Lufkin | |
|---|---|
      Clockwise from top: Downtown; City Hall; Kurth Memorial Library; welcome sign; Perry Building andPines Theater | |
 Location in Angelina County | |
  Lufkin Location within Texas Show map of Texas Lufkin Location within the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:31°20′18″N94°43′45″W / 31.33833°N 94.72917°W /31.33833; -94.72917 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Angelina |
| Founded | 1882 |
| Incorporated | October 15, 1890 |
| Named after | Abraham P. Lufkin |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager |
| • Mayor | Mark Hicks |
| Area | |
• Total | 34.48 sq mi (89.30 km2) |
| • Land | 34.21 sq mi (88.60 km2) |
| • Water | 0.27 sq mi (0.71 km2) |
| Elevation | 266 ft (81 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 34,143 |
| • Density | 998.1/sq mi (385.38/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 75901, 75902, 75903, 75904, 75915 |
| Area code | 936 |
| FIPS code | 48-45072[4] exp |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410895[2] |
| Website | cityoflufkin |
Lufkin is the largest city inAngelina County, Texas, United States, and is the county seat. The city is situated inDeep East Texas and is 60 mi (97 km) west of the Texas-Louisiana state line. Its population is approximately 40,000 people as of 2025.[5][6]
Lufkin was founded in 1884 and named for Abraham P. Lufkin. It originally served as a stop on the Houston, East and West Texas Railway. It was officially incorporated on October 15, 1890. Lufkin continued to serve as a stop on the railroad until 1890. Three businessmen founded Angelina Lumber Company, which led to much of the economic prosperity Lufkin later enjoyed. When the so-called "timber boom" came to an end, a new "golden era of expansion" began. Lufkin became more industrialized with the opening ofLufkin Industries and Southland Paper Mill. In the mid-1960s, a cultural expansion began, and improvements were made to education and the way of life, including museums and the opening of a new library.[7]
The City of Lufkin has acouncil–manager government, with six city council members, a mayor, and a city manager. TheLufkin Independent School District encompasses most of Lufkin and operates almost all of the schools within Lufkin. Additionally,Angelina College, a community college, is located in Lufkin.
By 1820 Anglo settlers had started to arrive in the Angelina County. The Burris Family established themselves in the area.[8] Before Lufkin was officially founded, a band of night riders allegedly lynched Jim Burris, John D. Gann, William Anglin, and another man for opposing the Confederate cause.[9]
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The city was founded in 1882 as a stop on theHouston, East and West Texas Railway; it is named for Abraham P. Lufkin, acotton merchant andGalveston city councilman. Lufkin was the father-in-law of Paul Bremond, president of the railroad, which developed the town. Lufkin continued to grow because of its proximity to the railroad and itslumber industry. The history of Lufkin can be divided into three main eras, the railroad era, the timber boom, and the golden era of expansion.[7]
The railroad era lasted between 1882 and 1890. In 1881, the area that is now Lufkin was little more than a small settlement known as Denman Springs. A railroad surveying team began to plan a route through Angelina County, with a possible route throughHomer, Texas, which at the time was the county seat. According to legend, the men in the surveying team began to get rowdy in the saloon in Homer, which led to their arrest. They paid their way out the next morning, but this infuriated the chief surveyor. He ordered the team for the rail line to bypass Homer and go by Denman Springs. Conveniently, the new route went through the property of Lafayette Denman and his son, Dr. A. M. Denman, who as the legend goes, had hosted the surveying team a few days earlier. This legend is most likely not true since the prospectus in 1879 already had the railroad planned to bypass Homer and go through the future site of Lufkin.[7]
