Victoria, Texas

Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,

Victoria is located thirty miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico. The city is a regional hub for a seven-county area known as the "Golden Crescent" and serves a retail trade area of over 250,000 people. Victoria is known as "The Crossroads" because of its location within a two-hour drive of Corpus Christi, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin.

Victoria is named for General Guadalupe Victoria, who became the first president of independent Mexico. The city is home to the University of Houston–Victoria and Victoria College. Victoria is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria in Texas.

History
Early settlement

René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle established Fort Saint Louis as a French colony, from 1685 until 1689. It was built on Matagorda Bay near Garcitas Creek, in Victoria County, Texas.

Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga was then established by Spain in Victoria County, in 1722. Also built on Matagorda Bay near La Salle's Fort Saint Louis. The mission and complementing Presidio La Bahia (fort) was intended to secure the Texas coastline from the French and to gather the local Indians. Being unable to attract the Indians to stay at the mission and due to tensions between the Indians and Spanish soldiers, the mission was relocated only four years later, to a more favorable location on the Guadalupe River. Artifacts from this settlement are currently on display at the Museum of the Coastal Bend in Victoria.

Moved in 1726 near Victoria, it was established among the Tamique and Aranama Indians in Mission Valley. Dams and stone acequias were built to carry water from the river to the mission. A ranching outpost was also built of mortar and stone at Tonkawa Bank, on the river about 12 miles distant. The presidio also followed and was built at what was later to become Fernando De Leon's Ranch. The establishment prospered for 26 years, producing enough grain and hay to trade with other Spanish settlements. It was at this time that the foundation for cattle and horse ranching started.

A later colony was established by Martín De León in 1824, and was the only predominantly Mexican colony in Texas in the United States. Victoria was the center of the colony, which was part of an effort by the Mexican government to settle Texas.

Also see:

Geography
Victoria is located on the coastal plains of Texas approximately 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and 20 miles from the nearest bay waters. It lies along and just to the east of the Guadalupe River. The topography is mostly flat to slightly rolling with an average elevation of 95 feet. Most of the city is underlain by smectite-rich clay which is locally capped by silt or fine sand; the high shrink-swell potential associated with smectite creates major challenges to urban infrastructure. Vegetation in better-drained areas consists primarily of short grasses with post oaks and other small timber and brush. Moist sites can grow tall forests dominated by elm and pecan.

Climate
Victoria is classified as humid sub-tropical. June through August is very hot and humid with high temperatures regularly exceeding 90 degrees F. The record high temperature of 111 degrees F. was recorded in September 2000. Spring and Autumn months are generally mild to warm with lower humidity. Winters are mild with occasional cold spells. The record low temperature was recorded in December 1989 when the temperature dropped to 9 degrees F. Snow is very infrequent, usually occurring on average once every 11 years. On December 24–25, 2004, Victoria recorded its first White Christmas ever when 12.5 inches of snow fell.

Victoria has occasional severe weather, mostly from flooding. Hurricanes have the potential to bring severe damage to the area. Hurricane Claudette in July, 2003, was the last hurricane to score a direct hit on the city. During this event, winds gusted to 83 mph at the Victoria Regional Airport and 90% of the city lost power. The most intense hurricane to affect Victoria remains Hurricane Carla in September, 1961.

Demographics
As of census of 2000, there were 60,603 people, 22,129 households, and 15,755 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,838.3 people per square mile (709.7/km²). There were 24,192 housing units at an average density of 733.8 per square mile (283.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.18% White, 7.59% African American, 0.51% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 17.31% from other races, and 2.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.92% of the population.

There were 22,129 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,829, and the median income for a family was $42,866. Males had a median income of $34,184 versus $21,161 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,009. About 12.2% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.4% of those under the age of 18 and 12.2% ages 65 or older.

Government and infrastructure
Victoria is administered by a city council of seven members. The council is composed of six council members and an elected mayor, accompanied by a hired city manager under the manager-council system of municipal governance. Victoria also serves as the county seat of Victoria County.

Economy
Victoria's economy is a mix of education, health, retail, agriculture, and industry. Its access to major highways, the Victoria Regional Airport, railway terminals, the shallow draft Port of Victoria, and the deep water Port of Port Lavaca-Point Comfort help to sustain a healthy environment for business. Major industrial employers in the region include Formosa Plastic, the Inteplast Group, Dow, Invista, and Alcoa. Caterpillar Industries recently announced that it would build a manufacturing facility in Victoria that will employ approximately 500 people when it begins production in mid 2012.

Arts and Culture
Victoria has many performing arts and theatre events and venues. Theatre Victoria offers six productions in a season that runs from July to May. Performances are held in the newly renovated Leo J. Welder Center, a fully equipped modern performing space located downtown. The Victoria Symphony Orchestra and Victoria Ballet provide several performances each year.

There are several museums located in Victoria. They include the McNamara House (a social history museum), the Nave (art), the Children's Discovery Museum, and the Museum of the Coastal Bend (MCB). The MCB showcases the rich multicultural heritage of the region and includes prominent displays of artifacts found from La Salle's colony in the late 17th century.

