Jones Creek, Texas Explained

Official Name:Jones Creek, Texas
Settlement Type:Village
Motto:"The Historic City of the Future"
Mapsize:250x200px
Image Map1:Brazoria County JonesCreek.svg
Mapsize1:250px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Texas
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Brazoria
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Corey Thomas
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:6.58
Area Land Km2:6.54
Area Water Km2:0.03
Area Total Sq Mi:2.54
Area Land Sq Mi:2.53
Area Water Sq Mi:0.01
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:1975
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation Ft:13
Coordinates:28.9686°N -95.4553°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:77541
Area Code:979
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:48-37984[2]
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:1360387

Jones Creek is a village in Brazoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,975 at the 2020 census. It is the first location in Texas where Stephen F. Austin settled.

History

The Father of Texas,[3] Stephen F. Austin,[4] first settled in Jones Creek. His original grave resides in the Gulf Prairie Cemetery[5] located on Gulf Prairie Road[6] in Jones Creek. Emily Austin Perry[7] (Stephen F. Austin's sister)[8] and her second husband, James Franklin Perry[7] settled in Jones Creek too[8] at the now historic Peach Point Plantation.[9] Jones Creek is named for Randal Jones, a military leader of early lower Brazos Anglo colonists. Jones led the June 22, 1824,[10] attack on a group of Karankawa Indians[10] on the banks of a certain small stream of water in the lower Brazos region. Afterwards this particular creek near the San Bernard River became associated with the name "Jones", and the event was noted in history as the Battle of Jones Creek.[11] Thereafter, the area around the creek became described as Jones Creek too.

There are Recorded Historic Texas Landmarks[12] in Jones Creek for each of the following:

Geography

Jones Creek is located in southern Brazoria County. Texas State Highway 36 runs through the community, leading east 6miles to Freeport and northwest 9miles to Brazoria.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 6.8km2, of which 6.7sqkm is land and 0.1sqkm, or 1.61%, is water.[13]

Notable parts of Jones Creek include: Perry's Landing (also known as Perry Landing), Peach Point, Peach Crest, and Gulf Park.[14]

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,130 people, 772 households, and 606 families residing in the village. The population density was 812sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 835 housing units at an average density of 318.3sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the village was 88.08% White, 0.52% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 8.26% from other races, and 2.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.17% of the population.

There were 772 households, out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $42,378, and the median income for a family was $48,269. Males had a median income of $40,694 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,023. About 7.3% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Stephen F. Austin Elementary School, named after the Father of Texas, serves the Jones Creek area. Austin Elementary, "The Pride of Jones Creek", is a Pre-K through sixth grade school, the only one in the district. The school's mascot is the gator, referencing the 11feet alligator that was found on the school grounds after flooding in 1989.

The city is served by the Brazosport Independent School District.[15] Jones Creek residents attend:

The city is also served by Brazosport College.[18] The Texas Legislature designated the Brazosport ISD as in the Brazosport College zone.[19]

The city is served by the Brazoria County Library System.

Government

The city incorporated in 1970.[14] The city government holds regular meetings.[20]

Jones Creek has lately gained a reputation among drivers in Southeast Texas as being a speed trap for vehicles passing through the community along Highway 36.[21]

The speed limit through the City of Jones Creek is governed by the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), not the city council.[22]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. August 7, 2020.
  2. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  3. https://archive.org/stream/statuesofsamhous00unit/statuesofsamhous00unit_djvu.txt Full text of "Statues of Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin erected in Statuary hall of the Capitol building at Washington. Proceedings in the House of Representatives on the occasion of the reception and acceptance of the statues from the state of Texas"
  4. http://www.cets.sfasu.edu/story/markers/austin-marker.html Stephen Fuller Austin Marker
  5. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hvgnj GULF PRAIRIE, TX | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
  6. texasgen.org, query "Gulf Prairie"
  7. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fpe39 PERRY, EMILY MARGARET AUSTIN | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
  8. http://historianoftexas.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html The State Historian of Texas: May 2009
  9. http://tsr.4101.org/markers/brazoria/78.html
  10. https://tshaonline.org/daybyday/06-22-003.html Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
  11. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/btj01 JONES CREEK, BATTLE OF | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
  12. Web site: This domain was registered by Youdot.io.
  13. Web site: Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Jones Creek village, Texas . dead . https://archive.today/20200212195842/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US4837984 . February 12, 2020 . April 17, 2014 . U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder.
  14. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hgj03 JONES CREEK, TX (BRAZORIA COUNTY) | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
  15. Web site: 2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Jones Creek village, TX. U.S. Census Bureau. June 17, 2020.
  16. Web site: Current elementary boundary maps. Brazosport Independent School District. June 17, 2020. - Compare to a map of the Jones Creek city limits. Old map: Web site: Elementary Boundary Zones. Brazosport Independent School District. June 17, 2020.
  17. Web site: Feeder Patterns. Brazosport Independent School District. June 17, 2020. - Since Jones Creek is zoned to Austin Elementary, according to this document, it is also zoned to Freeport Intermediate and Brazosport High.
  18. Web site: Brazosport College Map. Brazoria County Appraisal District. June 18, 2020.
  19. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code Sec. 130.170. BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
  20. http://www.vil.jones-creek.tx.us/information.html
  21. http://www.speedtrap.org/city/11293/Jones%20Creek Jones Creek Texas Speed Traps | The National Speed Trap Exchange
  22. Web site: Setting Speed Limits . www.txdot.gov . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121023172327/http://www.txdot.gov/driver/laws/speed-limits/setting.html . October 23, 2012.