Wilson County, Texas

History

Native Americans

Archeological evidence in the Wilson County area reveals early habitation from the paleo-Indians hunter-gatherers period. Later, the area was a hunting range for Tonkawa, Karankawa. Tawakoni, Lipan Apache, and Comanche who lived in the area.

Explorations and county established

In September 1718 Martín de Alarcón crossed the area on his way to explore the bay of Espíritu Santo. Pedro de Rivera y Villalón crossed the county in 1727 as part of an expedition to inspect the frontier defenses of New Spain. In 1766–67 the Marqués de Rubí included the area in his inspection of the Spanish frontier, and the 1798 explorations of the coast by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado skirted the area.

The first two land grants in the area were to Luis Menchaca and Andrés Hernández, who established ranches circa 1832–1833.

Anglos began arriving in the 1840s, and Southern planters in 1850 and 1860, followed by German and Polish immigrants from other counties.

The last Indian raid in the county occurred in 1855, resulting in the death of an African-American slave by the name of “Lucy”.

Wilson County was formed in 1860 from Bexar County and Karnes County. Sutherland Springs was designated the county seat.

Wilson County voted in favor of secession from the Union, and sent several military units to serve. Wartime hardships were compounded by a three-year drought.

Following the civil war, the county seat was moved to Floresville. The 1872 courthouse was destroyed by fire and replaced in 1884 with a new building designed by Alfred Giles.

Fence Cutting Wars in Texas lasted for approximately five years, 1883–1888. The 40000 acre ranch of Houston and Dilworth became the focal point in Wilson County. As farmers and ranchers began to compete for precious land and water, cattlemen found it more difficult to feed their herds, prompting cowboys to cut through fences. Texas Governor John Ireland prodded a special assembly to order the fence cutters to cease. In response, the legislature made fence-cutting and pasture-burning crimes punishable with prison time, while at the same time regulating fencing. The practice abated with sporadic incidents of related violence 1888.

The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway reached Floresville in 1886. In 1898 the San Antonio and Gulf Railroad was extended to Stockdale.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 808 sqmi, of which 804 sqmi are land and 4.7 sqmi (0.6%) are covered by water.

Major highways

• [[Image:US 87.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 87
• [[Image:US 181.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 181
• [[Image:Texas 97.svg|20px]] State Highway 97

Adjacent counties

• Guadalupe County (north)
• Gonzales County (northeast)
• Karnes County (southeast)
• Atascosa County (southwest)
• Bexar County (northwest)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–2010 2010 2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 49,753. The median age was 41.3 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.5 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 69.3% White, 1.6% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 8.8% from some other race, and 18.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 38.7% of the population.

12.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 87.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 17,419 households in the county, of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 63.2% were married-couple households, 14.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 18.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 18,983 housing units, of which 8.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 83.7% were owner-occupied and 16.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.5%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 32,408 people, 11,038 households, and 8,830 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 /mi2. There were 12,110 housing units at an average density of 15 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 81.19% White, 1.21% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 14.25% from other races, and 2.43% from two or more races. 36.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,038 households, out of which 40.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.50% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.00% were non-families. 17.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.20% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,006, and the median income for a family was $45,681. Males had a median income of $31,716 versus $23,582 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,253. About 9.20% of families and 11.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.40% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Elmendorf (mostly in Bexar County)
• Floresville (county seat)
• La Vernia
• Nixon (mostly in Gonzales County)
• Stockdale

Towns

• Poth

Unincorporated communities

• Calaveras
• Carpenter
• Kicaster
• Kosciusko
• Pandora
• Saspamco
• Sutherland Springs
• Union

Ghost towns

• Dewees
• Doseido Colony
• Grass Pond Colony
• Sandy Hills

Education

School districts include:

• Falls City Independent School District
• Floresville Independent School District
• La Vernia Independent School District
• Nixon-Smiley Consolidated Independent School District
• Poth Independent School District
• Stockdale Independent School District

All of the county is in the service area of Alamo Community College District.

Notable people

• John Connally, governor of Texas and U.S. Secretary of the Navy and Treasury
• Merrill Connally, an actor and a county judge
• Wayne Connally, a member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature
• Frank Hamer, Texas Ranger
• Stephen Willeford, civilian who intervened during the Sutherland Springs church shooting

Gallery

Image:The Peanut marker in Floresville, TX IMG_2672.JPG|The "Peanut Marker" at the Wilson County Courthouse lawn commemorates the life of Joe T. Sheehy (1886–1967), who introduced peanut farming to the area in 1916. Image:Wilson County Public Library in Floresville, TX IMG_2686.JPG|The Wilson County Public Library near the courthouse. Image:Wilson County Hardware, Floresville, TX IMG_2666.JPG|The Wilson County Hardware store in Floresville.

Politics

Wilson County is a strongly Republican county in presidential elections. It last voted for a Democrat in 1976, when it supported Georgia's Jimmy Carter. More recently, in 2020, it gave a quarter of its vote to Democratic candidate Joe Biden. The last time a Democratic candidate won 35% or more of Wilson County's vote was in 1996.

References

References

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7. Flint, Richard. (2004). "The Coronado Expedition to Tierra Nueva: The 1540–1542 Route Across the Southwest". University Press of Colorado.
8. (March 2018). "Menchaca-Hernández Compromise". Texas General Land Office.
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11. "Floresville, Texas". Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC..
12. "Wilson County Courthouse". Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC..
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14. "San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway".
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16. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
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20. "P2 HP2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wilson County, Texas".
21. "P2 P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wilson County, Texas".
22. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
23. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
24. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
25. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
26. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Wilson County, TX". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
27. [https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.162. ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.].
28. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
29. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".