Mesquite, Texas
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Mesquite is a suburb of Dallas, Texas, located in Dallas County, Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 124,523. The city is home to the Mesquite Championship Rodeo, the "Rodeo Capital of Texas," and to computer video game producer id Software, creators of Doom and Quake.
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History
The city was created on May 22, 1873 by A.R. Alcott, a Texas & Pacific Railway engineer, who purchased land along the Texas & Pacific line outside of Dallas. The railroad, which ran from Dallas to Shreveport, began stopping at the newly-created town shortly thereafter and the city began to grow around the railroad. The city was officially incorporated on December 3, 1887.
Mesquite prospered in the late 19th to the early 20th century and became a growing farming community, growing cotton, hay, corn and sugar and using the railroad line to ship the raw goods. The town remained predominantly agrarian until after World War II, when the boom in suburbs also took root in Mesquite as new subdivisions were created. The population exploded, growing from 1,696 in the 1950 census to 27,526 in 1960 and 55,131 in 1970.
In 1958, the Mesquite Championship Rodeo was established and in 1959, Big Town Mall was constructed, the first enclosed mall in the Southwest.
By 1970, LBJ Freeway was constructed, connecting Mesquite to its neighbors, Garland to the north and Balch Springs to the south. Also in the 1970s, Town East Mall was constructed. Its associated traffic and shops would continue to grow the town. By the 1990 census, the town had grown to 101,484 people, nearly twice the population twenty years earlier.
In 1986, the Mesquite Arena (now named Resistol Arena) opened its doors for the Mesquite Championship Rodeo. By 1998, the facility was expanded to include a Convention Center, Exhibition Hall and a Hampton Inn & Suites.
Geography
TXMap-doton-Mesquite.PNG
Location of Mesquite, Texas
Mesquite is located at 32°46'58" North, 96°36'36" West (32.782878, -96.609862)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 112.6 km² (43.5 mi²). 112.5 km² (43.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.12% water.
Education
Mesquite Independent School District takes students in Mesquite.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 124,523 people, 43,926 households, and 32,900 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,107.3/km² (2,868.1/mi²). There are 46,245 housing units at an average density of 411.2/km² (1,065.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 73.54% White, 13.32% African American, 0.60% Native American, 3.75% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6.43% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. 15.66% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 43,926 households out of which 43.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% are married couples living together, 14.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% are non-families. 20.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.82 and the average family size is 3.27.
In the city the population is spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $50,424, and the median income for a family is $56,357. Males have a median income of $37,756 versus $29,905 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,890. 6.8% of the population and 5.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- City of Mesquite Official Web Site (http://www.cityofmesquite.com/)
- Mesquite @ The Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/MM/hdm2.html)
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| See also: List of Texas counties |