Deep in the heart of central Texas is Killeen, Texas, a city of military boom known for its rapid growth and high inflow of soldiers. It has become a boom and bust city, expanding and shrinking according to the size of the military presence in an area.

When Camp Hood was almost depopulated at the end of World War II, Killeen suffered a severe recession. The city boomed again when Fort Hood established a permanent army base in the 1950s, but suffered another recession when it was abandoned after the end of World War II. When southern congressmen came up with the idea of setting up Camp Hood as a permanent army base in 1950, the city boomed again. But it suffered another recession, this time when Camp Hood, like many other military bases in Texas and the United States, abandoned its base.

In 1905, local politicians and businessmen persuaded the Texas legislature to build a bridge over Cowhouse Creek and other streams, virtually doubling Killen's commercial area. Around the same time, some local boosters helped persuade the Texas legislature to build bridges over Cow Barn Brook and other streams to double the Killesen trade area, and in 1905 they did so.

Soon after, the railroad placed seventy blocks on its land and called it "Killeen," and soon after it was named after its namesake. By the 1970s, the city had grown into a city of 35,507 inhabitants, adding more than 3,500 hectares of land. Since the 1970s, Killeens has evolved, adding to its original population of about 2,200.

By 1990, the population had risen to 63,535, and 265,301 people live in the Killeen Temple area. There are 53,913 housing units with a median household income of about $30,000 a year, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

In the early 1950s, an all-black subdivision, Marlboro Heights, was added, and 780 people lived in a community that openly discouraged blacks and Catholics from living there. The city, for example, did not have blacks in 1950, but in 1956 the school board voted to integrate the local high school.

The city continued to grow as the Vietnam War led to increased activity at Fort Hood, and it remained in service throughout the war. The division that designated the base as home would later play an active role in several major U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including Vietnam and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Camp Hood, rebuilt as Fort Hood in 1950, was created in 1942 as a military training ground for the demands of war. Killeen remains a fort today, but it was not the same since World War II, when Camp Hood - reopened as a fort in the 1950 "s - was built as the first US Army base in Texas in 1941 as an active-duty military training base, because it met the requirements of World War II.

The venerable history of these two base divisions is told in the history book of Fort Hood, located in Killeen, Texas, just a few miles north of the Texas-Oklahoma border. For an interesting learning experience, don't miss this opportunity to celebrate the history of one of the divisions stationed at the base.

Explore the stars in the 60-foot-high dome of the planetarium on the campus of Central Texas College at the Killeen Center for Astronomy.

Every year Killeen's rodeo attracts some of the best cowboys, cowgirls and bullfighters. It is also home to the Vive Theatre, a full-time arts organisation that produces several main stages and children's theatres. Every year they show a variety of plays and musicals as well as a number of other shows throughout the year. Killesen is also home to the Vive Theatre, the performing arts theatre that produces plays, comedies, etc., all year round. They also host several main stages and children's theatres produced by the Full Time Arts Organisation.

Combine this with the 63 holes of Top - Regal Golf, all offered within a 15 mile radius, and there is enough to make Killeen a great holiday destination. Visitors can hike, hike, cycle, camp, fish and hike on the nature trails all year round.

Killeen is served by a small regional airfield called Skylark Field (ILE) and is located within the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex, which has it all. The city is located about three hours from Houston, making it a good choice to be in the subway area with its twin city Temple. It is home to the University of Texas at El Paso and Texas A & M University as well as Bebe State University.

Tarleton State University of Central Texas was founded on September 1, 1999, and Texas A & M University on October 2, 2002. The city is also home to the Texas State Fair of Texas and the Killeen Convention and Visitors Bureau.