Mabank, Texas
History
Prior to the existence of Mabank in early 1900, the community of Lawndale was formed in the late 1880s. The community was noted for its agriculture in many areas, including cotton. With the Texas Trunk Railroad missing the community by a mile, though, ranchers Mason and Eubank decided to capitalize on the Texas Trunk and set aside one square mile of land and named it "Mabank".
Mabank is a combination of the names Eubank and Mason, and is located one mile (1.6 km) southwest of the former community of Lawndale. Being only a mile away from Lawndale and located on the railroad, its citizens, churches, and businesses naturally decided to move there, thus attracting, over a brief period of about two years, much of what was Lawndale. This included the Lawndale Courier—the local newspaper that renamed itself the Mabank Courier.
The population, although small, remained relatively stable until the completion of Cedar Creek Reservoir in 1965. The town has since shown increases in population. Many of the descendants from the Masons and Eubanks still have connections to the town.
Geography
Mabank is located in the southeastern corner of Kaufman County at 32°22′05″N 96°06′20″W / 32.368011°N 96.105573°W (32.368011, –96.105573). The town limits extend south into Henderson County. U.S. Route 175 runs through the northern side of the town, leading northwest 21 miles (34 km) to Kaufman and southeast 18 miles (29 km) to Athens. Downtown Dallas is 54 miles (87 km) northwest of Mabank.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.7 km), of which 0.04 square miles (0.1 km), or 0.45%, is covered by water.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 963 | — | |
| 1940 | 988 | 2.6% | |
| 1950 | 896 | −9.3% | |
| 1960 | 944 | 5.4% | |
| 1970 | 1,239 | 31.3% | |
| 1980 | 1,443 | 16.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,739 | 20.5% | |
| 2000 | 2,151 | 23.7% | |
| 2010 | 3,035 | 41.1% | |
| 2020 | 4,050 | 33.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2010 2020 | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 3,209 | 79.23% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 118 | 2.91% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 29 | 0.72% |
| Asian (NH) | 92 | 2.27% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 1 | 0.02% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 11 | 0.27% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 151 | 3.73% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 439 | 10.84% |
| Total | 4,050 |
- ^ 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.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,050 people, 1,175 households, and 720 families residing in the town.
Education
Mabank is served by the Mabank Independent School District. The schools are Central Elementary, Southside Elementary, Lakeview Elementary, Mabank Intermediate School, Mabank Jr. High, and Mabank High School.
Parks and recreation
Mabank is located on the northern and eastern edge of Cedar Creek Reservoir, a popular destination for weekend visitors from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Notable people
- Lindley Beckworth, former U.S. Congressman and judge
- Isiah Robertson, former NFL player who started the " House of Isaiah", a drug treatment program in Mabank
- Randal Tye Thomas, 13th mayor of Gun Barrel City, Texas, (at the age of 21), from 2000 to 2001
