Lufkin, Texas

Lufkin
City
City of Lufkin
Lufkin welcome sign acknowledges the importance of lumber to the area

Location in Texas
Lufkin
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 31°20′18″N 94°43′45″W / 31.33833°N 94.72917°W / 31.33833; -94.72917Coordinates: 31°20′18″N 94°43′45″W / 31.33833°N 94.72917°W / 31.33833; -94.72917
Country  United States
State  Texas
County Angelina
Government
 • Type Council-Manager
 • City Council Mayor Bob Brown
Rufus Duncan
Don Langston
R.L. Kuykendall
Lynn Torres
Phil Medford
Robert Shankle
 • City Manager Keith Wright
Area
 • Total 34.5 sq mi (89 km2)
 • Land 34.2 sq mi (89 km2)
 • Water 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)
Elevation 312 ft (95 m)
Population (2017)
 • Total 35,837
 • Density 1,000/sq mi (400/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code 75901, 75902, 75903, 75904, 75915
Area code 936
FIPS code 48-45072[1]
GNIS feature ID 1382208[2]
Website cityoflufkin.com

Lufkin is a city in and the county seat of Angelina County in eastern Texas, United States.[3] This city is 120 miles (190 km) northeast of Houston. Founded in 1882, the population was 35,837 at the 2017 census.[4]

Lufkin is situated in Deep East Texas.

History

Parade in downtown Lufkin, circa 1911

The city is named for Abraham P. Lufkin, a cotton merchant and Galveston city councilman. Lufkin was the father-in-law of Paul Bremond, president of the Houston, East and West Texas Railway which developed the town.

In 1906 while living in Lufkin, writer Katherine Anne Porter married her first husband John Henry Koontze in a double ring ceremony that also had her sister Gay Porter marry T.H. Holloway. The minister who presided over the ceremony was Rev. Ira Bryce, serving at the time at Lufkin's First Methodist Church.

In 1907, Allan Shivers, the 37th Governor of Texas, was born in Lufkin. He served as governor from 1949 to 1957.

Debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster fell over the Lufkin area on February 1, 2003.

Lufkin celebrated its 125th anniversary in October 2007.

A little league team from Lufkin won the U.S. Championship at the 2017 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The team finished as runners-up in the tournament behind the international championship team from Tokyo, Japan.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 34.5 square miles (89 km2), of which, 34.2 square miles (89 km2) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) is covered by water.[5]

Lufkin is at the crossroads of East Texas at the intersections of Highways US 59, future Interstate 69, which leads to Houston and the Rio Grande Valley to the south and Nacogdoches and Texarkana to the north, and US 69, which leads from the Golden Triangle of southeast Texas (Port Arthur and Beaumont) to points such as Jacksonville, Tyler, Dallas, and Oklahoma to the north.

Lufkin is 120 miles (190 km) northeast of Houston.[6]

National forests and grasslands

The headquarters of all four United States National Forests and two United States National Grasslands in Texas are located in Lufkin. They are the Angelina, Davy Crockett, Sabine, and Sam Houston National Forests, and the Caddo and Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands.

Climate

Lufkin, Texas
Climate chart (explanation)
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
4.5
 
 
59
38
 
 
3.2
 
 
65
41
 
 
3.5
 
 
72
48
 
 
3.1
 
 
78
54
 
 
5.3
 
 
84
63
 
 
4.2
 
 
90
69
 
 
2.5
 
 
93
72
 
 
3.1
 
 
94
71
 
 
4.1
 
 
89
66
 
 
4.1
 
 
80
55
 
 
4.5
 
 
69
46
 
 
4.4
 
 
61
39
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: Weather.com / NWS
  • On average, the warmest month is August.
  • The highest recorded temperature was 110 °F in 1909.
  • On average, the coolest month is January.
  • The lowest recorded temperature was -2 °F in 1930.
  • The maximum average precipitation occurs in May.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1890529—
19001,527188.7%
19102,74980.0%
19204,87877.4%
19307,31149.9%
19409,56730.9%
195015,13558.2%
196017,64116.6%
197023,04930.7%
198028,56223.9%
199030,2065.8%
200032,7098.3%
201035,0677.2%
Est. 201636,159[7]3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the census of 2000, 32,709 people, 12,247 households, and 8,364 families resided in the city.[1] The population density was 1,225.1 people per square mile (473.0/km²). The 13,402 housing units averaged 502.0 per square mile (193.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.92% White, 26.58% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.37% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 10.31% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 17.59% of the population.

Of the 12,247 households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were not families; 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city, the population was distributed as 27.0% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,989, and for a family was $40,591. Males had a median income of $30,922 versus $20,008 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,613. About 15.0% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.4% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Bank of America
Regions Bank
Perry Building

Lufkin is home to Lufkin Industries, which manufactures and services oil field equipment and power transmission equipment, and supplies of creosote-treated utility poles. It is also home to the Atkinson Candy Company, the creator of the Chick-O-Stick, and Brookshire Brothers, a chain of grocery stores in Texas and Louisiana. Lufkin received Texas's first biomass power plant in late 2009. Aspen Power is building the power plant.

