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54-553: The community was named for Calvin Joseph “Cal” Allen (1859—1922), a noted rancher who was born and raised about three miles up the Nueces River from the future townsite. He established a 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) spread where he herded wild cattle and cultivated his herds. He was among the first to bring fine-blooded stock into South Texas for the improvement of beef brands. The New Encyclopedia of Texas (1929) described Allen as "one of

108-560: A direct hit on the city. During this event, winds gusted to 83 mph (134 km/h) at the Victoria Regional Airport and 90% of the city lost power. The most intense hurricane to affect Victoria remains Hurricane Carla in September 1961. In May 2013, a rare tornado hit Victoria on a Saturday afternoon with tornado warnings everywhere from Corpus Christi to the southeast Houston/Sugarland Metro area. A short-lived tornado took

162-597: A large two-story hotel on its main street. Its top employer was the Corpus Christi Water Plant, one of the first large non-agricultural employers in the area. Others businesses continued to move into the town and its peripheral area. Among these were the C. E. Coleman vegetable packing sheds, which sat along the railroad tracks, the Calallen Gin, and the Ault Apiary, where bees were raised. Familiar names in

216-642: A location in Nueces County, Texas is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway Chartered on June 6, 1903, the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railway (also known as the Brownie ) was a 200-mile (321 km) U.S. railroad that operated from Brownsville, Texas , to Gulf Coast Junction in Houston, Texas . It served numerous towns and cities along its routes and operated

270-567: A plan of creating land transportation along the southern interior of Texas . Uriah collaborated with business partner Benjamin Franklin Yoakum to create a large rail system that reached from Chicago , Illinois , in the north to Mexico City in the south. To put this plan into effect, Yoakum used control from one of his two railroads he was president from - the St. Louis - San Francisco - to create several railroads within Texas and Louisiana as

324-570: A post office in 1908 with Ira D. Magee as the first postmaster. Meanwhile, Nuecestown slowly dissipated. The main part of Calallen grew around the west side of the railroad tracks, and included a bank, lumber yard, pharmacy, funeral home, meat market and numerous general mercantile stores. Two passenger trains stopped at Calallen each day in addition to regular freight traffic. In 1914 the town had 150 residents and nine businesses. Its population fell to twenty-five by 1925 but reached 100 in 1939. Calallen had Baptist, Catholic and Methodist churches and

378-566: A rail bridge between Brownsville and Matamoros, Tamaulipas , in junction with the Mexican government. The Brownie connected the citizens of Brownsville to nearby Corpus Christi for the first time on land rather than using water transportation. After Uriah Lott 's success with his first railroad project, the Corpus Christi, San Diego and Rio Grande Narrow Gauge Railroad in March 1875, he envisioned

432-455: A swipe at an open field northeast of Victoria, dodging all structures and causing no injuries but kicking up dirt and debris visible for miles. Tornadoes striking the area are commonly associated with hurricanes and are otherwise rare. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 65,534 people, 23,724 households, and 15,560 families residing in the city. As of census of 2000, 60,603 people, 22,129 households, and 15,755 families resided in

486-705: A system. Known as the Gulf Coast Lines , the system was created in three phases under three different railroads: The St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico (Phase 1 - June 1903), the Beaumont, Sour Lake & Western (Phase 2 - October 1903) and the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico Railway (Phase 3 - September 1909). In April 1904, the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico took delivery of their first three new locomotives: Burnham, Williams & Co. 4-4-0s #925, 926 & 927. Shortly after

540-467: A two-year community college , and the University of Houston–Victoria , a separate independent four-year campus of the University of Houston System , provide post-secondary educational opportunities. The daily newspaper is The Victoria Advocate . Additionally, the University of Houston–Victoria publishes The Flame . KMOL-LD (channel 17) is Victoria's NBC affiliate, carrying Movies! on 17.2; it

594-462: Is Victoria's ABC affiliate, simulcasting NBC on 25.2 and CBS on 25.3; carrying AccuWeather on 25.4 and Ion Television on 25.5; it is owned and operated by Morgan Murphy Media. KQZY-LD (channel 33) is Victoria's Cozi TV ; it is owned and operated by Morgan Murphy Media. KXTS-LD (channel 41) is Victoria's CBS affiliate, carrying Antenna TV on 41.2 and HSN on 41.3; it is owned and operated by Morgan Murphy Media. KVTX-LD (channel 45)