Presidio La Bahia and Mission Espiritu Santo is located a short thirty minute drive from Victoria. La Bahia is the best preserved Spanish presidio in the United States and Espiritu Santo is an excellent example of an early Spanish colonial church and mission.

Recreation
Victoria’s 562 acre Riverside Park is home to the Texas Zoo which houses more than 200 species of animals and plants that are indigenous to Texas, exhibiting them in their natural habitat. The park is also home to more than fifteen baseball fields which are occupied during the spring and summer by teams from the Victoria Metro region. Also in Riverside park on the Guadalupe River there is the Victoria Paddling trail. This 4.2 mile stretch of the Guadalupe River is bordered by scenic soft banks rather than the limestone bluffs of the Hill Country.

Boating and fresh water fishing are available at two area reservoirs, Lake Texana and Coleto Lake. Many residents also take advantage of the nearby Gulf of Mexico. Port O'Connor, fifty miles to the southeast, is renowned for bay, off-shore, and wade fishing.

There are three golf courses located in Victoria: The Victoria Country Club, Riverside Golf Course, and Colony Creek Country Club.

Athletics
The University of Houston-Victoria Jaguars- NAIA compete in baseball, softball, soccer and golf. The Jaguars compete in the NAIA's independent conference the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.). The baseball Jaguars are two time defending conference champions. The softball team captured the conference title in 2009.

The Victoria Generals compete in the Texas Collegiate League, a summer baseball league experience for the best professional prospects from colleges across the country. The Generals captured the 2010 conference championship and are currently ranked #14 in the country.

Notable residents

 * MLB Player Ron Gant
 * MLB Player Doug Drabek
 * WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin, who is actually from Edna, Texas
 * NFL quarterback Kevin Kolb
 * NFL wide-receiver Jerheme Urban
 * Singer Troy Lee Coleman III, aka Cowboy Troy
 * Actor Matt Prokop

Points of interest


DeLeon Plaza and Bandstand, originally known as ‘Plaza de la Constitucion,’ was one of four public squares set-aside by colony founder Martin de Leon. The plaza is filled with local monuments and memorials, shade trees, a band stand built in 1890 and information about the Six Flags over Texas.

The Victoria County Courthouse, located at Bridge and Constitution Streets, was built in 1892 in Romanesque architecture by James R. Gordan in the style of Henry Richardson. The structure is made of Texas granite and Indiana limestone.

Fossati's Delicatessen is located in downtown Victoria, it was opened in 1882 by Italian immigrant Fraschio ("Frank") Napoleon Fossati. After 125 years, Fossati's is still owned and operated by the same family.

The Rosebud Fountain and Grill downtown is a restoration of the diner atmosphere popular in the 1950s. The restaurant, located in a bright red corner building at North Main and West Constitution streets, has been featured in Bob Phillips' Texas Country Reporter syndicated television series.

Downtown Victoria has the second-oldest Roman Catholic Church in Texas and first to be canonically established in the Republic of Texas, St. Mary's Church.

Transportation
Known as the South Texas Crossroads, Victoria is located at the intersection of three major U. S. highways:


 * US Highway 59 (future Interstate 69,) is a four-lane divided interstate quality highway extending southwest to Laredo and northeast to Houston where it meets Interstate 10 and Interstate 45. It is also known as the Lloyd M. Bentsen Highway.


 * US Highway 77 travels north from Victoria to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex intersecting Interstate 10, Interstate 35, and Interstate 37. US 77 travels south via a four-lane divided highway to the Rio Grande Valley.


 * US Highway 87 travels northwest connecting Victoria to San Antonio providing access to Interstate 35. US 87 also connects with Port Lavaca to the southeast.

Victoria is a regional transportation hub for the surrounding counties with local access to major large and small freight carriers, Victoria Regional Airport, railway terminals, the shallow draft Port of Victoria, and the deep water Port of Port Lavaca-Point Comfort.

In 2002, Victoria Transit began operation of a city wide transportation system. It currently offers bus service on four fixed routes consisting of 70 stops.

Higher Education
Victoria is home to the Victoria College and the University of Houston–Victoria (UHV). The two institutions share some facilities and are located on the same campus site in the central part of the city.

Public, Primary, and Secondary Education
Victoria Independent School District is a TEA Recognized School District servicing approximately 13,400 students. In May, 2007, voters approved a $159 million bond proposal to fund major construction initiatives and facility upgrades. In August 2010, the district was reorganized into two smaller learning communities anchored by two new high schools, Victoria East and Victoria West. The former Memorial High School was converted into a District Events Center with a new state of the art fine arts auditorium and natatorium. A new middle school and two new elementary schools helped complete the transition to smaller learning environments.

Victoria East
Is home to the Victoria East Titans who won 2010 District football champions and advancing to the 3rd round of the 4A Division playoffs. The Titans also won 2010 District basketball champions.

Victoria West
Is home to the Victoria West Warriors who won bi-district champions in the 2010 4A Division football playoffs.

Private and Alternative Education
Victoria has several private education options including Trinity Episcopal School, Northside Baptist School, Our Lady of Victory School, Nazareth Academy, and St. Joseph High School.