Ferris is a city in Dallas
and Ellis
Counties in the U.S.
state of Texas
. The
population was 2,175 at the
2000 census.
Geography
Ferris is located at (32.535144, -96.667038) .
According to the
United
States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
3.1 square miles (8.1 km²), all of it land. Most of the
city lies within Ellis County, with only a small portion in Dallas
County.
History
Settlement of the area began in the early 1870s. On September 28,
1874, a local family deeded approximately of land to four trustees
for the establishment of a town and railway station.
Judge Justus Wesley
Ferris of Waxahachie
handled the transaction and the community was named
for him. Within ten years, Ferris had a population of 300
with a post office, gristmills, cotton gins, four churches, and a
school.
On September 18, 1882, an election was held to incorporate the
community. A total of 47 votes were cast – 34 (72%) in favor of
incorporation and 13 (28%) against. The results were verified by
the Ellis County Judge on September 30 and Ferris officially became
a town. By 1900, the town was home to 904 residents. In 1910, that
number had increased to 1,233 residents.
Fifty businesses, including six brick plants that benefitted from
the area's mineral rich soil, were operating in 1914. The
population rose to 1,586 by 1925 but declined during the 1930s and
1940s as a result of the
Great
Depression and
World War II.
Ferris thrived during the early post-war years. Four brick plants
operated during the 1950s and was known locally as the "Brick
Capital of the Nation". Ferris also has a second nickname – "The
City that Bricked the World" – which is still commonly used to
date. In 1952, the population had risen to 1,734 and 1,807 by
1964.
The
expansion of the Dallas
–Fort
Worth
Metropolitan
Area and the construction of Interstate 45 aided the growth of Ferris in
the latter half of the twentieth century. Although the
number of businesses decreased during the 1980s, the population
continued to grow. It stood at 2,212 in 1990 and 2,175 in 2000. A
July 1, 2007
United States
Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 2,498. In 1994,
Ferris won the 3-A State Championship in mens basketball.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 2,175
people, 688 households, and 502 families residing in the city. The
population density was 699.8
people per square mile (270.0/km²). There were 741 housing units at
an average density of 238.4/sq mi (92.0/km²). The racial
makeup of the city was 67.68%
White, 22.39%
African American, 0.23%
Native American, 0.46%
Asian, 7.45% from
other races, and 1.79% from two
or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 27.54%
of the population.
There were 688 households out of which 41.0% had children under the
age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were
married
couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no
husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 22.5% of all
households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living
alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.61.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.0% under the age
of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to
64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was
31 years. For every 100 females there were 86.5 males. For every
100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,573, and the
median income for a family was $43,641. Males had a median income
of $32,227 versus $24,423 for females. The
per capita income for the city was
$18,104. About 8.1% of families and 12.2% of the population were
below the
poverty line, including 14.5%
of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Pupils in Ferris are served by the
Ferris Independent School
District.
Some areas in Dallas County not within the Ferris city limits but
with Ferris addresses are served by the
Dallas Independent School
District. The areas were served by the
Wilmer-Hutchins
Independent School District until it closed for good during the
2005-2006 school year.
References
- The Story of Ferris, Texas – Ellis County
TXGenWeb.
- Ferris, Texas – Handbook of Texas.
- Ferris, Texas – Texas Escapes Online
Magazine.
External links
Wikis
Map
Search
