History

JOURDANTON, TEXAS. Jourdanton, the county seat of Atascosa County, is at the intersection of State highways 16, 97, and 173, five miles southwest of Pleasanton. It was designed from a blueprint as a designated stop on the Artesian Belt Railroad. Jourdan Campbell, who gave his name to the new community, and Col. T. H. Zanderson founded the town in September of 1909. Capt. C. S. Young designed the layout and cooperated with the railroad company so that livestock and cotton could be shipped by railroad to San Antonio. Peter F. Watson, of the Jourdanton Land Company, organized the first auction of town lots in 1909. The citizens of Jourdanton raised a $50,000 bonus for the Artesian Belt Railroad for bringing the line into town.

The town grew rapidly and by 1914 had telephones, electricity, a cotton gin, a gristmill, and a system of public schools. The population at this time was 1,200. Several churches had also developed, as well as two hotels and a weekly newspaper, the Atascosa Monitor. For the next ten years the population decreased, until 1925, when it began climbing again. In 1930 the town had 767 residents and thirty-six businesses. The discovery of oil in 1942 led to another period of rapid growth, and the economy of Jourdanton flourished again. By 1952 its population was 1,483, and the city built a new school, which held 700 pupils. A twenty-five-bed hospital was built in 1956, and a children's wing was added in 1960. In 1956 the courthouse, which was originally built in 1909, was remodeled to reflect the progress of the community. The State Bank of Jourdanton held $457,000 capital in 1965, and by this time the number of residents had increased to 1,990. Since the 1960s the railroad, which was responsible for the origin of Jourdanton, had stopped running, but the town continued to grow in the 1970s and 1980s. The rich resources of gas, oil, and lignite provided a strong and stable economy for the citizens of Jourdanton, and in 1990 its population was 3,220. The population grew to 3,732 in 2000.

Jourdanton is a city in Atascosa County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,732 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Atascosa County.

Jourdanton was founded in 1909 and was named after founder Jourdan Campbell. The county seat was moved from Pleasanton to Jourdanton in 1910. Locals pronounce the town name as (jer-dun-ton).

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,732 people, 1,187 households, and 923 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,071.1 people per square mile (414.1/km²). There were 1,353 housing units at an average density of 388.3/sq mi (150.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.44% White, 1.13% African American, 0.96% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 20.42% from other races, and 2.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.87% of the population.

There were 1,187 households out of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.2% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.42.

In the city the population was spread out with 32.2% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,975, and the median income for a family was $38,389. Males had a median income of $30,222 versus $16,313 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,910. About 12.4% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those ages 65 or over.

Geography

Jourdanton is located at 28°55′18″N 98°32′47″W / 28.92167, -98.54639 (28.921530, -98.546440).   According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.0 km²), all of it land. 

Education

Jourdanton is served by the Jourdanton Independent School District.