Terry County, Texas

History

Terry County was formed from Bexar County in 1876 and named for Col. Benjamin Franklin Terry, who commanded the Terry's Texas Rangers in the Civil War.

In 1877, the ill-fated Nolan Expedition crossed the county in search of livestock stolen by Comanche renegades. The various Indian tribes had moved on by the time of white settlement, due to the depletion of the buffalo herds by hunters.

Terry County was organized in 1904, with Brownfield as the county seat.

The county was settled by ranchers such as Ira J. Coulver, J. R. Quinn, Englishman Q. Bone, and Marion V. Brownfield. By 1910 Terry County had 235 farms and 23000 acre of improved land, with corn being the most important crop.

Terry County lies in the oil-rich north Permian Basin, and the discovery of oil in 1940 quickly led to production. By 1991 almost 363143000 oilbbl of crude had been extracted from Terry County lands since 1940.

In 1991, Terry County was among the leading cotton counties in Texas.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 891 sqmi, of which 889 sqmi are land and 2.1 sqmi (0.2%) are covered by water.

Major highways

• [[Image:US 62.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 62
• [[Image:US 82.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 82
• [[Image:US 380.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 380
• [[Image:US 385.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 385
• [[Image:Texas 137.svg|20px]] State Highway 137

Adjacent counties

• Hockley County (north)
• Lynn County (east)
• Dawson County (southeast)
• Gaines County (south)
• Yoakum County (west)
• Cochran County (northwest)
• Lubbock County (northeast)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–2010 2010 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 11,831. The median age was 35.6 years. 27.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 105.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.0 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 58.6% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian,

69.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 30.1% lived in rural areas.

There were 4,010 households in the county, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.6% were married-couple households, 17.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 4,789 housing units, of which 16.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.3% were owner-occupied and 31.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.0%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, 12,761 people, 4,278 households, and 3,247 families were residing in the county. The population density was 14 /mi2. The 5,087 housing units had an average density of 6 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 76.55% White, 5.00% African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 14.30% from other races, and 3.40% from two or more races. About 44.09% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 4,278 households, 35.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.10% were not families. About 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76, and the average family size was 3.23.

The county's age distribution was 28.40% under 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,090, and for a family was $33,339. Males had a median income of $24,321 versus $20,131 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,860. About 19.20% of families and 23.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.50% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.

Media

The county is served by a weekly newspaper, nearby station KPET 690 AM (Lamesa), and the various Lubbock radio and TV stations. KKUB-AM and KTTU-FM are licensed to Brownfield, but operate primarily from offices and studios in Lubbock.

Communities

Cities

• Brownfield (county seat)
• Wellman

Town

• Meadow

Unincorporated communities

• Needmore
• Tokio

Politics

Education

School districts serving the county include:

• Brownfield Independent School District
• Dawson Independent School District
• Loop Independent School District
• Meadow Independent School District
• O'Donnell Independent School District
• Ropes Independent School District
• Seagraves Independent School District
• Tahoka Independent School District
• Wellman-Union Consolidated Independent School District

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

References

References

1. "Terry County, Texas".
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (2008). "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". [[Newberry Library.
4. "Wet/Dry Status of Texas Counties as of November 2010". Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
5. Ramos, Elliot. (October 22, 2021). "Map: Where America's pumpkins come from". [[NBC News]].
6. "TSHA | Terry County".
7. (August 2, 2007). "Buffalo Hunted to Near-Extinction Due to Lack of Government Regulation?". A Beginner's Guide to Freedom.
8. Leffler, John. "Terry County, Texas". Texas State Historical Association.
9. Anderson, Kenneth C.. (March 1953). "Wellman Field, Terry County, Texas". American Association of Petroleum Geologists.
10. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
11. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". [[US Census Bureau]].
12. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010". Texas Almanac.
13. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Terry County, Texas".
14. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Terry County, Texas".
15. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
16. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
17. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
18. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
19. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
20. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".
21. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Terry County, TX". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
22. [https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.198. SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.]