Saragosa, Texas
Encyclopedia
Saragosa is an unincorporated community
in Reeves County
, Texas
, United States
. According to the Handbook of Texas
, the community had an estimated population of 185 in 2000.
Although it is unincorporated, Saragosa has a post office, with the ZIP code of 79780..
in southeastern Reeves County.
. Throughout the 1940s, the community was home to four businesses and sixty residents. There were nine businesses in Saragosa at the end of the 1950s. The population peaked at around 380 in 1960. In 1968, Saragosa Elementary School closed and students were bussed to an elementary school in Pecos. The population stood at 173 in 1970 and rose slightly to 183 by the late 1980s, where it remained relatively stable during the remainder of the twentieth century.
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Reeves County
Reeves County, Texas
Reeves County is a county located in the US state of Texas. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. In 2000, its population was 13,137. Its seat is Pecos. Reeves County is named for George R. Reeves, a Texas state legislator and colonel in the...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to the Handbook of Texas
Handbook of Texas
The Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...
, the community had an estimated population of 185 in 2000.
Although it is unincorporated, Saragosa has a post office, with the ZIP code of 79780..
Geography
Saragosa is situated at the junction of State Highway 17 and FM 1215, approximately two miles north of Interstate 10Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
in southeastern Reeves County.
History
The community was first settled in 1880 when fifteen families established themselves along Toyah Creek. Antonio Matta built his horse ranch headquarters in the area. A post office opened in 1884, but closed in 1891. The post office was reestablished in 1900. In 1909, the plat for Saragosa was filed at the Reeves County courthouse. With the arrival of the Pecos Valley Southern Railroad two years later, Saragosa became a shipping point for alfalfa, cotton, and fruits. By 1925, the community had a population of approximately 25. That number rose to 150 in 1931, but soon declined to around 25 in the mid-1930s. In 1938, Saragosa's school district consolidated with nearby PecosPecos, Texas
Pecos is the largest city in and the county seat of Reeves County, Texas, United States. It is situated in the river valley on the west bank of the Pecos River at the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Trans-Pecos region of west Texas and near the southern border of New Mexico...
. Throughout the 1940s, the community was home to four businesses and sixty residents. There were nine businesses in Saragosa at the end of the 1950s. The population peaked at around 380 in 1960. In 1968, Saragosa Elementary School closed and students were bussed to an elementary school in Pecos. The population stood at 173 in 1970 and rose slightly to 183 by the late 1980s, where it remained relatively stable during the remainder of the twentieth century.
1987 tornado
On May 22, 1987, a multi-vortex, F4 tornado struck Saragosa. The half-mile wide tornado destroyed eighty percent of the community, killing 30 and injuring 121. The storm caused $1.5 million in damage. Most of Saragosa had been rebuilt by the early 1990s.Education
Public education in the community of Saragosa is provided by the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School DistrictPecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District is a public school district based in Pecos, Texas .In addition to Pecos, the district serves the town of Toyah in Reeves County and Barstow in western Ward County....
.