Hale County, Texas

History

In 7000 BC, Paleo-Indians were the first county inhabitants. Later Native American inhabitants included the Comanche. The Texas Legislature formed Hale County from Bexar County in 1876. A few years later (1881), brothers T.W. and T.N. Morrison, and W.D. Johnson, established the Cross L Ranch and the XIT to raise cattle. In 1883, New York Methodist minister Horatio Graves became the first white permanent settler in the county.

The city of Plainview has its beginnings in 1886 when rancher Zachery Taylor Maxwell moved his family and 2,000 sheep from Floyd County to the site of two hackberry groves on the old military trail established by Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie. The city's name comes from the area's vista. The county was organized in 1888, with Plainview as the county seat. By 1900, the county had 259 farms and ranches, with a population of 1,680.

The Santa Fe Railway came to Plainview in 1906, and Wayland Baptist College was founded the same year. In 1909, businessman Levi Schick opened the Schick Opera House. The county's first motor-driven irrigation well was drilled five years later. The Texas Land and Development Company was organized in Plainview in 1912. Its purpose was to entice settlers by dividing a large tract of land into individual farms, and preparing each farm for occupancy.

The Plainview Site was discovered in 1944. In addition to bone and man-made artifacts, archeologists found the remains of 100 extinct bison about twice the size of modern "buffalo".

Oil was discovered in 1946 in the Anton-Irish field of Lamb and Hale Counties.

Country artist Jimmy Dean, his brother Don Dean, and cousin-in-law Troy Pritchard founded the Jimmy Dean Sausage Company and opened the Jimmy Dean Meat Company in 1969. As of 2010, Hale County was one of 62 counties in Texas still legally barring the sale of alcohol. As of March 7, 2008, Plainview has allowed the sale of packaged alcohol within the city limits.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1005 sqmi, of which 0.1 sqmi (0.01%) is covered by water.

Major highways

• [[File:I-27 (TX).svg|20px]] [[File:US 87.svg|20px]] Interstate 27/U.S. Highway 87
• [[File:Business Loop 27.svg|20px]] Interstate 27 Business
• [[File:US 70.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 70
• [[File:Texas 194.svg|20px]] State Highway 194

Adjacent counties

• Swisher County (north)
• Floyd County (east)
• Lubbock County (south)
• Lamb County (west)
• Castro County (northwest)
• Hockley County (southwest)
• Crosby County (southeast)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 32,522. The median age was 35.9 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 105.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 105.4 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 52.0% White, 4.6% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 22.6% from some other race, and 19.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 59.9% of the population.

69.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 30.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 11,396 households in the county, of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.6% were married-couple households, 17.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 13,396 housing units, of which 14.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.9% were owner-occupied and 35.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.6%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 36,602 people, 11,975 households, and 9,136 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 /mi2. The 13,526 housing units averaged 14 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 66.77% White, 5.79% African American, 0.92% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 23.80% from other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. About 47.90% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 11,975 households, 40.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.30% were married couples living together, 11.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.70% were not families. About 21% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.32.

In the county, the population was distributed as 30.20% under the age of 18, 11.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 18.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 102.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,280, and for a family was $35,250. Males had a median income of $26,007 versus $20,057 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,655. About 14.30% of families and 18.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.30% of those under age 18 and 14.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Abernathy (small part in Lubbock County)
• Hale Center
• Petersburg
• Plainview (county seat)

Town

• Edmonson

Census-designated place

• Seth Ward

Unincorporated community

• Cotton Center

Ghost town

• Hale City

Politics

Education

School districts serving the county include:

• Abernathy Independent School District
• Cotton Center Independent School District
• Hale Center Independent School District
• Lockney Independent School District
• Olton Independent School District
• Petersburg Independent School District
• Plainview Independent School District

The county is in the service area of South Plains College.

References

References

1. "Hale County, Texas".
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
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4. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". Govt. Print. Off..
5. Leffler, John. "Hale County, Texas". Texas State Historical Association.
6. "Minister Horatio Graves". Plainview Chamber of Commerce.
7. Turner, Matt Warnock. (2009). "Remarkable Plants of Texas: Uncommon Accounts of Our Common Natives". University of Texas Press.
8. Davis, Charles G. "Plainview". Texas State Historical Society.
9. "Plainview, Texas". Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC.
10. "Santa Fe Railway". Blueprints For Travel, LLC.
11. Brackney, William H. (2008). "Congregation and Campus: Baptists in Higher Education". Mercer University Press.
12. "Schick Opera House - Plainview, Hale County, Texas". William Nienke, Sam Morrow.
13. Brunson, B R. "Texas Land and Development Company". Texas State Historical Association.
14. Gibbon, Guy E. (1998). "Archaeology of Prehistoric Native America : An Encyclopedia". Routledge.
15. Totten, Robert T. (1956). "General Geology and Historical Development, Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles: ABSTRACT". AAPG Bulletin.
16. Calhoun, Fryar. (August 1983). "Jimmy Dean". Texas Monthly.
17. "Wet/Dry Status of Texas Counties as of November 2010". Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
18. (March 15, 2009). "After a year of alcohol... 03-15-09". Plainview Daily Herald.
19. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
20. "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024".
21. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
22. (2007). "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
23. Forstall, Richard L.. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
24. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
25. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
26. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Hale County, Texas". [[United States Census Bureau]].
27. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Hale County, Texas".
28. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Hale County, Texas".
29. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
30. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
31. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
32. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
33. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".
34. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Hale County, TX". [[United States Census Bureau]].
35. [https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.198. SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.]