Purmela is an unincorporated community in Coryell County, Texas, United States. The community is part of the KilleenTempleFort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Purmela, Texas
Purmela is located in Texas
Purmela
Purmela
Location within the state of Texas
Purmela is located in the United States
Purmela
Purmela
Purmela (the United States)
Coordinates: 31°29′02″N 97°57′44″W / 31.48389°N 97.96222°W / 31.48389; -97.96222
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyCoryell
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
76566
GNIS feature ID1365866

History

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Martin Dremien, a business owner who later served as the postmaster after the post office was authorized in 1879, founded it. The postal service made a mistake when Dremien attempted to have the town named after his sweetheart, Furmela, a local source claims; as a result, Dremien was claimed to have sold his business and gone to another state. In the 1950s and for the majority of the 1960s, the village had 125 residents, but by 1968 and 1970, that number had dropped to 65 and 40, respectively. In the 1980s, Purmela had a chapel and a post office; in 1990, 61 people were living there.[1] The population remained the same in 2000.[2]

Although it is unincorporated, Purmela has a post office with the ZIP code 76566.[3]

Geography

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Purmela is located near the intersection of Farm to Market Roads 932 and 1241, 13 mi (21 km) northwest of Gatesville in northwestern Coryell County.[1] South Purmela is two miles south.[2]

Climate

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The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Purmela has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.[4]

On May 21, 2011, an EF0 tornado briefly hit Purmela and downed a few trees.[5]

Education

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The Basham, Sycamore, and Evergreen schools were combined to become the Purmela school district in 1901. Sometime after 1950, Purmela School joined the Gatesville Independent School District.[1] Today, the community is served by the Evant Independent School District.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Smyrl, Vivian Elizabeth. "Purmela, TX". tshaonline.org. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Purmela, Texas". Texas Escapes. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  3. ^ USPS – Cities by ZIP Code
  4. ^ Climate Summary for Purmela, Texas
  5. ^ "Texas Event Report: EF0 Tornado". National Centers for Environmental Information. 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
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