Duncanville, Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dallas | Dallas | Dallas |
| Dallas | Duncanville | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Hill | Cedar Hill | DeSoto |
| Duncanville, Texas | |
| Nickname: City of Champions[1] | |
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Dallas |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | David Green |
| Area | |
| - City | 11.3 sq mi (29.2 km²) |
| - Land | 11.3 sq mi (29.2 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 725 ft (221 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - City | 36,081 (city proper) |
| - Density | 3,196.6/sq mi (1,234/km²) |
| - Metro | 5,700,256 |
| Time zone | Central (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | Central (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 75116, 75137, 75138 |
| Area code(s) | 972 |
| FIPS code | 48-21628[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1334786[3] |
| Website: http://www.ci.duncanville.tx.us/ | |
Duncanville is a city in Dallas County, Texas (USA). Duncanville's population was 36,081 at the 2000 census. Duncanville is a suburb of Dallas and is part of the Best Southwest area, which includes Duncanville, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, and Lancaster.
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[edit] Geography
Duncanville is located at (32.646333, -96.911309).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.3 square miles (29.2 km²), all of it land.
[edit] History
Settlement of the area began in 1845, when Illinois resident Crawford Trees purchased several thousand acres south of Camp Dallas. In 1880 the Chicago, Texas and Mexican Central Railway reached the area and built Duncan Switch, named for a line foreman. Charles P. Nance, the community's first postmaster, renamed the settlement Duncanville in 1882. By the late 1800s Duncanville was home to a dry goods stores, a pharmacy, a domino parlor, and a school. Between 1904 and 1933 the population of Duncanville increased from 113 to more than 300.[5]
During World War II, the Army Air Corp established a landing field for flight training on property near the present day intersection of Main and Wheatland roads.[6]
Duncanville residents incorporated the city on Aug. 2, 1947. During the post war years, the military developed the Army’s old landing field into the Duncanville Air Force Station, which was the headquarters for the four Nike Hercules missile launch sites guarding Dallas/Fort Worth from Soviet bomber attack. It also housed the Air Force tracking radars for the region.[7]
When the town's population reached 5,000 in 1962, citizens adopted a home-rule charter with council-manager city government. Sometimes regarded as a so-called "white flight" suburb in the 1960s and 1970s, the city is now known for its racial diversity. (See "Demographics") Its population increased from about 13,000 in 1970 to more than 31,000 in 1988.[8]
[edit] Historic preservation
The Texas Historical Commission has designated the City of Duncanville as an official Main Street City.[9]
Duncanville has a long-term commitment to recognizing its history. When the Duncanville Air Force Station was closed about 1970, the entire facility was turned over to the city. The WWII-era barracks and some other structures were initially repurposed for civic and community use. Over time the buildings were systematically demolished, obliterating all signs of the historic base. But the history of the facility lives on in a monument, which stands outside the Library and Community Center.
The “stone igloo,” a spring house originally located near the intersection of Center Street and Cedar Ridge Road, was preserved in a unique way. In the late 1960s or early 1970s it was demolished, thereby producing a supply of rocks that were used to build a replica of the structure at a nearby park and paving the way for the construction of a neighborhood retail center.
Various pieces of the city’s history are preserved at the Duncanville Historical Park, which is located on Wheatland Road in Armstrong Park on land that was once a part of the Duncanville Air Force Station. Historic buildings include the city’s first Music Room.[10]
[edit] Tourism
With the completion of nearby Joe Pool Lake in the 1980s, Duncanville has increased in stature as a popular tourist destination. Overnight accommodations include several well-known chains, such as Motel 6, and Hilton Garden Inn. The city is home to a variety of local eateries and national restaurant chains, some of which have been in business for decades.[1]
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 36,081 people, 12,896 households, and 10,239 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,196.6 people per square mile (1,233.9/km²). There were 13,290 housing units at an average density of 1,177.4/sq mi (454.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.90% White, 24.76% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.99% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 6.83% from other races, and 2.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.30% of the population.
There were 12,896 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,654, and the median income for a family was $57,064. Males had a median income of $39,199 versus $30,145 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,924. About 3.9% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
Duncanville is served by the Duncanville Independent School District.
The Duncanville ISD portion is zoned to Duncanville High School, which enrolls approximately 3,750 students annually.[11] The high school campus is the largest in Texas and second-largest in the nation in terms of physical size.
[edit] Reports of alleged paranormal phenomenon
Duncanville is mentioned in UFO reports posted on several Web sites. These reports of unidentified flying objects date back to the early 1950s and continue into the 2000s.
