Pilot Point, Texas

Pilot Point is located at 33°23′47″N 96°57′31″W (33.396350, -96.958719).[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.7 km²), all of it land.[5]

As of the census[1] of 2000, 3,538 people, 1,205 households, and 885 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,160.7 people per square mile (447.9/km²). The 1,283 housing units averaged 420.9 per square mile (162.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.15% White, 4.64% African American, 0.93% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 8.88% from other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 14.92% of the population.

Of the 1,205 households, 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were not families. About 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the city, the population wasbdistributed as 29.9% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,212, and for a family was $47,097. Males had a median income of $31,981 versus $24,531 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,248. About 8.6% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

The city is governed by an elected council. A separately elected mayor presides over the governing body and also may cast a vote on matters before the council. The current mayor is Shea Dane Patterson. Recent former mayors have included Janet Groff (corrections officer), Jerry Alford (retired telecommunications executive), Toby Osburn (university administrator), Dr. Allen Groff (physician), and Tom Porter (retired educator). Council members and the mayor serve without any compensation pursuant to a Home Rule Charter that was approved by voters in 2009. An appointed city manager oversees daily operations of various city services and functions. Elections each May determine occupants of alternating seats on the council and the mayor is elected biannually.

Farmers and Merchants Bank building, located at the northwest corner of the town square in Pilot Point, Texas

Pilot Point was platted on Christmas Day in 1853. G.W. Newcome was the surveyor, from Kentucky Town, Grayson County, Texas. The streets were laid out and lots were sold. One of the first buildings in the newly founded town was on the north side, a log building, home to the Star Drug Store operated by Dr. R.W. Eddleman and Alexander Cook, who came by covered wagon in 1852 from Missouri. Dr. Eddleman's brother-in-law, Major James Walcott, also built a general store on the northeast corner of the new town square. The town got its name from being the highest point in the area, thus an observation point for crossing the Trinity River. The wagon pilots nicknamed it "the Pilot's Point" long before the town existed. On October 13, 1908, several Holiness Christian groups came together and formed the Church of the Nazarene at Pilot Point. A memorial commemorating the event is located at the local Church of the Nazarene facility, about two blocks west of U.S. Highway 377. Other churches in the community hold particular historical significance in the community. First Baptist Church, Pilot Point Church of Christ, and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church are among the oldest, continuously functioning Christian congregations in the community. First Baptist Church claims an 1856 founding date that antedates the Civil War. Pilot Point Church of Christ claims a founding date of 1864 and boasts that it currently occupies the meeting house built by church founders in 1874 from timber hauled by ox-drawn carts from Shreveport, Louisiana. St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church claims a founding date of the winter of 1891-1892. The Pilot Point Church of Christ and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church are designated as historical sites by the Texas Historical Commission. Rev. J.L. Truett (the brother of the famous pastor George W. Truett of First Baptist Church-Dallas fame) was the first pastor and founder of Calvary Baptist Church, which formed in 1907.

The City of Pilot Point, Pilot Point Post-Signal (newspaper), and Skinner Cemetery are also sites of local historical significance and are designated sites by the Texas Historical Commission. A series of memorial markers permanently installed in the center of the town square commemorates the service of multiple generations of men and women from the community and area who sacrificed their lives in military service, primarily in the 20th century.

Pilot Point is well known for its horse ranches, including several world and national show horse champions.

• Joe Exotic, American incarcerated criminal and former zoo operator, graduated from Pilot Point High School in 1982.
• Colt Knost, PGA golfer, grew up in Pilot Point and was state champion in 2003.
• Thomas Ambrose Tschoepe, Roman Catholic bishop, was born in Pilot Point.
• Frederick Edgar Ferguson, Medal of Honor recipient, was born in Pilot Point.

The city is served by the Pilot Point Independent School District.

Pilot Point High School has a rich tradition in athletic excellence, most notably the football team, which was coached on several occasions by G.A. Moore (the all-time winningest coach in Texas high school history):[9] 1980 Class 2A Co-Champions and 1981 and 2009 Class 2A State Champions (2A Division 1 in '09). The Bearcat football program also holds many records in Texas - Class 2A state record for consecutive playoff appearances with 22 (second-most in Texas UIL history). The team has consecutive district wins with 81 (1978–1991), 15 consecutive district titles (1978–1993), and they also boast 33 consecutive winning seasons at both the 2A and 3A levels. The boys' baseball team have been to two state tournaments in 1995 and 1996. The boys' basketball team reached the state tournament in 1984 and the girls' basketball team reached it in 2002. The golf team advanced to state from 1999 to 2003. The track team has sent several individuals to the state meet and has several of individual championships, and the cross-country team has advanced to the state meet several times at both the 2A and 3A levels.

The Lady Cat softball team, coached by James Ramsey, advanced to the Texas State 3A Tournament in 2006. In 2013, the softball team won the state championship for UIL 2A Class competition with a season that included 40 wins.

• City of Pilot Point official website
• Lisa C. Maxwell, "PILOT POINT, TX," Handbook of Texas Online (https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hgp04), accessed May 28, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.