Overview
Keller is a city located in Tarrant County, Texas (USA). It is a northern
suburb of the city of Fort Worth and is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth
Metroplex. The population is 37,685 at the year of 2007, but 2010 estimates
have been released and been reported as the population will be reaching
40,127.
History
Establishment of Keller
The Texas and Pacific Railroad between Fort Worth and Texarkana was
completed in April 1881, and the first train ran on this track on 9 May
1881. With the advent of rail service, new villages were established all
along the line. The Keller of today was one of them.
On 19 July 1881, H.W. Wood, a druggist of Tarrant County, set aside 40 acres
(0.16 km²) out of the north end of the 62 acres (0.25 km²) deeded to him by
A.C. Roberts (being a part of the Samuel Needham Survey) for a town site to
be known as Athol, situated 14 miles (23 km) northeast of Fort Worth. The
land was dedicated to the public for street and alleyways, but title to the
remainder of the 62 acres was held by Mr. Wood.
Settlers migrated to the new village, and before a year had passed the name
of the town was changed from Athol to Keller, honoring John C. Keller, a
foreman on the railroad. Streets were named and those in the original
40-acre (0.16 km²) site still carry the names given to them in 1881. Streets
going north and south are Lamar, Main and Elm; those running east and west
are Price, Taylor, Hill, Vine, Bates, Olive and Pecan.
Growth of the Community
With railroad service now available, Keller began to prosper as a trade
center for the surrounding farm community. The first persons to engage in
business after the railroad arrived were C.C. Nance, groceries and dry
goods; J.F. Roberts, drugs; and Henry Cates, general merchandise. On 17
February 1899, the Keller Kourier, the local newspaper, published an article
listing other Keller businesses that were located in the city; J.W. Smith,
dry goods, clothing, shoes, etc., and in a separate building, farm
implements; A.B. Cade, groceries and drugs; L.G. Hysmith "has in the Post
Office building" confections, cigars and stationery; J.R. Wade,
confectioneries, canned goods, cigars, tobacco, cigarettes and a barber
shop; Cates, Allred and Crockett, blacksmithing businesses; T.M. Prewit,
hardware and implement business established in 1885; Wallace and Seaton,
drugs, patent medicine, toilet articles, wallpaper and harness shop; B.
Laivose, dry goods, groceries, hardware, queensware, etc., (established in
1883); J.P. Ripy and Son, hardware implements, wagons, buggies, coffins,
furniture and a lumber yard; B.E. Warron, livery business; Prescott and
Huffins, barber shop; Fagan and Price, blacksmith and woodshop; J.H. Prewit,
grocery, dry goods, drugs, meat market, food store and coal bin; Miss Jennie
Presser, millinery, Kourier office; two hotels (The Keller House and McCarty
Hotel); and three doctors (Drs. McCollough, Read and Reynolds). Dr. J.R.
Wallace was one of the first settlers and had retired by this time. The
depot agent was J.M. Puckett and section foreman on the railroad was G.R.
Fowler.
The post office was established in 1886 when the post office at Double
Springs, located about 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Keller, was discontinued.
Paper work for this change began about two years earlier and it is possible
that at the time C.C. Nance moved to Keller and was serving as postmaster
there for those years. In 1886, John H. Wallace was appointed postmaster.
In 1886, a Presbytery was formed with R.F. Moore representing the Baptist
Church, S.M. Wilson the Presbyterian Church, and R. Whitley the Methodist
Church. The purpose of the Presbytery was to purchase property from D.M.
Hightower, on Vine Street, upon which to erect a building to be known as the
Henderson Union Church (sometimes called Union Church and sometimes known as
Community Church). On alternating Sundays, these congregations were charged
with the responsibility of holding religious services. As the membership of
each denomination grew, other properties were purchased by each church body
and each located in its own building. The Baptist Church was the first to
move in 1910. Shortly thereafter the Methodists moved. The Presbyterians
purchased the original property for themselves and worshiped at this site in
the original building until 1977. Church of the Vineyard is now there.
In the first years, the closest school to Keller stood on Bear Creek Road
and Elaine Street. The building was erected by the Mount Gilead Baptist
Church as a school reserving church privileges. It was a subscription
school. The exact date when this was abandoned and a new building was
erected at the southwest corner of Olive and Elm Streets in the town has not
been verified. This was a frame structure and the building was torn down
only about twenty years ago. By 1898, property was purchased on the corner
of Price and College Streets. The school was moved to this new location,
where the Keller Elementary School now stands. Keller had benefited not only
from being situated on the Texas and Pacific Railroad - it had the advantage
of U.S. Highway 377 which runs from Fort Worth to Denton. Keller was
incorporated on 20 February 1958. The first elected officials were Joseph
Knox, Mayor; Councilmen A.L. Pipkin, B.B. Stateham, L.D. Feaster, C.A.
Anderson, Jr., and C.T. Lee; and Randall Simpson, City Secretary.
Modern Keller
New residential development is expanding the city in all directions. The
1980 Census calculated Keller's population at 4,555; today, about 37,700
residents call Keller home. The city planned for its growth and has recently
constructed a new town hall, municipal service center, recreation and
aquatic center, and has expanded the police and municipal court
facility.[citation needed] Keller Independent School District has 25
campuses serving more than 20,000 students.[citation needed] Enrollment in
the school district has doubled during the past ten years and is expected to
do the same during the next decade, making it the ninth-fastest growing
school district in Texas.[citation needed]
Money Magazine rated Keller as one of the top 100 "Best Places to Live" in
the United States for 2007, ranked number 50.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
47.8 km² (18.4 mi²), all land.
Keller is east of Interstate 35W.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 27,345 people, 8,827 households, and
7,856 families residing in the city. The population density was 572.6/km²
(1,483.0/mi²). There were 9,216 housing units at an average density of
193.0/km² (499.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.74% White, 1.43%
African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.04% Pacific
Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic
or Latino of any race were 4.51% of the population.
There were 8,827 households out of which 5.23% had children under the age of
18 living with them, 81.3% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a
female householder with no husband present, and 11.0% were non-families.
8.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.0% had someone
living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.7% under the age of 18,
4.7% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 4.3% who
were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100
females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $86,232, and the median
income for a family was $90,129. Males had a median income of $66,969 versus
$34,661 for females. The per capita income for the city was $31,986. About
1.0% of families and 1.4% of the population were below the poverty line,
including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Keller is served by the Keller Independent School District and
small portions by the Northwest Independent School District.