Taft

History

Taft, often called the "Friendliest Cotton-Pickin' Town in Texas", is not only rich in cotton, but also gas and oil resources. Taft was once the center of the million acre Taft Ranch. The ranch was built and owned by Charles Phelps Taft, the half-brother of President William Howard Taft. The nearby city of Sinton, Texas is named for his father-in-law David Sinton. The Blackland Museum houses everything from antique farm equipment to personal and household items used by the town's earliest inhabitants. On the evening of 25 August 2017, Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 Hurricane, made landfall near Rockport, Texas approximately thirty miles north of Taft, at 10 PM CST. Taft was brushed by the outer-bands of the eye wall with winds recorded at 90 mph. Hurricane Harvey was the first Category 4 Hurricane in over twenty years to hit the city.

Geography

Taft is located at (27.978584, –97.394320). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km), all land. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Taft has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Most-observed species

• Great-tailed Grackle

  Quiscalus mexicanus (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  7,208
• Laughing Gull

  Leucophaeus atricilla (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,076
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  5,575
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  5,297
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,585
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,524
• Willet

  Tringa semipalmata (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  4,518
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,043

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2022-10-05
  8 km N of Three Rivers, Texas
• M 2.5 — 2020-03-11
  13 km NNE of Three Rivers, Texas
• M 2.7 — 2020-02-09
  7 km N of Three Rivers, Texas
• M 2.7 — 2019-10-31
  8 km N of Three Rivers, Texas
• M 2.8 — 2019-06-24
  9 km N of Three Rivers, Texas
• M 2.7 — 2019-04-24
  8 km NNE of Three Rivers, Texas