thumb|<span style="font-size:100%;">A glimpse of downtown Vernon, with Waggoner National Bank in the left background</span>

thumb|The [[Red River Valley Museum is located on the Vernon College campus.]]

Vernon is a city and the county seat of Wilbarger County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, Vernon had a population of 10,078.

History

The original town was called Eagle Springs by the indigenous community as early as 1858. After the American Civil War, more settlers began moving into the area, and in 1880, they applied for a post office as Eagle Flat. However, the U.S. Post Office rejected the name, saying too many Texas towns were already called Eagle something. The town then chose the name Vernon, after George Washington's home, Mount Vernon.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.1&nbsp;sq mi (21.0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 0.12% is covered by water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Vernon has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.

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Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Vernon had a population of 10,078, 4,005 households, and 2,426 families residing in the city.

The median age was 38.4 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.7 males.

There were 4,005 households in Vernon, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.8% were married-couple households, 20.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 5,884 || 58.4%

|-

| Black or African American || 863 || 8.6%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 157 || 1.6%

|-

| Asian || 543 || 5.4%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 1,459 || 14.5%

|-

| Two or more races || 1,172 || 11.6%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 3,243 || 32.2%

|}

2000 census

As of the census

Major businesses and industries in Vernon include a Tyson Foods (formerly Wright Brand Foods) bacon-processing plant, a Rhodia, Inc. guar-processing plant, North Texas State Hospital, which is operated by the Texas Health and Human Services System, the Adolescent Forensic Program, a maximum security residential treatment program for youth aged 13-17 (formerly the Victory Field Correctional Academy, operated by the Texas Youth Commission), and the Texas AgriLife (Texas A&M System) Research and Extension Center.

The nearby Waggoner Ranch holds the distinction of being the largest spread in Texas under one fence. The ranch remains operational, with business in petroleum, farming, horses, and cattle. The Waggoner produces some of the best ranch horses in Texas, many from the breeding of the quarter horse Poco Bueno. According to the wishes of E. Paul Waggoner, Poco Bueno is buried in a standing position on the corner at the main entrance to the ranch.

Arts and culture

Summer’s Last Blast

Otherwise known as “Cruise Night” is held the second weekend of August every year - a car show that exhibits a variety of 1930s to 1985 model cars.

Santa Rosa Roundup Rodeo

Vernon is host to various events annually, including the four-day Santa Rosa Roundup rodeo in May, which is sponsored by the local Santa Rosa Palomino Club.

Doan's May Picnic

Since 1884, Doan's May Picnic has been held on the first Saturday of May at the ghost town of Doans, located 15 miles north of Vernon. A barbecue lunch and T-shirts are available for sale, and a king and queen are crowned at the annual event. One of the shirts for 2017 featured a design by Harold Dow Bugbee, the late curator of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas, which depicts Texas Longhorns and a cowboy crossing the Red River at Doan's Crossing, where the postmaster Corwin F. Doan (1848–1929) also operated a store to supply the cowboys. Bugbee's sculpture is part of the 1931 Trail Drivers Monument located at Doans. Riders cross the river from Oklahoma and usually arrive just before noon. The 1881 adobe house, the oldest in Wilbarger County, is open for tours during the picnic.

Education

Public education

The Vernon Independent School District serves students in prekindergarten through grade 12. The district's school campuses include three elementary schools (prekindergarten through grade 5), a middle school (grades 6–8) and Vernon High School (grades 9–12). The district also operates an alternative-education program and an education program for juveniles of the Adolescent Forensic Program at North Texas State Hospital

Vernon High School's football team, the Vernon Lions, was one of the strongest programs in the 3A division until recently. The Lions won the 3A state championship in 1990 and were ranked number one all year.

Vernon High School's first team state championship came in the 1984–1985 season as the Lady Lions won the 3A girls basketball state title.

