Overview
Lancaster is a city in Dallas County, Texas (USA). As of the 2000 U.S.
Census, the city population was 25,894 (though a 2007 estimate placed the
city's population at 35,050).
Lancaster is a suburb of Dallas and is part of the Best Southwest area,
which includes Lancaster, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, and Duncanville.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
75.9 km² (29.3 mi²). 75.9 km² (29.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.03% is water.
History
Founded in 1852 and incorporated in May 1866, Lancaster was one of the first
incorporated communities in Dallas County. "Honest A" Bledsoe is said to
have surveyed and staked off the town on the 430-acre Rawlins survey,
modeling it after his hometown of Lancaster, Kentucky. The city plan
features a traffic circle in the center of a town square, with streets
entering from the middle of each side.
During the American Civil War, Tucker, Sherrod & Company contracted with the
State of Texas to manufacture replicas of the .44 caliber Colt Dragoon from
a factory on West Main Street in Lancaster. John M. Crockett, former mayor
of Dallas and lieutenant governor of Texas, served as superintendent of the
arms factory.
In December of 1888, Lancaster's train depot opened as a stop on the Dallas
and Waco line, and in 1891, it became part of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas
Railroad (MKT) line, running from Dallas to the Gulf Coast of Texas.
In February 1934, Clyde Barrow of Bonnie & Clyde fame robbed the R.P. Henry
& Sons Bank that was then located near the southeast corner of the town
square. Bonnie Parker waited in the getaway car while Clyde and Raymond
Hamilton walked in, robbed the bank, and walked out with over $4,000.
In 1994 a tornado of F4 intensity ripped through Lancaster, killing 3
people, devastating the Historic Town Square, and damaging or completely
destroying 250 homes in the area. The White & Company Bank building, a local
landmark since 1898, was severely damaged in the tornado but was rebuilt,
and in 1998 reopened as headquarters for the Lancaster Economic Development
Corporation.
In 2005 and 2006 Lancaster was a finalist for the All-America City Award. In
2007 the National Arbor Day Foundation designated Lancaster a Tree City USA.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 25,894 people, 9,182 households, and
6,895 families residing in the city. The population density was 341.3/km²
(884.0/mi²). There were 9,590 housing units at an average density of
126.4/km² (327.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 37.63% White,
53.00% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.05% Pacific
Islander, 6.58% from other races, and 1.85% from two or more races. Hispanic
or Latino of any race were 11.59% of the population. As of the 2000 census,
Lancaster is the largest African American-majority city in Texas.
There were 9,182 households out of which 40.6% had children under the age of
18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 20.8% had a
female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families.
21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone
living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18,
8.6% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who
were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100
females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
were 80.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,773, and the median
income for a family was $48,498. Males had a median income of $33,406 versus
$30,653 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,731. About
6.1% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line,
including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Lancaster is served mainly by the Lancaster Independent School District and
to a lesser extent by the Dallas Independent School District. Lancaster ISD
operates nine campuses (one High School, one Middle School, and seven
Elementary Schools) with a total enrollment of approximately 6,000 students.
The Dallas ISD portion was served by the Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School
District before Dallas ISD took over the district (Lancaster ISD was given
the first option to take over WHISD but declined). Students living in this
area are zoned to Birdie Alexander Elementary School, D.A. Hulcy Middle
School, and David W. Carter High School.
There are three private schools in the city - Berne Academy, Cedar Valley
Christian Academy, and Victory Christian Academy.
Cedar Valley College, which is part of the Dallas County Community College
District (DCCCD), is also located in Lancaster.