Mineola, Texas

The town was incorporated as the railroads arrived in 1873. A railroad official, Ira H. Evans, combined the names of his daughter, Ola and her friend Minnie Patten to create the city name Mineola.[6]

Mineola came into existence when the railroads built lines through the eastern part of the state. In 1873, the Texas and Pacific and the International-Great Northern raced to see which could get to Mineola first. The I-GN reached the finish 15 minutes earlier. A city government was organized in 1873, a post office opened in 1875, and the town incorporated in 1877, but a fire in the 1880s destroyed 18 buildings. The town's oldest paper, the Mineola Monitor, was founded in 1876. By 1890, the town had seven churches, several schools including a black free school, hotels, banks, and a population of 2,000. In 1895, Mineola became the site of the Wood County Fair.

Since Mineola was in the heart of the East Texas timber belt, timber was plentiful for making railroad ties and lumber. Mineola provided most of the ties to complete the T&P RR west to El Paso in 1879; S. Zuckerman, a Mineola resident, filled contracts for 85,000 ties that were used in the construction.[7] During the community's first 60 years, farm products included cotton, livestock, fruit, and berries. A chair factory opened in 1886, became a crate and basket factory in 1900, and operated until 1952. Highway improvement, the Magnolia Pipeline Company gas line, and the establishment of a railroad terminal caused growth during the 1920s, and the discovery of oil in parts of Wood County and construction of a T&P railroad shop spurred the economy during the 1940s. By 1930, the population was 3,000, and by 1970, it was 4,000. Diversified farming gave way to cattle raising and watermelon crops by 1950. The Mineola Watermelon Festival began in 1948. Subsequently, sweet-potato farming, a creamery, a nursery, and a company that supplies poles and pulpwood to the telephone company helped the economy.

The town remains a shipping center. The Mineola Memorial Library, largely financed by H. W. Meredith, was completed in 1960. Nearby Lake Holbrook, also completed in 1962, attracts residents and visitors. The Meredith Foundation has provided large sums for educational and cultural purposes since 1962. Meredith Hall Civic Center, completed in 1977, is used by large and small groups for varied events. The population of Mineola in 1980 was 4,346. The manufacture of women's clothing, sporting goods, electronic connectors, fertilizer, and cattle feed, and the packaging of dry beans and meat provide employment for many people. The Wood County Airport, 5 miles (8 km) north of Mineola, was completed in 1984. A new city hall complex was completed in 1986, and a two-school facility was completed in 1987. The population of Mineola in 1990 was 4,321.

Mineola is located at 32°39′10.4″N 95°28′49.1″W (32.652881, -95.480296). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.339 sq mi (26.78 km²), of which 10.161 sq mi (26.32 km²) are land and 0.178 sq mi (0.46 km²) is covered by water.[8]

As of the census[3] of 2000, 5,611 people, 1,779 households, and 1,197 families were residing in the city. The population density was 859.6 people/sq mi (332.1/km²). The 1,993 housing units averaged 376.5/sq mi (145.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.19% White, 13.38% African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.26% Asian]], 6.46% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 12.95% of the population.

Of the 1,779 households, 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were not families. About 30.1% were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the age distribution was 26.3% under 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,000, and for a family was $37,528. Males had a median income of $29,938 versus $20,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,945. About 16.2% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.3% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

First Baptist Church

• First Baptist Mineola is one of the largest churches in the Wood County area, with enrollment record around 850.
• Sand Springs Baptist Church is located just west of Mineola. The church has a regular Sunday attendance around 350.
• Broad Street Church of Christ
• New Hope Baptist Church
• St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, founded October 1871, in Mineola
• Johnson Chapel United Methodist Church
• Sidney Temple Church of God
• East Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
• St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler.

The City of Mineola is served by the Mineola Independent School District.

• Mineola High School

Historically Black schools

• Southward School
• Mineola Colored School
• McFarland Elementary
• McFarland High School

• Mineola Amtrak train station

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  Select Theater
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  Amtrak Train Station
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  Beckham Hotel
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  Downtown
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  United States Post Office, now a museum
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  Downtown
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  Downtown
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  Downtown
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  Downtown

• Willie Brown, former mayor of San Francisco and former speaker of the California Assembly, attended Mineola Colored High School.[10]
• Jim Hogg, Texas governor lived in Mineola and his daughter Ima Hogg was born in a house in this city. The house still stands and is marked by a historical marker.
• Bryan Hughes, a lawyer in Mineola, has been since 2003 a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives; in 2017, he became a member of the Texas State Senate.
• Bobby Ray Inman, former deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Naval Admiral, nominated by President Clinton to be secretary of defense of the United States[11]
• William Jesse "Bill" McDonald, a former Texas Ranger, was a storekeeper and then Wood County deputy sheriff in the late 19th century.
• Adam Moore, professional baseball player
• Kacey Musgraves, Grammy-winning country music artist and performer
• Jack Rhodes, influential country music songwriter and inductee in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
• Noble Willingham, television and film actor known for The Last Picture Show and Walker, Texas Ranger[12]
• R.C. Hickman, an American civil rights photographer who documented events for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People during the 1950s[13]

• Mineola, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Mineola.com - Official City Website.
• MineolaBuzz.com - Private business website.