Royse City is a city in Rockwall County in the U.S. state of Texas. It also extends into Collin and Hunt Counties. The population was 2,957 at the 2000 census. The population was 9,349 in 2010.
History
Royse City was settled in 1885, when the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway came through the area. The town is named after G. B. Royse, who plotted the town and sold the first lots.
Founder
Garrett Burgess Griffin Royse, better known as Byrd Royse, was born in Adair County, Kentucky on January 31, 1838, to William and Mary Stone Royse. He was the seventh of fourteen children.Mr. Royse was proud of the fact that he served the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He served with the 19th Regiment Missouri Infantry. Around 1850, Royse’s future grandmother-in-law, Mrs. McCasland, and her sons bought several tracts of land that were later to be known as Royse City.
Royse married McCasland’s granddaughter on August 8, 1880. They remained married until his death in 1928. Mrs. Royse died seven years later. Royse sold the first lot to Alf Reese and his nephew Albert Royse. Royse was instrumental in getting the MK&T Railroad line brought from Greenville to Dallas through Rockwall County. Family legend has it that Royse informed the MK&T Railroad people that he would donate the land for a train station if they would call it Royse City. It has always preserved its stable small country town status thanks to its close proximity to Garland (21.3 miles) and Dallas (33.5 miles).
Geography
Royse City is located at 32°58′27″N 96°19′58″W (32.974257, -96.332827).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26 km2), all land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,957 people, 1,027 households, and 781 families residing in the city. The population density was 289.8 people per square mile (111.9/km2). There were 1,089 housing units at an average density of 106.7 per square mile (41.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 79.44% White, 7.51% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 9.54% from other races, and 2.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.97% of the population.
There were 1,027 households out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.3% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,266, and the median income for a family was $48,804. Males had a median income of $30,966 versus $23,804 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,153. About 8.4% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Royse City, like the rest of Rockwall County, has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years. This is due to the rapid growth of the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex and to its location on Interstate 30 between Rockwall and Greenville.
In 2000, Royse City had a population of 2,957. In 2010, Royse City had a population of 9,349. This represents a growth rate of 216.2%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
In 2012, Walmart confirmed that there will be a Walmart Supercenter built at Interstate 30 and Erby Campbell Blvd. An Interstate 30 overpass is under construction at Erby Campbell Blvd.
Education
Public schools
Royse City is served by the Royse City Independent School District.
Library
The Royse City Public Library is open six days a week: Monday through Thursday 11:00 A.M. until 6:00 P. M., Friday 10:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M. and Saturday 10:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M. The library offers GED Classes each Tuesday and Thursday mornings between 9:00 and noon. There is a book talk the third Thursday of each month at 11:00 A.M. There are two children’s story times; Wednesday mornings at 11:15 and Friday mornings at 10:15. Computer classes are offered by appointment. The Library is located at 124 South Arch Street. The C.F. Goodwin Public Library in Royse City is open six days a week: Monday and Tuesday 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Friday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. There are two children’s story times; Wednesday and Friday mornings at 11:00 a.m. The Library is located at 309 N. South Arch Street, Royse City, Texas 75189.
Notable people
- Gus Ketchum, baseball player
- Glen Payne, musician
All information and photographs about Royse City courtesy of Wikipedia and the Royse City public website.
