Sarita, Texas

History

In 1904, the town of Sarita was founded on land that had been part of Kenedy Ranch. John G. Kenedy named the town after his daughter, Sarita Kenedy East. The town served the Kenedy Pasture Company and Kenedy Ranch and its employees. The company store, ranch offices, and ranch buildings have been located in Sarita. Most of the residents were somehow involved in the Kenedy businesses, either as employees or tenant cotton farmers from Kenedy Pasture Company. The Kenedy Ranch Museum, with art and artifacts about the history of the Kenedy family in South Texas, opened in 2003 in the newly restored Kenedy Pasture Company building.

In an article in 2014, Sarita was ranked the most politically liberal town in Texas.

"Occupation" hoax

In 2014, a fake news website called National Report published an article claiming that a militia of "over 100 armed La Raza militants" had occupied Sarita, forcing original residents out of their homes and using the town as a base of operations. The hoax report circled on the Internet.

Geography

Sarita is located in northern Kenedy County at 27°13′18″N, 97°47′21″W. It is along U.S. Route 77, 21 mi south of Kingsville, 61 mi south of Corpus Christi, and 74 mi north of Harlingen. The United States Border Patrol Sarita checkpoint on US 77 is located some 14 mi south of the town of Sarita.

Cityscape

Gary Cartwright of Texas Monthly said that Sarita's only landmarks were a green sign reading "Sarita", a water tower, and a blinking yellow light. Sarita has an elementary school and a Catholic church. Sarita does not have any convenience stores, shops, or cafes. The nearest grocery store is in Kingsville, though convenience stores at gas stations are in Riviera, 5 mi to the north along US 77. The nearest major medical center is in Corpus Christi.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Sarita has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–1900 1910 1920 1930 1940

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Sarita first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.

As of the 2020 United States census, 205 people, 129 households, and 115 families resided in the CDP.

Education

Sarita Elementary School (prekindergarten-grade 6) of the Kenedy County Wide Common School District serves Sarita.

Students who graduate from Sarita Elementary move on to De La Paz Middle School and Kaufer Early College High School, operated by Riviera Independent School District, which takes all secondary students from the KCWCSD area.

All of Kenedy County is in the area of Del Mar College, according to the Texas Education Code.

References

References

1. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
2. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Sarita CDP, Texas". U.S. Census Bureau.
3. "Sarita, TX".
4. Hunter Walker and Andy Kiersz. (2014). "Here Are The Most Liberal And Most Conservative Towns In Each State". businessinsider.com.
5. David Martin Davies, [https://www.keranews.org/post/sarita-safe-attack-south-texas-town-fake Sarita Is Safe: 'Attack' on the South Texas Town Is Fake], [[KERA-TV]] (July 15, 2014).
6. Cartwright, Gary. "[http://www.texasmonthly.com/preview/2004-09-01/feature5 Sarita's Secret] {{Webarchive. link. (2004-12-27 ." ''[[Texas Monthly]]''. September 2004. Retrieved on October 14, 2012.)
7. [http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=180814&cityname=Sarita%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Sarita, Texas]
8. "Decennial Census by Decade". [[US Census Bureau]].
9. "1900 Census of Population - Population of Texas By Counties And Minor Civil Divisions".
10. "1910 Census of Population - Supplement for Texas".
11. "1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
12. "1930 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
13. "1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
14. "1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
15. "1960 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
16. "1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
17. "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
18. "1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas".
19. "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas".
20. "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas".
21. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Sarita CDP, Texas".
22. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Sarita CDP, Texas".
23. "Recruitment Plan, Events, and Timeline". [[Kaufer Early College High School]].
24. [https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.167. Sec. 130.177. DEL MAR COLLEGE-CORPUS CHRISTI JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.]