Panhandle, Texas
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Panhandle is a city in and the county seat of Carson County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,378 at the 2020 census.<ref name=":0" /> Panhandle is part of the Amarillo metropolitan statistical area.
History
[edit]Panhandle derives its name from its central location in the Texas Panhandle. Originally named "Carson City", it was later changed to "Panhandle City".<ref name="Anderson">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1887, Panhandle obtained a post office, and in 1888, the city was planned as the terminus of the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway. At that time, the city was surrounded by several large cattle ranches. The community soon acquired a bank, a mercantile store, a wagonyard, a school, a newspaper, and three saloons.<ref name="Anderson"/>
In 1888, Carson County was organized, and Panhandle became the county seat.<ref name="Anderson"/> The area's cattlemen were reconciled to the arrival of farmers because they produced needed forage crops, such as hay, and introduced more families with eligible young women for the cowboy bachelors of the cattle kingdom.<ref name=lfs>Lester Fields Sheffy, The Life and Times of Timothy Dwight Hobart, 1855-1935: Colonization of West Texas (Canyon, Texas: Panhandle-Plains Historical Society, 1950), pp. 120-121</ref>
Panhandle was scandalized in 1897 after George E. Morrison, a preacher at the Methodist Episcopal Church, poisoned his wife Minnie with a strychnine-laced apple so that he could marry his mistress Miss Annie Whittlesey of Topeka, Kansas. Morrison was sentenced to die in the gallows at Vernon in Wilbarger County, Texas, his last words being: "Jesus, Lover of My Soul".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1909, Panhandle voted to incorporate with a mayor-council government.
The population grew in the 1920s when Panhandle became the center of a natural gas field.
A new county courthouse was completed in 1950.
Panhandle continued to thrive in the 1980s as a regional marketing and shipping center for cattle, wheat, and petroleum products.<ref name="Anderson"/>
Geography
[edit]Panhandle is located slightly south of the center of Carson County.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> U.S. Route 60 passes through the city, leading northeast Template:Convert to Pampa and southwest the same distance to Amarillo. Texas State Highway 207 crosses US 60 in Panhandle and passes through the center of the city; it leads north Template:Convert to Borger and south Template:Convert to Interstate 40 at Conway.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Panhandle has a total area of Template:Convert, all land.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref>
Climate
[edit]According to the Köppen climate classification system, Panhandle has a borderline humid subtropical (Cfa)/cool semi-arid (BSk) climate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It features hot summers with moderate rainfall and cold, though extremely variable, and generally dry winters.
Demographics
[edit]2020 census
[edit]| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 1,987 | 83.56% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 13 | 0.55% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 17 | 0.71% |
| Asian (NH) | 7 | 0.29% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 1 | 0.04% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 3 | 0.13% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 109 | 4.58% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 241 | 10.13% |
| Total | 2,378 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,378 people, 1,058 households, and 723 families residing in the city.
2000 census
[edit]As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, 2,589 people, 945 households, and 719 families were residing in the city. The population density was 1,216.6 people/sq mi (469.3/km2). The 1,014 housing units averaged 476.5/sq mi (183.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.16% White, 0.66% African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 3.86% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.96% of the population.
Of the 945 households, 38.2% had children under 18 living with them, 64.0% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were not families. About 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.63, and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,686, and for a family was $50,735. Males had a median income of $38,155 versus $25,329 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,640. About 4.0% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
[edit]Sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places include Carson County Square House Museum, and the Panhandle Inn.
Education
[edit]
Panhandle is served by the Panhandle Independent School District. Panhandle High School is located here.