Kerens, Texas
| Kerens, Texas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| Motto: "Birthplace Of Big Tex" | |
 Location of Kerens, Texas |
|
 |
|
| Coordinates: 32°7′50″N 96°13′45″W / 32.13056°N 96.22917°WCoordinates: 32°7′50″N 96°13′45″W / 32.13056°N 96.22917°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Navarro |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.3 sq mi (6.0 km2) |
| • Land | 2.3 sq mi (6.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 371 ft (113 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,573 |
| • Density | 680/sq mi (260/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 75144 |
| Area code(s) | 903/430 |
| FIPS code | 48-38992 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1339049 |
| Website | http://ci.kerens.tx.us/ |
Kerens is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,573 at the 2010 census.
Kerens was established in 1881 when the St. Louis Southwestern Railway of Texas was built through the county, according to the Texas Handbook of History, and was named for Judge R. C. Kerens of St. Louis. The railroad bypassed the nearby settlement of Wadeville, and within a short time all of the businesses from Wadeville moved to the new town. By the mid-1890s, the handbook said, the town had three cotton gin-mills, four grocery stores, two hotels, two drug stores, a wagonmaker, and a weekly newspaper named the Navarro Blade.
Big Tex, the giant icon of the State Fair of Texas, had his beginnings in Kerens. In 1949, residents built a 49-foot-tall (15 m) Santa Claus constructed from iron drill casing and papier mache to help encourage holiday sales. In 1951, State Fair president R. L. Thornton purchased Santa's components for $750 and had Dallas artist Jack Bridges transform them into a cowboy for the annual fair.
Kerens is located at 32°7′50″N 96°13′45″W / 32.13056°N 96.22917°W (32.130639, -96.229207).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2), all land.
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,681 people, 682 households, and 448 families residing in the city. The population density was 720.4 people per square mile (278.6/km²). There were 750 housing units at an average density of 321.4 per square mile (124.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.14% White, 22.13% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 5.77% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.61% of the population.
...
Wikipedia