Following a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality investigation that showed Murchison officials illegally buried solid waste near its wastewater treatment plant, the Statesman takes a closer look at the city’s makeup.

With a population of about 650, Murchison operates on a meager budget of $250,000, only $57,550 of which is for the general fund. Its sales-tax revenue for November was $28,264, down 26.4 percent from a year ago.

The median household income is about $41,000, and roughly 20 percent of its population is below the poverty level.

Murchison has no fulltime employees, and the only paid official is city secretary Pam Tedford, a parttimer. Others, such as water operator Mark Moseley, are contracted.

Murchison’s five council members are Deanna Benson, Megan Harville, Diane Crutchfied, Mayor + Pro-Tem Ann Boyles, and Isaac Nation. Mike Hill, a former council member, is the mayor. The city covers about 1.6 square miles.

The city is at the juncture of Farm Roads 1616 and 773, nine miles northeast of Athens. According to records, it was called "Lindsey" before 1880, when it was renamed for Confederate recruiting officer T.F. Murchison.

That same year, the town with a population of 100 became a station on the St. Louis Southwestern Railway and, in 1884, reported having a cotton gin, post office, public school, several stores, and a church.

It also organized a local Farmers’ Alliance, the economic movement that promoted higher commodity prices.

By 1915, more than 200 people lived in Murchison, and it had a bank and the weekly Murchison Star. Fifteen years later, the population had grown to nearly 400. More than 500 called Murchison home in 1990. The U.S. Census reported in 2000 that the population had nearly reached 600.

More than 70 percent of the population in Murchison today is considered family households. The most common industries for Murchison residents is construction and education.

Over 90 percent of the population is white, followed by 6.1 percent Hispanic.

Half of Murchison residents are associated with the Southern Baptist Convention.