The railroad officially arrived in 1882, and the company began to advertise the sale of lots of land in Lufkin. During this time, many of the businesses and professionals from Homer began to relocate to Lufkin to be closer to the railroad. Some of the first stores in Lufkin included S. Abram's general store, Joseph Kerr's grocery and saddle shop, and W. H. Bonner's general store, all located on Cotton Square, which became the center of most economic activity in Lufkin. Behind the depot, which was on the cotton square, cotton was stored before being shipped on the railroad. The town continued to grow, and acquired a post office in 1882 with William A. Abney as postmaster. Soon after in 1883, a telegraph line was strung connecting Lufkin toNacogdoches by telegraph. On October 15, 1890, the town was officially incorporated. The first mayor of Lufkin was J. M. Smith, who was the owner of Smith Hotel; he was elected on November 15, 1890. Even before the incorporation of Lufkin, the courthouse was sought to have been moved. By a vote in 1885, though, the courthouse remained in Homer. In November 1891, a fire of mysterious origin destroyed the courthouse in Homer. This prompted a petition from the citizens of Lufkin asking for a new election to be held to decide if the courthouse should be relocated to Lufkin. The election was held on January 2, 1892, and the citizens decided to relocate the courthouse to Lufkin.[7]
The timber boom lasted between 1890 and 1920. Three main lumbering families are recognized for much of the economic prosperity in Lufkin – the Kurths, the Hendersons, and the Wieners. Joseph H. Kurth Sr., was a German immigrant, who had operated a sawmill inPolk County, Texas. He moved to a small settlement north of Lufkin known asKeltys. In 1887, Kurth obtained a sawmill from Charles L. Kelty. He was soon joined by S. W. Henderson Sr., and Sam Wiener, both ofCorrigan, Texas. In 1890, the men started theAngelina County Lumber Company. The company became the forerunner of the lumber industry inEast Texas, and led to much of the economic prosperity in Lufkin. At the peak of the three families' activities, nearly a dozen sawmills and several other industries were operating.[7]
In 1895, Walter Johnson was lynched for alleged rape,[10] and in 1924, a mob attempted to lynch Booker T. Williams, but he escaped with the help of the local sheriff.[11] Williams was ultimately executed by the state.[12] By the 1920s, theKu Klux Klan had established a Klavern in Lufkin. In September 1922, over 1000 klansmen gathered in public in front of 5000 spectators in an initiation ceremony. Large parades for the Klan were held throughout the 1920s.[13][14]
In May 1932,Clyde Barrow andBonnie Parker robbed a gas station in Lufkin and stole a car with a child sleeping in the backseat.[15][16]
The golden era of expansion occurred between 1938 and 1945. In the late 1930s, two of the principal industries in Lufkin, the Southland Paper Mill, later known as Abitibi Bowater Inc. which closed in 2007,[17] and Texas Foundries opened. These companies provided much of Lufkin's industrial growth. The largest industrial employer was Lufkin Foundry and Machine Company,[18] later known asLufkin Industries; it ceased operations in 2018.[19][7]
From 1943-1945 Lufkin was home to three WWII POW camps[20] and held up to 300 German prisoners who worked for Southland Paper.[21]
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In early Lufkin history, most daily life revolved around churches, schools, and sports activities, but this began to change between 1965 and 1983, when Lufkin began a cultural expansion. Improvements included the Kurth Memorial Library, new museums, a civic center,Angelina College, a new federal building, a country club, municipal and city parks, two shopping malls, and theLufkin Independent School District.
Before 1970, Lufkin schools were segregated with separate schools for different races.[22] After a series of court challenges started in 1964 were resolved, in 1970 the LISD was integrated. A federal court order in place from 1970-2000 enforced integration.[23][24]
Lufkin celebrated its centennial in 1982.[7]
Debris from theSpace Shuttle Columbia disaster fell over the Lufkin area on February 1, 2003.[25]
ALittle League Baseball team from Lufkin, locally known as the Thundering 13, won the U.S. Championship at the2017 Little League World Series inWilliamsport, Pennsylvania.[26] There have been many community tributes to the team.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, in 2019, the city has a total area of 34.48 sq mi (89.3 km2).[1]
Lufkin is at the crossroads of East Texas at the intersections of HighwaysUS 59, futureInterstate 69, which leads toHouston and theRio Grande Valley to the south andNacogdoches andTexarkana to the north, andUS 69, which leads from the Golden Triangle of southeast Texas (Orange,Port Arthur andBeaumont) to points such asJacksonville,Tyler,Dallas, andOklahoma to the north.
Lufkin is 115 miles (185 km) northeast of Houston.[27]
The elevation of Lufkin is 139 to 404 ft above mean sea level.[28]
The headquarters of all fourUnited States National Forests and twoUnited States National Grasslands in Texas are located in Lufkin. They are theAngelina,Davy Crockett,Sabine, andSam Houston National Forests, and theCaddo andLyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands.