Some of the city's major employers include:

According to the city's 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[9] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees Percentage of Total City Employment
1 Lufkin Industries 1,000+ 4.56%
2 Pilgrim's 1,000+ 4.42%
3 Lufkin Independent School District 1,000+ 3.91%
4 CHI St. Luke's Health Memorial 1,000+ 3.53%
5 Lufkin State School 1,000+ 2.84%
6 Angelina College 500-999 2.72%
7 Temple-Inland Forest Products 500-999 2.37%
8 Woodland Heights Medical Center 500-999 1.83%
9 Brookshire Brothers 500-999 1.80%
10 Burke Center 500-999 1.62%

Points of interest

  • Ellen Trout Zoo, public zoo owned by the City of Lufkin with more than 500 animals[10]
  • Ellen Trout Park, public park with a lake and playgrounds
  • Crown Colony Country Club Golf Course, third-rated golf course in Texas by The Dallas Morning News
  • Texas Forestry Museum, features exhibits about forestry of the Lufkin and East Texas area.
  • Museum of East Texas, exhibits on regional history and art
  • Lufkin Azalea Trail, 1.9-mile (3.1 km) public nature trail
  • Medford Collection of American Western Art, contemporary art collection at the Lufkin City Hall
  • Downtown Walking Tour, tour through historic downtown Lufkin
  • First United Methodist Church
  • Pines Theater, refurbished multiuse facility in downtown, seats 459
  • Harmony Hill Baptist Church, largest church in Angelina County
  • Naranjo Museum-Natural History

Government

City hall

Local government

According to the city's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $56.6 million in revenues, $52.8 million in expenditures, $192.2 million in total assets, $66.4 million in total liabilities, and $24.9 million in cash and investments.[11]

Lufkin has a council-manager form of government with all legislative and policy responsibilities vested in the city council and all administrative responsibilities vested in the city manager. The city council is composed of the mayor and council members representing six wards.

Education

Kurth Memorial Library

Almost all of Lufkin is served by the Lufkin Independent School District, with a few small sections in the west within the Hudson Independent School District A very small portion of the town on Highway 69 is within Central ISD. Lufkin also has a small charter school, Pineywoods Community Academy, that serves grades K-12 and is an early college high school. Angelina College and Texas Bible College serve the area. A sizable number of people in Lufkin attend Stephen F. Austin State University in nearby Nacogdoches.

Media

Lufkin currently has a growing number of media.

Newspaper

Television

  • KTRE: KTRE Channel 9 (ABC)
  • KYTX: KYTX Channel 19 (CBS)
  • KFXK-LP: KFXL Channel 30 (FOX)
  • KLNM-LD: Millennium Communications (AmericaOne) Digital 42.1 and 42.2(AMGTV)

Radio

AM stations

  • KRBA: 1340 AM The Pioneer radio station in East Texas. Established in 1938. (News/Talk, Variety)
  • KSML (AM): ESPN 1260 (Sports)
  • KSFA: News Talk 860 (News/Talk)
  • XEG: 1050 AM La Ranchera de Monterrey (Regional Mexican) (Night Time)

FM stations

  • KSAU: 90.1 Your East Texas Alternative (College)
  • KYKS: Kicks 105 (Country)
  • KJCS: 103 The Bull (Classic Country)
  • KYBI: Y100 (Country)
  • KSML-FM: Super Mix 101.9 (Regional Mexican)
  • KAFX-FM: KFOX 95.5 (Top 40)
  • KLDN: Red River Radio (NPR)
  • KTBQ: Classic Rock Q107 (Classic Rock)
  • KVLL: My 94.7 (Adult contemporary)
  • KSWP: 90.9 KSWP (Contemporary Christian)
  • KAVX: KAVX 91.9 (Christian talk)
  • KXXE: The New Country Channel (Hot Country)
  • KOYE: La Invasora 97.5 (Regional Mexican)
  • KTHT: Country Legends 97.1 (Classic Country)
  • KAGZ: Z93.9 (Hip Hop/R&B)

Infrastructure

Transportation

Lufkin is served by U.S. Highway 69, U.S. Highway 59, State Highway 94, and State Highway 103.

Lufkin will be served by the extension to Interstate 69 which is planned to run from the Canada–US border at Port Huron, Michigan, to the Texas/Mexico border.[12]

General aviation service is provided by Angelina County Airport.

The Coach USA bus lines serve Lufkin, carried under the Kerrville Bus Company.

Brazos Transit District (formerly Brazos Valley Transit Authority) provides regularly scheduled public bus service in the Lufkin area.[13]

The Angelina and Neches River Railroad (A&NR) runs through Lufkin. It has an approximate length of 20 miles (32 km) and connects with the Union Pacific Railroad lines.

Health care

Lufkin is served by two Hospitals, CHI St. Luke's Health Memorial (formerly Memorial Health System of East Texas at Lufkin) which includes the Arthur Temple Sr. Regional Cancer Center and Woodland Heights Medical Center.

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lufkin
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Lufkin city, Texas". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  5. ↑ "US Gazetteer Files 2016-Places-Texas". US Census. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  6. ↑ Jacobus, Robert D. Houston Cougars in the 1960s: Death Threats, the Veer Offense, and the Game of the Century. Texas A&M University Press, November 18, 2015. ISBN 162349348X, 9781623493486. PT225 (Google Books)
  7. ↑ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ City of Lufkin CAFR Retrieved 2009-08-18
  10. ↑ Vernon N. Kisling, Jr., ed. (2001). "Zoological Gardens of the United States (chronological list)". Zoo and Aquarium History. USA: CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4200-3924-5.
  11. ↑ City of Lufkin CAFR Retrieved 2009-08-18
  12. ↑ . Alliance for I-69 Texas http://www.i69texasalliance.com/i69.html. Retrieved 27 June 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ↑ . Brazos Transit District http://www.btd.org/. Retrieved 17 March 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ↑
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