Brackettville, Texas

{{Use American English|date=March 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox settlement |official_name = Brackettville, Texas |settlement_type = City |nickname = |motto =

|unit_pref = Imperial |area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref> |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 8.21 |area_land_km2 = 8.21 |area_water_km2 = 0.00 |area_total_sq_mi = 3.17 |area_land_sq_mi = 3.17 |area_water_sq_mi = 0.00

|population_as_of = 2020 |population_footnotes = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=160XX00US4809868 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Brackettville city, Texas |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 9, 2024}}</ref> |population_total = 1341 |population_density_km2 = 163.38 |population_density_sq_mi = 423.16 |pop_est_as_of = |pop_est_footnotes = |population_est =

|timezone = Central (CST) |utc_offset = -6 |timezone_DST = CDT |utc_offset_DST = -5 |elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/> |elevation_m = |elevation_ft = 1106 |coordinates = {{coord|29|18|55|N|100|24|54|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}} |postal_code_type = ZIP code |postal_code = 78832 |area_code = 830 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 48-09868<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 1352804<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1352804}}</ref> |website = {{URL|www.thecityofbrackettville.com}} |footnotes = }} '''Brackettville''' is a city in Kinney County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,341 at the 2020 census,<ref name="Census 2020"/> down from 1,688 at the 2010 census.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4809868| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Brackettville city, Texas| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American FactFinder| access-date=May 9, 2019| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213052845/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4809868| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> It is the county seat of Kinney County.<ref name="NACO">{{cite web|url=https://explorer.naco.org/index.html?county_info=48271 |title=Kinney County |work=NACo County Explorer|publisher=National Association of Counties|access-date=June 20, 2025}}</ref>

==History== {{unreferenced section|date=January 2023}} Founded in 1852 as "Las Moras" (the name of a nearby spring and the creek it feeds), the town initially was a supply stop on the old San Antonio-El Paso road and a supply depot for the U.S. Army's Fort Clark (the fort was established the same year). Later the town was named "Brackett" after Oscar B. Brackett, the owner of the first dry goods store in the area. In 1873, when a post office was awarded, "ville" was appended to the name to differentiate it from another town.

The town grew quickly through the 19th century with the expansion of the garrison at Fort Clark for the Indian Wars. The town's fortunes were tied to the fort. For many years, it was the base of the famous Buffalo Soldiers, made up of African Americans. Demographically, Brackettville had a larger proportion of Black Seminoles (African American escaped slaves who had lived alongside Seminole Native Americans prior to the 2nd Seminole War 1835–1842). During the slavery years, they had been living in a settlement in northern Mexico to escape US conditions. Their language developed in Florida, Afro-Seminole, is still spoken by some in Brackettville.

After the Buffalo Soldiers moved out of Fort Clark with the waning of the Indian Wars, it was used as a cavalry post. The Seminole Negro Indian Scouts were finally disbanded as a unit in 1914. Virtually every cavalry unit in the U.S. Army was stationed at or trained at Fort Clark at one time or another.

In 1943 during World War II, the U.S. Army activated the Second Cavalry Division, which was to be the Army's last horse-mounted unit. By 1944, even the Second had been mechanized. Fort Clark, so long a center of mounted cavalry, was targeted for closure. Before its closure, the fort was used as a German prisoner-of-war camp.

After the fort officially closed in 1946, it had a variety of uses. In 1971 it was converted and adapted as a resort/retirement center. The historic district of the fort is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The resort is not the economic engine the fort once was, and Brackettville has shrunk from its peak population during the war years.

==Cultural matters== {{see also|Alamo Village}} [[File:Alamo_replica.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The replica of the Alamo used in the film ''The Alamo'' starring John Wayne ]] North of town is a tourist attraction called Alamo Village, built in 1959 as the set of John Wayne's movie ''The Alamo''. Scenes from the 1969 comedy ''Viva Max!'' were also shot here. As of July 2009, Alamo Village has been closed to the public. It is available for film production and special events such as weddings and receptions.<ref>[http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/The_Alamo_movie_set_closes_as_owners_figure_out_whats_next.html "The Alamo movie set closes as owners figure out what's next"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708162435/http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/The_Alamo_movie_set_closes_as_owners_figure_out_whats_next.html |date=July 8, 2009 }}, My San Antonio website</ref>

The miniseries ''James A. Michener's Texas'' (1994) was filmed in and around Brackettville.<ref>Rowan, Terry (2013). ''The American Western A Complete Film Guide''. Lulu Press, Inc. Page 394. {{ISBN|9781300418580}}.</ref> Other films shot in Brackettville include Arrowhead (1953), ''Two Rode Together'' (1961), ''Bandolero!'' (1968), ''Barbarosa'' (1982), ''Lonesome Dove'' (1989), and ''Bad Girls'' (1994).<ref>Maddrey, Joseph (2016). ''The Quick, the Dead and the Revived: The Many Lives of the Western Film''. McFarland. Page 183. {{ISBN|9781476625492}}.</ref>

