Center Point, Kerr County, Texas Explained

Official Name:Center Point, Texas
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:Texas#USA
Pushpin Label:Center Point
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within Texas and the United States
Coordinates:29.9442°N -99.0372°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name1:Texas
Subdivision Name2:Kerr
Unit Pref:Imperial
Elevation M:467
Elevation Ft:1532
Population Total:4260
Population As Of:2010
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Area Code:830
Pushpin Image:Relief map of Texas.png
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:1332539[1]

Center Point is an unincorporated community in Kerr County, Texas, United States.

History

In the mid-1850s, as Kerr County was establishing a new county seat, a small community to the south was being established as a major trade area between Comfort and Kerrsville (later changed to Kerrville) and Bandera and Fredericksburg.[2]

On November 25, 1859, the first post office was established and called Zanzenberg after the ancestral home of the town founder Charles Ganahl. Originally opened in the home of Ganahl, the post office stayed there until 1872, when it was moved to the south side of the Guadalupe River, where a sizable community was being built. When the post office was reopened, it was called Center Point due to its location on the trade routes.

Founded largely by settlers from western Tennessee, the community continued to grow as relatives and neighbors from Tennessee converged on the banks of the Guadalupe to call Zanzenburg/Center Point their new home. On September 1, 1857, the first native of Center Point, Daniel C. Nowlin, was born to James Crispin Nowlin and Ann Gathings Nowlin. Daniel served as Kerr County Surveyor, sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, and then to Wyoming where he was a prominent sheep rancher until his death on February 5, 1925.

The first attempt at incorporating Center Point came on August 9, 1889 for "school purposes".[3]

At the turn of the 20th century, Center Point was a thriving trade center and remained so until, like so many communities in America, it became the victim of new highways passing it by. Once again, on March 1, 1913, Center Point voted itself an incorporated city, appointed a mayor, city clerk, commissioners’ health officer, and then, in October of the same year, dissolved itself by a popular vote of the people. It remained unincorporated until the mid-1990s, when voters once again approved incorporation. Within less than two years, it was once again voted that the incorporation should be dissolved. As such, Center Point remains one of the largest unincorporated communities in the state of Texas.

Demographics

Center Point first appeared as a census designated place in the 2020 U.S. Census.

2020 census

Center Point CDP, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)!Pop 2020[4] !% 2020
White alone (NH)84266.67%
Black or African American alone (NH)50.40%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)50.40%
Asian alone (NH)60.48%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)00.00%
Other race alone (NH)40.32%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)372.93%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)36428.82%
Total1,263100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,263 people, 624 households, and 544 families residing in the CDP.

Climate

Center Point experiences a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and a generally mild winter. Temperatures range from 82F in the summer to 49F during winter.

Notable people

Education

The Center Point Independent School District serves area students.

References

Much of the information above was gleaned from "Kerr County Texas 1856-1956" by Clara Watkins revised edition of Bennett Book.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: US Board on Geographic Names. 2015-03-22. United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25.
  2. Web site: Kerrville, Texas. Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. 30 August 2011.
  3. [Minutes]
  4. Web site: P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Center Point CDP, Texas. .
  5. Book: Nissen . Axel . Accustomed to Her Face: Thirty-Five Character Actresses of Golden Age Hollywood . 2016 . McFarland . 978-1-4766-2606-2 . 76 .