Vernon High School is also known for its tennis team, which has completed 23 straight years of going to the Texas Tennis Coaches Association State Team Tennis Tournament. VHS Tennis has six TTCA state team tennis titles and has finished no lower than third place in 22 of the 23 years. <!-- not encyclopedic or notable In 2008, the team finished second in the state, losing to Abilene Wylie in the championship game. In 2009, the team finished third in the state tourney and in 2010 the team finished second, again losing to Abilene Wylie in the finals. In UIL individual competition, VHS tennis players have won several awards. Most recently, in 2009, Josh Marshall and Steven Stanley won the Class 3A State Boys Doubles title. In 2008, Nick Lehman won the Class 3A State Boys Single title and in 2006 Brad Fenter and Kelly Clifton won the Class 3A State Mixed Doubles title. The VHS Tennis Team is guided by Head Coach Ruben Vargas. -->

Vernon College

thumb|right|Vernon College is a [[community college in Vernon.]]

thumb|right|Osborne Administration Building at Vernon College

Vernon College, a two-year community college, is located here and maintains a branch campus in Wichita Falls. Academic offerings include cosmetology, nursing, and vocational-technical programs.

Athletically, Vernon College fields women's softball, women's volleyball, men's baseball, and rodeo teams. The rodeo team is consistently ranked high in junior college-level competition.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Vernon is located 50 miles northwest of Wichita Falls, and about 160 to 180 miles from surrounding metropolitan areas, including Amarillo, Abilene, Oklahoma City, and the DFW Metroplex. The city is served by four U.S. routes: 70, 183, 283, and 287.

Wilbarger County Airport is located five miles north of Vernon; the nearest airport with scheduled flights is Wichita Falls Municipal Airport, 50 miles to the east, which predominantly offers flights of commuter airlines to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

The nearest international airports from Vernon with major airline connections include Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, and Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport in Amarillo.

The area is also served by a BNSF rail freight line bypassing downtown from Fort Worth to Amarillo.

Notable people

  • Kay Adams (born 1941), country singer
  • Skandor Akbar, former professional wrestler in the Universal Wrestling Federation
  • James Dixon, former professional football player for the Dallas Cowboys
  • Robert L. Duncan (born 1953), Republican former member of Texas House of Representatives and Texas State Senate
  • Roy C. Farrell (1912–1996), co-founder of Cathay Pacific
  • Lawrence Gaines, former professional football player for Detroit Lions
  • Clyde Gates (born 1986), NFL player for the Miami Dolphins
  • Robert Gauldin (born 1931), classical music composer
  • Rick Hardcastle (born 1956), Republican former member of Texas House of Representatives
  • Jerry Haymes (born 1940), musician
  • Bill Herchman, former professional football player
  • Jack English Hightower (born 1926), politician, former 46th Judicial District Attorney
  • Dan Kubiak (1938–1998), politician; taught and coached in Vernon in 1962–1963 academic year
  • John C. Morgan (1914–1991), World War II United States Army Air Forces B-17 pilot and Medal of Honor recipient
  • Roy Orbison (1936–1988), nicknamed "The Big O," Orbison was a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • Marguerite Oswald (1907-1981), mother of Lee Harvey Oswald
  • Mac Percival, former professional football player for Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys
  • Daryl Richardson (born 1990), NFL running back for the Cleveland Browns
  • Eck Robertson (1887–1975), fiddle player, first country musician to be commercially recorded (1922)
  • Cory Roper (born 1977), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver
  • Bernard Scott (born 1984), former NFL running back for the Cincinnati Bengals
  • Ken Starr, lead prosecutor in Clinton impeachment
  • Jack Teagarden (1905–1964), influential jazz trombonist and vocalist

1979 tornado

On April 10, 1979, Vernon and surrounding Wilbarger County were struck by an F4 tornado, a part of a large storm in the Red River Valley. Much of Vernon was damaged or destroyed, and 11 people were killed as the tornado passed through Foard and Wilbarger Counties before it dissipated in a rural portion of Tillman County, Oklahoma. That same day, tornadoes also devastated the larger nearby cities of Wichita Falls and Lawton.

See also

  • Vernon Plaza Theatre

References

  • The Vernon Daily Record – Newspaper
  • Vernon Chamber of Commerce
  • Vernon College
  • Vernon Independent School District
  • Historic Vernon materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.