Estelline is a town located in Hall County, Texas, United States. The population in 2010 was 145.[4] The population was estimated at 141 in 2013.[4] In 2012, Estelline was ranked #1 in a National Motorists Association listing of its "Worst Speed Trap Cities" in North America (with a population of less than 50,000).[5] Estelline often refers to itself as the "Town of Estelline", with a "Town Hall" and a "Town Council", rather than the customary "city" label. However, under Texas law, all incorporated municipalities are considered to be cities.[6]
Estelline was established in 1892 by the brothers Elam and Math Wright. It was on the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway and was named for Estelle de Shields, daughter of an early settler. The area was originally part of the Diamond Tail Ranch. The Mill Iron range lay nearby, and after 1896 the Continental Land and Cattle Company moved its headquarters to a nearby bluff overlooking the Red River. A post office was opened in May 1892, and by 1894 Estelline had two hotels, a Methodist church, a cotton gin, a livery stable, and a one-room schoolhouse. Tom Macy opened the first store, and soon afterward T. R. Garrott established the Estelline Supply Company. In 1894 Math Wright obtained a depot and sidetrack for his town, and throughout the remainder of the decade Estelline was an important shipping point on the Fort Worth and Denver City line. Cattle from nearby Silverton and Paducah were driven there for shipment. In 1896 the Mill Iron Ranch bought the Estelline Supply Company and opened a large general merchandise store and lumberyard with R. L. Biggerstaff as manager. Two years later Biggerstaff established a private bank, which became the Estelline State Bank in 1905. The town had two newspapers, the Estelline Star (1894–1896) and the Estelline News (1907–1910). A two-story school was built in 1909. In 1912 the citizens of Estelline elected to incorporate with a mayor, a city marshal, and five aldermen. By then the town had attained a population of over 1,000.[7]
The 1920s saw the erection of permanent brick school facilities, the emergence of a champion basketball team, and the organization of a town band conducted by Paul James. In 1927 the railroad began construction of a branch line out of Estelline to Plainview in Hale County. However, the Great Depression led to the closing of the bank and a decline in the population to 603 by 1940. That year two fires destroyed several businesses. Subsequent improvements in highway transportation led to an overall decline in Estelline's importance as a railroad junction town. The number of businesses dropped from fifteen in 1947 to four by 1980, when the population was 258. The town was still incorporated, and the post office remained open.[7]
In 1983, Estelline citizens voted to allow the sale of alcohol beverages. Estelline is the only seller of alcohol beverages within 'dry' Hall County.[6] Estelline has a reputation for being a prominent Texas speed trap and relies on speeders to pay its bills.[8][9][10][11] The Estelline Independent School District was declared dormant in 1987 and students were sent to Memphis schools. Estelline was home to 194 residents in 1990, 168 in 2000 and 145 in 2010. In 2012, the Town Hall was mysteriously gutted by fire. Texas Rangers and the State Fire Marshal have both described the incident as arson.[12][13] A highly publicized 2013 civil rights case revealed that 89 percent of Estellines 2012gross revenue came from asset forfeiture and traffic fine revenue.[14][15][16][17]
2013 civil rights case
In September 2013, a federal suit was filed by Laura Dutton, alleging that the cities of Estelline and Memphis, former Officer Jayson Fry and Memphis Police Chief Chris Jolly violated her Fourth Amendment rights against illegal search and seizure when she was arrested November 28, 2012, in Estelline on a felony money laundering charge, seizing more than $29,000 from her pickup and keeping $1,400 of her cash. The city maintained no written records of past searches or seizures, yet traffic fines and forfeitures made up more than 89 percent of its gross revenues in fiscal year 2012. The cities and the officers denied her claims, but in July 2014, the city of Estelline and City of Memphis authorities settled with Dutton for $77,500.[17][18][19]
2015 police chief arrest
Estelline Chief of Police Duwayne Marcolesco surrendered his peace officer license after being charged with official oppression, stemming from an incident on February 9, 2015. Duwayne Marcolesco was arrested after stopping a car while off duty in his personal car in Childress County. The two women in the car that was stopped made an official complaint, and through an investigation the Childress County Sheriff says they discovered Marcolesco was threatening and terrorizing the women. Marcolesco surrendered his peace officer licenses meaning he can no longer work as a peace officer in Texas, and no longer is the chief of police in Estelline.[20][21][22]
2017 police chief arrest
On the night of June 1, 2017, Estelline Police Chief Leigh Weiser was arrested for alleged sexual activity with a person in custody, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The case was handled by the Texas Rangers. Weiser was arraigned on a charge of violation of civil rights of person in custody, by improper sexual activity, as defined by the Article 39.04 Texas Penal Code.[23][24][25] Weiser was indicted by Childress County in November 2017 and his peace officer status was revoked in June, 2018.[26]
Geography
Estelline is located at the junction of U.S. Highway 287 and State Highway 86 in east central Hall County, approximately 14 miles southeast of Memphis and 15 miles northwest of Childress.[27] The nearest major city is Amarillo, located 102 miles northwest of Estelline.[28] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8km2), all land.
