Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Hill County in Central Texas. The population was 8,456 at the 2010 census.
Hillsboro, located on Interstate 35 where I-35E and I-35W split south of the Dallasâ€"Fort Worth metroplex, is the primary center for trade and commerce in Hill County. It is located almost midway between the Metroplex and Waco, and is the gateway to the popular Lake Whitney. There are many antique stores located downtown, and a popular outlet mall is located along the Interstate, surrounded by numerous hotels and motels.
The city is known for its abundance of restored Victorian homes and its historic county courthouse, which on January 1, 1993 was heavily damaged by an electrical fire. It was rebuilt, courtesy of donations from around the world and two concerts sponsored by Hill County native Willie Nelson. The courthouse (See Hill County, Texas for photograph.) won the Downtown Association's 1999 award for "Best Restoration". The renovation sparked an interest in restoring Texas's historic courthouses. The Hill County courthouse is eight miles from Willie Nelson's hometown, Abbott.
The movie Bottle Rocket, starring Owen and Luke Wilson, was filmed here. They used the Days Inn motel, the Hillsboro High School football stadium, and Highway 171 leading out of Hillsboro.
History
Hillsboro was named for Hill County. At one point during Bonnie and Clyde's robberies in Hillsboro, they took the Peterson family hostage at their own farm. Later the Petersons said that Bonnie and Clyde held them at gun point until they surrendered their barn for them to sleep in for a few nights before running again.
Geography
Hillsboro is located at 32°0′34″N 97°7′28″W (32.009557, -97.124437).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.2 square miles (24Â km2), of which, 9.1 square miles (24Â km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26Â km2) of it (0.98%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,232 people, 2,876 households, and 1,909 families residing in the city. The population density was 908.1 people per square mile (350.4/km²). There were 3,227 housing units at an average density of 356.0 per square mile (137.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.17% White, 16.16% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 11.44% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. 28.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,876 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the city, the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,017, and the median income for a family was $30,297. Males had a median income of $22,393 versus $20,652 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,576. About 17.6% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 19.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Hillsboro is served by the Hillsboro Independent School District. The opportunity for higher education is provided by Hill College, a comprehensive community college, located on the east side of I-35.
Museums
Hillsboro was the first home of the Texas Musicians Museum, which relocated to nearby downtown Waxahachie in Ellis County for a short while, until the building owners filed for bankruptcy. Now open in a brand new multimillion-dollar facility in downtown Irving's Heritage Crossing District, the museum houses displays of Texas musicians and Texas music memorabilia, including the original casket of J.P. “The Big Bopper†Richardson whose body was reinterred in 2008.
Middlefaire
Located a few miles north by northwest of Hillsboro, the Middlefaire site features a Renaissance Festival and Texas Pirate Festival.
National Register of Historic Places
- Farmers National Bank 68 W. Elm St.
- Gebhardt Bakery 119 E. Franklin St.
- Grimes Garage 110 N. Waco St.
- Grimes House Country Club Rd. and Corporation St.
- Hill County Courthouse Courthouse Sq.
- Hill County Jail N. Waco St.
- Hillsboro Cotton Mills 220 N. Houston St.
- Hillsboro Residential Historic District Roughly bounded by Country Club Rd., Thompson, Corsicana, Pleasant, Franklin, and Elm Sts.
- McKenzie Site Address Restricted
- Missouri-Kansas-Texas Company Railroad Station Covington St.
- Old Rock Saloon 58 W. Elm St.
- Sturgis National Bank S. Waco and W. Elm Sts.
- Tarleton Building 110 E. Franklin St.
- U.S. Post Office 118 S. Waco St.
- Western Union Building 107 S. Covington St.
Notable natives
- Madge Bellamy, film actress of the 1920s and '30s, best known for the horror classic White Zombie.
- Robert Lee Bobbitt, former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, state attorney general, and chairman of the Texas Highway Commission
- Bob Bullock, former Texas lieutenant governor, comptroller, secretary of state, and state representative
- Troy Dungan, WFAA-TV chief meteorologist
- Roger Edens, Hollywood producer, composer, and vocal arranger
- Mike Harris, basketball player
- Rafer Johnson, the 1960 Olympic decathlon gold medalist
- Bob Johnston, record producer, songwriter, and musician
- Maggie Jones, blues singer and pianist
- Crawford Martin, former Attorney General of Texas, Texas Secretary of State, Texas State Senator, and mayor of Hillsboro
- J. Vernon McGee, Christian minister, radio broadcaster
- Billy Patterson, former NFL football player
- Mary Ellen Rudin, American mathematician; professor Emerita at the University of Wisconsin.
- Derel Walker, CFL football player
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, Hillsboro has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
References
External links
- Official city website
- Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce website