Weatherford (/ˈwɛðərfərd/)[5] is a city and the county seat of Parker County, Texas, United States. In 2020, its population was 30,854.[6] Weatherford is named after Thomas J. Weatherford, a State senator and advocate for Texas's secession to the Confederate States during the American Civil War.
History
Beginnings
In 1854, MethodistReverendPleasant Tackett led 15 pioneer families into a land they called "Goshen," which would later become part of Parker County, itself to be created the following year by the efforts of State Representative Isaac Parker and State Senator Thomas Jefferson Weatherford in the Texas State Legislature.[a] Evidence of a prior, failed attempt to colonize the region can be found in the abandoned cabin from 1852-53 located 6 miles (10 km) south of modern Weatherford on the J.H. Voorhies farm. In 1856[7]
The railroad arrived in June 1880. The Santa Fe Depot (which houses the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce) was built in 1908 under Jim Crow laws, with waiting rooms segregated and separated by the ticket office.
Geography
Weatherford is located 25 miles (40 km) west of Fort Worth on Interstate 20. It is the county seat for Parker County.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.7 square miles (59 km2) of which 20.9 square miles (54 km2) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) (7.86%) is water.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate System describes the weather as humid subtropical, and uses the abbreviation Cfa.[8]
Climate data for Weatherford, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1902–present)
The Weatherford area is a large peach producer, and was named "Peach Capital of Texas" by the Texas Legislature. The peach is celebrated each year at the Parker County Peach Festival, which is Weatherford's largest event and one of the best-attended festivals in Texas.[citation needed]
Weatherford has been described as the "cutting horse capital of the world".[15]
Weatherford College is a 150-year-old community college, with more than 35 study areas and 19 professional/technical programs. The college was originally built by Masons and was one of the first in Texas.[citation needed]
Media
The Weatherford Democrat has been publishing since 1895. The Weatherford Telegram began publishing as a weekly newspaper in 2006.
^Parker was the uncle of Cynthia Ann Parker, a little girl who was stolen from her home by Comanche during the Texas Revolution. Cynthia Ann lived among the Comanche and became the mother of Chief Quanah Parker. Later, when she was overtaken in flight with an Indian raiding party, Isaac Parker recognized her as his long-lost niece. Thomas Jefferson Weatherford, from Dallas, is alleged by his cousin to have never set foot in the town.
^Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[13][14]
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