Eldorado, Texas

Eldorado is a city in Schleicher County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,951 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Schleicher County.

Yearning for Zion Ranch

Eldorado is the nearest city to the Yearning for Zion Ranch, the reported new headquarters of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints formerly headed by convicted felon Warren Jeffs. More than 400 children have been removed from the ranch since April 4, 2008, by Texas Child Protective Services. The original warrant has since been dropped but hundreds of children were taken into custody, separated from their mothers, interrogated, given pelvic examinations, body x-rays, and placed into foster homes scattered across the state. There are no plans to return the children to their families at this time before April of 2009 pending negotiations with Texas CPS. A woman in Colorado unassociated with the FLDS is suspected of false reporting in this and other similar cases in Colorado.

Geography

Eldorado is located at (30.860746, -100.598329).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,951 people, 712 households, and 513 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,407.5 people per square mile (541.9/km²). There were 838 housing units at an average density of 604.6/sq mi (232.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.63% White, 2.15% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 24.24% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 53.92% of the population.

There were 712 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,682, and the median income for a family was $30,781. Males had a median income of $26,172 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,994. About 20.8% of families and 26.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.6% of those under age 18 and 26.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The City of Eldorado is served by the Schleicher County Independent School District.

At the end of the 2007-2008 school year, the state of Texas ruled that Eldorado High School was Academically Unacceptable.

Media Portrayals

The movie El Dorado, starring John Wayne and Robert Mitchum, takes place in this city during the late 1800s.

References

Eldorado did not exist until 1895, well after the date John Wayne's El Dorado was supposedly set in a fictional Texas town

External links

• The Eldorado Success Newspaper – Official website