San Marcos, Texas

Infobox Settlement
official_name = City of San Marcos
settlement_type = City
nickname =

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imagesize =
image_caption =


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mapsize = 250px
map_caption =


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Texas
subdivision_type2 = Counties
subdivision_name2 = Caldwell, Guadalupe, Hays
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Susan Narvaizcite press release|publisher=Mayor Susan Narvaiz|title=2007 State of the City Address|date=2007-10-17|url=http://www.ci.san-marcos.tx.us/news/2007/StateoftheCity07.pdf|accessdate=2008-04-08]
established_date =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 47.4
area_total_sq_mi = 18.2
area_land_km2 = 47.2
area_land_sq_mi = 18.2
area_water_km2 = 0.3
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1
elevation_m = 188
elevation_ft = 617
latd = 29 |latm = 52 |lats = 46 |latNS = N
longd = 97 |longm = 56 |longs = 20 |longEW = W
population_as_of = 2008
population_total = 50,371
population_metro =
population_density_km2 = 736.4
population_density_sq_mi = 1907.5
timezone = CST
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
latitude = 29°52′46″ N
longitude = 97°56′20″ W
website = [http://www.ci.san-marcos.tx.us ci.san-marcos.tx.us]
postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 78666-78667
area_code = 512
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 48-65600GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1375971GR|3
footnotes =

San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the county seat of Hays County. San Marcos is located on the Interstate 35 corridor, between Austin and San Antonio. [ [http://www.preserveamerica.gov/txsanmarcos.html Preserve America Community: San Marcos, Texas] ] Founded on the banks of the San Marcos River, the area is considered to be among the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the Northern Hemisphere. [http://www.ci.san-marcos.tx.us/departments/mainstreet/Docs/2003%20National%20Register%20brochure.pdf San Marcos Historic Downtown National Register District, "San Marcos--A Brief History"] ] San Marcos is home to Texas State University-San Marcos, and the Aquarena Center . [ [http://www.aquarena.txstate.edu/ Aquarena Center : Texas State University ] ] The population was 50,371 in 2008. [http://www.ci.san-marcos.tx.us/news/2008/Docs/2008_Annual_Report.pdf]

History

On St. Mark's Day of 1689, Alonso de Leon's men discovered the river and named it the San Marcos River in honor of Saint Mark. [ [http://www.toursanmarcos.com/story.htm Convention & Visitor Bureau: San Marcos, Texas] Retrieved on 2008-02-23.]

A small group of Mexican families settled in the area where the El Camino Real crossed the San Marcos River in April 1808, calling their settlement "Villa de San Marcos de Neve". The settlers were plagued by floods and Indian raids, and the settlement was abandoned in 1812.

In November 1846 the first Anglos settled in the vicinity of the San Marcos Springs. The Texas Legislature organized Hays County on March 1, 1848, and designated San Marcos as the county seat. In 1851 the town center was laid out. The town became a center for ginning and milling local agricultural products.

In the decade following the arrival of the International-Great Northern Railroad in 1881, cattle and cotton provided the basis for the growth of San Marcos as a center for commerce and transportation.

In 1899, Southwest Texas State Normal School, today Texas State University-San Marcos, was established as a teacher's college to meet demand for public school teachers in Texas. In 1907 the private institution known as the San Marcos Baptist Academy was established [ [http://www.smba.org/about_us.htm About Us - San Marcos Baptist Academy ] ] , furthering education as an important industry for the town. The demands of World War II forced the town's industry to diversify, and with the emergence of a manufacturing and light industrial sector the town began to experience growth.

In the 1960s, with the establishment of Aquarena Springs [ [http://www.aquarena.txstate.edu/About-Us/History.html History : Aquarena Center : Texas State University ] ] and Wonder World [ [http://www.wonderworldpark.com/html/attractions.html Wonder World Park Attractions ] ] as attractions, the tourist industry became a growing part of the city's economy. By the 1960s what was now named Southwest Texas State University had grown into an important regional institution [ [http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/TT/kct56.html Handbook of Texas Online - TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY-SAN MARCOS ] ] , and when coupled with the creation of Gary Job Corps Training Center in 1965 [ [http://gary.jobcorps.gov/history.htm Gary Job Corps Center-History ] ] , education became the largest industry in San Marcos [ [http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/hes2.html Handbook of Texas Online - SAN MARCOS, TX ] ] . The remarkable growth explosion of Austin further allowed San Marcos to prosper.

