Valentine, Texas
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Valentine is a town in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States.
The town of Valentine is the only incorporated municipality in Jeff Davis County. Its name refers to the date of its founding in 1882 by a Southern Pacific Railroad construction crew: February 14. It is one of several cities named Valentine in the United States, where the U.S. Postal Service cancels envelopes for Valentine's Day.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
History
The area near Valentine played a role during the Mexican Revolution. Pancho Villa and his forces passed through the region and were associated with border skirmishes. In response to Villa’s raids, Fort Holland was established nearby in 1918 as part of protective efforts.<ref name="TSHAPanchoVilla">https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/villa-francisco-pancho</ref><ref name="ElPasoHaunts">https://texashighways.com/culture/revisiting-el-paso-texas-haunts-pancho-villa/</ref><ref name="ForbesVilla">https://www.forbes.com/sites/geoffloftus/2013/11/06/a-veterans-story-chasing-pancho-villa/</ref> On August 16, 1931, Valentine was struck by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake—the largest ever recorded in Texas. Nearly all non-wooden structures, including the school, suffered major damage, with school buildings condemned afterwards. The quake was felt as far away as Houston and throughout northern Mexico, and caused landslides across the region. No fatalities were reported, but damages were substantial.<ref name="USGS1931">https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ushis877/contributors</ref>
Geography
Valentine is located in western Jeff Davis County along U.S. Route 90. The highway leads northwest Template:Convert to Interstate 10 at Van Horn, and southeast Template:Convert to Marfa.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of Template:Convert, all land.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> The town sits in a flat basin between the Davis Mountains Template:Convert to the east and the Sierra Vieja Template:Convert to the west.
Climate
Valentine experiences a semiarid climate (Köppen BSk) with cool, dry winters and hot, dry summers. Template:Weather box
Education
Valentine Independent School District serves the local community, with a single K–12 campus that is among the smallest in Texas by enrollment, often with fewer than 25 high school students. The school is classified as UIL 1A and offers a variety of academic and extracurricular programs, despite its size.<ref name="USNewsSchool">https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/texas/districts/valentine-independent-school-district/valentine-school-20014</ref><ref name="TTTribuneISD">https://schools.texastribune.org/districts/valentine-isd/</ref><ref name="Region18">https://www.esc18.net/605357_3</ref>
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal Service operates the Valentine Post Office at 311 W. California Ave. Each year around Valentine's Day, it receives media attention as people mail cards and letters through this location to receive the distinctive holiday postmark.<ref name="USPS">https://www.usps.com/</ref>
Transportation
Valentine is located on US 90, 35 miles (58 km) north of Marfa, and 40 miles (64 km) south of Van Horn.
Amtrak's Sunset Limited passes through the town on Union Pacific tracks, but makes no stop. A stop is located 60 miles (96 km) to the southeast in Alpine.
See also
References
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External links
- Handbook of Texas Online article
- West Texas Weekly, a local weekly newspaper