Brackettville, Texas

{{unreferenced section|date=January 2023}}

Founded in 1852 as "Las Moras" (the name of a nearby spring and the creek it feeds), the town initially was a supply stop on the old San Antonio-El Paso road and a supply depot for the U.S. Army's Fort Clark (the fort was established the same year). Later the town was named "Brackett" after Oscar B. Brackett, the owner of the first dry goods store in the area. In 1873, when a post office was awarded, "ville" was appended to the name to differentiate it from another town.

The town grew quickly through the 19th century with the expansion of the garrison at Fort Clark for the Indian Wars. The town's fortunes were tied to the fort. For many years, it was the base of the famous Buffalo Soldiers, made up of African Americans. Demographically, Brackettville had a larger proportion of Black Seminoles (African American escaped slaves who had lived alongside Seminole Native Americans prior to the 2nd Seminole War 1835–1842). During the slavery years, they had been living in a settlement in northern Mexico to escape US conditions. Their language developed in Florida, Afro-Seminole, is still spoken by some in Brackettville.

After the Buffalo Soldiers moved out of Fort Clark with the waning of the Indian Wars, it was used as a cavalry post. The Seminole Negro Indian Scouts were finally disbanded as a unit in 1914. Virtually every cavalry unit in the U.S. Army was stationed at or trained at Fort Clark at one time or another.

In 1943 during World War II, the U.S. Army activated the Second Cavalry Division, which was to be the Army's last horse-mounted unit. By 1944, even the Second had been mechanized. Fort Clark, so long a center of mounted cavalry, was targeted for closure. Before its closure, the fort was used as a German prisoner-of-war camp.

After the fort officially closed in 1946, it had a variety of uses. In 1971 it was converted and adapted as a resort/retirement center. The historic district of the fort is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The resort is not the economic engine the fort once was, and Brackettville has shrunk from its peak population during the war years.

{{see also|Alamo Village}}

File:Alamo_replica.jpg starring John Wayne ]]

North of town is a tourist attraction called Alamo Village, built in 1959 as the set of John Wayne's movie The Alamo. Scenes from the 1969 comedy Viva Max! were also shot here. As of July 2009, Alamo Village has been closed to the public. It is available for film production and special events such as weddings and receptions.[http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/The_Alamo_movie_set_closes_as_owners_figure_out_whats_next.html "The Alamo movie set closes as owners figure out what's next"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708162435/http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/The_Alamo_movie_set_closes_as_owners_figure_out_whats_next.html |date=July 8, 2009 }}, My San Antonio website

The miniseries James A. Michener's Texas (1994) was filmed in and around Brackettville.Rowan, Terry (2013). The American Western A Complete Film Guide. Lulu Press, Inc. Page 394. {{ISBN|9781300418580}}. Other films shot in Brackettville include Arrowhead (1953), Two Rode Together (1961), Bandolero! (1968), Barbarosa (1982), Lonesome Dove (1989), and Bad Girls (1994).Maddrey, Joseph (2016). The Quick, the Dead and the Revived: The Many Lives of the Western Film. McFarland. Page 183. {{ISBN|9781476625492}}.

Brackettville is located near the center of Kinney County at {{coord|29|18|55|N|100|24|54|W|type:city}} (29.315349, –100.415120).{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} It is bordered to the south by Fort Clark Springs, an unincorporated community on the site of the former Fort Clark. According to the United States Census Bureau, Brackettville has a total area of {{convert|8.2|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|7.3|sqkm|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|0.9|sqkm|order=flip|1}}, or 10.97%, are water.

U.S. Route 90 runs along the southern edge of Brackettville, leading east {{convert|39|mi}} to Uvalde and west {{convert|30|mi}} to Del Rio. Texas State Highway 131 runs south from Brackettville {{convert|45|mi}} to Eagle Pass.

The closest airport with commercial airline service is Del Rio International Airport, on the west side of Del Rio, {{convert|32|mi}} from Brackettville.

Brackettville has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) bordering on a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) with hot summers, mild winters, and variable but moderate rainfall.

