Editing White Oak, Texas

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = White Oak, Texas
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
| motto                    = "Pride, Tradition"
| image_skyline            = White Oak, TX, Municipal building IMG_4931.JPG
| imagesize                = 225px
| image_caption            = White Oak Municipal Building
| image_map                = TXMap-doton-WhiteOak.PNG
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location of White Oak, Texas
| image_map1               = Gregg County WhiteOak.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        = [[Gregg County, Texas|Gregg]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| 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           = 23.67
| area_land_km2            = 23.54
| area_water_km2           = 0.13
| area_total_sq_mi         = 9.14
| area_land_sq_mi          = 9.09
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.05
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 6225
| population_density_km2   = 268.54
| population_density_sq_mi = 695.49
<!-- 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             = 358
| coordinates              = {{coord|32|31|30|N|94|51|50|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 75693
| area_code                = [[Area codes 903 and 430|903, 430]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 48-78436<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              = 2412253<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412253}}</ref>
| website                  = [http://www.cityofwhiteoak.com/ City of White Oak, Texas]
| footnotes                = 
}}

[[File:White Oak, TX, State Bank IMG 4933.JPG|thumb|White Oak State Bank]]
[[File:Emmanuel Baptist Church, White Oak, TX IMG 4936.JPG|thumb|Emmanuel Baptist Church is located off [[U.S. Route 80 in Texas|U.S. Highway 80]] in White Oak]]

'''White Oak''' is a city in [[Gregg County, Texas|Gregg County]], [[Texas]], United States. It was incorporated in 1960.<ref name = tsha-handbook/> The population was 6,225 as of [[2020 United States census|2020]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Population of Cities of the United States - White Oak Texas|url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/white-oak-tx-population|access-date=November 7, 2011|website=World Population Review|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

==History==
In the later parts of the 1800s, White Oak was a small farming community with three [[sawmill]]s located on thick forested land. By 1884, there were roughly 15 families living in the area. Most sought to either work at the large sawmills dominating the area or farm the land near the creaks and rivers. A small school was built near Hawkins Creek which would also be utilized as a church on sundays. The school burned to the ground in 1885 due to suspected arson, though no one was ever brought to trial.

A new school was established in 1887.<ref name = tsha-handbook>{{cite web | title = White Oak, TX (Gregg County) | last1 = Long | first1 = Christopher | work = Handbook of Texas | publisher = Texas State Historical Association | url = https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/white-oak-tx-gregg-county | access-date = 2022-08-21}}</ref> Local land owners, Andrew J. Tuttle and his father-in-law, John Bumpus, gathered a group of men in the area to erect a new school. Mr. Tuttle's uncle, Pleas Harris, and Kaleb Bumpus donated land near a spring on which to build the new school. Local tales say Tuttle and Bumpus noticed the two White Oak trees on either side of the building after construction. It was then decided the community would be known as White Oak.<ref>{{cite web | title = White Oak Independent School District | publisher = Gregg County, TX Historical Commission | url = https://www.co.gregg.tx.us/sites/default/files/files/Departments/Historical%20Commission/Historical%20Markers/White%20Oak%20Independent%20School%20District%20%20%201998.pdf | access-date = 2022-08-21}}</ref>

The community grew during the [[oil boom]] of the 1930s, and continued to increase after World War II. The City was incorporated in 1960.<ref name = tsha-handbook/>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|9.1|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|0.1|sqmi}}, or 0.55%, is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1960= 1250
|1970= 2300
|1980= 4415
|1990= 5136
|2000= 5624
|2010= 6469
|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=6225}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''White Oak racial composition as of 2020'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4878436&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>https://www.census.gov/ {{nonspecific|date=August 2022}}</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)
|5,056
|81.22%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|192
|3.08%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|41
|0.66%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|31
|0.5%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|4
|0.06%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|13
|0.21%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|329
|5.29%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|559
|8.98%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''6,225'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 6,225 people, 2,067 households, and 1,823 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|693.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,182 housing units at an average density of {{convert|238.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,067 households, out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,802, and the median income for a family was $50,781. Males had a median income of $44,063 versus $2,530 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $17,486. About 9.9% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
The vast majority of the City of White Oak is served by the [[White Oak Independent School District]]. A section in the southeast corner of the town is in the [[Pine Tree Independent School District]]. A very small portion in the northwestern corner of White Oak is in the [[Gladewater Independent School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48183_gregg/DC20SD_C48183.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Gregg County, TX|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-11-28}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48183_gregg/DC20SD_C48183_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

The school system in the area was [[school segregation|segregated]] until 1966, when [[African American|Black]] children from nearby [[Shiloh, Gregg County, Texas|Shiloh]] were permitted to enroll in White Oak schools. The Shiloh School, which had been operating since shortly after the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], closed its doors after desegregation.<ref name='marker-commission'>{{cite web | title = Shiloh School History | work = Historical Marker Research Archives | publisher = Gregg County, TX |url= https://www.co.gregg.tx.us/sites/default/files/files/Departments/Historical%20Commission/Historical%20Markers/Shiloh%20School%20%20Ruins%20%20%201997.pdf | access-date = 2022-08-21}}</ref>

==Notable people==

* [[Mike Barber (tight end)|Mike Barber]], tight end for the [[Houston Oilers]], his prison ministry
* [[Byron Hunt]], played for the [[New York Giants]] in the early 1980s
* [[Sam Hunt (American football)|Sam Hunt]], linebacker for the [[New England Patriots]] from 1974 to 1979
* [[Max McGee]], wide-receiver at [[Tulane University]] during the 1950s, later for the [[Green Bay Packers]]
* [[Kelcy Warren]], billionaire chairman and CEO of [[Energy Transfer Partners]]<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Granberry |title=Kelcy Warren emerges as one of Dallas' bold new philanthropists |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |date=October 20, 2012 |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/arts/columnists/michael-granberry/20121020-kelcy-warren-emerges-as-one-of-dallas-bold-new-philanthropists.ece}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{notelist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.cityofwhiteoak.com/ City of White Oak, Texas]
* [https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hgw08 Texas State Historical Association]

{{Gregg County, Texas}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Gregg County, Texas]]
[[Category:Cities in Texas]]
[[Category:Longview metropolitan area, Texas]]