Ballinger, Texas

Ballinger was founded in 1886. It was established when the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built a railway west from Brownwood. Runnels City, the original county seat, campaigned for selection as the new railroad terminal, but the future site of Ballinger, five miles to the south, offered a better water supply.{{Cite web |title=Ballinger, TX |last=Pinkney |first=Kathryn |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |work=Handbook of Texas |access-date=1 January 2024 |url= https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/ballinger-tx }}

The 1.7-square-mile area was laid out in large lots, with a courthouse square and public park set aside for future use. Santa Fe officials offered free property to anyone who would move a home from Runnels City to Ballinger and to any church that would erect a building.

The town was named in honor of William Pitt Ballinger, a Galveston attorney and stockholder of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe.

Ballinger was incorporated in 1892.

In 1911, Ballinger opened the Ballinger Carnegie Library, built with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie. By 1975, the building was in disrepair. The Ballinger Bicentennial Committee organized a renovation effort, and the library was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ballinger is located in the transition zone from the Edwards Plateau to the Texas Southern Plains region of West Texas.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|8.7|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.005|sqkm|order=flip}}, or 0.06%, is covered by water.

Ballinger is about {{convert|70|mi|km}} south of Abilene.Glenn, Mike. "[http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Fort-Bend-publisher-dies-of-cancer-at-72-4653718.php Fort Bend publisher dies of cancer at 72]." Houston Chronicle. July 8, 2013. Retrieved on April 7, 2014.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Ballinger has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=722632&cityname=Ballinger%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Ballinger, Texas]

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| collapsed = yes

| single line = yes

| location = Ballinger, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present)

