Editing Alto, Texas

{{Short description|Town in Cherokee County, Texas, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Alto, Texas
| settlement_type          = [[Town]]
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| mapsize                  = 250px
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<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Texas]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Texas|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Cherokee County, Texas|Cherokee]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = [[Mayor-Council government|Mayor-Council]]
| leader_title             = [[City Council]]
| leader_name              = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = 1849
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 4.42
| area_land_km2            = 4.42
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi         = 1.71
| area_land_sq_mi          = 1.71
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 1027
| population_density_km2   = 280.83
| population_density_sq_mi = 727.27
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset               = -6
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| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 433
| coordinates              = {{coord|31|39|04|N|95|04|15|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 75925
| area_code                = [[Area code 936|936]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 48-02188<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2412356<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412356}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|https://cityofalto.com/}}
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''Alto''' is a town in [[Cherokee County, Texas|Cherokee County]], [[Texas]], United States. With a population of 1,027 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 U.S. census]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Alto%20town,%20Texas%20population |access-date=May 12, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> Alto is the closest municipality to the [[Caddo Mounds State Historic Site]], an archaeological site dating back to 800 BC, featuring a prehistoric village and ceremonial center.

==History==
An early settler in the region was Martin Lacy, who built Lacy's Fort just to the west to the current site of Alto in around 1838. In 1838 and 1839, during the campaign to suppress the [[Córdova Rebellion]], the fort served as an operations and supply base for the Third Militia brigade commanded by Maj. Gen. [[Thomas J. Rusk]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Texas State Historical Association|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/uel02|access-date=September 16, 2015}}</ref>

The town of Alto was laid out in 1849 and named for the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word meaning "high," on account of the site's elevation on a [[drainage divide]] between the [[Neches River|Neches]] and [[Angelina River]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tarpley|first=Fred|title=1001 Texas Place Names|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R4B7n7pJyZIC&pg=PA8|date=July 5, 2010|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=978-0-292-78693-6|page=8}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Caddo Mound Site TX.jpg|thumb|left|Caddo Mound Site near Alto, January 2012]]

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.7|sqmi|km2}}, all land.
Alto had a prisoner of war camp during [[World War II]], which served the Cherokee County area.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.  According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Alto has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=91014&cityname=Alto%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Alto, Texas]</ref>{{clear left}}

==Demographics==
{{stack|{{US Census population
|1870= 61
|1880= 88
|1890= 210
|1910= 672
|1920= 1081
|1930= 1053
|1940= 1141
|1950= 1021
|1960= 869
|1970= 1045
|1980= 1203
|1990= 1027
|2000= 1190
|2010= 1225
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
|2020=1027}}}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Alto racial composition as of 2020'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4802188&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=May 25, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref><br /> (NH = Non-Hispanic){{efn|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|416
|40.51%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|268
|26.1%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|2
|0.19%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|1
|0.1%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|38
|3.7%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|302
|29.41%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''1,027'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 1,027 people, 459 households, and 283 families residing in the town.

According to the [[2000 United States census|2000 U.S. census]], there were 1,190 people, 452 households, and 282 families residing in the town.<ref name="GR2" /> The population density was {{convert|707.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 534 housing units at an average density of {{convert|317.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 65.55% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 24.79% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.50% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.17% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 6.81% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.18% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 10.25% of the population.

==Education==
[[Public school (government funded)|Public schools]] are managed by the [[Alto Independent School District]]. These are [[Alto High School]], Alto Middle School, 
and Alto Elementary School.<ref>[http://www.alto.esc7.net/Campuses.htm "Alto ISD Campuses"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212130307/http://www.alto.esc7.net/Campuses.htm |date=December 12, 2008 }}, Alto Independent School District</ref>

==Public safety==
In 2011, the city eliminated its entire police force after the city council cut the police budget to zero,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tiny-texas-city-lays-off-entire-police-force/ |title=Tiny Texas city lays off entire police force |date=July 5, 2011 |work=CBS News |access-date=July 7, 2011}}</ref> causing residents to brace for increased crime.<ref name=wsj1>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304231204576405763808298714?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5 |title=The Day the Law Left Town |author=Ana Campoy |date=June 29, 2011 |work=Wall Street Journal |access-date=July 7, 2011}}</ref> A councilman is quoted as saying "The police department, being a non-money-making entity, was the easiest to get rid of." Meanwhile, police services are provided by the county sheriff and, assuming the town's finances improve, it will be opened up again in December.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.forbes.com/greatspeculations/2011/06/29/texas-town-dismisses-police-because-of-budget-crisis/|title = Texas Town Dismisses Police Because of Budget Crisis}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[James Z. Spearing]], member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] from [[Louisiana's 2nd congressional district]] from 1924 to 1931, was born in Alto in 1864.
*[[George B. Terrell]], member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] from [[Texas's at-large congressional seat|Texas's at-large congressional district]] from 1924 to 1931.<ref name="Miller">{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Thomas Lloyd |date=August 1, 1995 |title=Biography, George Butler Terrell (1862–1947) |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/terrell-george-butler |access-date=May 16, 2021 |website=TSHA Online |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |location=Austin, TX}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Texas}}
* [[List of municipalities in Texas]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|22em}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Alto, Texas}}


{{Cherokee County, Texas}}

{{authority control}}


[[Category:Towns in Cherokee County, Texas]]
[[Category:Towns in Texas]]