Big Sandy, Texas

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Big Sandy, Texas
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto =

imagesize = 250px
image_caption = Downtown Big Sandy


image_

mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Big Sandy, Texas


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Texas
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Upshur

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 4.3
area_land_km2 = 4.2
area_water_km2 = 0.1
area_total_sq_mi = 1.7
area_land_sq_mi = 1.6
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 1288
population_density_km2 = 303.8
population_density_sq_mi = 786.8

timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 112
elevation_ft = 367
latd = 32 |latm = 35 |lats = 5 |latNS = N
longd = 95 |longm = 6 |longs = 44 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 75755, 75797
area_code = 903
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 48-08224GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1330639GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Big Sandy is a town in Upshur County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,288 at the 2000 census. Since it is the only "wet city" in Upshur County, Smith and Wood County residents often come to Big Sandy to purchase beer, wine, and liquor.

Geography

Big Sandy is located at coor dms|32|35|5|N|95|6|44|W|city (32.584693, -95.112297)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.3 km²), of which, 1.6 square miles (4.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 1,288 people, 532 households, and 342 families residing in the town. The population density was 786.8 people per square mile (303.2/km²). There were 595 housing units at an average density of 363.4/sq mi (140.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.75% White, 12.89% African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 2.95% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.49% of the population.

There were 532 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,284, and the median income for a family was $34,107. Males had a median income of $26,083 versus $21,071 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,989. About 16.4% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

History

Big Sandy, located about convert|14|mi|km southwest of Gilmer at the intersection of U.S. Highway 80 and Texas Highway 155 in Upshur County, Texas, was established shortly after the Civil War. The settlement was first known as Big Sandy Switch, because a stretch of the Texas & Pacific Railroad was built through the area and eventually intersected with a narrow-gauge railroad called the Tyler Tap. A post office was followed by a newspaper, stores and churches, and by 1926 the settlement was incorporated as Big Sandy, with a population of about 850.

In the 1950s Big Sandy became linked to a religious movement that would greatly influence the community for four decades. Local resident Buck Hammer was a member of the Radio Church of God, (which later became known as the Worldwide Church of God [WCG] ) a California-based, Sabbatarian movement headed by radio evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong. Hammer donated a small parcel of land (less than 10 acres) to the church, which in turn built a meeting hall and began holding annual church conventions there by the mid-50s. The church in subsequent years bought hundreds more acres adjacent to the original small area donated by Buck Hammer. Thousands of church members converged on Big Sandy and surrounding communities for the week-long convention each year, creating a significant economic impact. In the mid-1960s Armstrong developed more of the property and established a second campus of Ambassador College, the original campus of which continued to operate at the church's headquarters facility in Pasadena, Calif. The presence of the college, along with the annual convention operation, influenced hundreds of church members to relocate to Big Sandy and the surrounding area over the years. Although Ambassador ceased operations in 1997, many families once affiliated with it and the church chose to remain in and around Big Sandy.

In March 2000, the campus was sold and became the [http://www.alertacademy.com International ALERT Academy] , home of the Air Land Emergency Resource Team (ALERT), a Christian program training young men in disaster relief and emergency services. The Academy also serves as a camp and conference center, and holds four-week summer programs for [http://www.alertacademy.com/quest/ boys] and [http://www.alertacademy.com/events/step/ girls] . ALERT is affiliated with evangelical minister Bill Gothard.

In the late 1970s local residents Jerry and Anita Gentry began a mail-order business from their home in Big Sandy and called it [http://www.anniesattic.com/ Annie's Attic] . The business grew rapidly into a multi-million dollar enterprise, publishing magazines and catalogs for needlecraft enthusiasts. After the couple divorced in the early 1980s, Anita continued to preside over Annie's Attic, while Jerry launched a near-replicate business called The Needlecraft Shop, also in Big Sandy. By the 1990s, both businesses had been purchased in separate transactions by [http://www.drgnetwork.com/ Dynamic Resource Group] (DRG), a publishing company in Berne, Ind. DRG management moved the operations of both companies to Indiana, but before doing so established a new company, [http://www.strategicfulfillment.com/ Strategic Fulfillment Group] (SFG), on the southwest edge of Big Sandy. SFG, which handles mailing and subscription fulfillment for DRG and other clients, is now Big Sandy's largest employer.

Big Sandy is also the location of "Texas Largest Manhunt" Which occurred on July 10th, and 11th,1986 when over 1000 law enforcement officers responded to Big Sandy's Chief of Police Richard Lingle's request for assistance. Convicted murderer Jerry "Animal" Mcfadden had escaped from the Upshur County jail the day before with Upshur County Jailer Rosalie Williams,the wife of a DPS Trooper as as hostage. Upshur county S.O. attempts to locate them were not successful the 1st night, but after a call to Lingle on the night of the 11th from a resident Mancho Martinez's son, Lingle, and his small force of five officers asked for help, and were assisted by over 1000 law enforcement officers including now deceased Upshur County Sheriff Dale Jewkes from all over the state. Officers were able to seal off the city, which resulted in McFadden being recaptured, and returned to jail without a shot being fired. McFadden was later executed Oct. 1999, for the murder of Susan Harrison a teen from Hawkins, Texas. But McFadden was never tried on the other murders of Hawkins teens Brian Boone, and Gena Turner. McFadden was already a convicted paroled rapist, and murderer, at the time of his escape. Lingle was criticized by Big Sandy City Council for designing a T-shirt, and Poster about the successful recapture of McFadden in which all proceeds went to the "We The People" group, founded by Janie Wilson to change the parole laws for convicted murders such as McFadden who were let out early due to overcrowding etc. To this date no manhunt in Texas has surpassed this number of officers looking for one convicted murderer. Lingle, and Jewkes also said that Rosalie Williams was safely returned to her family unharmed due to officers actions. Lingle is now retired, and still lives in the Big Sandy area.

ports

The Big Sandy High School football team has won three Texas Class B state championships; 1973, 1974, and 1975. Although the state finals game in 1974 ended in a 0-0 tie (vs Celina), UIL granted both teams co-championships. In 2005, the Wildcats again reached the state final game (Class A, vs Stratford), however they fell short by one point (21-20).

In 1975 the Big Sandy High School football team set a then national record of 824 points scored in a season (they went 14-0 for the regular season including playoffs). This record was not broken until 1994 by a high school in Bloomington, California. The 1975 team included later notable NFL stars such as David Overstreet, a former running back for the Oklahoma Sooners and the Miami Dolphins, and Lovie Smith, head coach for the NFL Chicago Bears.

Home of UT pitcher Hunter Harris

Education

The Town of Big Sandy is served by the Big Sandy Independent School District.

References

External links

* [http://www.bigsandyisd.org Big Sandy ISD]