Mineola, Texas

The town was incorporated as the railroads arrived. It is believed by some that a railroad official, Ira H. Evans combined the names of his daughter, Ola and her friend Minnie Patten to create the city name Mineola.[5] While these two girls did exist, the more likely story is that the city was named after the railroad official's hometown of Mineola, New York because of the area's beauty.

Mineola came into existence when the railroads built lines through the Eastern part of the state. In 1873 the Texas and Pacific and the International-Great Northern raced to see which could get to Mineola first. The I-GN reached the finish fifteen minutes earlier. A city government was organized in 1873, a post office opened in 1875, and the town incorporated in 1877, but a fire in the 1880s destroyed eighteen buildings. The town's oldest paper, the Mineola Monitor, was founded in 1876. By 1890 the town had seven churches, several schools including a black free school, hotels, banks, and a population of 2,000. In 1895 Mineola became the site of the Wood County Fair.

Since Mineola was in the heart of the East Texas timber belt, timber was plentiful for railroad tiemaking and lumber. Mineola provided most of the ties to complete the T&P RR west to El Paso in 1879, S. Zuckerman, a Mineola resident, filled contracts for 85,000 ties that were used in the construction.[6] During the community's first sixty years, farm products included cotton, livestock, fruit, and berries. A chair factory opened in 1886, became a crate and basket factory in 1900, and operated until 1952. Highway improvement, the Magnolia Pipeline Company gas line, and the establishment of a railroad terminal caused growth during the 1920s, and the discovery of oil in parts of Wood County and construction of a T&P railroad shop spurred the economy during the 1940s. By 1930 the population was 3,000, and by 1970 it was 4,000. Diversified farming gave way to cattle raising and watermelon crops by 1950. The Mineola Watermelon Festival began in 1948. Subsequently, sweet-potato farming, a creamery, a nursery, and a company that supplies poles and pulpwood to the telephone company helped the economy.

The town remains a shipping center. The Mineola Memorial Library, largely financed by H. W. Meredith, was completed in 1960. Nearby Lake Holbrook, also completed in 1962, attracts residents and visitors. The Meredith Foundation has provided large sums for educational and cultural purposes since 1962. Meredith Hall Civic Center, completed in 1977, is used by large and small groups for varied events. The population of Mineola in 1980 was 4,346. The manufacture of women's clothing, sporting goods, electronic connectors, fertilizer, and cattle feed and the packaging of dry beans and meat provide employment for many people. The Wood County Airport, five miles (8 km) north of Mineola, was completed in 1984. A new city hall complex was completed in 1986, and a two-school facility was completed in 1987. The population of Mineola in 1990 was 4,321.

Mineola is located at 32°39′10.4″N 95°28′49.1″W (32.652881, -95.480296). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.339 square miles (26.78 km²), of which, 10.161 square miles (26.32 km²) of it is land and 0.178 square miles (0.46 km²) is water.[7]

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 5,611 people, 1,779 households, and 1,197 families residing in the city. The population density was 859.6 people per square mile (332.1/km²). There were 1,993 housing units at an average density of 376.5 per square mile (145.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.19% White, 13.38% African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 6.44% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.95% of the population.

There were 1,779 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. Of all households 30.1% were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,000, and the median income for a family was $37,528. Males had a median income of $29,938 versus $20,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,945. About 16.2% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.3% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

First Baptist Church

• First Baptist Mineola is one of the largest churches in the Wood County area with an enrollment record of about 850.
• Sand Springs Baptist Church is located just west of Mineola. The church has a regular Sunday attendance of about 350.
• Broad Street Church of Christ
• New Hope Baptist Church
• St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, founded October 1871, in Mineola, Texas formally name Sodom, Texas
• Johnson Chapel United Methodist Church
• Sidney Temple Church of God
• East Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
• St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler.

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

• Mineola High School

Historical Black Schools

• Southward School
• Mineola Colored School
• McFarland Elementary
• McFarland High School

• Mineola Amtrak train station

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  Select Theater
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  Amtrak Train Station
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  Beckham Hotel
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  Downtown
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  United States Post Office, now a museum
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  Downtown
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  Downtown
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  Downtown
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  Downtown

• Willie Brown, former Mayor of San Francisco and former Speaker of the California Assembly. Attended Mineola Colored High School.[9]
• Jim Hogg, Texas governor lived in Mineola and his daughter Ima Hogg was born in a house in this city. The house still stands and is marked by a historical marker.
• Bryan Hughes, a lawyer in Mineola, has been since 2003 a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives; in 2017, he becomes a member of the Texas State Senate.
• Bobby Ray Inman, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Naval Admiral, nominated by President Clinton to be Secretary of Defense of the United States.[10]
• William Jesse "Bill" McDonald, former Texas Rangers, was a storekeeper and then Wood County deputy sheriff in Mineola in the late 19th century.
• Adam Moore, professional baseball player
• Kacey Musgraves, Grammy winning country music artist and performer.
• Jack Rhodes, influential country music songwriter and inductee in The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
• Noble Willingham, television and film actor known for The Last Picture Show and Walker, Texas Ranger.[11]
• R.C. Hickman, an American Civil Rights photographer that documented events for The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People during the 1950s.[12]

• Mineola, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Mineola.com - Official City Website.
• MineolaBuzz.com - Private business website.