Howe, Texas

Howe is a town in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,478 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sherman Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area and is 60 miles north of Dallas and 30 miles south of beautiful Lake Texoma, known for its great Striper fishing and recreational fun.

History

The City of Howe was oriinally called Summit (in 1872) and the highest elevation between the Red River and the Gulf of Mexico. Summit was located Northeast of the present town site and had a general store, saloon, and a post office.

Two years later, the Houston and Texas Central Railroad came to the area, being unable to acquire the needed land around Summit, the railroad accepted an offer from Jabez and Harriett Hanning for a new townsite. The Hanning's would donate land for a new town site and deed every other lot to the railroad and in return the railroad would build a depot.

The town site was relocated in 1874 and was renamed "Howe" after the railroad Superintendent, Milton G. Howe.

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Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.0 km), all of it land.

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Cityscape

BAILEY'S BERRY PATCH (905 Crawford Road) Bailey's Berry Patch is located between Sherman and Gainesville - 12 miles south of the Oklahoma border and is easily accessible from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area as well as all of Southern Oklahoma. The Berry Patch consists of 6 acres of blueberries and 3 acres of blackberries. Visitors can pick their own fruit, have a picnic lunch and come with friends and family to spend a few hours in the country. There are picnic tables under the oak trees and fish food is available for the children to feed the catfish in the pond.

C.S. ROBERTS HOUSE (915 S. Crockett St.) The C.S. Roberts house is a magnificent Victorian mansion built by a prominent local family, and located in Sherman's Heritage Row. It remained in the Roberts family until 1988 with most family furnishings in place. It is one of the only intact Eastlake-Stick style homes in this part of the country. The house was built in 1896 in the rush of building following Sherman's great tornado. The storm cellar and hothouse in the basement, the combination gas - electric light fixtures, vintage automobile, servant's quarters, gazebo, gardens, and many stained glass windows are some of the original 19th century experience available to visitors today. The C,S, Roberts House Museum is maintained and operated by the Sherman Preservation League. It is open Sundays 1 - 4 pm and by appointment.

EISENHOWER STATE PARK (50 Park Road 20) Eisenhower State Park, with 423.1 acres, is located in Grayson County, northwest of Denison on the shores of Lake Texoma. The park has plenty of trees to provide shade during the summer. It is situated on rocky bluffs above the lake. Full hook-ups are provided for RVers. There is a hiking trail that winds along the rolling hills of the park. The trails are not paved so be careful when hiking. A large protected cove provides a nice place to swim.

LAVENDER RIDGE FARMS (2391 County Rd 178) Originally a strawberry and melon farm in the 1920's and 30's, Lavender Ridge Farms is now a lavender, cut-flower, and herb farm just 8 miles east of Gainesville, Texas and just 1 hour from the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex. The farm currently has 2 acres of lavender planted and more lavender, new herbs, scented geraniums and cut-flowers are being added all the time. A variety of herb plants, handmade herbal soaps and lavender products are available in the gift shop.

RED RIVER HISTORICAL MUSEUM (301 South Walnut) The mission of the Red River Historical Museum is to collect, preserve and to interpret objects of historical significance to Grayson County and the greater North Texas Region. Sitting right off the downtown square, the museum is housed in a historic Carnegie Library building and is home to a collection of over 50,000 objects. Look for exhibit announcements on the Calendar of Events. Museum store with books on the history of the area, historic maps, and souvenirs.

City Parks

A.M. Ferguson Memorial Park
City Park
Reed Park
C.C. Jones Memorial Park

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Culture

Due to it's colse proximity to both the Sherman/Denison and DFW metropolitan areas, there are plenty of great things to do just an hour away. Museums, theatres, shopping, sports, concert halls and festivals go on year round in North Texas and the only thing thats missing is you.

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Economy

With Sherman just to the north and DFW's North Central Telecom Corridor to the south, economic opportunities are a stone's throw away from Howe. Sherman/Denison is a growing community that balances a rich economic past with an emerging reatil, commercial and industrial presence. To the south, Plano and Richardson are home to numerous telecom and IT corporations, as well as a variety of other business entities. The economic opportunities of this region make Howe an ideal place to settle down.

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Law & Government

Mayor
Mike Jones

City Administrator
Steve McKay

City Council Members
James Ross
Scotty Harris
Brian Ross
Rob Crow
Sam Haigis

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Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,478 people, 924 households, and 693 families residing in the town. The population density was 641.2 people per square mile (247.9/km). There were 997 housing units at an average density of 258.0/sq mi (99.7/km). The racial makeup of the town was 94.87% White, 0.52% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 2.10% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.56% of the population.

There were 924 households out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town the population was spread out with 31.9% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,963, and the median income for a family was $41,125. Males had a median income of $34,625 versus $22,829 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,664. About 9.9% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.

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Education

Students are served by the Howe Independent School District.The current schools are Howe Elementary, Middle and High schools. The district mascot is the bulldog. Kevin Wilson - Superintendent

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Infrastructure

Howe Police Department
P.O. Box 518
Howe, TX 75459-0518
(903) 532-9971

Howe Volunteer Fire Department
120 East Hanning
P.O. Box 518
Howe, TX 75459
(903) 532-5571

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