Breckenridge

History

The town of Breckenridge originated in 1854 as Picketville, either named after the structure of its early homes or after rancher Bill Pickett, who lived in the area at the time. In 1876, Stephens County was established, and its territory included Picketville. The town was renamed "Breckenridge" after former U.S. Vice President and Confederate Army General John C. Breckinridge, though with an altered spelling. Breckenridge was a major oil producer in the early 1920s. The population jumped from around 1000 to 5000 in under five years. Briefly, it was the home of legendary figure of the Old West, John "Doc" Holliday. Breckenridge's boomtown era was well documented by the hundreds of photographs of pioneer photographer Basil Clemons.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.2 sq mi (10.8 km2), of which 0.24% is covered by water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Breckenridge has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps. Around 5:20 pm local time on April 9, 2008, three tornadoes, including two "sisters", were confirmed to have hit at least a portion of the town. Within the city limits, 15 citizens were reported as injured. Five buildings were destroyed, including the airport, which was a former Air Force training facility.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  143
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  125
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  113
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  104
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  102
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

  Tyrannus forficatus (Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  95
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  83
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  83

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2024-03-06
  13 km ESE of Olney, Texas
• M 3.7 — 2013-12-09
  8 km S of Perrin, Texas
• M 2.8 — 2013-11-28
  10 km NNE of Graford, Texas
• M 3.7 — 2013-11-28
  6 km SSW of Perrin, Texas