Farmersville, Texas

Farmersville, Texas
City
Farmersville Commercial District
Motto:  "Discover a Texas Treasure" [1]
Location of Farmersville in Collin County, Texas
Coordinates: 33°9′51″N96°22′0″W / 33.16417°N 96.36667°W / 33.16417; -96.36667
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Collin
Government
• Mayor	Bryon Wiebold
Area [2]
• Total	4.27 sq mi (11.07 km2)
• Land	4.11 sq mi (10.63 km2)
• Water	0.17 sq mi (0.43 km2)
Elevation	653 ft (199 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,612
• Density	884.29/sq mi (341.39/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	75442
Area code	972
FIPS code	48-25488 [3]
GNIS feature ID	1335715 [4]
Website	www.farmersvilletx.com

Farmersville is a city located in Collin County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,612 at the 2020 census, with the larger Census County Division (CCD) having a population of 12,344. ^[5]

^[6]

History

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	114		—
1880	230		101.8%
1890	1,093		375.2%
1900	1,856		69.8%
1910	1,848		−0.4%
1920	2,167		17.3%
1930	1,878		−13.3%
1940	2,206		17.5%
1950	1,955		−11.4%
1960	2,021		3.4%
1970	2,311		14.3%
1980	2,360		2.1%
1990	2,640		11.9%
2000	3,118		18.1%
2010	3,301		5.9%
2020	3,612		9.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]

Farmersville originated in 1849 as a settlement on the Jefferson-McKinney Road, and near Republic of Texas National Road. The settlement was named by pioneers William Pickney Chapman & John Hendrex for the chief occupation of many of the residents. ^[8]

After 1854, the Yearys and several neighboring families of Sugar Hill (2 miles northeast) began relocating to Farmersville. H.M. Markham, practicing here by 1855, is said to have been Collin County's earliest physician. The First United Methodist Church was organized in 1856. William Gotcher on March 4, 1859, donated land for the public square. A school was operating as early as the 1860s. The First Baptist Church of Farmersville was organized on May 14, 1865. ^[1]

The town was incorporated on June 2, 1873. The first mayor was John S. Rike. The first aldermen were James Church, Ben King, John Murchison, Tom Tatum, and John P. Utt. The first Marshal was Jeff Hines.^{[ citation needed ]}

Institutions from the 1880s that are still in operation include the Farmersville Times, the oldest newspaper in Collin County, ^[9] and the First Bank (now Independent Financial), as well as the two churches mentioned above.

On June 15, 1945, Audie Murphy, the most decorated combat soldier of World War II, came home to a hero's welcome in Farmersville. Thousands of celebrants filled the square to listen to him speak, and the event was noted in the July 16, 1945 edition of Life Magazine. A Texas Historical Commission plaque notes the event on The Square. ^[10]

As the town became a trade center, agriculture kept pace. Farmersville in the 1930s was known as the "Onion Capital of North Texas", annually shipping over 1,000 carloads of onion. Along with some small industry, cantaloupe, cattle, corn, cotton, and maize crops remained important. ^[11]

On May 8, 2021, in honor of Audie Murphy and on the 76th anniversary of VE Day - commemorating the end of fighting in the European Theater of Operations during World War II - a "Sister City Pact" between Farmersville and Holtzwihr, France was signed. ^[12] This ceremony was to cement the common bond between the two cities and recognize Murphy's heroism at the Battle of Holtzwihr on January 26, 1945.^{[ citation needed ]}. Previously, on January 29, 2020, the people of Holtzwihr erected a memorial to the men who fought and died with the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division under command of the 1st French Army. Murphy was selected and memorialized as the soldier who best exemplified the courage, valor and sacrifice the soldiers made in their battle with the Nazi enemy. ^[13]

Geography

Farmersville is located in northeast Collin County, approximately 45 miles from Dallas.

