Farmersville is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,301 at the 2010 census.
History
Farmersville originated in 1849 as a settlement on the Jefferson-McKinney Road, and near Republic of Texas National Road. The settlement was named by pioneers William Pickney Chapman & John Hendrex for their chief occupation. After 1854, the Yearys and their neighbors of Sugar Hill began relocating here. H.M. Markham, practicing here by 1855, is said to have been Collin County's earliest physician. The first Methodist Church was organized in 1856. William Gotcher on March 4, 1859, donated land for the public square. A school was operating as early as the 1860s. The first Baptist Church was organized on May 14, 1865. The town was incorporated on June 2, 1873. First mayor: John S. Rike. Aldermen: James Church, Ben King, John Murchison, Tom Tatum, John P. Utt. Marshall: Jeff Hines. Institutions from the 1880s that are still in operation include the Farmersville Times, which is the oldest newspaper in Collin County, and the First Bank, as well as the two churches mentioned above. On June 15, 1945, Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of World War II, came home to a hero's welcome in Farmersville. Thousand's filled the square to listen to a speech given by him, and the event was noted in the July 16, 1945 edition of Life Magazine. A Texas Historical Commission plaque notes the event on the square. As the town became a trade center, agriculture kept pace. Farmersville in the 1930s was known as the "Onion Capital of North Texas", annually shipping over 1,000 carloads of onions. Along with some small industry, cattle, cotton, and maize crops remain important.
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,118 people, 1,115 households, and 820 families residing in the city. The population density was 962.2 people per square mile. There were 1,199 housing units at an average density of 370.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 82.39% White, 10.10% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 5.29% from other races, and 1.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.13% of the population. There were 1,115 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.22. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,094, and the median income for a family was $46,700. Males had a median income of $32,331 versus $22,647 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,693. About 8.5% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 19.7% of those age 65 or over.