| Jan record high F = 90

| Feb record high F = 98

| Mar record high F = 100

| Apr record high F = 104

| May record high F = 110

| Jun record high F = 116

| Jul record high F = 112

| Aug record high F = 114

| Sep record high F = 110

| Oct record high F = 105

| Nov record high F = 98

| Dec record high F = 92

| year record high F =

| Jan high F = 59.0

| Feb high F = 63.1

| Mar high F = 70.5

| Apr high F = 79.4

| May high F = 85.9

| Jun high F = 92.2

| Jul high F = 95.5

| Aug high F = 95.1

| Sep high F = 88.2

| Oct high F = 79.4

| Nov high F = 68.0

| Dec high F = 59.9

| year high F = 78.0

| Jan mean F = 45.1

| Feb mean F = 49.2

| Mar mean F = 56.9

| Apr mean F = 65.1

| May mean F = 73.3

| Jun mean F = 80.3

| Jul mean F = 83.5

| Aug mean F = 83.1

| Sep mean F = 76.2

| Oct mean F = 66.0

| Nov mean F = 54.7

| Dec mean F = 46.4

| year mean F = 65.0

| Jan low F = 31.2

| Feb low F = 35.2

| Mar low F = 43.2

| Apr low F = 50.9

| May low F = 60.7

| Jun low F = 68.5

| Jul low F = 71.5

| Aug low F = 71.1

| Sep low F = 64.1

| Oct low F = 52.6

| Nov low F = 41.5

| Dec low F = 32.8

| year low F = 51.9

| Jan record low F = -6

| Feb record low F = -4

| Mar record low F = 8

| Apr record low F = 24

| May record low F = 33

| Jun record low F = 44

| Jul record low F = 46

| Aug record low F = 47

| Sep record low F = 35

| Oct record low F = 16

| Nov record low F = 8

| Dec record low F = -3

| year record low F =

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 1.01

| Feb precipitation inch = 1.52

| Mar precipitation inch = 1.79

| Apr precipitation inch = 1.56

| May precipitation inch = 3.08

| Jun precipitation inch = 3.07

| Jul precipitation inch = 1.67

| Aug precipitation inch = 2.41

| Sep precipitation inch = 2.57

| Oct precipitation inch = 2.20

| Nov precipitation inch = 1.45

| Dec precipitation inch = 1.04

| year precipitation inch = 23.37

| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

| Jan precipitation days = 3.8

| Feb precipitation days = 4.0

| Mar precipitation days = 5.0

| Apr precipitation days = 3.8

| May precipitation days = 6.2

| Jun precipitation days = 5.3

| Jul precipitation days = 4.0

| Aug precipitation days = 4.7

| Sep precipitation days = 5.0

| Oct precipitation days = 4.9

| Nov precipitation days = 4.0

| Dec precipitation days = 3.7

| year precipitation days = 54.4

| Jan snow inch = 0.2

| Feb snow inch = 0.2

| Mar snow inch = 0.0

| Apr snow inch = 0.0

| May snow inch = 0.0

| Jun snow inch = 0.0

| Jul snow inch = 0.0

| Aug snow inch = 0.0

| Sep snow inch = 0.0

| Oct snow inch = 0.0

| Nov snow inch = 0.0

| Dec snow inch = 0.2

| year snow inch = 0.6

| unit snow days = 0.1 in

| Jan snow days = 0.1

| Feb snow days = 0.2

| Mar snow days = 0.0

| Apr snow days = 0.0

| May snow days = 0.0

| Jun snow days = 0.0

| Jul snow days = 0.0

| Aug snow days = 0.0

| Sep snow days = 0.0

| Oct snow days = 0.0

| Nov snow days = 0.1

| Dec snow days = 0.2

| year snow days = 0.6

| source = NOAA{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=sjt

|title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = January 1, 2024}}{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00410493&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = January 1, 2024}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1900= 1128

|1910= 3536

|1920= 2767

|1930= 4187

|1940= 4472

|1950= 5302

|1960= 5043

|1970= 4203

|1980= 4207

|1990= 3975

|2000= 4243

|2010= 3767

|2020= 3619

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|date=May 24, 2020|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 27, 2020}}

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015 }}

}}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,619 people, 1,449 households, and 860 families residing in the city.

As of the census of 2000, 4,243 people, 1,578 households, and 1,093 families resided the city. The population density was {{convert|1,266.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The 1,879 housing units averaged 560.9 per square mile (216.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.68% White, 2.14% African American, 0.71% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 14.52% from other races, and 2.50% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 31.28% of the population.

Of 1,578 households, 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were not families. About 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and family size was 3.10.

In the city, the population was distributed as 26.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,129, and for a family was $31,393. Males had a median income of $24,207 versus $18,951 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,917. About 14.3% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 25.0% of those age 65 or over.

The city is served by the Ballinger Independent School District and is home to the Ballinger High School Bearcats.

• David W. Guion, a widely performed classical composer and arranger of American folk music
• Hal Underwood, a professional golfer, won the European Tour

Ballinger was home of the minor league baseball team the Ballinger Cats from the 1920s to its disbandment in the late 1950s. They were affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds from 1947 to 1950, as well with the bygone St. Louis Browns in the 1930s and early 1940s.

• The Olde Park Hotel is reported as haunted. According to one of the previous owners, Jeanette Findlay has identified 30 beings present in the hotel. The hotel's reputation has resulted in it appearing in paranormal television programming. As recent as 2019, it was visited by paranormal investigator and actor Chad Lindberg. The hotel is to be featured in the Travel Channel television show Fright Club, hosted by Jack Osbourne.

File:OldeParkHotel2016.jpg

• The Ballinger Park is a 55 acre Park on the north and east shores of Lake Ballinger. This park houses a multipurpose sport complex, the Mickey Corso Community Clubhouse, a 42 acre natural park area and a boat launch. The sports complex consists of a full length multipurpose sports field used for baseball, softball and soccer. The playground amenities include two play structures and picnic tables.

The natural park area is a former nine-hole golf course converted to a natural area with nature trails, ponds, hall creek and is adjacent to the Interurban Trail to the west and the Lakeview Trail to the east. A Master Plan for this area of the park was adopted in 2015.

Image:Runnels County Building Ballinger.jpg|County Building

Image:U.S. Post Office Ballinger.jpg|Historic post office in Ballinger, Texas

Image:Texas Theater Ballinger.jpg|Texas Theater

Image:Downtown Ballinger 2.jpg|Downtown Ballinger

Image:Downtown Ballinger 1.jpg|Downtown Ballinger

Image:Ballinger City Hall.jpg|City Hall

Image:Carnigie Library Ballinger.jpg|Carnigie Library Ballinger

{{Reflist}}

{{notelist}}

{{Commons category|Ballinger, Texas}}

• [http://www.ballinger-tx.com/ City of Ballinger official website]
• [http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-5827:127 Entry for William P. Ballinger], for whom Ballinger was named, from the [https://archive.today/20121205004737/http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-5827 Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas] published 1880, hosted by the [http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20021008225402/http%3A//www%2Eco%2Ehidalgo%2Etx%2Eus/ Portal to Texas History].
• {{HAER |survey=TX-128 |id=tx1159 |title=Ballinger Water Works, Ballinger, Runnels County, TX |data=2}}

{{Runnels County, Texas}}

{{Texas}}

{{Texas county seats}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cities in Texas

Category:Cities in Runnels County, Texas

Category:County seats in Texas