Nixon is a city, self-described as a "compact neighborhood,"A compact neighborhood of around 2,385 people, the people and council of Nixon... at U.S. Highway 87 and the junction of Karnes, Gonzales and Wilson counties; alongside the Clear Fork Creek in the Juan J. Tejada League, in the U.S. state of Texas. Approaching 100 city blocks, the Nixon urban-area is defined by its schools at its north-end in the neighborhood of Rancho; with the southwest boundary hosting its industrial park and meat packing facilities, upon the 87-corridor towards Pandora and the county seat of Floresville.

The population was 2,341 at the 2020 census. Nixon is located primarily within Gonzales County; however, most of its major employers and assets are alongside the eastern Wilson County line. The city has a total area of , all land. The Wilson County portion of Nixon is part of the San Antonio metropolitan area.

Nixon was formed across the landholdings of the Nixon family through the end of the 19th century, beginning as a plantation south of Luling and north of Belmont. In the early 20th century through the present day, Nixon continually consolidated southward at John T. Nixon's land closer to the original settlements of Cuero, Goliad and Indianola, once acting as a rail station; this confluence once having the original name of "Rancho," so named for its free-range cattle industry.

The city is served primarily by employers that include a publicly traded oil refinery, a chicken slaughterhouse, and its municipal services, especially the Nixon-Smiley Consolidated Independent School District. In 2018, the aggregate income of urban Nixon was an estimated $58,035,500. In 2019 according to the Texas Department of Transportation, the aggregate annual-average-daily-traffic (AADT) of urban Nixon was rated at 22,928 vehicles.

Services Holmes Foods

In 1925, near the Wilson County line of Nixon, Holmes Foods began as an ice plant that processed and slaughtered chickens across the street, eventually expanding to turkeys, "heavy hens," broilers and ducks.

As of 2010, ranking 30th out of 37 national "poultry integrators," the facility slaughtered 700,000 broiler chickens per week. During this time, 310 out of the "400+" facility employees processed these chickens into an "eight-piece cut," a major portion of the service offered by the facility.

This facility produces 50% of the local wastewater which is stored in three lagoons, later sprayed over half-a-mile of hay meadows for cattle ranching.

Blue Dolphin

Recreational vehicle parks

The majority of the city's major arteries are zoned as "recreational vehicle parks," under a city-managed licensing program.

History The history of Nixon is defined by the dissolution and struggle of some of its major institutions.

Old Nixon

In 1852, Robert T. Nixon at the northern Gonzales—Guadalupe County line founded the original settlement of Nixon, now known as the ghost town "Old Nixon;" a former 14,000 acre plantation between Belmont-Luling.

The Old Nixon facility, despite being fenced at 14,000 acres at its precipice, began at an original capitalization of $800 for 400 acres of land; with no original "free land" grants of early Texas. During Juneteenth 1865, the plantation was not affected by the abolishment of slavery, as the plantation had no slaves. Cattle and horse-breeding were the primary occupations of this enterprise, the latter being featured in The Quarter Horse journal of July 1947; featuring the early 1900s, when the Old Nixon plantation under Dr. J.W. Nixon, hosted the first "Joe Bailey" Quarter Horse, a foremost founding sire of the breed.

In 1899, Old Nixon at Guadalupe County had a cotton gin (Nixon-family owned), two schools, a church, a blacksmith, several residences; alongside "Wagner's Store" and "Nixon and Stephens: Dealers in Dry Goods, Notions, Fine Groceries and General Merchandise." The latter was owned by W.H. Stephens and Sam Nixon. Robert T. Nixon's brother John T. Nixon lived at Rancho near what is now northern Nixon in southern Gonzales County. The name of Nixon was later taken from the former town and applied to the new town formed on John T. Nixon's land.

The only remaining establishment of the original Old Nixon settlement is its cemetery.

Rancho-Nixon

While Old Nixon was being founded, the settlement of Rancho grew at the northern boundary of present-Nixon and the country store of Paul Murray, on land he purchased in 1849. His store was located at the intersection of roads that led to the important settlements of San Antonio, Gonzales, Seguin, Cuero, Goliad and Indianola. Murray had come to Texas from Mississippi and was soon followed by many of his Mississippi neighbors. They came in search of farm land, but soon abandoned the plow to adopt the cowboy culture of the area, as unbranded range cattle were everywhere and free for the taking.

The name "Rancho" was the first name given to the developing Nixon settlement as a ranching culture developed. Some of the earliest open range branding codes in Texas originated here in 1866, as local stockmen were gathering cattle herds to be driven to northern markets by Rancho cowboys. These codes facilitated the system of marking and tracking the cattle that mingled together in open, unfenced ranges. A post office was officially established in 1855, and Rancho grew to have several businesses, as well as a school and two churches.

