Named for its founder's hometown of
Hico in southwestern
Kentucky, Hico's original location was on Honey Creek. When the Texas Central line (part of the historic
Katy Railroad) was built nearby, the citizens moved 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the rail line. Hico was incorporated in 1883 and became the Hamilton County shipping center. Over the years, it became a
cattle and
cotton market. Today,
ranching and
tourism dominate the local economy.[6]
In 1903, Kentucky-based evangelist
Mordecai Ham held the first of his 75 Texas revival meetings in Hico. There were 150 professions of faith in
Jesus Christ.[7]
"Brushy Bill" Roberts and Billy the Kid
Roberts' grave has not been revealed, thus preventing DNA authentication of the remains.[8] Academic historians are in agreement that there is no evidence to support the notion of Roberts as the original Billy the Kid. DNA testing has not been forthcoming.
The Hico community
Hico hosts the Annual Texas Steak Cookoff in May. It boasts thousands of guests every year.
Geography
Hico is located in the northern corner of Hamilton County at 31°59′4″N98°1′50″W / 31.98444°N 98.03056°W / 31.98444; -98.03056 (31.984410, –98.030508).[9] A small portion of the city extends north into Erath County.
U.S. Route 281 passes through the city as Walnut Street and North 2nd Street. Highway 281 leads northwest 19 miles (31 km) to
Stephenville and south 20 miles (32 km) to
Hamilton, the
county seat.
Texas State Highway 6 passes through the city as Second Street, joining US 281 as it exits the city to the northwest. Highway 6 leads east 23 miles (37 km) to
Meridian and west-northwest 21 miles (34 km) to
Dublin.
Approximately 1.8 miles (2.9 km) north of Hico are what appear to be the remains of an
impact crater that was formed some time after the
Cretaceous Period.[10]
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 1,335 people, 619 households, and 269 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the
census[3] of 2000, there were 1,341 people, 556 households, and 363 families residing in the city. The population density was 911.4 inhabitants per square mile (351.9/km2). There were 640 housing units at an average density of 435.0 per square mile (168.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.23%
White, 0.82%
Native American, 0.15%
Pacific Islander, 7.53% from
other races, and 1.27% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 11.26% of the population.
There were 556 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were
married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,919, and the median income for a family was $34,688. Males had a median income of $27,404 versus $17,708 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $14,122. About 13.6% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 27.2% of those under age 18 and 22.4% of those age 65 or over.
^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]
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hico, Texas.