Hemphill County, Texas

History

Early history

For the 200 years leading up to 1875, nomadic Indian tribes representing the Apache, Comanche, Kiowa, and others roamed the Panhandle following the huge bison (buffalo) herds. In search for an alternate route to California through Santa Fe, New Mexico, Josiah Gregg (1840), and Captain Randolph B. Marcy (1845) surveyed trails that crossed Hemphill County, following the south bank of the Canadian River.

The 1874–75 Red River War was an effort by the United States Army to force the Indians of the Southern Plains to move to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. Two major battles took place in what would become Hemphill County - the Battle of Lyman's Wagon Train and the Battle of Buffalo Wallow.

On April 12, 1879, Wheeler County became the first organized county in the Panhandle, with 14 other unorganized counties attached to it, one of which was Hemphill County. Hemphill County was organized in July 1887.

--

Influence of Santa Fe Railroad

In 1886, the Southern Kansas Railway Company, a Santa Fe subsidiary, began to build a rail line into the Panhandle of Texas. The tracks entered Hemphill County during 1887 and further encouraged settlement in the area, creating three town sites: Mendota, Canadian, and Glazier.

In 1907, Canadian was designated a division point by the Santa Fe, a factor that brought diversification to the previously ranching economy of the area. The Santa Fe influence remained very strong until the mid-1950s, when the railway moved its employees to Amarillo.

Meanwhile, Hemphill County was roughly the midway point of two smaller lines, the Clinton and Oklahoma Western Railroad Company and the Clinton-Oklahoma-Western Railroad Company of Texas.

Oil production

During the 1970s, the county grew due to a rapid expansion of oil production. Though oil was discovered in the county in 1955, production remained relatively small because the technology had not yet progressed to efficiently capture the very deep reserves known to exist. By 1974, oil production had reached 999000 oilbbl and more than 1891000 oilbbl in 1978. In 2000, about 505000 oilbbl of oil and more than 8 billion cubic feet of natural gas were produced in the county, but the future looked very bright.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 912 sqmi, of which 5.9 sqmi (0.6%) are covered by water.

Major highways

• [[Image:US 60.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 60
• [[Image:US 83.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 83
• [[Image:Texas 33.svg|20px]] State Highway 33

Adjacent counties

• Lipscomb County (north)
• Ellis County, Oklahoma (northeast)
• Roger Mills County, Oklahoma (southeast)
• Wheeler County (south)
• Roberts County (west)
• Gray County (southwest)

National protected area

• Black Kettle National Grassland (part)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–1900 1910 1920 1930 1940

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 3,382 and the median age was 38.1 years. 29.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.4 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 70.1% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian,

There were 1,243 households in the county, of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 62.8% were married-couple households, 15.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 18.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 1,631 housing units, of which 23.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.0% were owner-occupied and 23.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 32.7%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 3,351 people, 1,280 households, and 948 families resided in the county. The population density was 4 /mi2. The 1,548 housing units averaged 2 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 87.65% White, 1.55% Black or African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 8.48% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. About 15.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 1,280 households, 32.7% had children under 18 living with them, 65.2% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were not families. About 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was distributed as 28.0% under 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,456, and for a family was $42,036. Males had a median income of $31,154 versus $19,423 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,929. About 10.90% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.70% of those under age 18 and 12.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

• Canadian (county seat)
• Glazier

Politics

During the period 1912 through the 1940s, Democratic candidates at the presidential level predominated in Hemphill County, the exception being 1928. From 1952, Republicans have held sway, losing the county only in the 1964 landslide by native son Lyndon Johnson.

References

References

1. "Hemphill County, Texas".
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (2008). "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". [[Newberry Library.
4. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". Govt. Print. Off..
5. (January 20, 2023). "Dry January? These Texas Counties Are Dry Year-Round.".
6. "Here are three debunked Texas alcohol laws and a guide to legally drinking in the state".
7. "Clinton-Oklahoma-Western Railroad". tshaonline.org.
8. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
9. "Decennial Census by Decade". [[US Census Bureau]].
10. "1900 Census of Population - Population of Texas By Counties And Minor Civil Divisions".
11. "1910 Census of Population - Supplement for Texas".
12. "1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
13. "1930 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
14. "1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
15. "1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
16. "1960 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
17. "1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
18. "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas".
19. "1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas".
20. "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas".
21. "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas".
22. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Bruni CDP, Texas". [[United States Census Bureau]].
23. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Hemphill County, Texas".
24. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Hemphill County, Texas".
25. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
26. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
27. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
28. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
29. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
30. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".