Terrell, Texas | |
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City | |
U.S. Highway 80 is the main street of Terrell
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Motto: "Building a Better Community" | |
Location of Terrell in Kaufman County, Texas |
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Coordinates: 32°44′15″N 96°16′57″W / 32.73750°N 96.28250°WCoordinates: 32°44′15″N 96°16′57″W / 32.73750°N 96.28250°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
County | Kaufman |
Incorporated (city) | 1874 |
Government | |
• Type | Council-Manager |
• City Council |
Mayor D.J. Ory Tommy Spencer Sandra Wilson Charles Whitaker Tim Royse |
• City Manager | Torry Edwards |
Area | |
• Total | 18.7 sq mi (48.3 km2) |
• Land | 18.3 sq mi (47.4 km2) |
• Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km2) |
Elevation | 509 ft (155 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 15,816 |
• Density | 742.9/sq mi (286.8/km2) |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
ZIP codes | 75160-75161 |
Area code(s) | 972 |
FIPS code | 48-72284 |
GNIS feature ID | 1348380 |
Website | cityofterrell.org |
Terrell is a city in Kaufman County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,816. Terrell is located 32 miles (51 km) east of Dallas.
Terrell developed as a railroad town, beginning in 1873 with construction here of the Texas and Pacific Railroad line. The town was named for Robert A. Terrell, a pioneer European-American settler whose farm lay on its western edge. He built an octagonal house on his property, called a "Round House", to provide better defense against attacks by Native Americans. They had occupied this territory for thousands of years. His house was later fitted with the first glass windows in the county. The community was incorporated in 1875. The first automobile appeared in 1899.
The Terrell Military College was established here, operating until after World War II. Its campus was sited on part of the former Terrell farm and incorporated his historic Round House. In 1949 the Southern Bible Institute, based in Dallas and affiliated with the Churches of Christ, bought the military college property and transferred their operations here, renaming their institution Southwestern Christian College. It is a private, historically black college. The Round House has been preserved on campus, and is one of 20 such structures in the nation.
The headquarters of the 3rd Battalion, 144th Infantry Regiment of the Texas Army National Guard is also located in Terrell.
Terrell is located at 32°44′15″N 96°16′57″W / 32.73750°N 96.28250°W (32.737525, -96.282444). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.6 square miles (48 km2), of which, 18.3 square miles (47 km2) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) of it (1.82%) is water.