Sweetwater, Texas

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Sweetwater, Texas
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Sweetwater, Texas

---

mapsize1 = 250px
map_caption1 =

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Texas
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Nolan

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 =
area_land_km2 =
area_water_km2 =
area_total_sq_mi = 10.0
area_land_sq_mi = 10.0
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 11415
population_density_km2 =
population_density_sq_mi = 1139.4

timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 661
elevation_ft = 2169
latd = 32 |latm = 28 |lats = 5 |latNS = N
longd = 100 |longm = 24 |longs = 26 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 79556
area_code = 325
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 48-71540GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1348139GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Sweetwater is a city in Nolan County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,415 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Nolan CountyGR|6.

History

At Sweetwater during World War II, the Women Airforce Service Pilots were trained under the direction of the famed aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran at the former Avenger Field. The airstrip closed abruptly at the end of the war. The women were not recognized for having served in the armed forces until 1977, when U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona and Colonel Bruce Arnold, late son of General Hap Arnold, persisted in obtaining their official recognition as military veterans. In 1970, the field became the site of Texas State Technical College in Sweetwater. [Marina Nemir of Sweetwater, "WASP (Women's Airforce Pilots) and the Avenger Field in Sweetwater", West Texas Historical Association, annual meeting, West Texas A&M University at Canyon, April 5, 2008]

Parts of Sweetwater were devastated by tornadoes that swept through west Texas in 1986.

Sweetwater is the center of the Western Hemisphere's leading wind power generation region. It is sometimes called the "Wind Turbine Capital of Texas", which does not regulate wind power.

The Sweetwater Jaycees Rattlesnake Roundup is held annually the second week in March. [ [http://www.rattlesnakeroundup.net/main/modules/page/ The Sweetwater Jaycees' Annual Rattlesnake RoundUp - Home Page ] ] A similar roundup is held in Freer in Duval County in south Texas.

Geography

Sweetwater is located at coor dms|32|28|5|N|100|24|26|W|city (32.468147, -100.407125)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.0 square miles (26.0 km²), all of it land.Fact|date=January 2008

Sweetwater is the center of the Western Hemisphere's leading wind power generation region and West Texas has more than 4,000 MW of operational wind energy. Nolan County alone would currently rank as the seventh largest "nation" in terms of wind energy generation - with more than 1,500 MW installed. [ [http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-04-2007/0004655682&EDATE= Composite Technology's DeWind Announces Texas Wind Turbine Demonstration Site] ]

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 11,415 people, 4,545 households, and 3,017 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,139.4 people per square mile (439.9/km²). There were 5,202 housing units at an average density of 519.2/sq mi (200.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.29% White, 5.83% African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 15.71% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.70% of the population.

There were 4,545 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,293, and the median income for a family was $29,953. Males had a median income of $27,722 versus $18,064 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,065. About 20.5% of families and 23.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.5% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The City of Sweetwater is served by the Sweetwater Independent School District, which includes Eastridge, Southeast, JP Cowen, SIS, SMS, SHS, and Croy Lucas Memorial School for the mentally handicapped.

It is the home of the West Texas campus of the Texas State Technical College System

Notable residents

*Sammy Baugh began playing American football in Sweetwater in the 1920s and had his high school jersey number retired in 2006.
*Lew Jenkins, world champion boxer, lived and trained in Sweetwater during the Great Depression.
*Professional wrestlers Blackjack Mulligan and his sons, Barry Windham and Kendall Windham, as well as John "Bradshaw" Layfield, were all born in Sweetwater.
*Birthplace of celebrity Jimo Davis
*Birthplace of mathematician and network engineer Robert C. Prim.
*Home of trial lawyer and state legislator Temple Dickson (1934-2006), a Democrat.
*Texas Secretary of State and influential Texas Supreme Court Justice Zollie Coffer Steakley, Jr. practiced law in Sweetwater during the 1930s, and his wife, Leona Ruth Butler, was a Sweetwater native. [ [http://www.rootsweb.com/~txnolan/nolan_co100yr/steakley_zollie_coffer.htm Zollie Coffer Steakley, Jr. & Leona Ruth Butler ] ]

References