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Harper, Texas

Coordinates: 30°18′04″N 99°14′56″W / 30.30111°N 99.24889°W / 30.30111; -99.24889
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Harper, Texas
Census-designated place
Harper is located in Texas
Harper
Harper
Harper, Texas
Harper is located in the United States
Harper
Harper
Harper (the United States)
Coordinates: 30°18′04″N 99°14′56″W / 30.30111°N 99.24889°W / 30.30111; -99.24889
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyGillespie
Area
 • Total56.6 sq mi (146.7 km2)
 • Land56.6 sq mi (146.5 km2)
 • Water0.08 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation
[1]
2,021 ft (616 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,332
 • Density24/sq mi (9.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
78631
Area code830
FIPS code48-32456[2]
GNIS feature ID2408352[1]

Harper is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP), located 23 miles (37 km) west of Fredericksburg on U.S. Highway 290, in Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 1,332 at the 2020 census.

History

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On December 15, 1847, a petition was submitted to create Gillespie County. In 1848, the legislature formed Gillespie County from Bexar and Travis Counties. While the signers were overwhelmingly German immigrants, names also on the petition were Castillo, Pena, Munos, and a handful of Anglo names.

The first white settlers were the families of Eli McDonald and Matthew Taylor in 1863. A historical marker just south of U.S. Highway 290 commemorates the McDonald massacre of August 1864. This incident involved the killing of two family members and the kidnapping of five more by Kiowa Indians.

A post office was established in 1883 by George Franklin Harper, for whom the town was named. By 1985, the town served a large ranching area and had six churches, a fire department and ambulance services, a public school, and growing residential subdivisions. The population of the area exceeded 1,000 by 2000.[3]

Geography

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Harper is located in western Gillespie County, about 84 miles (135 km) northwest of San Antonio and 101 miles (163 km) west of Austin.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 56.6 square miles (146.7 km2), of which 56.6 square miles (146.5 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.14%, is covered by water.[4] The headwaters of the Pedernales River flow through the community.

Climate

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The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Harper has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.[5]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
20001,006—
20101,19218.5%
20201,33211.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1850–1900[7] 1910[8]
1920[9] 1930[10] 1940[11]
1950[12] 1960[13] 1970[14]
1980[15] 1990[16] 2000[17]
2010[18] 2020[19]

As of the census[2] of 2000, 1,006 people, 417 households, and 293 families resided in the CDP. The population density was 17.8 people per square mile (6.9/km2). The 536 housing units averaged 9.5/sq mi (3.7/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.73% White, 0.10% African American, 0.80% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 2.39% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.97% of the population.

Of the 417 households, 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were not families; 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the CDP, the population was distributed as 25.0% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $31,776, and for a family was $39,013. Males had a median income of $26,900 versus $23,421 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $15,318. About 10.8% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

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Harper is served by the Harper Independent School District.

References

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  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Harper, Texas
  2. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "Harper, Texas". The Handbook of Texas online. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  4. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Harper CDP, Texas". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2017.[dead link‍]
  5. ^ Climate Summary for Harper, Texas
  6. ^ "Decennial Census by Decade". US Census Bureau.
  7. ^ "1900 Census of Population - Population of Texas By Counties And Minor Civil Divisions" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  8. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Supplement for Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  9. ^ "1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  10. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  11. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  12. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  13. ^ "1960 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  14. ^ "1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  15. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  16. ^ "1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  17. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  18. ^ "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  19. ^ "Census Bureau profile: Harper, Texas". United States Census Bureau. May 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
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