Dallam County, Texas

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Not to be confused with Dallas County, Texas.
Dallam County, Texas
Dallam County, TX, Courthouse IMG 0555.JPG
The Dallam County Courthouse in downtown Dalhart was constructed in 1922.
Map of Texas highlighting Dallam County
Location in the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location in the U.S.
Founded 1891
Seat Dalhart
Largest city Dalhart
Area
 • Total 1,505 sq mi (3,898 km2)
 • Land 1,503 sq mi (3,893 km2)
 • Water 2.0 sq mi (5 km2), 0.1%
Population
 • (2010) 6,703
 • Density 4.5/sq mi (2/km²)
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.dallam.org

Dallam County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 6,703.[1] Its county seat is Dalhart.[2] The county was founded in 1876 and later organized in 1891.[3] It is named for James Wilmer Dallam, a lawyer and newspaper publisher.

Dallam is the northernmost of the ten Texas counties that from 1885–1912 constituted the legendary XIT Ranch. The ranch is still celebrated through the XIT Museum in Dalhart and the annual XIT Rodeo and Reunion held the first long weekend in August.

History

Dallam County was formed in 1876 from portions of Bexar County. It was named after James Wilmer Dallam, the lawyer who made the first digest of Texas laws.[4] The first settlement in the area followed in 1870, which resulted in the Red River War of 1874 and 1875 with the native Comanche and Kiowa tribes. In 1900-01, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad company built a stretch from Enid, Oklahoma to Tucumcari, New Mexico, which ran through the county. The location where the tracks met those of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway was named Dalhart. The name is taken from the first letters of Dallam County and Hartley County, between which the town's area is divided. Within a short time, the small railroad stop turned into a sizable town and was named county seat in 1903.

Dallam County was one of the hardest hit areas in the Dust Bowl.[5]

The XIT Museum in Dalhart.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,505 square miles (3,900 km2), of which 1,503 square miles (3,890 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.1%) is water.[6]

Major Highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1890 112 —
1900 146 30.4%
1910 4,001 2,640.4%
1920 4,528 13.2%
1930 7,830 72.9%
1940 6,494 −17.1%
1950 7,640 17.6%
1960 6,302 −17.5%
1970 6,012 −4.6%
1980 6,531 8.6%
1990 5,461 −16.4%
2000 6,222 13.9%
2010 6,703 7.7%
Est. 2014 7,135 [7] 6.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1850–2010[9] 2010–2014[1]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 6,222 people, 2,317 households, and 1,628 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 2,697 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.64% White, 1.64% Black or African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 12.41% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. 28.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,317 households out of which 39.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the county, the population was spread out with 31.80% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 102.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,946, and the median income for a family was $33,558. Males had a median income of $27,244 versus $19,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,653. About 11.30% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 24.80% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Dallam County is located within District 86 of the Texas House of Representatives. The seat has been held by Amarillo attorney John T. Smithee, a Republican, since 1985. Dallam County as a whole is heavily Republican in orientation.

Education

The following school districts serve Dallam County:

Communities

See also

References

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External links

 Cimarron County, Oklahoma
Union County, New Mexico Sherman County
  Dallam County, Texas  
Hartley County

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