Rockwall, Texas
History
The association of Paleo-Indian artifacts with extinct Pleistocene mammal remains in various archeological sites within the Texas Prairie-Savannah Region of eastern North Central Texas, including a site in Collin County, and Clovis points recovered from the Brushy Creek Clovis Site in Hunt County demonstrates that the Rockwall region was occupied by prehistoric Native American cultures at least as far back as 13,500 to 13,000 years ago. More recently, the Rockwall region was occupied by Caddo Indians. Creek Indians moved to the area in the early 19th century.
In 1851, the first Anglo-American settlers moved to the area, and wells were dug. During the digging, they found large underground rock walls that were initially believed to be man-made. Later study of the wall-like features by geologists and archaeologists found them to be jointed, natural sandstone dikes that had intruded Cretaceous marl. The wall, when viewed from above, runs in long straight lines with angles that form a near perfect rectangle. The eastern wall has several deviations that run in straight lines with sharp angles, which would be unusual for a natural formation in an already unusual closed loop wall formation.
The town was established April 17, 1854 and named after these natural rock walls. While originally part of Kaufman County, in 1873, Rockwall County was formed with Rockwall being the county seat.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.6 square miles (82 km), of which 22.3 square miles (58 km) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km) (1.63%) is water.
Rockwall is on the eastern shore of Lake Ray Hubbard, approximately 20 miles northeast of Dallas. It is on state highways 205 and 66, north of Interstate 30.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rockwall has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 215 | — | |
| 1890 | 843 | 292.1% | |
| 1900 | 1,245 | 47.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,136 | −8.8% | |
| 1920 | 1,388 | 22.2% | |
| 1930 | 1,074 | −22.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,318 | 22.7% | |
| 1950 | 1,501 | 13.9% | |
| 1960 | 2,166 | 44.3% | |
| 1970 | 3,121 | 44.1% | |
| 1980 | 5,939 | 90.3% | |
| 1990 | 10,486 | 76.6% | |
| 2000 | 17,976 | 71.4% | |
| 2010 | 37,490 | 108.6% | |
| 2020 | 47,251 | 26.0% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 52,918 | 12.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 30,786 | 65.15% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 3,706 | 7.84% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 205 | 0.43% |
| Asian (NH) | 1,705 | 3.61% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 29 | 0.06% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 128 | 0.27% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 2,043 | 4.32% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8,649 | 18.3% |
| Total | 47,251 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 47,251 people, 16,151 households, and 12,771 families residing in the city.
Government
Local government
According to the city's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Fund Financial Statements, the city's various funds had $39.0 million in revenues, $42.2 million in expenditures, $32.3 million in total assets, $3.6 million in total liabilities, and $25.9 million in investments.
The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:
| Department | Director |
|---|---|
| City Manager | Mary Smith |
| Assistant City Manager | Joey Boyd |
| Director of Public Works/City Engineer | Amy Williams, PE |
| Director of Parks and Recreation | Travis Sales, MCPTM |
| Chief of Police | Ed Fowler |
| Fire Chief | Kenneth Cullins |
| Director of Planning | Ryan Miller, AICP |
The city of Rockwall is a voluntary member of the North Central Texas Council of Governments association, the purpose of which is to coordinate individual and collective local governments and facilitate regional solutions, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and enable joint decisions.
State government
Rockwall is represented in the Texas Senate by Republican Bob Hall, District 2, and in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican Justin Holland, House District 33.
Federal government
At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz; Rockwall is part of Texas's 4th congressional district, which is currently represented by Republican Pat Fallon.
Education
Public schools
The city is served by the Rockwall Independent School District. There are two public high schools in Rockwall: Rockwall High School and Rockwall-Heath High School. There are sixteen elementary schools and three middle schools in Rockwall.
Higher education
The city is home to the Higher Education Center at Rockwall, which is part of the community college district, Collin College. The campus is the District's first campus outside of Collin County itself. Texas A&M University-Commerce holds classes at the center.
Transportation
Rockwall is served by the following highways that run through the city:
Interstate 30
U.S. Highway 67 (runs concurrent with Interstate 30)
State Highway 66
State Highway 205
State Highway 276
Farm to Market 549
Farm to Market 552
Farm to Market 740
Ralph M. Hall/Rockwall Municipal Airport is located two miles east of the city and is used mostly by small general aviation aircraft.