==Geography==

Brackettville is located near the center of Kinney County at {{coord|29|18|55|N|100|24|54|W|type:city}} (29.315349, –100.415120).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> It is bordered to the south by Fort Clark Springs, an unincorporated community on the site of the former Fort Clark. According to the United States Census Bureau, Brackettville has a total area of {{convert|8.2|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|7.3|sqkm|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|0.9|sqkm|order=flip|1}}, or 10.97%, are water.<ref name="Census 2010" />

===Transportation=== U.S. Route 90 runs along the southern edge of Brackettville, leading east {{convert|39|mi}} to Uvalde and west {{convert|30|mi}} to Del Rio. Texas State Highway 131 runs south from Brackettville {{convert|45|mi}} to Eagle Pass.

The closest airport with commercial airline service is Del Rio International Airport, on the west side of Del Rio, {{convert|32|mi}} from Brackettville.

===Climate=== Brackettville has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) bordering on a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) with hot summers, mild winters, and variable but moderate rainfall.

{{Weather box |location = Brackettville, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1990–present |single line = Yes

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA> {{cite web |url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00411013&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Brackettville 22 N, TX |access-date = April 13, 2023 }} </ref> |source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData> {{cite web |url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=ewx |publisher = National Weather Service |title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Austin |access-date = April 13, 2023 }} </ref> }}

==Demographics== {{US Census population |1880= 1126 |1890= 1649 |1930= 1822 |1940= 2653 |1950= 1858 |1960= 1662 |1970= 1539 |1980= 1676 |1990= 1740 |2000= 1876 |2010= 1688 |2020= 1341 |estyear= |estimate= |estref= |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref> | align = right | align-fn = center }}

===2020 census===

As of the 2020 census, there were 1,341 people living in Brackettville, with a median age of 41.2 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.3% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.8 males.<ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME%2CDP1_0021P%2CDP1_0024P%2CDP1_0025C%2CDP1_0049C%2CDP1_0045C%2CDP1_0069C%2CDP1_0073C%2CDP1_0125P%2CDP1_0126P%2CDP1_0129P%2CDP1_0133P%2CDP1_0137P%2CDP1_0138P%2CDP1_0139P%2CDP1_0141P%2CDP1_0142P%2CDP1_0143P%2CDP1_0145P%2CDP1_0146P%2CDP1_0147C%2CDP1_0148C%2CDP1_0149C%2CDP1_0156C%2CDP1_0157C%2CDP1_0158C%2CDP1_0159P%2CDP1_0160P&for=place%3A09868&in=state%3A48|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=January 27, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref><ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME%2CP1_001N%2CP1_003N%2CP1_004N%2CP1_005N%2CP1_006N%2CP1_007N%2CP1_008N%2CP1_009N%2CP2_001N%2CP2_002N%2CH1_001N%2CH1_002N&for=place%3A09868&in=state%3A48|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=January 27, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME%2CP2_002N%2CP2_003N&for=place%3A09868&in=state%3A48|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=January 27, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

There were 497 households in Brackettville, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.3% were married-couple households, 17.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

There were 596 housing units, of which 16.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.8% were owner-occupied and 26.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

{| class="wikitable" |+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census<ref name="Census2020PL"/> ! Race !! Percent |- | White || 43.7% |- | Black or African American || 2.4% |- | American Indian and Alaska Native || 1.0% |- | Asian || 0% |- | Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0.1% |- | Some other race || 15.4% |- | Two or more races || 37.4% |- | ''Hispanic or Latino (of any race)'' || 73.4% |}

===2000 census=== As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,876 people, 618 households, and 438 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|591.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 766 housing units at an average density of {{convert|241.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 64.77% White, 2.67% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 28.09% from other races, and 3.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 74.36% of the population. According to Ethnologue, there are 200 Afro-Seminole Creole speakers in Brackettville, which makes the town the only one in the country where this creole is still spoken.

There were 618 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.72.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.5% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,410, and the median income for a family was $24,063. Males had a median income of $21,806 versus $14,773 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,332. About 31.2% of families and 33.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.3% of those under age 18 and 30.2% of those age 65 or over. ==Education== Brackettville is served by the Brackett Independent School District.

==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, Brackettville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=310114&cityname=Bracketville%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Brackettville, Texas]</ref>

==References== <references /> {{notelist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20141218091844/http://thecityofbrackettville.com/ Official website] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070513225645/http://www.thebrackettnews.com/ ''The Brackett News''] * [http://www.over-land.com/elpaso_road.html San Antonio-El Paso Road] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312065036/http://over-land.com/elpaso_road.html |date=March 12, 2009 }}

Category:Black Seminoles Category:Cities in Texas Category:Cities in Kinney County, Texas Category:County seats in Texas Category:San Antonio–El Paso Road