{{Weather box

|location = Brackettville, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1990–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 86

|Feb record high F = 97

|Mar record high F = 96

|Apr record high F = 105

|May record high F = 109

|Jun record high F = 106

|Jul record high F = 107

|Aug record high F = 109

|Sep record high F = 107

|Oct record high F = 100

|Nov record high F = 90

|Dec record high F = 87

|Jan avg record high F = 79.0

|Feb avg record high F = 84.3

|Mar avg record high F = 88.9

|Apr avg record high F = 94.3

|May avg record high F = 97.6

|Jun avg record high F = 100.2

|Jul avg record high F = 101.5

|Aug avg record high F = 102.6

|Sep avg record high F = 97.6

|Oct avg record high F = 92.7

|Nov avg record high F = 83.7

|Dec avg record high F = 78.9

|year avg record high F = 104.5

|Jan high F = 61.3

|Feb high F = 66.1

|Mar high F = 73.1

|Apr high F = 80.2

|May high F = 86.1

|Jun high F = 91.7

|Jul high F = 93.4

|Aug high F = 94.4

|Sep high F = 88.2

|Oct high F = 80.0

|Nov high F = 69.3

|Dec high F = 62.8

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 48.5

|Feb mean F = 53.2

|Mar mean F = 60.7

|Apr mean F = 67.5

|May mean F = 74.9

|Jun mean F = 80.7

|Jul mean F = 82.3

|Aug mean F = 82.7

|Sep mean F = 76.9

|Oct mean F = 68.4

|Nov mean F = 58.1

|Dec mean F = 50.3

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 35.7

|Feb low F = 40.4

|Mar low F = 48.3

|Apr low F = 54.8

|May low F = 63.8

|Jun low F = 69.8

|Jul low F = 71.2

|Aug low F = 71.0

|Sep low F = 65.5

|Oct low F = 56.7

|Nov low F = 47.0

|Dec low F = 37.8

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 22.2

|Feb avg record low F = 24.8

|Mar avg record low F = 28.8

|Apr avg record low F = 37.8

|May avg record low F = 50.7

|Jun avg record low F = 61.8

|Jul avg record low F = 66.1

|Aug avg record low F = 65.8

|Sep avg record low F = 53.9

|Oct avg record low F = 38.6

|Nov avg record low F = 29.6

|Dec avg record low F = 23.0

|year avg record low F = 19.0

|Jan record low F = 11

|Feb record low F = 7

|Mar record low F = 14

|Apr record low F = 29

|May record low F = 37

|Jun record low F = 54

|Jul record low F = 58

|Aug record low F = 59

|Sep record low F = 46

|Oct record low F = 23

|Nov record low F = 19

|Dec record low F = 13

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.90

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.95

|Mar precipitation inch = 1.81

|Apr precipitation inch = 1.38

|May precipitation inch = 3.27

|Jun precipitation inch = 2.51

|Jul precipitation inch = 1.86

|Aug precipitation inch = 2.61

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.71

|Oct precipitation inch = 2.61

|Nov precipitation inch = 1.35

|Dec precipitation inch = 1.09

|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 5.7

|Feb precipitation days = 5.4

|Mar precipitation days = 6.4

|Apr precipitation days = 5.6

|May precipitation days = 7.9

|Jun precipitation days = 5.7

|Jul precipitation days = 4.5

|Aug precipitation days = 5.5

|Sep precipitation days = 7.0

|Oct precipitation days = 5.2

|Nov precipitation days = 4.8

|Dec precipitation days = 5.7

|Jan snow inch = 0.0

|Feb snow inch = 0.0

|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 = 0.1

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 0.0

|Feb snow days = 0.0

|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 = 0.0

|Dec snow days = 0.1

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00411013&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Brackettville 22 N, TX

|access-date = April 13, 2023

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=ewx

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Austin

|access-date = April 13, 2023

}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1880= 1126

|1890= 1649

|1930= 1822

|1940= 2653

|1950= 1858

|1960= 1662

|1970= 1539

|1980= 1676

|1990= 1740

|2000= 1876

|2010= 1688

|2020= 1341

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref=

|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 1,341 people, 568 households, and 346 families residing in the city.

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,876 people, 618 households, and 438 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|591.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 766 housing units at an average density of {{convert|241.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 64.77% White, 2.67% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 28.09% from other races, and 3.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 74.36% of the population. According to Ethnologue, there are 200 Afro-Seminole Creole speakers in Brackettville, which makes the town the only one in the country where this creole is still spoken.

There were 618 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.72.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.5% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,410, and the median income for a family was $24,063. Males had a median income of $21,806 versus $14,773 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,332. About 31.2% of families and 33.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.3% of those under age 18 and 30.2% of those age 65 or over.

Brackettville is served by the Brackett Independent School District.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Brackettville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=310114&cityname=Bracketville%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Brackettville, Texas]

{{notelist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20141218091844/http://thecityofbrackettville.com/ Official website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070513225645/http://www.thebrackettnews.com/ The Brackett News]
• [http://www.over-land.com/elpaso_road.html San Antonio-El Paso Road] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312065036/http://over-land.com/elpaso_road.html |date=March 12, 2009 }}

{{Kinney County, Texas}}

{{Texas}}

{{Texas county seats}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Black Seminoles

Category:Cities in Texas

Category:Cities in Kinney County, Texas

Category:County seats in Texas

Category:San Antonio–El Paso Road