Sports
Rockwall offers many different sports complexes as well as activities. Airport Road boasts baseball fields, as well as the Landing Point complex containing the Texas International Fencing Center, zipline and dance facilities. The Rockwall Indoor Sports Expo is located on South 205. Lake Ray Hubbard has several boating marinas and is used for jet skiing.
Rockwall also offers 2 different Golf Courses within 17 miles of the center of Rockwall.
Notable people
- Dan Bartlett, former Counselor to the President
- Jason Castro, top 12 contestant on season 7 of American Idol
- Joe Driver, Texas State Representative from 1993 to 2013
- Zack Eskridge, former CFL quarterback
- Allie Gonino, singer, actress, and violinist who played Laurel Mercer in The Lying Game
- Ralph Hall, member of US House of Representatives
- Cliff Harris, professional football safety who played for the Dallas Cowboys
- Alex Jones, disgraced conservative radio show host and conspiracy theorist
- Roger Kieschnick, former outfielder for Arizona Diamondbacks
- Kendial Lawrence, former CFL running back
- Larry Lea, former televangelist whose ministry was based in Rockwall during the 1980s and early 1990s
- Carlton Massey, defensive lineman for Cleveland Browns
- James McSweeney, retired UFC fighter
- Mason Musso, lead singer and guitarist in Metro Station
- Mitchel Musso, actor and singer
- Afernee Orji, linebacker for New Orleans Saints
- Marina Oswald Porter, widow of Lee Harvey Oswald
- William Hubbel Price, Texas Legislator
- Amar Sandhu, first American-born Punjabi singer
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, NFL wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks
- Andy Tanner, former wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints
- Travis Tedford, former child actor best known for portraying Spanky McFarland in the 1994 feature film The Little Rascals
Fringe claims that the rock wall was built by a prehistoric race
In 1925 Byron Khun de Prorok claimed that the wall was built by a prehistoric race.
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Rockwall". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "State and County Quick Facts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Rockwall city, Texas; Rockwall County, Texas". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ Crook, W.W. III, M.D. Hughston and J.L. McCraw, 2009, The Brushy Creek Clovis Site (41HU74): An Early Paleoindian Occupation in Hunt County, Texas. The Record, Dallas Archeological Society 56(1):1-18.
- ^ Crook, W. W., III, 2011, A Possible Association of Worked Flakes with Probosidian Bones near Lake Lavon, Collin County, Texas. Archeological Journal of the Texas Prairie-Savannah 1(1):4-8.
- ^ Ferring, C.R., 2000, The Archeology and Paleoecology of the Aubrey Clovis Site (41DN79) Denton County, Texas. Center for Environmental Archeology, Department of Geography, University of North Texas, Denton.
- ^ Monroe, J.N., 1950, Origin of the clastic dikes in the Rockwall area, Texas. Field and Laboratory. v. 18, no. 4, pp. 133-143.
- ^ Ellwood, B.B., J. Payne, and G.J. Long, 1989, The Rockwall, Texas: A study of unusual natural magnetic effects in geoarcheological surveys produced by mineral oxidation. Geoarchaeology. v. 4, no. 2, pp. 103-118.
- ^ Association, Texas State Historical. "Rockwall County". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ Rockwall, Texas, 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1963 (1973 rev)
- ^ Climate Summary for Rockwall, Texas
- ^ US Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
- ^ US Census Bureau. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023". Census.gov. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ https://www.census.gov/
- ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ City of Rockwall 2009 CAFR Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 2010-11-17
- ^ "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report" (PDF). September 30, 2012. p. 19. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ "Senator Bob Hall: District 2". Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ "Texas House Member". Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ http://www.rockwalltoday.com/community/rockwall_texas_golf_courses.php
- ^ Cliff Harris Football All-time Great & Author Retrieved 2018-04-16.
- ^ Dunning, Brian (October 15, 2024). "The Rock Wall of Texas". Skeptoid. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ "Rockwall named for Natural wall". Spokane Chronicle. July 1, 1925. p. 20. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
Municipalities and communities of Rockwall County, Texas, United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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