Presidio is a city in Presidio County, Texas, United States. It stands on the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte), on the other side of the U.S.-Mexico border from Ojinaga, Chihuahua. The population was 4,167 at the 2000 census.
Presidio is on the Rio Grande, Farm Road 170, and State Highway 67 eighteen miles south of Shafter in southern Presidio County. Presidio is about 240 miles from El Paso, Texas, which is the closest major city to this town.
La Entrada al Pacifico is a route that extends from within Mexico and crosses through this border town, which has accordingly seen an increase in construction activity. The route travels to Midland/Odessa, where it connects to Interstate 20.
In September of 2006, wireless internet WiFi service was brought to this small town by Superintendent Dennis McEntire. This is a major technological step, as currently some major cities don't yet have this service available. Coupled with the School District's 1:1 computer student ratio Presidio is an enclave of cutting edge technology on the Texas border.
History
The surrounding area is the oldest continuously cultivated area in the United States. Farmers have lived at Presidio since 1500 B.C. By 1400 A.D. the area Indians lived in small, close-together settlements, which the Spaniards later called pueblos.
The first Spaniards came to Presidio in 1535, when Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and his three companions stopped at the Indian pueblo, placed a cross on the mountain side, and called the village La Junta de las Cruces. On December 10, 1582, Antonio de Espejo and his company arrived at the site and called the pueblo San Juan Evangelista. By 1681 the area of Presidio was known as La Junta de los Ríos, or the Junction of the Rivers, for the Río Conchos and the Rio Grande join at the site. In 1683 Juan Sabeata, the chief of the Jumano Indian nation, reported having seen a fiery cross on the mountain at Presidio. The settlement in 1684 became known as La Navidad en Las Cruces.[3]
About 1760 a penal colony and a military garrison of sixty men were established near Presidio. In 1830 the name of the area around Presidio was changed from La Junta de los Rios to Presidio del Norte. White settlers came to Presidio in 1848 after the Mexican War. Among them was John Spencer, who operated a horse ranch on the United States side of the Rio Grande near Presidio. Ben Leaton and Milton Faver, former scalp hunters for the Mexican government, built private forts in the area. The handful of Anglo settlers who came to the region were assimilated into the Hispanic population and their descendants are primarily Spanish speakers today.
During the Mexican Revolution, General Pancho Villa often used Ojinaga as his headquarters for operations and visited Presidio on numerous occasions.
In 1849 a Comanche raid almost destroyed Presidio, and in 1850 Indians drove off most of the cattle in town. A post office was established at Presidio in 1868, and the first public school was opened in 1887. In 1930 the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway reached Presidio, and the town incorporated. The population grew from ninety-six in 1925 to 1,671 in 1988, but the number of businesses declined from seventy in 1933 to twenty-two in 1988. At the end of 1988 Presidio experienced a population boom due in part to previously undocumented aliens enrolled in the amnesty program. The population in 1990 was 3,422. Population reached 4,877 by 1998, and is expected to top 10,000 by the year 2013 at present growth rates.
As of 2007, Presidio's local economy is based largely upon employment at Presidio Independent School District, United Stated Customs and Border Protection, and local retail businesses. Formerly, Presidio was home to several truck-farming operations, focused mainly on onions and cantalopes. Those operations ceased in the late 1990's.
Geography
Signpost outside the city of Presidio, Texas
Presidio is located at 29°33′41″N 104°21′59″W / 29.56139°N 104.36639°W / 29.56139; -104.36639 (29.561272, -104.366522).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²), all of it land. Presidio is located near the confluence of the Rio Conchos and Rio Grande rivers. The Rio Conchos flows in a northeasterly direction from its source in the Sierra Madre in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Commonly referred to as "La Junta" (the joining), the two rivers resulted in plentiful water, creating a flood plain that is ideal for farming.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 4,167 people, 1,285 households, and 1,033 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,620.1 people per square mile (626.0/km²). There were 1,541 housing units at an average density of 599.1/sq mi (231.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.39% White, 0.10% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 15.43% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 94.12% of the population.
There were 1,285 households out of which 49.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.24 and the average family size was 3.73.
In the city the population was spread out with 37.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $18,031, and the median income for a family was $19,601. Males had a median income of $20,469 versus $15,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $7,098. About 40.4% of families and 43.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.3% of those under age 18 and 64.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Presidio is served by the Presidio Independent School District, Dennis McEntire, Superintendent, which includes Presidio Elementary School, Franco Middle School, and Presidio High School and is currently one of the highest performing schools in West Texas. 82 of 87 seniors graduated in 2009 with 74 of those going on to some type of post secondary education. Presidio ISD is a "Recognized District" for its high TAKS scores.
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/JJ/bmj7.html
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
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