Weather and climate
A diagram of tornado alley based on 1 tornado or more per decade. Rough location (red), and its contributing weather systems
Estelline, Texas is often referred to as being located at the core of Tornado Alley. Over the years, the location(s) of Tornado Alley have not been clearly defined. No official definition of 'tornado alley' or the geographical area of tornado alley has ever been designated by the National Weather Service Thus, differences of location are the result of the different criteria used.
According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory FAQ, "Tornado Alley" is a term used by the media as a reference to areas that have higher numbers of tornadoes. A study of 1921–1995 tornadoes concluded almost one-fourth of all significant tornadoes occur in this area.[31][32]
Brief, non-mesocyclonic tornado embedded inside a downburst completely collapsed two old brick buildings, blew in doors and windows, and destroyed a mobile home.
As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 145 people, 54 households, and 30 families residing in the city. The population density was 195 inhabitants per square mile (75/km2). There were 54 occupied housing units and 30 vacant housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 84.8% White, 4.8% African American, 0.0% Native American, 9.7% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.7% of the population.[4]
There were 54 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 42.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 33.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 4.00.
In the city the population was spread out, with 31.5% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 20 to 24, 2.1% from 25 to 29, 4.1% from 30 to 34, 6.2% from 35 to 39, 8.9% from 40 to 49, 19.3% from 50 to 59, 4.1% from 60 to 64 and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.5 years. A total of 74.0 females and a total of 71.0 males reside in the city. 52.0 females and 47.0 males were 18 years of age or older.[4]
The median income for a household in the city was $16,667, and the median income for a family was $33,019. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $18,125 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,035. About 40.4% of the population were below the poverty line.[4]
Educational attainment: percent high school graduate or higher was 57.1%. [4]
Clarendon College – Childress Center is located approximately 15 miles Southeast in Childress, Texas. Clarendon College (Texas) is a Community College located in Clarendon, the seat of Donley County in the Texas Panhandle. The College operates branch campuses in Pampa and Childress.
John Cornyn III is a Republican member of the United States Senate. U.S. Senator Cornyn has served since 2002 and succeeded in his reelection in 2008, 2014, and again in 2020. He is Senate Majority Whip. He won the March 2014 Republican primary with 59% of the vote and the 2020 Republican primary with 76% of the vote.
A Republican, Thornberry represented Texas's 13th congressional district, a GOP stronghold which stretches between the Oklahoma and New Mexico borders. It winds across the Panhandle into the South Plains, then runs east across the Red River Valley. Covering over 40,000 square miles (100,000km2), it is the second-largest district geographically in Texas and one of the largest (excluding at-large districts in Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska) in the country. It is even larger in area than thirteen states. The principal cities in the district are Amarillo and Wichita Falls.[36]
Estelline has a reputation for being a prominent Texas speed trap.[6][8][39] In 2012, Estelline was ranked #1 in a National Motorists Association listing of its "Worst Speed Trap Cities" in North America (with a population of less than 50,000).[5][40] Estelline has a one-person police force whose main purpose is to wait for speeders.[8][17] A 2013 civil rights case revealed that 89 percent of Estelline's 2012gross revenue came from asset forfeiture. Furthermore, Estelline relies on speeders to pay its bills. From 2000 through 2009, Estelline had the second highest traffic fine revenue per citizen in Texas, more than 300% the per citizen revenue of third place Domino.[10][41][42][9]
State officials audited Estelline in 1999 and 2003, finding in the earlier instance that the town owed the state $15,025 in excess traffic fines.[8]
A 2013 civil rights case revealed that the city of Estelline is paying off a substantial debt for unpaid traffic fine revenues that it was supposed to pay into the state's coffers.[17] The city owed the state $600,000 for the state's share of traffic ticket income in 2006 and 2007, but reduced its back debt to about $300,000 as of March 2014, and is paying roughly $10,000 a month to pay it off.[17][43]
Events
Estelline Outdoor Entertainment Association
The Estelline Outdoor Entertainment Association is a non-profit organization that works to provide entertainment and establish work programs.[44] Previous events include the Annual Red River Festival & Motorcycle Rally;[45] and the Annual Texas State Barbecue Championship competition, known as the Ozark Trail Barbecue Cook-off.[46]
Hall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population is 2,825. Its county seat is Memphis. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1890. It is named for Warren D. C. Hall, a secretary of war for the Republic of Texas.