Lufkin is ahumid subtropical climate that generally has relatively high temperatures with evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. Generally, this climate is seen on the eastern side continents between 20 and 35°N or S latitude. During summer, these regions over low-latitude ocean waters are generally under the influence of hot, maritime overflow from the western side of subtropical anticyclonic cells. These higher temperatures can lead to warm, oppressive nights. Due to an increase inthunderstorms, summers in Lufkin are usually wetter than winters. Additionally, tropical cyclones can increase precipitation during the summer. Cold months are usually mild and frost is uncommon.[29]
| Climate data for Lufkin, Texas (Angelina County Airport) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1906–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 86 (30) | 92 (33) | 97 (36) | 98 (37) | 99 (37) | 106 (41) | 108 (42) | 110 (43) | 110 (43) | 100 (38) | 90 (32) | 89 (32) | 110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 59.8 (15.4) | 64.1 (17.8) | 71.1 (21.7) | 77.8 (25.4) | 84.5 (29.2) | 90.3 (32.4) | 93.3 (34.1) | 93.7 (34.3) | 88.7 (31.5) | 79.8 (26.6) | 68.8 (20.4) | 61.1 (16.2) | 77.8 (25.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 48.6 (9.2) | 52.8 (11.6) | 59.4 (15.2) | 66.0 (18.9) | 73.8 (23.2) | 79.9 (26.6) | 82.5 (28.1) | 82.4 (28.0) | 77.3 (25.2) | 67.4 (19.7) | 57.0 (13.9) | 50.2 (10.1) | 66.4 (19.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 37.5 (3.1) | 41.5 (5.3) | 47.7 (8.7) | 54.2 (12.3) | 63.0 (17.2) | 69.4 (20.8) | 71.7 (22.1) | 71.1 (21.7) | 65.9 (18.8) | 55.0 (12.8) | 45.2 (7.3) | 39.3 (4.1) | 55.1 (12.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −2 (−19) | −2 (−19) | 16 (−9) | 30 (−1) | 39 (4) | 50 (10) | 56 (13) | 54 (12) | 36 (2) | 25 (−4) | 15 (−9) | 2 (−17) | −2 (−19) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.66 (118) | 3.88 (99) | 4.21 (107) | 3.69 (94) | 4.64 (118) | 4.22 (107) | 3.34 (85) | 3.75 (95) | 3.94 (100) | 4.73 (120) | 4.53 (115) | 4.68 (119) | 50.27 (1,277) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.9 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 7.6 | 9.1 | 9.5 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 7.5 | 7.3 | 8.0 | 9.9 | 102.9 |
| Source:NOAA[30][31] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 529 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,527 | 188.7% | |
| 1910 | 2,749 | 80.0% | |
| 1920 | 4,878 | 77.4% | |
| 1930 | 7,311 | 49.9% | |
| 1940 | 9,567 | 30.9% | |
| 1950 | 15,135 | 58.2% | |
| 1960 | 17,641 | 16.6% | |
| 1970 | 23,049 | 30.7% | |
| 1980 | 28,562 | 23.9% | |
| 1990 | 30,206 | 5.8% | |
| 2000 | 32,709 | 8.3% | |
| 2010 | 35,067 | 7.2% | |
| 2020 | 34,143 | −2.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[32] | |||
As of the2020 census, there were 34,143 people, 13,223 households, and 8,277 families residing in the city; the median age was 37.4 years.[33]
24.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.9 males age 18 and over.[33]
98.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.8% lived in rural areas.[34]
Of those households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.9% were married-couple households, 18.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[33]
There were 14,679 housing units, of which 9.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.6%.[33]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 16,048 | 47.0% |
| Black or African American | 9,156 | 26.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 236 | 0.7% |
| Asian | 674 | 2.0% |
| Native Hawaiian andOther Pacific Islander | 21 | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 4,282 | 12.5% |
| Two or more races | 3,726 | 10.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 9,407 | 27.6% |
Lufkin is home toLufkin Industries and Lufkin Gears LLC, which manufactures and services oil field equipment and power transmission equipment, and supplies ofcreosote-treated utility poles. It is also home to theAtkinson Candy Company, the creator of theChick-O-Stick, andBrookshire Brothers, a chain of grocery stores in Texas and Louisiana. Lufkin received Texas's firstbiomass power plant in late 2009. Aspen Power is building the power plant.