One of the most important UFO incidents in Duncanville occurred on July 17, 1957, when an Air Force Boeing Stratojet reconnaissance jet (RB-47) was followed by an unidentified object for a distance of well over 700 miles (1,100 km) and for a time period of more than one hour. The jet was pursued while flying from Mississippi, through Louisiana and Texas and into Oklahoma. The object was detected visually by the flight crew, by crewmembers using radar and electronic surveillance equipment on the aircraft and by radar operators at the Duncanville Air Force Station.[12] The incident is listed in Project Blue Book files, where investigators concluded that the UFO was actually an ordinary jet airliner. However, these official findings are widely disputed by critics and investigators, who claim that this well-reported, multi-channel, multiple-witness report makes RB-47 one of the most compelling documented cases supporting the reality of UFOs.[13] (This UFO report also gets a brief mention in Wikipedia’s unidentified flying object article, where the sighting is described as “the well-known 1957 RB-47 surveillance aircraft case.” )
Other documented UFO cases associated with Duncanville include:
- On April 4, 1952, two radar operators of the 147th AC&W Squadron at Duncanville Air Force Station tracked an unidentified object for one minute at an estimated 2,160 mph (3,480 km/h).[14]
- On Jan. 6, 1953, the 147th AC&W Squadron in Duncanville received reports of an unidentified flying object northeast of Dallas, Texas. An arrowhead-shaped object was reported by some witnesses. At the same time, the AC&W unit at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, reported that they had picked up a target by radar 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Paris, Texas. This target was moving west at an estimated speed of 600 knots (1,100 km/h) at 7,500 feet (2,300 m) in altitude.[15]
- On Oct. 23, 1994, witnesses reported three unidentified objects, each about the size of a commercial jet, flying single file at about 1,000 feet (300 m) at high speed but making no noise. The objects suddenly aligned in a triangular formation and made a fast turn. Three F-18 was observed giving pursuit with afterburners. Later, a local television station broadcast news of a large explosion in the area, but no follow-up information was ever released.[16]
- On Oct. 2, 1999, four unidentified objects were observed moving silently at fast rates of speed during a period of about 35 minutes. The first object was large and triangle-shaped. It was followed by 8 to 10 dim, star-like objects in a V-shaped cluster that appeared solid. Another larger, star-like object followed. The final object resembled a satellite, but was moving at a much faster speed.[17]
- On April 1, 2004, witnesses reported an unidentified object, described as an egg-shaped red orb, traveling west at high speed.[18][19]
[edit] Controversy
A Cedar Ridge Drive resident regularly hosted large sex parties of more than 100 people featuring "Naked Twister" nights at his residence that was also nicknamed "The Cherry Pit". In December 2007, City officials outlawed sex clubs in residences after neighbors complained of noise and traffic problems.[20]
[edit] Nicknames
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This article or section needs to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help improve this article with relevant internal links. (November 2007) |
- D'ville
- Little D
- City of Champions[1] (Duncanville sports teams have won several state championships, including Football (1998), Boys Basketball (1991, 1999, 2007), Girls Basketball (1976, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1997, 2003), Baseball (1975, 1976, 1990), Volleyball (1995), Boys Track (1999), Boys Soccer (1985), Girls Soccer (1986, 1989) and Marching Band (1986, 1990, 2002) NCA National Champion Mascot/Duncanville Panther (2000)
- The Superb Suburb
- Duncan Switch (original name of the train stop prior to establishment of the city)
[edit] References
- ^ a b Fast Facts - City of Duncanville, Texas. As on image: citylogostacked.jpg. Retrieved 17 June 2006.
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Handbook of Texas
- ^ Duncanville, Texas | Tourism - Presented by Village Profile
- ^ Nike Missile Dallas-Fort Worth Defense Area
- ^ Handbook of Texas
- ^ CRAC Industry Profiles
- ^ Duncanville, Texas | Tourism - Presented by Village Profile
- ^ Greatschools.net - Duncanville High School. Retrieved 17 June 2006.
- ^ ufo - UFOS at close sight: RB-47 radar visual multiple witnesses cases, July 17, 1957
- ^ The UFO Iconoclast(s): The 1957 RB-47 UFO sighting: explained
- ^ [ www.nicap.org/bluebook/unknowns.htm ]
- ^ FUFOR Index
- ^ UFO/Paranormal Stories-Page #3
- ^ http://www.nuforc.org/webreports/010/S10105.html
- ^ Texas UFO Research Information Archive
- ^ http://www.nuforc.org/webreports/035/S35957.html
- ^ 'Naked Twister' nights inspire suburb's sex club ban - CNN.com
[edit] External links
- Duncanville official website
- Duncanville Chamber of Commerce
- Duncanville Independent School District
- Ratings for Duncanville district
- Duncanville, Texas is at coordinates Coordinates:
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