Brookside is a town in north-central Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 1,253. It is a former mining town. The community is a known for being a speed trap.
Hampton is a city in Bradford County, Florida, United States. The City of Hampton is located in North Florida. The population was 432 at the 2020 census.
Livonia is a town in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,442 at the 2010 census, up from 1,339 in 2000. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Childress is a city in Childress County, Texas, United States. Its population was 5,737 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Childress County.
Clarendon is a city in Donley County, Texas, United States. Its population was 2,026 at the 2010 census. The county seat of Donley County, Clarendon is located on U.S. Highway 287 in the Texas Panhandle, 60 miles (97 km) east of Amarillo.
Pampa is a city in Gray County, Texas, United States. Its population was 16,867 as of the 2020 census. Pampa is the county seat of Gray County and is the principal city of the Pampa micropolitan statistical area, which includes both Gray and Roberts Counties. Pampa is named after the Pampas Lowlands in Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil.
Memphis is a city and the county seat of Hall County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,290.
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Amarillo is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the most populous city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The estimated population of Amarillo was 200,393 as of April 1, 2020, comprising nearly half of the population of the panhandle. The Amarillo metropolitan area had an estimated population of 308,297 as of 2020.
The Texas panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a square-shaped area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east. It is adjacent to the Oklahoma Panhandle, land which Texas previously claimed. The 1820 Missouri Compromise declared no slavery would be allowed in states admitted from the Louisiana Purchase above 36°30′ north latitude. Texas was annexed in 1845 from still more westerly land. The Compromise of 1850 removed territory north of this line from Texas, and set the border between the Texas Pandhandle and the New Mexico Territory at the 103rd meridian west. The eastern border at the 100th meridian west was inherited from the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, which defined the border between the United States and New Spain. The Handbook of Texas defines the southern border of Swisher County as the southern boundary of the Texas Panhandle region.
Hacienda Village is a defunct town located in central Broward County, Florida in the United States. It possessed both a police and fire department as well as various other municipal agencies, yet still relied heavily on Broward County for many services. It was disincorporated in 1984 and was subsequently absorbed into the nearby town of Davie, Florida.
In the United States, speed limits are set by each state or territory. States have also allowed counties and municipalities to enact typically lower limits. Highway speed limits can range from an urban low of 25 mph (40 km/h) to a rural high of 85 mph (137 km/h). Speed limits are typically posted in increments of five miles per hour (8 km/h). Some states have lower limits for trucks, some also have night and/or minimum speed limits.
The Fort Worth and Denver Railway, nicknamed "the Denver Road," was a class I American railroad company that operated in the northern part of Texas from 1881 to 1982, and had a profound influence on the early settlement and economic development of the region.
Area code 806 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the U.S. state of Texas in the Panhandle and South Plains, including the cities of Amarillo and Lubbock. It was created in 1957 in a flash-cut from numbering plan area (NPA) 915, the north-western corner of the state, but also incorporated a small portion of the region of area code 817 to the east.
The Panhandle Regional Planning Commission (PRPC) is a voluntary association of cities, counties and special districts in the Texas Panhandle.
Memphis Independent School District is a public school district based in Memphis, Texas (USA).
U.S. Highway 287 (US 287) in the U.S. state of Texas is a major U.S. Highway that begins on the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur and heads north through Fort Worth, northwest to Childress, Clarendon, Wichita Falls, and Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle and into Oklahoma near Kerrick.
The Caprock Chief or Caprock Xpress was a proposed Amtrak inter-city rail service which would run from Fort Worth, Texas to Denver, Colorado, passing through the Texas Panhandle, which currently does not have passenger rail service of any kind. Initially proposed 2000–2001, the project has not yet seen significant progress and is unlikely to be implemented. "Caprock" is a geological term for a harder or more resistant rock type overlying a weaker or less resistant rock type, and lends its name to the Caprock Escarpment that defines the edge of the high plains of the Llano Estacado.
Speed limits are enforced on most public roadways by authorities, with the purpose to improve driver compliance with speed limits. Methods used include roadside speed traps set up and operated by the police and automated roadside 'speed camera' systems, which may incorporate the use of an automatic number plate recognition system. Traditionally, police officers used stopwatches to measure the time taken for a vehicle to cover a known distance. More recently, radar guns and automated in-vehicle systems have come into use.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - Retrieved 2014-09-02.
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