Baird, Texas

Baird, Texas
City
Baird Main Street
Location of Baird, Texas
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Callahan
Area
• Total	2.7 sq mi (7.1 km2)
• Land	2.7 sq mi (6.9 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	1,722 ft (525 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	1,496
• Density	563/sq mi (217.4/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	79504
Area code(s)	325
FIPS code	48-05336
GNIS feature ID	1372371

The Texas & Pacific Railway depot serves as a visitor center and transportation museum in Baird.

Presbyterian Church in Baird

Baird is a city in Callahan County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,496 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Callahan County. The city is named after Matthew Baird, the owner and director of the Texas & Pacific Railway. The railway depot is now the visitor center and a transportation museum.

Baird is part of the Abilene, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Baird is located in north-central Callahan County at (32.396035, -99.397140). Interstate 20 passes through the northern part of the city, leading west 20 miles (32 km) to Abilene and east 25 miles (40 km) to Cisco. U.S. Route 283 crosses the east side of town, leading north 25 miles (40 km) to Albany and south 41 miles (66 km) to Coleman.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.1 km²), of which 2.7 square miles (6.9 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²), or 2.55%, is water.

History

Baird, Texas was named after Matthew Baird, a director of the Texas and Pacific Railway, who was also sole proprietor of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the largest locomotive firm in the United States, headquartered in Philadelphia. It was officially founded in 1880. In 1993, the Texas Legislature designated Baird the "Antique Capital of Texas". It has twelve antique shops.

Library

The Callahan County Library was started in 1937 by the Baird Wednesday Club. The Pioneer Museum was added in 1940. Both are located on the basement floor of the Callahan County Courthouse. The museum features farm and ranch implements, household items, clothing, barbed wire, and documents.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1890	850		—
1900	1,502		76.7%
1910	1,710		13.8%
1920	1,902		11.2%
1930	1,965		3.3%
1940	1,810		−7.9%
1950	1,821		0.6%
1960	1,633		−10.3%
1970	1,538		−5.8%
1980	1,696		10.3%
1990	1,658		−2.2%
2000	1,623		−2.1%
2010	1,496		−7.8%
Est. 2014	1,479		−1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623 people, 677 households, and 429 families residing in the city. The population density was 619.0 people per square mile (239.2/km²). There were 806 housing units at an average density of 307.4 per square mile (118.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.51% White, 0.18% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 7.09% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.43% of the population.

There were 677 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,446, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $21,974 versus $16,298 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,951. About 12.3% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The City of Baird is served by the Baird Independent School District, located at 600 West 7th Street. Baird ISD is classified as a 2A high school.

Interesting facts

• On June 22, 1993 the town was christened the title "Antique Capital of West Texas".
• It has one Dairy Queen, five churches, four gas stations, and no grocery store.
• The former Callahan County Jail at 100 W. 5th Street was originally in the nearby ghost town of Belle Plain. When the county seat moved to Baird, the jail was disassembled brick by brick, and reassembled at its current location.
• Texas author Lou Halsell Rodenberger (1926–2009) lived much of her later years 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Baird, in the small community of Admiral.

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, Baird has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

External links

• Baird Chamber of Commerce