By 1973, San Marcos and Hays County had joined the Austin Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. [ [http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/HH/hch11.html Handbook of Texas Online - HAYS COUNTY ] ] By that year the city's population had grown to 25,000 citizens, along with an additional Southwest Texas State University student body of 20,000.

By 1990, the city's population had grown to 28,743, by 2000 it reached 34,733, and by 2008 the city's population had grown to 50,371, and the university now known as Texas State University, boasted a student body of 28,121. [ [http://www.txstate.edu/about/index.html About Texas State : Texas State University ] ]

Geography

San Marcos is located at coor dms|29|52|46|N|97|56|20|W|city (29.879387, -97.938829)GR|1 in an area locally referred to as Central Texas. This is 29 miles southwest of Austin and 47 miles northeast of San Antonio. Interstate 35 is the main highway through the town and the spring-fed San Marcos River is a notable water feature. The city is also situated on the Balcones Fault. The eastern part of the city is flat while the western part consists of rolling hills.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.3 square miles (47.4 km²).Land constitutes 18.2 square miles (47.2 km²), and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.60%) is water.

The San Marcos River area is considered by many archaeologists to be the oldest, continuously inhabited area in the Northern Hemisphere.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 34,733 people, 12,660 households, and 5,380 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,907.5 people per square mile (736.4/km²). There were 13,340 housing units at an average density of 732.6/sq mi (282.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.55% White, 5.53% African American, 0.65% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 17.03% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.50% of the population.

There were 12,660 households out of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.9% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.5% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 15.4% under the age of 18, 41.9% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 10.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,809, and the median income for a family was $37,113. Males had a median income of $25,400 versus $22,953 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,468. About 13.8% of families and 28.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.

The San Marcos River

.

The river begins at San Marcos Springs, rising from the Edwards Aquifer into Spring Lake. Access to much of the headwaters is restricted due to the delicate ecosystem and numerous rare species. The upper river flows through Texas State University and San Marcos, and is a popular recreational area. It is joined by the Blanco River after four miles, passes through Luling and near Gonzales flows into the Guadalupe River after a total of 75 miles (121 km). This course is the first section of the Texas Water Safari.

Culture

The culture of San Marcos is greatly enriched by the city's diversity. Home to a growing Hispanic population, and a small but influential African-American population, the city hosts many annual events that highlight its different cultures, such as the annual VIVA! Cinco de May Celebration, the Texas Natural &Western Swing Festival, Juneteenth Celebrations, and the Sights and Sounds of Christmas.

San Marcos benefits greatly by the presence of Texas State University, and its large student population. The influx of youth contributes toward keeping the city vibrant, as exemplified by a thriving music scene. In addition, the university and local school district provide many opportunities for entertainment through the various student artistic productions, and athletic events.

Those in San Marcos enjoy a life centered greatly around nature. The presence of the pristine San Marcos River, and an ample city park system, provides plentiful outdoor opportunities. The admiration for nature lends to a city pride in its scenic natural beauty, and the unique and endangered species which also call San Marcos home.

The Square

The square was recently the focus of a multi-million dollar restoration project. It is also one of the primary sources of entertainment for Texas State students.

Education

The city of San Marcos is served by the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District. San Marcos is also home to the San Marcos Baptist Academy, a Baptist boarding college-preparatory military academy. San Marcos is also the home of Texas State University-San Marcos.

