Eagle Pass, Texas
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| Eagle Pass, Texas | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Maverick |
| Area | |
| - Total | 7.4 sq mi (19.2 km²) |
| - Land | 7.4 sq mi (19.2 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km²) |
| Elevation | 732 ft (223 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 22,413 |
| - Density | 3,030.3/sq mi (1,170.0/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 78852-78853 |
| Area code(s) | 830 |
| FIPS code | 48-21892[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1356538[2] |
Eagle Pass is a city in Maverick County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,413 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Maverick County.[3]
Eagle Pass borders the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, to the south across the Rio Grande river. The Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras Metropolitan Area (EG-PN) is one of six bi-national metropolitan areas along the United States-Mexican border. As of January 2008 (United States Census, 2008), the Eagle Pass Metropolitan Area's population is 48,401 people, and the Piedras Negras Metropolitan Area's population is 169,771 people.
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[edit] History
Eagle Pass was the first United States settlement on the Rio Grande. A temporary camp for a Texas militia was established in the area to stop illegal trade with Mexico during the Mexican-American War. The United States Army established Fort Duncan in 1849 a couple of miles upstream from the camp, and trade flourished under the protection of the fortification.
In 1850, Rick Pawless opened a trading post called Eagle Pass. In 1871, Maverick County was established and Eagle Pass was named the county seat. During the remainder of the 1800s schools and churches opened, the mercantile and ranching industries grew, and a railway came through.
General William Leslie Cazneau (1807-1876) was the founder of Eagle Pass, Texas townsite in the 1840s.[4]
[edit] Lawsuit over border fence
Eagle Pass has been sued by the U.S. government for access to land to construct a border fence between the Unites States and Mexico. [5]
[edit] The Starnes case
Glen S. Starnes (born 1965) is the former city manager of Eagle Pass who was forced from his position in January 2008 after a six months probationary period for having falsified his resume in regard to his education and past employment.
Starnes claimed to have been an assistant city manager in Converse near San Antonio. He also claimed that he was an aide for a decade for former U.S. Representative Jack Fields of Houston. Starnes said that he was still working for Fields as late as 2002, but Fields did not run for reelection in 1996 and had hence been out of Congress for the last six years that Starnes claimed to have been in his employ. Starnes claimed to hold three degrees, including a Ph.D., from the University of Maryland "at Rockville". However, the University of Maryland is in College Park. Starnes then amended the resume to say that his credential were instead from "Rochville University," an on-line operation which sells various degrees, including doctorates in a variety of prestigious disciplines for $599.[6]
When reports surfaced that the San Antonio Express-News was doing an investigation into Starnes' resume, Mayor Chad Foster and the four city council members at first supported the manager, who was paid $85,000 annually, and praised his recent accomplishments. They agreed informally to hire him permanently at another public meeting a week later. At that point, Starnes had admitted to having lied only about his claim to have been the assistant manager in Converse.[7] As public concern and pressure mounted, the city began the legal process to terminate Starnes. Foster and the council voted unanimously to move for dismissal. Within an hour, Starnes was arrested by the Maverick County Sheriff's Department on a misdemeanor charge of having procured a government job under false pretenses.[8]
[edit] Geography
Eagle Pass is located at (28.710622, -100.489331).[9]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²), of which, 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.40%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2006, there were 24,847 people, 6,925 households, and 5,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,030.3 people per square mile (1,169.4/km²). There were 7,613 housing units at an average density of 1,029.3/sq mi (397.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 2.73% White, 0.27% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 22.71% from other races, and 3.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 94.90% of the population.
There were 6,925 households out of which 43.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were non-families. 17.7% 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 3.22 and the average family size was 3.69.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,623, and the median income for a family was $27,140. Males had a median income of $26,350 versus $17,346 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,414. About 26.0% of families and 29.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.0% of those under age 18 and 39.1% of those age 65 or over.
Eagle Pass lies in Maverick County, the 9th poorest county in the country due to lack of employment beyond the public sector.
[edit] Education
Eagle Pass is served by the Eagle Pass Independent School District. The district comprises roughly 14 elementary schools, two junior high schools and 2 high schools which compete in UIL academics and sports.
The community is also served by branches of Sul Ross University, in the form of Rio Grande College, and Southwest Texas Junior College.
[edit] HVDC-back-to-back station
In 2000, as part of the power exchange between Texas and Mexico, a HVDC facility equipped with IGBTs was built. This facility, built by ABB, operates at a bipolar voltage of 15.9 kV and has a maximum transfer rate of 36 megawatts. [10]
[edit] Tornado
- See also Piedras Negras-Eagle Pass Tornadoes
On April 24, 2007 at 7:00 p.m CST, a tornado tore through Eagle Pass, causing at least 10 known fatalities and leaving more than 80 injured. Two elementary schools were demolished and eighty people evacuated to shelters.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ Texas City Ordered to Turn Over Land to Feds for Border Fence Construction, January 16, 2008
- ^ http://www.caller.com/news/2008/jan/10/eagle-pass-manager-admits-lying/
- ^ http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA010908.en.eaglepassfolo.7694174.html
- ^ http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5925
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ a U.S./Mexico HVDC Light link
[edit] External links
- City Eagle Pass, Texas Official Site
- Handbook of Texas Online article
- Eagle Pass Mayor Chad Foster explains why Eagle Pass is growing
- Maverick County Judge Pepe Aranda on the Growth of Eagle Pass
- A Day with the Kickapoo, and Indian tribe with a reservation near Eagle Pass
- Our Sister City of Piedras Negras, Mexico
- Eagle Pass, Texas is at coordinates Coordinates:
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