Rancho began a rapid decline in population when the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad bypassed the town in 1906, and many residents relocated to the new railroad town of Nixon, two miles to the south. The post office closed in 1911, and by that time, many of Rancho's buildings had been moved to Nixon and most of Rancho's residents had relocated to the new town. Although virtually no visible evidence of the town of Rancho remains, the town's short existence stands as a reminder of the hundreds of similar towns that fell prey to the railroads that crossed Texas during the late 19th century.

Union-Nixon

Near the Wilson County—portion of Nixon, the town of Union or "Union Valley" had its postal services moved to Nixon in 1915. Settled before the American Civil War, the town had a population as high as 300 and several stores before its general consolidation into the Nixon community alongside FM 1681.

In 1947, the Union area had a nominal population of 50, with 22 reported in 1990 through 2000.

Urban Nixon

Nixon as an urban development began in 1869, at the site of its First Baptist Church within its 100-block grid on Texas Avenue, near Wilson County. The San Antonio Baptist Association established a local mission here under Reverend T. Christmas and Reverend J.F. Hines.

The congregation had established a sanctuary one-mile north in Rancho, and consolidated it into the Nixon congregation upon the city's incorporation in 1907. In 1921, they began to partner with the congregation in Leakey, Texas, west of San Antonio.

The Nixon First Baptist Church is considered an original cultural founder of the community.

Nixon News In the early 20th century, Nixon had a local newspaper titled Nixon News. It was forced to cease publication in September 1921. The editor cited reasons ranging from a lack of advertisement in the paper, lack of support from local businesses and apathy from the general community. The Daily Advocate newspaper of Victoria, Texas, during this period, suggested that the downscaling of another significant Texan paper was a related trend.Nixon News is Forced to Quit Its Publication; text: "We have on our desk the final copy of the Nixon News, edited and owned by Riley Webb at Nixon, Texas. Editor Webb gives as his reason for suspending publication "the lack of advertising and support from the business men and the indifference shown toward the paper by the citizenship as a whole." Within the last few days we have also learned of the changing of one of the larger daily newspapers of the State, published in what is considered one of the best towns in the state, to a weekly publication. More than likely the same reasons prompted the owner of the big daily as prompted Riley Webb of the News..."

The trade-name of the paper returned as early as 1980 through 1986, serving as an executive over three annual city festivals; celebrating Nixon's overall production of a broad-range of poultry products and byproducts, purportedly the highest in the State of Texas at that time. At present Nixon News is, again, no longer published but was considered award-winning in "Community Service" by the Texas Press Association in 1980.

Through 2013 until 2017, the trade-named resumed its most recent operation as an online newspaper titled “The Nixon News” with publications on local politics. This third-iteration of the publication is no longer published as well.

Nixon intersection Since approximately 2015, the Nixon intersection of U.S. Highway 87 and Texas State Highway 80 has been marked by the Texas Department of Transportation having to hire and replace multiple contractors, after continual delay to install traffic signals over three-and-a-half years; an installation that would normally be a "routine upgrade." The Nixon City Manager hypothesized the delays began with a first contractor "not working in a timely manner." After a first contractor, time was consumed by an initial six-month delay, another set of construction bids and years of replacement of prior work.Lights Finally Live!; text: "After years of delays, the traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. Highway 87 and State Highway 80 in Nixon is finally live and operational. What should have been a routine two-step upgrade, ended up taking around three and a half years to complete and featured multiple contractors..."

COVID-19 In late March 2020, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Gonzales County was discovered in Nixon.Confirmed CoVid-19 Case Identified in Gonzales County; text: "Gonzales County is reporting its first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the Nixon area. Communications have been ongoing between county and city officials, the local healthcare facility and Gonzales County Emergency Management since the report was confirmed. These local leaders are working closely with the Texas Department of State Health Services while they determine who the person has been in contact with over the last 14 days, so those persons may be isolated and monitored for symptoms...."

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 2,341 people, 786 households, and 484 families residing in the city. The median age was 31.0 years; 31.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 10.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.8 males age 18 and over.

There were 786 households in Nixon, of which 45.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.2% were married-couple households, 21.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 962 housing units, of which 18.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.1%.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 1,333 56.9% Black or African American 60 2.6% American Indian and Alaska Native 10 0.4% Asian 9 0.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Some other race 502 21.4% Two or more races 427 18.2% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1,914 81.8%

2000 census