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648-587: Is Victoria's Telemundo affiliate; it is owned and operated by Morgan Murphy Media. PBS programming is provided by KUHT (channel 8) in Houston and KLRN (channel 9) in San Antonio , which share the Victoria market. Victoria is located at the intersection of three major U.S. highways : Victoria is a regional transportation hub for the surrounding counties, with local access to major large and small freight carriers, Victoria Regional Airport , railway terminals,

702-823: Is also home to more than 15 baseball fields which are occupied during the spring and summer by teams from the Victoria Metro region. Also in Riverside Park on the Guadalupe River is the Victoria Paddling trail. This 4.2-mile stretch of the Guadalupe River is bordered by soft banks rather than the limestone bluffs of the Hill Country. Boating and freshwater fishing are available at two area reservoirs, Lake Texana and Coleto Lake. Many residents also take advantage of

756-467: Is also home to the eastern terminus of FM 624, which turns northwest towards Orange Grove (20 miles (32 km) and eventually 115 miles (185 km) to Cotulla . While the surrounding communities in the area are generally flat in terrain, many parts of Corpus Christi is rolling due to its position on the valley of the Nueces River . Corpus Christi experiences sea breeze often due to its proximity to

810-490: Is classified as having a humid subtropical climate . June through August are very hot and humid, with high temperatures regularly exceeding 100 °F (38 °C). The record high temperature of 111 °F (43.9 °C) was recorded in September 2000. Victoria also holds the Texas record high for October at 109 °F (42.8 °C) recorded in 1926. Spring and autumn are generally mild to warm with lower humidity. Winters are mild, with occasional cold spells. The record low temperature

864-592: Is elected under four single-member districts (numbered 1 through 4 ), two "super districts" (numbered 5 and 6 ; Super District 5 overlays Districts 1 and 2 while Super District 6 overlays Districts 3 and 4); the mayor is elected at-large. Victoria also serves as the county seat of Victoria County. The Victoria Independent School District serves the city. Victoria has several private education options including Trinity Episcopal School, Faith Academy, Northside Baptist School, Our Lady of Victory School, Nazareth Academy, and St. Joseph High School. Victoria College ,

918-593: Is home to a major intersection point between Interstate 37 and U.S. Route 77 . Southbound Interstate 37 leads approximately 15 miles (24 km) into downtown Corpus Christi , while southbound U.S. Highway 77 leads 28 miles (45 km) to Kingsville , and eventually, 148 miles (238 km) south to Brownsville , in the Rio Grande Valley . U.S. Highway 77 is one of the two U.S. highways, along with U.S. Highway 281 in Three Rivers , that provides direct access to

972-582: Is made of Texas granite and Indiana limestone. Fossati's Delicatessen in downtown Victoria opened in 1882. Downtown Victoria has the second-oldest Roman Catholic Church in Texas and first to be canonically established in the Republic of Texas , St. Mary's Church. Victoria's 562-acre (2.27-km ) Riverside Park is home to the Texas Zoo , which houses more than 200 species of animals and plants indigenous to Texas, exhibiting them in their natural habitats. The park

1026-440: Is owned and operated by Morgan Murphy Media . KVCT (channel 19) is Victoria's Fox affiliate, simulcasting Telemundo on 19.2; carrying The CW Plus on 19.3 and Heroes & Icons on 19.4; it is owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting and operated by Morgan Murphy Media. KUNU-LD (channel 21) is Victoria's Univision affiliate, carrying Dabl on 21.2; it is owned and operated by Morgan Murphy Media. KAVU-TV (channel 25)

1080-540: The Gulf of Mexico . It is a two-hour drive from Corpus Christi , Houston , San Antonio , and Austin . The city is named for General Guadalupe Victoria , who became the first president of independent Mexico . It is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria in Texas . The city of Guadalupe Victoria was founded in 1824 by Martín De León, a Mexican empresario , in honor of Guadalupe Victoria ,

