Editing Elkhart, Texas

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Elkhart, Texas
| settlement_type          = [[Town]]
| image_skyline            = Elkhart1 (1 of 1).jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = Downtown Elkhart
| image_map                = TXMap-doton-Elkhart.PNG
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location of Elkhart, Texas
| image_map1               = Anderson Elkhart.svg
| mapsize1                 = 250px
| map_caption1             = 
<!-- 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        = [[Anderson County, Texas|Anderson]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = Type A Mayor & Council
| leader_title             = Mayor
| leader_name              = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = 
<!-- 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           = 3.99
| area_land_km2            = 3.99
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi         = 1.54
| area_land_sq_mi          = 1.54
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 1287
| population_density_km2   = 325.65
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset               = -6
| timezone_DST             = CDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -5
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 407
| coordinates              = {{coord|31|37|30|N|95|34|46|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 75839
| area_code                = [[Area codes 903 and 430|903, 430]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 48-23140<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2412476<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412476}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|https://www.cityofelkharttx.gov/}}
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''Elkhart''' is a town in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Texas]], in [[Anderson County, Texas|Anderson County]]. Named for a friendly [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] who assisted the early settlers of the area,<ref name="Bridges"/> Elkhart's population was 1,250 at the time of March, 3, 2024

== History ==
The history of Elkhart starts with [[Daniel Parker (Baptist)|Daniel Parker's]] [[Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists|Pilgrim Predestinarian Baptist Church]]. It was formed in [[Crawford County, Illinois]] in 1833, because the government of Mexico would not allow the Baptist church's organization within their borders. Daniel, and his father John Parker, led their congregation to Texas, settling in [[Old Three Hundred|Austin's Colony]] in 1834. While John Parker's group settled and established [[Fort Parker State Park|Fort Parker (Limestone County)]], Daniel's group settled first in the territory that became [[Grimes County, Texas|Grimes County]] and later moved to the area around [[Anderson County, Texas#Settlers|Fort Houston (Anderson County)]]. Daniel Parker spent his time traveling and preaching in the homes of his scattered congregation. In 1836, the threats of [[Antonio López de Santa Anna#Texas Revolution 1835–1836|General Santa Anna's troops]] in April 1836, and the [[Fort Parker massacre|attack of Fort Parker]] in May 1836 sent the remnant of John Parker's group to seek protection near Fort Houston. The Pilgrim Church resumed meetings in February 1837, and resolved in 1839 to build a church house, selecting 2.5 acres "on the north side of the bluff of the Harrison Fork of Bayou Blue near Daniel Parker's house". They constructed a log house and cleared a burial ground where Daniel Parker was buried in 1844.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hohes |first1=Pauline Buck |title=A centennial history of Anderson County, Texas |date=1936 |publisher=Naylor Co. |location=San Antonio, Tex. |pages=91,237}}</ref> The church, now called Old Pilgrim Church, which has been replaced several times since the first log house, was the center of the community called Parker's Settlement, or just Pilgrim.<ref name="Hesler">{{cite web |last1=Hesler |first1=Samuel B. |title=Pilgrim Primitive Baptist Church |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/pilgrim-primitive-baptist-church |website=Handbook of Texas |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=2022-02-17}}</ref><ref name="Hesler2">{{cite web |last1=Hesler |first1=Samuel B. |title=Parker, Daniel (1781–1844) |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/parker-daniel |website=Handbook of Texas |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=2022-02-17}}</ref>

About the same time Parker's followers were getting established, the first Methodist sermon was given by Rev. William Stevenson, whose members built their church about 1840, one mile west of Pilgrim Baptist Church.

The community was granted a post office in March 1850, named Elkheart (later changed to Elkhart) which was located four miles south of Elkhart's current position, and named for a Native who had helped the early settlers.<ref name="Bridges">{{cite web |last1=Bridges |first1=Dorothy K. |title=Elkhart, TX |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/elkhart-tx |website=Handbook of Texas |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=2022-02-17}}</ref>

As the [[Houston]] to [[Palestine, Texas|Palestine]] rail was being finished in 1872, Elkhart shifted north to the train depot, and thus began to be considered the "railroad village" associated with the Parker settlement.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Memorial and Biographical History of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon Counties, Texas|language=en|date=1893|publisher=Lewis Publishing Company|location=Chicago|page=287|url=http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth46827/m1/293/sizes/l/|access-date=2014-09-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072202/http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth46827/m1/293/sizes/l/|archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Texas Railroad History - Tower 173 - Palestine |url=http://txrrhistory.com/towers/173/173.htm |website=Texas Railroad History |access-date=2022-02-17}}</ref>

== Geography ==
Elkhart is located in southern Anderson County. [[U.S. Route 287 in Texas|U.S. Route 287]] passes through the town, leading north {{convert|10|mi}} to [[Palestine, Texas|Palestine]], the county seat, {{convert|12|mi}} south to [[Grapeland, Texas|Grapeland]], and {{convert|25|mi}} south to [[Crockett, Texas|Crockett]], the seat of [[Houston County, Texas|Houston County]]. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.5|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

== Demographics ==
{{US Census population
|1940= 751
|1950= 776
|1960= 780
|1970= 997
|1980= 1317
|1990= 1076
|2000= 1215
|2010= 1371
|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=1287}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Elkhart racial composition as of 2020'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4823140&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=2022-05-25 |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|url=https://www.census.gov/en.html|title=Census.gov|first=US Census|last=Bureau|website=Census.gov}}</ref><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=18 May 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|969
|75.29%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|125
|9.71%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|5
|0.39%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|6
|0.47%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|2
|0.16%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|9
|0.7%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|44
|3.42%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|127
|9.87%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''1,287'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 1,287 people, 453 households, and 316 families residing in the town.

At the [[census]] of 2000,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 1,215 people, 473 households, and 321 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|783.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 532 housing units at an average density of {{convert|342.8|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 89.05% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 8.15% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.41% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.82% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.56% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.05% of the population. In 2020, its population was 1,287.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=2020 Race and Population Totals |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4823140&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1 |access-date=2022-04-13 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> Among the population in 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup remained predominantly [[Non-Hispanic whites|non-Hispanic white]], though Black or African Americans were the second largest group.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,927, and the median income for a family was $33,977 in 2000. Males had a median income of $27,841 versus $21,705 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $13,809. About 12.9% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 32.5% of those age 65 or over. In 2020, its median household income was $37,159,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 Annual Income Estimates |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4823140&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1901 |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> and 19.9% of its population lived at or below the poverty line.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 Poverty Statistics |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4823140&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1701 |language=en|access-date=2022-04-19 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

== Education ==
The town of Elkhart is served by the [[Elkhart Independent School District]].

== Notable people ==
* [[F. Tillman Durdin]], journalist
* [[Tye Sheridan]], actor
* [[Jeff Wilson (American football)|Jeff Wilson]], NFL running back for the [[Miami Dolphins]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{notelist}}
{{commons category|Elkhart, Texas}}

== External links ==
* [https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hje09 Entry in the Handbook of Texas Online]

{{Anderson County, Texas}}

{{authority control}}

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