Frankston is a town in
Anderson County, Texas, United States. With a population of 1,126 at the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...
,
it is one of the principal communities of the county area.
History
Two theories are given as to how Frankston got its name. The one most accepted—and shown on the city's official website—is that Frankston was named for Frankie Miller, a young woman who donated land for the downtown city park. An alternate theory for the name of the town was that Frankston was named after Frank Miller, who owned the land when the railway was built. The Miller house still stands as a historical landmark in the southeast part of town, on ACR 19. The state bought the land from him and named the city in his honor. The original Main Street still holds the name Miller Street. The junction of Highways 155 and 175 is now the center of the town.
Geography
Frankston is located in northeastern Anderson County at (32.053827, –95.506528),
at the intersection of
U.S. Highway 175 and
State Highway 155. According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the town has a total area of , all of it land.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
system, Frankston has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...
, there were 1,126 people, 456 households, and 317 families residing in the town.
According to the
2000 United States census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...
, there were 1,209 people residing in the town of Frankston.
Per 2000's census statistics, the
racial and ethnic makeup of the town was 86.68%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 10.92%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.17%
Native American, 0.08%
Asian, 0.91% from other races, and 1.24% from
two or more races
2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...
.
Hispanics or Latino Americans of any race were 2.81% of the population. By 2020, its
non-Hispanic white
Non-Hispanic whites or Non-Latino whites are Americans who are classified as "white", and are not of Hispanic (also known as "Latino") heritage. The United States Census Bureau defines ''white'' to include European Americans, Middle Eastern Am ...
and Black or African American population remained the majority.
The town's population had a median household income of $46,250 in 2020, up from $28,125 in 2000. About 12.8% of families and 17.1% of the population lived at or below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 25.6% of those age 65 or over according to the 2000 U.S. census.
Government
Frankston's City Hall building, on the west side of downtown, also includes its police department and an annex for the Anderson County sheriff's department. Frankston is served by a volunteer fire department. Anderson County operates a subcourthouse located on the southwest corner of Frankston's downtown square. The
U.S. Postal Service operates a post office at 400 E. Main Street.
Education
Frankston is served by the
Frankston Independent School District.
Transportation
* U.S. Highway 175
* State Highway 155
* Farm to Market Road 19
A railroad line operated by the
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...
(originally built and operated by the Texas & New Orleans Railroad) served Frankston from 1902 until its abandonment in the mid-1980s. The only remaining vestige of the rail line in the city is a building used by the railroad company as a depot; it now serves as Frankston's public library.
Notable people
*
Frank Beard, drummer for
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sou ...
*
Herbert H. Reynolds, 11th president of Baylor University
*J.D. Spears, music composer for
Riot Games
Riot Games, Inc. is an American video game developer, publisher and esports tournament organizer based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in September 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill to develop '' League of Legends'' and went on ...
*
Kori Rainey, recording artist for
903 District
*
Waymon Coleman, recording artist for
903 District
References
External links
City of Frankston official websiteFrankston City Park historical markerfrom Texas Historic Sites Atlas (Texas Historical Commission)
Frankston Railroad Depot historical markerfrom Texas Historic Sites Atlas (Texas Historical Commission)
*
{{authority control
Towns in Anderson County, Texas
Towns in Texas
U.S. Route 175