Transportation

*Capital Area Rural Transportation System
*San Marcos Municipal Airport
*San Marcos Station

Notable Texans and San Marcos

*Lyndon Baines Johnson was educated at Texas State University, then called the Southwest Texas State Teachers College. [http://www.txstate.edu/about/25points.html Points of Pride : Texas State University] ] [http://www.txstate.edu/news/news_releases/news_archive/2007/11/LBJstatue112807.html LBJ statue returns to campus : University News Service : Texas State University] ] Many landmarks on campus and around town are named for him, including a main thoroughfare, a student center, a statue, and a museum. [ [http://www.ci.san-marcos.tx.us/departments/mainstreet/Docs/2003%20National%20Register%20brochure.pdf San Marcos Historic Downtown National Register District] ] [ [http://www.dos.txstate.edu/TxState-Handbook/Campus.html Campus : Dean of Students : Texas State University] ] [ [http://www.lbjmuseum.com/lbjhistory.htm LBJ Museum of San Marcos History] ]
*Country music star George Strait graduated from Southwest Texas State University. A club ("George's") located in the basement of the LBJ Student Center, is named in his honor. [ [http://www.bobcatbuild.txstate.edu/docs/nov.%2018.pdf The San Marcos Daily Record, 11/18/2004, Page 8A, Alumni Events] ]
*The rock band Blue October is based in San Marcos. [ [http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/xl/2006/04/20cds.html Blue October, Voxtrot, Brandon McFall was born in San Marcos- Joe Gross, Austin American-Statesman] ]
*Tomás Rivera, an influential figure in Chicano and American literature from Crystal City, TX is also a Southwest Texas State alumni. A street leading to the LBJ Student Center is named in his honor.
*Tino Villanueva, distinguished poet, editor, critic, university profesor and Chicano painter was born in San Marcos.
*Ty Detmer, a Heisman-winning quarterback from Brigham Young University was born in San Marcos.
*Horror author Scott A. Johnson received his Bachelors Degree from Texas State University, then called Southwest Texas State University, in 2002.
*Cell biologist Adam Johnson graduated from Texas State University with a master's in biology. His research discovered a role for calcineurin during melanosome motility in the retinal pigment epithelium.
*San Marcos police officer and rescue-recovery diver Daniel Misiaszek founded the San Marcos Area Recovery Team (SMART) in 1988 and set a World Record for the longest scuba dive in open water of 60 hours and 24 minutes on September 3, 2001. [ [http://www.nleomf.org/TheFund/programs/OOM/misiaszek_apr04.htm National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund - Officer of the Month - April 2004, Sergeant Daniel Misiaszek, San Marcos (TX) Police Department ] ] [http://fp1.centurytel.net/diverdan/videos/wrdivevideo.asx] This took place in Spring Lake at Aquarena Springs.
* Post-rock band This Will Destroy You is based in San Marcos.
* Noted Chicago-based improvisational comedian Cameron Goldapp was born and raised in San Marcos, TX.
* Noted Air Force Weather Meteorologist Joli Babbitt once lived in San Marcos.

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.ci.san-marcos.tx.us/ City of San Marcos]
* [http://www.san-marcos-texas.net/ Welcome to San Marcos - A Visitor's Guide]
* [http://www.ecodevsanmarcos.org/ Economic Development San Marcos]
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* [http://www.sanmarcostexas.com/ San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://sanmarcos.craigslist.org/ craigslist: san marcos]
*
* [http://www.txstate.edu/ Texas State University - San Marcos]
* [http://www.toursanmarcos.com/ San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau]
* [http://www.78666.com/ 78666.com - Guide to San Marcos, Texas]
* [http://www.visitsanmarcos.com/ Visit San Marcos - The San Marcos Hospitality Association]
* [http://www.texfiles.com/sanmarcostexas/ San Marcos, Texas: Home of Southwest Texas State University]
* [http://www.co.hays.tx.us/ Hays County... San Marcos, TEXAS]
* [http://gotexas.about.com/od/hillcountry/a/SanMarcos.htm Summer in San Marcos - About.com]

* Newspapers:
** [http://www.newstreamz.com/ Newstreamz San Marcos]
** [http://www.sanmarcosmercury.com/ The Mercury - San Marcos Newspaper]
** [http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/ San Marcos Daily Record]