Ovilla, Texas

Ovilla, Texas
—  City  —
Location of Ovilla, Texas
Coordinates: 32°31′54″N 96°53′29″W / 32.53167°N 96.89139°W / 32.53167; -96.89139Coordinates: 32°31′54″N 96°53′29″W / 32.53167°N 96.89139°W / 32.53167; -96.89139
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Ellis, Dallas
Area
- Total	5.7 sq mi (14.8 km2)
- Land	5.7 sq mi (14.8 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	610 ft (186 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	3,405
- Density	596.7/sq mi (230.4/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	75154
Area code(s)	972
FIPS code	48-54444[1]
GNIS feature ID	1343373[2]

Ovilla is a city in Dallas and Ellis Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 3,405 at the 2000 census. The two L's are pronounced as a double L (as in village).

History

Original settlement

Ovilla, on upper Red Oak Creek in northern Ellis County, is the oldest town in the county. It began in 1844 as a fortified settlement and grew as settlers arrived in the area to attend brush arbor meetings of the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church, which was started by Rev. Finis E. King in 1847.

First public buildings

The church met in a brush arbor until 1853, when a log cabin, which served as both church and schoolhouse, was built. A frame church building was finished in 1872; in 1984 about 190 members still met in the structure, which had been enlarged and remodeled. The church was instrumental in moving Trinity University to Waxahachie in 1902 and in establishing a girls' school in the nearby town of Milford.

20th century breakthrough

Although Ovilla was a thriving farming community by the 1850s, it remained unnamed. Mrs. M. M. Molloy, wife of Rev. D. G. Molloy, formed the name from the Spanish word villa. Ovilla continued to grow and by the early 1900s had a post office, a bank, a cotton gin, a pharmacy, a blacksmith shop, and several dry-goods stores. Its post office closed in 1906. Fires in 1918 and 1926 destroyed most of the downtown buildings, and this destruction, together with the fact that Ovilla was bypassed by railroads and major highways, led to a decline in growth.

City incorporation

As Dallas grew, however, and people started moving from the city to the suburbs, Ovilla once again began to grow. To escape annexation by DeSoto or any other neighboring city, the town of Ovilla was incorporated in 1963. In the first census after incorporation its population was 339; by 1980 it had risen to 1,067. Its 1984 population was estimated to be nearly 1,300. In 1990 it was 2,027 and the community had extended into Dallas County. The 2000 Census showed a populations of 3,405. Today's population is estimated to be 4,000.

Famous history

Boxcar Willie was born in the area surrounding Ovilla; the overpass at Interstate 35E and FM 664 in Red Oak is named in his memory.

Also, several episodes of "Walker, Texas Ranger" with Chuck Norris were shot in part here. Downtown Ovilla was the set of an old Indian town.

Geography

Ovilla is located at 32°31′54″N 96°53′29″W / 32.53167°N 96.89139°W / 32.53167; -96.89139 (32.531616, -96.891298)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 3,405 people, 1,129 households, and 1,001 families residing in the city. The population density was 596.7 people per square mile (230.2/km²). There were 1,151 housing units at an average density of 201.7/sq mi (77.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.92% White, 4.88% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.35% of the population.

There were 1,129 households out of which 45.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80.9% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.3% were non-families. 9.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $73,713, and the median income for a family was $75,000. Males had a median income of $57,600 versus $33,261 for females. The per capita income for the city was $35,102. About 1.1% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

The city of Ovilla is primarily served by the Red Oak Independent School District, and to a lesser extent by the Midlothian Independent School District, the DeSoto Independent School District, and the Cedar Hill Independent School District.

Private schools

Ovilla Christian School, a private Christian school, is located in Ovilla.

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 

References

• http://www.cityofovilla.org/index.aspx?nid=56
• The Ovilla History Book