Splendora, Texas

Splendora
City
Welcome sign outside of city hall
Nickname:  The Switch 1896
Location of Splendora, Texas
Splendora Location within Texas
Coordinates: 30°13′13″N95°10′2″W / 30.22028°N 95.16722°W / 30.22028; -95.16722
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Montgomery
Incorporated	1966
Government [1]
• Mayor	Dorothy Welch
• City Council	William Ramey Evelyn Myers Mike Clark Sharon Ipes William Usher
Area [2]
• Total	3.07 sq mi (7.95 km2)
• Land	3.04 sq mi (7.87 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,683
• Density	741.78/sq mi (286.36/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	77372
Area code	281
FIPS code	48-69548 [3]
GNIS feature ID	1347662 [4]
Website	cityofsplendora.org

Splendora is a city in Montgomery County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,683 at the 2020 census. Splendora was named in reference to the "splendor of its floral environment." ^[5]

History

In the late 1800s, The Houston, East and West Texas Railway (now the Union Pacific Railroad), at the suggestion of Charles Cox, decided to build a narrow-gauge spur at the location of what is now Splendora. The location was originally known as "Cox's Switch." ^[5] The area slowly grew more populated after W.W. Burrow built a general store in the area in 1883. ^[6] In 1896, Cox recommended to the town's postmaster, Milton Z. King, that the town's name should be changed. They decided to change the name to Splendora because of the "splendor of its floral environment." ^{[5] [6]} The town was incorporated in December 1966. ^[5]

Geography

Splendora is located at 30°13′13″N95°10′2″W / 30.22028°N 95.16722°W / 30.22028; -95.16722 (30.220237, –95.167232), ^[7] which is approximately 37 miles north-northeast of Houston, Texas.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1970	194		—
1980	721		271.6%
1990	745		3.3%
2000	1,275		71.1%
2010	1,615		26.7%
2020	1,683		4.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [8]

Splendora racial composition as of 2020 ^[9]
(NH = Non-Hispanic) ^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	1,211	71.95%
Black or African American (NH)	15	0.89%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	8	0.48%
Asian (NH)	13	0.77%
Pacific Islander (NH)	1	0.06%
Some Other Race (NH)	7	0.42%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	57	3.39%
Hispanic or Latino	371	22.04%
Total	1,683

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,683 people, 641 households, and 519 families residing in the city.

As of the 2010 United States Census, ^[12] there were 1,615 people, 548 households, and 306 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 92.6% White, 1.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 3.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.8% of the population.

There were 548 households, out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

According to the 2015 American Community Survey, The median income for a household in the city was $37,431 and the median income for a family was $38,542. Males had a median income of $27,763 versus $16,809 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,609. About 25.8% of families and 31.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 53.3% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

City Hall

Splendora is governed locally by a City Council consisting of a mayor and 5 council members. As of June 2022, the mayor is Dorothy Welch. Council members are William Ramey, Evelyn Myers, Mike Clark, Sharon Ipes, and William Usher. ^[1]

In the Texas State Senate, Splendora is part of District 4, represented by Republican Brandon Creighton. In the Texas House of Representatives, Splendora is part of District 16, represented by Republican Will Metcalf. ^[13]

In the United States Senate, Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz represent the entire state of Texas. In the United States House of Representatives, Splendora is part of District 8, represented by Republican Kevin Brady. ^[13]

The United States Postal Service Splendora Post Office is located at 26130 Farm to Market Road 2090 East. ^[14]

Education

Splendora High School, Splendora ISD.

Children who live in Splendora attend schools within the Splendora Independent School District. ^[15]

The Texas Legislature designated Splendora ISD (and therefore Splendora) as part of Lone Star College (originally the North Harris Montgomery Community College District). ^[16] The territory in Splendora ISD joined the community college district in 1996. ^[17]

Notable people

• Robbie Middleton, burn survivor and crime victim ^[18]
• Brian Robison, National Football League player ^[19]
• James Surls, Modernist artist ^[20]

References

1. Notice of Special Meeting. June 10, 2022. City of Splendora, Texas. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. Borjas, Rebecca L. Splendora, TX. Handbook of Texas Online: June 15, 2010. Accessed on June 25, 2017.
6. Duke, Linda. Splendora: Montgomery County, Texas. County Genweb: October 18, 2016. Accessed on June 25, 2017.
7. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
9. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
10. https://www.census.gov/ ^{[ not specific enough to verify ]}
11. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
12. 2010 Census: Splendora City, Texas Archived 2020-02-13 at archive.today United States Census Bureau. Accessed on June 25, 2017.
13. Who Represents Me: Splendora. Texas Legislative Council. Accessed on June 25, 2017.
14. "Post Office Location - SPLENDORA Archived 2012-07-18 at archive.today ." United States Postal Service . Retrieved on December 8, 2008.
15. Splendora Independent School District. Accessed on June 25, 2017.
16. Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.191. LONE STAR COLLEGE SYSTEM DISTRICT SERVICE AREA..
17. "History." North Harris Montgomery Community College District. December 22, 2002. Retrieved on April 5, 2010.
18. Robbie Middleton, Boy Set On Fire, Said In Deathbed Video Don Collins Raped Him Before Attack. Huffington Post: October 17, 2012. Accessed on June 25, 2017.
19. Hveem, Todd (April 30, 2007). "Robison first Splendora athlete drafted by NFL". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
20. Anspon, Catherine D. The Return of a Master: James Surls Paper City Magazine: May 2, 2016. Accessed on June 25, 2017.

1. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. ^{[10] [11]}

External links

• Texas portal

• Handbook of Texas Online article