Sweeny is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, the westernmost incorporated town in the county. The population was 3,626 as of 2020. The city's motto is "A City with Pride". The city was once known as Adamston.

Geography and transport

Sweeny is above sea level and is from the Gulf of Mexico. The San Bernard River flows east of city limits. The town is in a dense forest on coastal plains.

Sweeny is at the intersections of Texas Farm to Market Roads 1459 and 524, along the Missouri Pacific Railroad, twenty miles southwest of Angleton, in west central Brazoria County.

There were 1,353 households in Sweeny, of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.3% were married-couple households, 18.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 2,396 || 66.1%

|-

| Black or African American || 611 || 16.9%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 18 || 0.5%

|-

| Asian || 24 || 0.7%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 2 || 0.1%

|-

| Some other race || 205 || 5.7%

|-

| Two or more races || 370 || 10.2%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 697 || 19.2%

|}

2000 census

At the 2000 census,

|2020=3626

| align-fn = center

Government and services

Sweeny has a council-manager form of government, following the adoption of a Home Rule Charter in 1999. The city council consists of a mayor and five council members serving two-year staggered terms. The city manager is appointed by the city council and is responsible for administration of the city. The City Judge remains an elected position, but all other department heads are appointed by the city manager with the approval of the City Council.

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File:Sweeny TX Hospital.jpg|Sweeny Community Hospital on FM 1459

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History

Sweeny's settlement, though not under this name, began before Texas was even a Republic. Imla Keep, a doctor and member of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred colonists, received title to a league and labor of land that included the site of Sweeny on July 24, 1824. Keep eventually returned to Louisiana, and Martin Varner acquired the land. The land was named for John Sweeny, a Tennessee colonist who arrived with family members and 250 slaves in the area in 1833. He came after his sons, William Burrell and Thomas Jefferson Sweeny, had purchased land grants near the townsite. They purchased the land grants for the price of a load of mules, and came to examine their new land holdings in 1831. John Sweeny settled nearby, and in 1835, purchased the original Imla Keep League from Varner and constructed a house on the site.

The town was named for John Sweeny.

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File:Sweeny TX Levi Jordan Plantation.jpg|Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site on FM 521

File:Sweeny TX VFW Post 8551 Howitzer.jpg|155&nbsp;mm Howitzer at VFW Post 8551 on FM 1459

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Timeline of Sweeny

frame|right|Welcome sign in front of City Hall

Education

Schools are part of the Sweeny Independent School District which serves the city of Sweeny as well as outlying areas including Churchill, Shady Acres, River's End and Old Ocean. The high school's mascot is the Bulldog.

Schools in the district are Sweeny Elementary (K–5), Sweeny Junior High (6–8) and Sweeny High School (9–12), which is a 4A school. In 2007, construction began on the high school to renovate the older building. With growing security concerns, the Board of Trustees approved the renovation of the school, because most of the campus was open to the outside. The current school now has limited outside access. Classes met in the newly renovated building December 1, 2008.

The Texas Legislature assigned the area in Sweeny ISD to the Brazosport College district. Brazosport College and Wharton County Junior College are both within a 45-minute drive of Sweeny.

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File:Sweeny TX High School.jpg|Sweeny High School on Ashley-Wilson Road

File:Sweeny TX Jr High School.jpg|Sweeny Junior High School on Elm Street

File:Sweeny TX Elementary School.jpg|Sweeny Elementary School on Sycamore Street

File:Sweeny TX ISD Administration.jpg|Sweeny ISD Administration Building

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Elementary: Pre K–5th grade

Junior High: 6th–8th grade

High School: 9–graduation

Notable people

thumb|right|upright=0.6|Water tower

  • Ray Butler, former NFL wide receiver, Baltimore Colts and Seattle Seahawks
  • Tank Carder, TCU linebacker Cleveland Browns
  • Kevin Garrett, former NFL cornerback
  • Rusty Hall, NHRA Stock Eliminator Drag Racer. Winner of the 2002 U.S. Nationals, Multi-time National and Divisional Event Winner. Division 7 Champion 2010
  • Johnnie Lee Higgins, former NFL wide receiver
  • Tracy Simien, former NFL linebacker
  • Darrel Johnson Fort Cobb Longhorn Class of 1990; former college basketball coach and professional scout
  • Clarence Williams, former NFL defensive tackle
  • Cedric Woodard, former NFL defensive tackle
  • Elmo Wright, former NFL wide receiver, credited with the first touchdown celebration dance

References

  • City of Sweeny official website