first school, the town was named Wood and Son to honor them. Over time, the name changed to Woodson, which is its official name today. Woodson officially started in 1903 and grew into a busy town. The first highway to Breckenridge was built in 1920.

Wood and his son also built the First Christian Church in the early 1900s. It is located in the center of town on Highway 183. When the original schoolhouse became too small, the First Christian Church was used as an extra classroom.

The Railroad Comes to Town

As more people moved to Woodson, a railroad was built through the town. The Texas and Pacific Railroad owned and operated this line. The land for the tracks was obtained in different ways. Some land was bought, some was taken by easement if owners didn't want to sell, and some was given as a gift. For example, the Dickie family gave land for the tracks.

Local men helped build the road and lay the tracks. Once the train was ready, it made one trip each day from Cisco to Throckmorton.

Woodson's Growth and Businesses

Thanks to the railroad and a boom in the oil industry, Woodson grew for a long time. The town had many businesses, including:

• Three gasoline service stations
• Two cotton gins
• Two barber shops
• A lumber yard

At one point, Woodson also had a movie theater, a Chevrolet car dealer, a drugstore, and a feed store. A local doctor, Doctor Turner, even had his practice next to the feed store.

Woodson originally got its water from the city lake, which is now known as Dickie Lake. It is located south of town on Highway 183.

Woodson's Population Changes

Though Woodson's population once grew to 2,800, it has recently stayed between 250 and 300.

Between 1920 and 1930, Woodson's population was at its highest, with about 2,800 people. However, as nearby areas grew, Woodson's population started to decrease. By 1948, the population was down to about 500 people.

In 2010, 264 people lived in Woodson. This was a decrease of about 10% since 2000. Most of the people living in Woodson were White (92.80%). A smaller number were African American (2.65%), from other races (3.41%), or from two or more races (1.14%). About 15.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino. In 2014, the population was estimated to be 258.

Geography and Climate

Woodson is located in north-central Texas. You can find it where U.S. Highway 183 meets Farm Roads 209 and 1710. It is in the southeastern part of Throckmorton County, about 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Throckmorton.

The town covers a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.7 square kilometers), and all of it is land.

Woodson's Climate

The weather in Woodson is usually hot and humid in the summer. Winters are generally mild to cool. Woodson has a humid subtropical climate, which means it gets plenty of rain and has warm temperatures for most of the year.

Wildlife in Woodson

Woodson is in an area with rolling hills covered in mesquite trees, different types of cactus, and some oak trees. The summers are hot and dry, and the winters are cold and dry. Along the creeks, you can find large pecan trees, hackberry, willow, and many other types of trees and wild plums. The ground near the creeks can have green briars and poison ivy.

The land is a mix of mesquite trees and farm fields, with old oil wells scattered around. Many animals live here, including:

• White-tailed deer
• Wild turkeys
• Rabbits (cotton-tailed and jackrabbits)
• Feral hogs
• Bobcats
• Raccoons
• Opossums
• Rattlesnakes
• Bobwhite quail
• Mourning doves
• Armadillos
• Coyotes

Sometimes, you might also see badgers, beavers, foxes, mountain lions, and even javelinas. Many songbirds and other birds also live here. Smaller animals like fox squirrels and soft-shelled turtles are common.

The rivers, local lake, and ponds (called stock tanks) are home to many fish, such as:

• Large yellow catfish
• Channel catfish
• Large-mouthed bass
• Crappie
• Gar
• Carp
• Buffalo fish
• Drum
• Bream
• Goggle-eyed sun perch

Smaller fish like red-horse minnows also live in the ponds and creeks.

The 1948 Tornado

In 1948, a tornado hit Woodson. At that time, the town's population was about 500 people. The tornado destroyed 32 houses.

Japanese Balloon Bomb Incident

On March 23, 1945, a rancher named Ivan Miller found a strange object in his field. It was a balloon bomb, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Woodson on the Barney Davis Ranch. This happened during World War II. Japan had released over 9,000 hydrogen-filled balloons with bombs attached. They used the jet stream to send them across the Pacific Ocean.

Miller's wife later remembered him saying the balloon was "as big around as a house." It had a large rising sun symbol painted on top and smaller ones around the bottom.

About 360 of these bombs were found in North America. Government officials asked people to return any pieces they found.

Nearby Communities

When Woodson was at its busiest, it had smaller communities around it. These communities had their own families, businesses, and schools. By the late 1930s, all these smaller schools joined with Woodson ISD.

Woodson's water tower can be seen for miles outside of town.

Some of these communities included:

• Titus: Located west of town at the corner of Highway 209 and FM 2850.
• Lusk: Located south of town.
• Masters: Located north of town off of FM 1710.
• Sunshine
• Hustuttle: Located off the Crystal Falls highway, past the turn to Eliasville.
• Whiz Bang: Around 1930, a small boom town appeared near Woodson, on the road from Woodson to Masters (now 1710). Today, only a few broken cement blocks from the old refinery remain.

Education in Woodson

Public education in Woodson is provided by the Woodson Independent School District (WISD). The school's teams are called the Woodson Cowboys and Cowgirls, and their colors are black and gold. The school motto is "Be The Best You Can Be."

Woodson ISD is home of the Woodson Cowboys and Cowgirls.

Students from prekindergarten all the way through 12th grade can attend WISD. In 2016, there were 149 students and 29 teachers and staff members. Even with smaller numbers, Woodson offers many fun activities, such as:

• Junior and high school basketball
• Junior and high school volleyball
• Junior and high school football
• Junior and high school track and cross country
• Junior and high school cheerleading
• Tennis
• Golf
• FFA (Future Farmers of America)
• National Honor Society
• One Act Play
• UIL academic events (competitions in subjects like math, science, and writing)
• School newspaper
• Robotics

See also

In Spanish: Woodson (Texas) para niños