Gilmer (Texas)

Upshur County

48-29564

Gilmer is the capital and the county seat ( county seat ) of Upshur County in the U.S. state of Texas in the United States.

Geography

The city is located in the center of the county on U.S. Highway 271, and Highways 154 and 155 in northeast Texas, is in the north about 80 miles from Oklahoma and Arkansas, in the east approximately 75 km Louisiana and has a total area of 12.0 km ² without appreciable water surface.

History

The city was founded in 1846 and named for Thomas W. Gilmer, the 15th Secretary of the Navy of the United States, who died in a test of a new gun on the USS Princeton on the Potomac River.

Demography

According to the census of 2000, there were 4,799 people in 1,926 households and 1,300 families. The population density was 401.1 inhabitants per km ². The racial the population was composed of 75.91 % White, 20.23 % African American, 0.35 % Native American, 0.08 % Asian, 0.02 % Pacific Islander residents from the and 1.90 % from other ethnic groups. Approximately 1.50% were of mixed descent, and 4.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 1,926 households, 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 46.2 % were married couples living together. 17.7% were single mothers and 32.5 % were non-families. 29.9 % of all households were single-person households, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size amounted to 2.93.

25.3% of the population were under 18 years old, 7.8 % from 18 to 24, 23.5% 25-44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.8 % who were 65 years or older. The average age was 40 years. For every 100 females of all ages were 83.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, 76.3 males.

The median income for a household was $ 28,487, and the median income for a family $ 39,688. Males have a median income of $ 32,437 versus $ 17,910 for females. The per capita income was $ 16,823. 19.1 % of the population and 15.9 % of families are below the poverty line. Of which 26.5 % have children under the age of 18 and 21.0 % of those 65 or older.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Freddie King, blues musician and one of the "Three Kings of the electric blues "
• Doug Bragg, country and rockabilly musicians
• Don Henley, musician and member of The Eagles
• Louis Wright, American football player