1134-537: The Interstate Commerce Commission , the court ordered the receivers to sell off all of Yoakum's rail projects to recover from lost profits or face entire abandonment. In 1916, the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico Railway assumed control of the Gulf Coast Lines and established itself as an independent railway company until 1924. The New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railway Co. was incorporated in 1916 to hold

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1188-696: The Victoria Regional Airport , railway terminals, the shallow draft Port of Victoria , and the deep water Port of Port Lavaca-Point Comfort help to sustain a healthy environment for business. Major industrial employers in the region include Formosa Plastics Corp , Inteplast Group, Dow , Invista , Caterpillar and Alcoa . Theatre Victoria offers six productions in a season, including the Victoria Symphony Orchestra and Victoria Ballet. The Victoria Bach Festival occurs each June. Museams include McNamara House (a social history museum),

1242-404: The 22,129 households, 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were not families. About 24.5% of all households were made up of an individual, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size

1296-537: The Brownsville - Houston route. Victoria, Texas Victoria is a city and the county seat of Victoria County, Texas , United States. The population was 65,534 as of the 2020 census . The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 as of the 2000 census. Its elevation is 95 ft (29 m). Victoria is located 30 miles inland from

1350-702: The Gulf Coast Lines ownership of the StLB&;M, the railway saw no new purchases of rolling stock or locomotives. The last new rail line was completed in 1920 from Brownsville to Southmost, Texas . Under the presidency of Lewis W. Baldwin of the Missouri Pacific Railroad , the Gulf Coast Lines were acquired in December 1924 and renamed as the Gulf Coast Lines Division . This acquisition now gave

1404-673: The Missouri Pacific access to the southern portions of Texas in competition with the Southern Pacific Railroad and its Atlantic Lines Division . To further expand the Spider Web Rail Network in the Rio Grande Valley , the Missouri Pacific acquired the Rio Grande City Railway under the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico Railroad in 1926. The final acquisition for the Spider Web Rail Network came in 1941 when

1458-589: The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division I. The Victoria Generals compete in the Texas Collegiate League , a summer baseball league. The Generals won the 2010 TCL championship. Victoria is administered by a city council of seven members. The council is composed of six council members and an elected mayor , accompanied by a hired city manager under the manager-council system of municipal governance. The council

1512-635: The Nave (art), the Children's Discovery Museum, and the Museum of the Coastal Bend. The Victoria Art League is a location for local artists, and is located in a Texas Registered Historical Landmark building. DeLeon Plaza and Bandstand was one of four public squares set aside by colony founder Martin de Leon. It contains monuments and memorials, and a bandstand built in 1890. The Victoria County Courthouse, built in 1892,

1566-532: The Rio Grande Valley from Interstate 37. Many northbound U.S. Highway 77 vehicles seeking the main city body would've turned eastward at Texas State Highway 44 in Robstown , as this is a shorter and faster route compared to turning eastward at Interstate 37. Northbound U.S. Highway 77 vehicles seeking Padre Island and Corpus Christi's southeast suburbs would also rather take FM 665 eastward at Driscoll . After

1620-551: The StLB&M acquired the financially troubled San Antonio, Chapin & Rio Grande Railway as well as the San Benito & Rio Grande Valley Railway ; one of the earliest expansions of the Rio Grande Valley Spider Web Rail Network which linked various small to large cities together. In 1913, Yoakum and Lott's dream came to an end when the St. Louis - San Francisco entered receivership. Upon hearings of

1674-641: The StLB&M was Baldwin AS-16 #4331 in July 1954. After 13 years of trusteeship - the longest of its kind in North American history - the StLB&M (as well as the other Gulf Coast Lines subsidiaries) were reorganized and merged away into the Missouri Pacific (under the presidency of Paul J. Neff ) on March 1, 1956, when the United States District Court of St. Louis terminated the trusteeship. Shortly after

Calallen, Corpus Christi, Texas - Misplaced Pages Continue

1728-537: The Victoria Islamic Center mosque was destroyed by an arson attack. A 25-year-old Victoria man was convicted of the crime and sentenced to prison. A documentary film, A Town Called Victoria , was produced about the incident. Victoria is located on the coastal plains of Texas about 50 mi (80 km) from the Gulf of Mexico and 20 mi (32 km) from the nearest bay waters. It lies along and just to