Some of the city's major employers include:
According to the city's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[36] the top employers in the city are:
| Rank | Employer | Employees | Fraction of total city employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lufkin Independent School District | >1000 | 2.34% |
| 2 | Pilgrim's Pride | >1000 | 1.98% |
| 3 | Brookshire Brothers | >1000 | 1.67% |
| 4 | Lufkin State Supporting Living Center | >1000 | 1.67% |
| 5 | CHI St. Luke's Health Memorial | >1000 | 1.64% |
| 6 | Woodland Heights Medical Center | 500–999 | 0.88% |
| 7 | Georgia Pacific | 500–999 | 0.83% |
| 8 | City of Lufkin | 400–500 | 0.70% |
| 9 | Walmart | 400–500 | 0.68% |
| 10 | Angelina County | 400–500 | 0.61% |
Texas State Forest Festival and SouthernHushpuppy Championships run in September.[37] The festival brings net profits to the city of US$60,000.[38]
Lufkin in comparison to the U.S. average leans more conservative politically. However, the city leans more liberal than Angelina County and the state Texas' averages.[40]
Lufkin falls underTexas's 17th congressional district,[41] which is currently represented byRepublicanPete Sessions.[41] Thesenators who represent Texas areTed Cruz andJohn Cornyn, who are both Republicans.[42]
In theTexas House of Representatives, Lufkin falls under district 57 and is represented by RepublicanTrent Ashby, who is a resident of Lufkin.[43] In theTexas Senate Lufkin falls underdistrict 3 and is represented by RepublicanRobert Nichols.[44]
According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Lufkin's various funds had $38.8 million in revenue, $43.7 million in expenditures, $85.7 million in total assets, $5.3 million in total liabilities, and $14.9 million in cash and investments.[45]
The City of Lufkin has acouncil-manager form of government. The city is divided into six city council districts, and the mayor is elected by a citywide vote. All elected positions are elected on anonpartisan ballot, as required by Texas law. The city council's responsibility is to make all legislative and policy decisions, while the responsibility of the city manager is to decide all administrative decisions.[46]
| District | Name |
|---|---|
| Mayor | Mark Hicks |
| 1 | Guessippina Bonner |
| 2 | Robert Shankle |
| 3 | Brent Watkins |
| 4 | Kim Ogden |
| 5 | Jimmy Ford |
| 6 | Adam Lowther |
In 2018, Lufkin's crime rate was 4,666 crimes per 100,000 persons, which was an overall decrease by 2% from 2017; 134 violent crimes and 1,403 property crimes were reported.[49]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau 80.7% of people in Lufkin above the age of 25 are high-school graduates or higher. About 21.5% of people 25 and older have abachelor's degree or higher.[50]
Almost all of Lufkin'spublic schools are operated by theLufkin Independent School District,[51] with a few small sections in the west within theHudson Independent School District.[52] A very small portion of the city onHighway 69 is withinCentral ISD.[53] Lufkin also has a small charter school,Pineywoods Community Academy, that serves gradesPre-K–12 and is an early college high school.[54] Additionally, Lufkin is served by two smallprivate schools, St. Cyprian's Episcopal School[55] and St. Patrick Catholic School.[56]
Angelina College, acommunity college, is located in Lufkin.[57] The college has roughly 5,000 students.[58] Additionally,Stephen F. Austin State University is located not far away inNacogdoches, Texas.
Lufkin is served byU.S. Highway 69,U.S. Highway 59,State Highway 94, andState Highway 103.
Lufkin will be served by the extension toInterstate 69, which is planned to run from theCanada–US border atPort Huron, Michigan, to theTexas/Mexico border.[59]
General aviation service is provided byAngelina County Airport.
TheCoach USA bus lines serve Lufkin, carried under the Kerrville Bus Company.
Brazos Transit District (formerly Brazos Valley Transit Authority) provides regularly scheduled public bus service in the Lufkin area.[60]
TheAngelina and Neches River Railroad (A&NR) runs through Lufkin. It has an approximate length of 20 miles (32 km) and connects with theUnion Pacific Railroad lines.
Lufkin is served by two hospitals:CHI St. Luke's Health Memorial (formerly Memorial Health System of East Texas at Lufkin), which includes the Arthur Temple Sr. Regional Cancer Center, and Woodland Heights Medical Center.
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