Rockdale, Texas

Rockdale, Texas
City
Rockdale City Hall is located off U.S. Highway 79.
Motto: "Great Things Happen Here"
Location of Rockdale, Texas
Coordinates: 30°39′17″N 97°0′27″W / 30.65472°N 97.00750°WCoordinates: 30°39′17″N 97°0′27″W / 30.65472°N 97.00750°W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Milam
Area
• Total	3.1 sq mi (8.1 km^2)
• Land	3.1 sq mi (8.1 km^2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km^2)
Elevation	466 ft (142 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	5,439
• Density	1,735.8/sq mi (670.2/km^2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	76567
Area code(s)	512
FIPS code	48-62672[1]
GNIS feature ID	1366723[2]
Website	City of Rockdale, Texas

Rockdale welcome sign

The Chamber of Commerce building in Rockdale

U.S. 79 is the main street of Rockdale.

Rockdale Police Department; Chief Thomas Harris (2011)

First Baptist Church of Rockdale; pastor Jack Chelf, Jr. (2011)

Rockdale is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2010 census. It is approximately 41 miles west of College Station.

History

In 1873, the town developed as the International-Great Northern Railroad came through the area. Rockdale was named for a nearby rock that stood 12 feet high and had a circumference of 20 feet. Rockdale was incorporated in 1878.^[3]

Geography

Rockdale is located at 30°39′17″N 97°0′27″W / 30.65472°N 97.00750°W (30.654674, -97.007439).^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km²), all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Rockdale has a humid subtropical climate, "Cfa" on climate maps.^[5]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	1,185		—
1890	1,505		27.0%
1900	2,515		67.1%
1910	2,073		−17.6%
1920	2,323		12.1%
1930	2,204		−5.1%
1940	2,136		−3.1%
1950	2,321		8.7%
1960	4,481		93.1%
1970	4,655		3.9%
1980	5,611		20.5%
1990	5,235		−6.7%
2000	5,439		3.9%
2010	5,595		2.9%
Est. 2015	5,609	[6]	0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 5,439 people, 2,077 households, and 1,420 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,735.8 people per square mile (670.9/km²). There were 2,379 housing units at an average density of 759.2 per square mile (293.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.69% White, 14.29% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 12.23% from other races, and 2.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.93% of the population.

There were 2,077 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,612, and the median income for a family was $39,491. Males had a median income of $30,758 versus $20,692 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,618. About 13.2% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Rockdale was the site of a large Alcoa smelting operation, which could produce 1.67 million pounds of aluminum per day.^[8] The ALCOA plant profoundly changed the city, as noted in a Saturday Evening Post article by Rockdale native George Sessions Perry - within a few years of its arrival in 1952, Rockdale almost doubled in population, changing in character from a predominantly agricultural economy to one heavily driven by manufacturing jobs. The ALCOA plant was partially closed in late 2008 - early 2009.

Education

The City of Rockdale is served by the Rockdale Independent School District.

Media

• Rockdale Reporter
• KRXT radio

Notable people

Author George Sessions Perry was born in Rockdale on May 5, 1910, and lived much of his life there.

Mary Sue Whipp Hubbard, the third wife of L. Ron Hubbard, was a Rockdale native.

Dan Kubiak, a native of Falls County, was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1969 to 1983 and again from 1991 until his death in 1998. He was a long-term Rockdale resident. Kubiak's younger brother, L. B. Kubiak, is a veterinarian in Austin and a Rockdale resident who from 1983 to 1991 held the same House seat as his brother.^[9]

Former NFL linebacker Stan Blinka played for and graduated from Rockdale High School. Blinka was a NAIA All-American at Sam Houston State University.

Former All-Pro NFL linebacker Lee Roy Caffey, who played on the legendary Green Bay Packers teams of the 1960s, was born in Rockdale and retired there after his professional career.

Blues guitarist Pee Wee Crayton was born in Rockdale.

Texas A&M Director of Football Sports Performance Larry Jackson, who was a member of the Wrecking Crew from 1991-1994, is from Rockdale.

NASA astronaut Kenneth Cockrell graduated from Rockdale High School in 1968.

References

1. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. "Rockdale, Tx". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
4. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
5. Climate Summary for Rockdale, Texas
6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
8. Alcoa - Rockdale
9. "Daniel Kubiak". cemetery.state.tx.us. Retrieved June 7, 2011.