1782-540: The arrival of the locomotives, the first segment of track was completed on July 4, 1904, which reached Brownsville, Texas , from its starting point in Robstown, Texas . On December 31, 1907, the second (and last) major segment of track on the Brownie was completed to Houston from its starting point in Robstown and reaching Sinton as well. To further expand the southern portions of the Robstown-Brownsville route,

1836-435: The city. The population density was 1,838.3 inhabitants per square mile (709.8/km ). There were 24,192 housing units at an average density of 733.8 per square mile (283.3/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 55.2% White, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.4% of the population, 7.59% African American, 0.51% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 17.31% from other races, and 2.35% from two or more races. Of

1890-595: The coast. West Intermediate School (Grades 4th and 5th) Calallen is known for having one of the most successful high school football programs in the South Texas region, making numerous deep playoff runs and making the state championship game in 2005 and 2016. The football program is led by head coach Phil Danaher , who has the most wins of any high school coach in Texas with 427 wins (as of 2016). 27°51′22″N 97°37′23″W  /  27.856°N 97.623°W  / 27.856; -97.623 This article about

1944-599: The community included Allen, Atkinson, Ault, Bickham, Harney, Hearn, Hunter, Magee, McKinzie and Noakes. After World War II Calallen's role in local industry diminished. The post office was discontinued sometime after 1960. Calallen was never legally incorporated, and by 1966 it was annexed by the City of Corpus Christi. The original community name survives in the Calallen Independent School District , Calallen Dam and numerous businesses. Corpus Christi

1998-538: The east of the Guadalupe River. The topography is mostly flat to slightly rolling with an average elevation of 95 ft (29 m). Most of the city is underlain by smectite -rich clay which is locally capped by silt or fine sand; the high shrink-swell potential associated with smectite creates major challenges to urban infrastructure. Vegetation in better-drained areas consists primarily of short grasses with post oaks and other small timber and brush. Moist sites can grow tall forests dominated by elm and pecan. Victoria

2052-559: The first President of the Republic of Mexico . Victoria was initially part of De León's Colony , which had been founded that same year. By 1834, the town had a population of approximately 300. During the Texas Revolution , Guadalupe Victoria contributed soldiers and supplies to pro-revolutionary forces. However, after James Fannin was defeated by the Mexican army at the Battle of Coleto ,

2106-729: The former narrow gauged Port Isabel & Rio Grande Valley railway was acquired by the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico. Unfortunately, the Missouri Pacific declared bankruptcy in 1933 and entered into trusteeship. During the MP/Trusteeship era, the STLB&;M continued to modernize and expand. The last new steam locomotive delivered to the StLB&M was Lima 0-8-0 #9766 in 1929. The StLB&M took delivery of its first new diesel-electric locomotive: General Electric 44 Ton #813 in January 1942. The last new diesel-electric locomotive to arrive on

2160-602: The major intersection, Interstate 37 and U.S. Highway 77 travel about 2 miles (3.2 km) north before leaving the city limits and entering San Patricio County . Almost immediately after crossing the Nueces River into the Odem zip code, the two highways split, with Interstate 37 heading northwest towards Mathis (18 miles / 29 km) and eventually to San Antonio (126 miles / 203 km), while U.S. Highway 77 leads northeast towards Sinton (12 miles / 19 km) and eventually to Victoria (80 miles / 130 km). Corpus Christi

2214-456: The merger did the name of 'StLB&M' and 'Gulf Coast Lines' quickly disappear and various feeder/branch lines were aggressively being abandoned. The StLB&M purchased various lightweight locomotives to serve main lines, branch lines and various feeder lines along the system. Under the Yoakum era, the steam locomotives were lettered "ST. LOUIS BROWNSVILLE & MEXICO" along the upper section of

Calallen, Corpus Christi, Texas - Misplaced Pages Continue

2268-533: The most beloved characters of the old Southwest." Upon his death, the Corpus Christi Caller called him "one of the most highly honored and prominent ranchmen of the Southwest". In 1900 the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway , which was building southward to the Rio Grande Valley, decided to bypass the pioneer community of Nuecestown and run its tracks a few miles away. Allen donated right-of-way to