U.S. Route 380 crosses the south side of the city, leading west 18 miles (29 km) to McKinney and east 15 miles (24 km) to Greenville. Texas State Highway 78 passes through the west side of Farmersville, leading north 10 miles (16 km) to Blue Ridge and southwest 27 miles (43 km) to Garland. The northern portion of Lavon Lake is at the western most city limits, north and south of U.S. Route 380.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Farmersville has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.4 km²), of which 3.8 square miles (9.9 km²) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²), or 4.18%, is water. ^[14]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Farmersville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. ^[15]

Demographics

Farmersville racial composition as of 2020 ^[16]
(NH = Non-Hispanic) ^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	2,123	58.78%
Black or African American (NH)	235	6.51%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	4	0.11%
Asian (NH)	19	0.53%
Pacific Islander (NH)	2	0.06%
Some Other Race (NH)	11	0.3%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	162	4.49%
Hispanic or Latino	1,056	29.24%
Total	3,612

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,612 people, 1,396 households, and 799 families residing in the city. ^[16]

Education

The city is served by the Farmersville Independent School District. ^[19] Collin College operates a branch campus in Farmersville.

Media

The Farmersville Times is a weekly newspaper published in the city. The newspaper was established in 1885, and is part of C&S Media Publications Inc. ^{[9] [20]}

Notable people

• Stevie Benton, bassist for American heavy metal band Drowning Pool, resided in Farmersville and attended Farmersville High School
• Gussie Nell Davis (1906-1993), educator and founder of Kilgore College Rangerettes, the first all-girl drill team to perform on a collegiate football field, and recognized as the best in the world
• Reid Dillon, guitarist for Flatland Cavalry - a country and Americana band formed in Lubbock, TX - Farmersville High School Class of 2013
• Herb Ellis (1921–2010), jazz guitarist, born in Farmersville
• Jim Haislip (1891-1970), Pitcher, Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies
• Monty "Hawkeye" Henson, three-time PRCA world champion saddle bronc rider and world famous rodeo cowboy, born in Farmersville
• Jim Hess, former college coach and NFL scout
• Tex McDonald (1891-1943) - (born Charles C. Crabtree) - Right Fielder, Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Rebels, and the Buffalo Buffeds/Blues
• John Monroe, infielder, Major League Baseball for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies
• Loren Murchison, double gold medalist in the 4x100m relay at the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, on teams that set world records in the finals each time
• Audie Murphy, United States' most decorated combat soldier of World War II, spent his childhood in Kingston, Texas and surrounding areas, and lived in Farmersville before his enlistment
• Nick Nicholson (American football) (1925-2010), head football coach, Abilene Christian University
• Archie J. Old, Jr. (1906-1984), Lieutenant General, United States Air Force, flew 43 combat missions against Germany during World War II
• Tex Watson, murderer and member of the Manson Family, best known for his involvement (with Susan Atkins) in the stabbing murders of Sharon Tate and her unborn child, grew up in Copeville and attended Farmersville Independent School District

Notes

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. ^{[17] [18]}

References

1. "City of Farmersville Texas". City of Farmersville Texas. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
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. "2020 Race and Population Totals". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
6. "Farmersville CCD, Collin County, TX". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
8. "Farmersville Historical Markers" (PDF). Farmersville Historical Markers. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
9. "The Farmersville Times celebrates milestone 125th year". Texas Press Association. Archived from the original on August 4, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
10. "Details of Audie Murphy's Homecoming". Texas Historical Commission. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
11. "Small Town Treasures To Visit In The Texas Hill Country" . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
12. "Farmersville Bond Forged with French City". Farmersville. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
13. "Holtzwihr Memorial to Audie Murphy". www.audiemurphy.com. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
14. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Farmersville city, Texas". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
15. Climate Summary for Farmersville, Texas
16. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
17. https://www.census.gov/ ^{[ not specific enough to verify ]}
18. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
19. "Farmersville Independent School District". Farmersville Independent School District. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
20. "The Farmersville Times". The Farmersville Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2012.

External links

• City of Farmersville official website
• Texas State Historical Association