Gail, Texas | |
|---|---|
 Borden County Courthouse in Gail | |
  Gail  Gail | |
| Coordinates:32°46′13″N101°26′43″W / 32.77028°N 101.44528°W /32.77028; -101.44528 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Borden |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.02 sq mi (5.23 km2) |
| • Land | 2.01 sq mi (5.21 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0077 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,556 ft (779 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 249 |
| • Density | 124/sq mi (47.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 79738 |
| Area code | 806 |
Gail is acensus-designated place in and thecounty seat ofBorden County, Texas, United States, that is located at the junction ofU.S. Route 180 andFarm to Market Road 669.[1] As of the2010 Census, the population was 231.[2]
The town and county are named forGail Borden, Jr., the inventor ofcondensed milk.
Gail Mountain is located on the southwestern edge of town. The 20th annualChristmas lighting of the star atop Gail Mountain was held on November 29, 2013.[3]
Mushaway Peak, a small but conspicuousbutte, is located 4 miles (6 km) southeast.
Founded in 1891 to coincide with the organization of Borden County, Gail has served as county seat for the duration of its existence. Borden County had remained quite sparsely populated until 1903, when the locally famed "War of Ribbons", inspired by a state-sanctioned land grab, took place. The conflict took its name from the practice of established ranchers displaying their affiliation and identity by way of a blue ribbon on their sleeves, whereas new settlers to the area designated theirs with a similarly placed red ribbon. By 1910, Gail was home to more than 700 residents, and though this would decline to 600 by 1912, the community remained the economic and administrative hub of Borden County. Changes in agricultural practices and patterns, coupled with the impact of theGreat Depression, hindered the town and county's prosperity. By 1936, Gail's population had dwindled to 250 residents, and by 1980, it had fallen to approximately 190.[4] The census of 2010 counted 231 residents in Gail.[2]
The Borden County Jail opened in 1896. Built at a cost of $4,500 by theDiebold Safe and Lock Company, it had 2-foot-thick (0.61 m) outside walls made of stone from Gail Mountain, and 0.3-foot (0.091 m) hardened steel plates in the cell walls and floor.[5] In 1956, two prisoners objected to Sheriff Sid Reeder's attempt to place them into one of the jail's cells when they noticed a rattlesnake sleeping inside.[6] A historic marker was placed outside the jail in 1967.
John R. "Rich" Anderson, owner of the 64,000-acre (26,000 ha) Muleshoe Ranch near Gail, won the 1992 National Cattleman's Association Environmental Stewardship Award.[7] His achievement was also recognized by theTexas House of Representatives.
Gail is located near the center of Borden County.U.S. Route 180 passes through the town, leading east 31 miles (50 km) toSnyder and west 31 miles toLamesa.Big Spring alongFM 669 is 40 miles (64 km) to the south, andLubbock is 72 miles (116 km) to the north.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Gail has an area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2), of which 0.008 square miles (0.02 km2), or 0.38%, is covered by water.[2]
This climate type occurs primarily on the periphery of the true deserts in low-latitudesemiarid steppe regions. TheKöppen climate classification subtype for this climate isBSk (tropical and subtropical steppe climate).[8]
| Climate data for Gail, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1912–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 87 (31) | 92 (33) | 98 (37) | 104 (40) | 111 (44) | 116 (47) | 113 (45) | 112 (44) | 106 (41) | 103 (39) | 91 (33) | 85 (29) | 116 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 78.1 (25.6) | 82.0 (27.8) | 88.5 (31.4) | 93.9 (34.4) | 99.9 (37.7) | 102.7 (39.3) | 102.5 (39.2) | 101.7 (38.7) | 97.3 (36.3) | 92.4 (33.6) | 82.9 (28.3) | 76.8 (24.9) | 105.7 (40.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 57.1 (13.9) | 62.0 (16.7) | 70.1 (21.2) | 78.8 (26.0) | 85.6 (29.8) | 91.4 (33.0) | 93.6 (34.2) | 92.9 (33.8) | 85.5 (29.7) | 77.2 (25.1) | 65.7 (18.7) | 57.4 (14.1) | 76.4 (24.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 44.6 (7.0) | 48.8 (9.3) | 56.4 (13.6) | 64.4 (18.0) | 72.7 (22.6) | 79.3 (26.3) | 81.9 (27.7) | 81.2 (27.3) | 73.9 (23.3) | 64.3 (17.9) | 53.1 (11.7) | 45.3 (7.4) | 63.8 (17.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 32.2 (0.1) | 35.6 (2.0) | 42.6 (5.9) | 50.0 (10.0) | 59.7 (15.4) | 67.3 (19.6) | 70.2 (21.2) | 69.6 (20.9) | 62.3 (16.8) | 51.5 (10.8) | 40.5 (4.7) | 33.3 (0.7) | 51.2 (10.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 16.4 (−8.7) | 19.4 (−7.0) | 24.8 (−4.0) | 33.8 (1.0) | 44.1 (6.7) | 58.3 (14.6) | 63.2 (17.3) | 62.7 (17.1) | 49.1 (9.5) | 35.0 (1.7) | 24.4 (−4.2) | 17.3 (−8.2) | 12.1 (−11.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 3 (−16) | 0 (−18) | 9 (−13) | 24 (−4) | 33 (1) | 45 (7) | 57 (14) | 52 (11) | 36 (2) | 20 (−7) | 8 (−13) | −1 (−18) | −1 (−18) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.55 (14) | 0.69 (18) | 1.08 (27) | 1.36 (35) | 2.52 (64) | 2.39 (61) | 2.00 (51) | 2.69 (68) | 2.54 (65) | 1.78 (45) | 1.26 (32) | 0.59 (15) | 19.45 (495) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.9 (2.3) | 1.3 (3.32) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 37.0 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA[9] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[10] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 231 | — | |
| 2020 | 249 | 7.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1850–1900[12] 1910[13] 1920[14] 1930[15] 1940[16] 1950[17] 1960[18] 1970[19] 1980[20] 1990[21] 2000[22] 2010[23] 2020[24] | |||
Gail first appeared as acensus designated place in the2010 U.S. census.[23]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[25] | Pop 2020[24] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 178 | 201 | 77.06% | 80.72% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 2 | 0 | 0.87% | 0.00% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1 | 0 | 0.43% | 0.00% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1 | 4 | 0.43% | 1.61% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 49 | 44 | 21.21% | 17.67% |
| Total | 231 | 249 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 249 people, 38 households, and 24 families residing in the CDP.
Gail is served by theBorden County Independent School District, and is home to theBorden County High School Coyotes. The school's Coyote Stadium is asix-man football venue and can seat 350.
Gail, Texas, is also the name given to aCensus Designated Place which includes the town proper. The town is additionally the locus of theUnited States Postal Service'sZip Code of 79738.
Media related toGail, Texas at Wikimedia Commons
Municipalities and communities ofBorden County, Texas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| CDP |  | |
| Other community | ||
| Ghost town | ||