2322-603: The nearby Gulf of Mexico. Port O'Connor, 50 miles to the southeast, is renowned for bay, off-shore and wade fishing. Three golf courses are located in Victoria: the Victoria Country Club, Riverside Golf Course, and Colony Creek Country Club. The major shopping center is Victoria Mall . The UHV Jaguars compete in baseball, softball, soccer, and golf as a member of the Red River Athletic Conference in

2376-486: The owner. At that time new officers were elected. The new chairman was Frank Andrews of Houston, Texas, and vice president became G.H. Walker, a banker in St. Louis. Additional officers and directors are set out in the 1916 edition of the Manual of Statistics Handbook . The four railroads owned by the new company were known as the Gulf Coast Lines . G.H. Walker would later become the father-in-law of Prescott Bush . Under

2430-548: The railroad's reporting marks were applied below the locomotive's roadnumber on the cab and on the steam dome. Since the Brownie had various branch lines and feeder lines (especially within the Rio Grande Valley) among its system, the Missouri Pacific purchased various lightweight diesel locomotives and switchers to operate where heavy diesel or steam locomotives were not permitted. Only ALCO PA-2s and Electro Motive Division E7 and E8 models were used in passenger service along

2484-467: The railroad; in return, the railroad built a water stop and depot on Allen’s property. Allen then divided some of his ranch land along the nearby Nueces River into lots and put it on the market. Soon a community formed along the railroad. The railroad initially named the stop Calvin. However, when it was discovered that another town in Texas had secured that name, residents settled on Calallen, combining Allen’s nickname and surname. The community received

2538-489: The securities of four railroads: (1) New Orleans, Texas & Mexico; (2) Beaumont, Sour Lake & Western; (3) Orange & Northwestern; and (4) St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railroads. Bonds which had previously been issued by the San Francisco & St. Louis Company went into default in 1913. Foreclosure of the liens took place in 1915. The creditors of the bonds reorganized into the new company in 1916, which became

2592-408: The tender and the reporting marks were applied on the cab. Under the Gulf Coast Lines era, the steam locomotives were lettered "GULF COAST LINES" along the upper section of the tender, but the railroad's reporting marks below the locomotive's roadnumber on the cab. Under the Missouri Pacific era, the steam locomotives were lettered "MISSOURI PACIFIC LINES" along the upper section of the tender, but

2646-441: The town was occupied by Mexican forces. After Santa Anna was defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto , the town's Mexican residents were driven out by Anglo settlers, who renamed it Victoria. In 1840, a Comanche raid on nearby Linnville killed many residents of the town. A cholera outbreak occurred in 1846. During the mid-19th century, the city developed a large population of European immigrants, particularly Germans. By

2700-449: The turn of the 20th century, Victoria was experiencing rapid population growth thanks to its position as a regional trade center. The city's advantageous proximity to Gulf Coast ports, the larger cities of Austin , Corpus Christi , Houston , and San Antonio , and prosperous industries in agriculture and petrochemicals solidified its prominence. The University of Houston–Victoria was founded in 1971 and remains there today. In 2017,

2754-410: The wettest months are May, June, September and October (the last two of these due to significant threat from tropical weather systems, including hurricanes , which can produce torrential rainfalls some years). Victoria has occasional severe weather, mostly from flooding. Hurricanes have the potential to bring severe damage to the area. Hurricane Claudette in July 2003 was the last hurricane to score

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2808-400: Was $ 42,866. Males had a median income of $ 34,184 versus $ 21,161 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,009. About 12.2% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 20.4% of those under the age of 18 and 12.2% ages 65 or older. Victoria's economy is a mix of education, health, retail, agriculture, and industry. Its access to major highways,

2862-407: Was 3.21. In the city, the population was distributed as 28.8% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 36,829, and for a family

2916-481: Was recorded in December 1989, when the temperature dropped to 9 °F (−12.8 °C). Snow is very infrequent, occurring on average once every 11 years. On December 24–25, 2004, Victoria recorded its first White Christmas ever when 12.5 in (32 cm) of snow fell. Average monthly precipitation is lowest in winter and has a secondary minimum in August, with intense heat and humidity prevailing. On average,

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