Corrigan, Texas

Corrigan
Town
Corrigan City Hall
Location of Corrigan, Texas
Coordinates: 31°00′20″N94°49′39″W / 31.00556°N 94.82750°W / 31.00556; -94.82750
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Polk
Government
• Type	Council-manager
Area [1]
• Total	2.30 sq mi (5.95 km2)
• Land	2.30 sq mi (5.95 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	233 ft (71 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,477
• Density	701.66/sq mi (270.88/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	75939
Area code	936
FIPS code	48-17036 [3]
GNIS feature ID	2413246 [2]

Corrigan is a town in north central Polk County, Texas, United States. It is located along U.S. Highway 59 and is approximately 100 miles from Houston. Its population was 1,477 in the 2020 census.

Background

Corrigan largely emerged when the Houston East and West Texas Railway was completed in 1881; however, the area had seen some establishment of mills and farms prior to the railroad. The town was named Corrigan after Pat Corrigan, the conductor of the first train to pass through the newly built railway in the area. In the years following, the timber industry boomed in Corrigan due to the large pine trees native to the area and access to the railroad. By 1882, there were 17 sawmills in the Corrigan area. The timber industry led to churches, stores, hotels, gins, and other businesses opening in Corrigan. In 1883, a post office opened. The Corrigan economy began to diversify, which helped the community survive economic downturns that happened periodically in the timber industry. However, the timber industry remained at the core of the Corrigan economy and shaped many of the town's social structures. ^[4]

In 2000, there were 114 businesses in Corrigan. ^[4] An analysis by the Houston Chronicle of Texas traffic stop data found the Corrigan Police Department to be among the most aggressive at enforcing traffic laws in the state, with the town's 12 police officers issuing over 8,100 citations in 2020. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 sq mi (4.7 km²), all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Corrigan has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps. ^[8]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	298		—
1940	1,402		—
1950	1,417		1.1%
1960	986		−30.4%
1970	1,304		32.3%
1980	1,770		35.7%
1990	1,764		−0.3%
2000	1,721		−2.4%
2010	1,595		−7.3%
2020	1,477		−7.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]

Corrigan racial composition as of 2020 ^[10]
(NH = Non-Hispanic) ^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	459	31.08%
Black or African American (NH)	578	39.13%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	3	0.2%
Asian (NH)	12	0.81%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	50	3.39%
Hispanic or Latino	375	25.39%
Total	1,477

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,477 people, 677 households, and 444 families residing in the town.

As of the census ^[3] of 2000, 1,721 people, 630 households, and 437 families were residing in the town. The estimated population in 2018 was 1,604. ^[12] The population density was 934.9 people/sq mi (361.1/km²). The 734 housing units averaged 398.7/sq mi (154.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 48.11% White, 42.18% African American, 0.23% Native American, 8.83% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 14.93% of the population.

Households

Of the 630 households, 37.6% had children under 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 24.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were not families. About 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.63, and the average family size was 3.23.

In the town, the age distribution was 31.3% under 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.7 males.

Income

The median income for a household in the town was $18,980, and for a family was $24,830. Males had a median income of $30,144 versus $19,881 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,794. About 30.3% of families and 31.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.1% of those under age 18 and 30.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Town of Corrigan is served by the Corrigan-Camden Independent School District, ^[13] which operates Corrigan-Camden High School.

The Texas Legislature designated Polk County as being in the boundary of Angelina College's district. ^[14]

• 
  Watertower in Corrigan
• 
  Polk County Subcourthouse in Corrigan, Texas

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Corrigan, Texas
3. "U.S. Census website" . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "TSHA | Corrigan, TX (Polk County)". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
5. Barned-Smith, St John; Dexheimer, Eric (August 18, 2021). "Speeding in Texas? Here's where police pulled over the most people". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
6. "Corrigan ranks high on places for speed traps in Texas". easttexasnews.com. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
7. Dexheimer, Eric; Barned-Smith, St John (November 22, 2021). "Dangling air fresheners and 'faulty' plates: These Texas police make the most minor traffic stops". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
8. Climate Summary for Corrigan, Texas
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
11. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
12. "Search Results". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
13. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Polk County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved December 4, 2021.
14. Texas Education Code Sec. 130.165. ANGELINA COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA..

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. ^[11]