Lumberton, Texas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lumberton is a city in Hardin County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,731 at the 2000 census. Lumberton is home of Village Creek State Park.

1 Geography
2 Historical development
3 Demographics
4 Culture
5 Education
6 Famous People from Lumberton
7 News and Events
8 See also
9 References
10 External links

[edit] Geography

Lumberton is located at 30°15′50″N, 94°12′7″W (30.263896, -94.201918)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.3 km² (9.4 mi²), all land.

[edit] Historical development

The town was established as a stop on the Gulf, Beaumont and Kansas City Railway that was built through the area in 1894. Serving the local sawmills and lumber camps, the post office was established at Lumberton in 1909. ^[1] In 1914, the post office was relocated to the Fletcher site nearby which was a major sawmill until the mid-1920’s. ^[2] After the closure of the sawmill at Fletcher, the area would remain populated and would become part of the City of Lumberton when it was incorporated in 1973.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 8,731 people, 3,198 households, and 2,542 families residing in the city. The population density was 358.6/km² (928.5/mi²). There were 3,443 housing units at an average density of 141.4/km² (366.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.64% White, 0.05% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.87% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.79% of the population.

There were 3,198 households out of which 42.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.5% were non-families. 17.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,011, and the median income for a family was $47,184. Males had a median income of $38,315 versus $26,217 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,640. About 5.5% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Lumberton is a rapidly growing community, and is the largest city in Hardin County. Lumberton Independent School District serves a population of approximately 25,000 residents.

[edit] Culture

The gem of Lumberton, and perhaps the whole of Hardin County itself, is Dippity's Hamburgers - a decades old hamburger stand on highway 96. Originally Dippity's Doughnuts, they no longer serves doughnuts, but remain famous throughout the region for its classic Texas fare - including the "Texas Tummy Tackler" and fried jalapeño chips. In 2005, Dippity's moved across highway 96 to a new location.

Lumberton, Texas is the home of Village Creek State Park, which attracts tourists from all over the states of Texas and Louisiana.

Lumberton is home of the annual Village Creek Festival - a festival celebrating the community and serving as a venue for local artisans and musicians.

[edit] Education

The City of Lumberton is served by the Lumberton Independent School District.

[edit] Famous People from Lumberton

The 1978 Playboy Playmate of the year, Debra Jo Fondren, was from Lumberton. Clay Buchholz Minor League Pitcher for the Greenville Drive, a minor league team for the Boston Red Sox.

[edit] News and Events

In October 1994, heavy rains (10-25 inches in 5 days) resulted in a severe flood, which damaged and destroyed homes (particularly in the Pine Island Bayou and Village Creek areas of Lumberton) and resulted in several deaths as well as significant property damage.

In 2003, 56-year old Lumberton resident Lloyd Gregory Coleman's arrest by the Lumberton Police Department gained national attention as a bizarre news story. According to police reports, Coleman repeatedly called 9-1-1 demanding that his pet cat be arrested for outstanding warrants. After police warnings not to abuse the 9-1-1 call system, Coleman continued to call 9-1-1 and was later arrested on drug charges. Coleman's cat, however, was never found.

In 2005, Lumberton made national headlines when a teacher at Lumberton High School Kathy Denise White was indicted for alleged sexual relations with a 17-year old student.