Garza County, Texas

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Garza County, Texas
250px
Garza County Courthouse in Post
Map of Texas highlighting Garza County
Location in the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location in the U.S.
Founded 1907
Seat Post
Largest city Post
Area
 • Total 896 sq mi (2,321 km2)
 • Land 893 sq mi (2,313 km2)
 • Water 2.8 sq mi (7 km2), 0.3%
Population
 • (2010) 6,461
 • Density 7.2/sq mi (3/km²)
Congressional district 19th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.co.garza.tx.us
File:Post Dispatch newspaper, Post, TX IMG 4610.JPG
Post Dispatch newspaper covers local events of Garza County.
File:Wells Fargo Bank, Post, TX IMG 4640.JPG
Wells Fargo Bank serves Garza County through its outlet in Post.

Garza County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 6,461.[1] Its county seat is Post.[2] The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1907.[3] Garza is named for a pioneer Bexar County family, as it was once a part of that county. It is located southeast of Lubbock.

A leading civic figure in Garza County was until his death in 2011 Giles McCrary, a rancher, oil developer, investor, and art collector. McCrary's OS Ranch Museum is a popular attraction in the county seat of Post, which has made an extended effort to attract tourism.

Republican Drew Springer, Jr., a businessman from Muenster in Cooke County, has since January 2013 represented Garza County in the Texas House of Representatives.[4]

History timeline

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  • 2000 b.c. – Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the first inhabitants. Later inhabitants were the Kiowa, Comanche.[5]
  • 1875 W. C. Young of Fort Worth and Illinois Irishman Ben Galbraith establish the beginnings of the Curry Comb Ranch in the northwest part of Garza County.[6]
  • 1876 Garza County is formed from Bexar County, and named for the prominent Bexar County family of José Antonio de la Garza.[7][8]
  • 1880 County census count is 36 people.[5]
  • 1882 The Square and Compass Ranch is started by the Nave and McCord Cattle Company. They put up the first barbed wire fence two years later.[9]
  • 1884 OS Ranch is founded by brothers Andrew J. Long and Frank M. Long of Lexington, Kentucky.[10]
  • 1900 County population is 185 persons.[5]
  • 1907 Post is founded as a utopian venture by, and named for, cereal king Charles William Post.[5][11]
  • 1909-1913 C.W. Post builds a cotton gin, a cotton mill, and attempts to improve agriculture production through rainmaking, involving the heavy use of explosives fired from kites and towers along the rim of the Caprock Escarpment.[5][12]
  • 1926 Oil is discovered in the county.[5][13]
  • 1934 Quanah and Bryan Maxey discover a sixteen-foot-long tusk of a prehistoric imperial mammoth. This tusk is currently located in the American Museum of Natural History, New York City, NY.[5]
  • 1957 A Prehistoric Indian site at Cowhead Mesa is recorded by Emmet Shedd of Post.[14]
  • 1960-1965 South Plains Archaeological Society excavations of Cowhead Mesa find artifacts to date inhabitation back to 2000 b.c.[14]
  • 1980 The most important business in the county are agribusiness, oil and gas extraction, and textile mills.[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 896 square miles (2,320 km2), of which 893 square miles (2,310 km2) is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) (0.3%) is water.[15]

Major roads and highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880 36 —
1890 14 −61.1%
1900 185 1,221.4%
1910 1,995 978.4%
1920 4,253 113.2%
1930 5,586 31.3%
1940 5,678 1.6%
1950 6,281 10.6%
1960 6,611 5.3%
1970 5,289 −20.0%
1980 5,336 0.9%
1990 5,143 −3.6%
2000 4,872 −5.3%
2010 6,461 32.6%
Est. 2014 6,435 [16] −0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]
1850–2010[18] 2010–2014[1]

As of the census[19] of 2000, there were 4,872 people, 1,663 households, and 1,217 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 1,928 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 56.7% White (European and non-Hispanic), 4.8 Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 37.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino. 17.1 other races, and 3.00% from two or more races.

There were 1,663 households out of which 36.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the county, the population was spread out with 28.00% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 112.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,206, and the median income for a family was $31,173. Males had a median income of $26,604 versus $18,105 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,704. About 17.50% of families and 22.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.60% of those under age 18 and 18.60% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

See also

References

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External links

 Crosby County
Lynn County Kent County
  Garza County, Texas  
Borden County Scurry County

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