Burnet County, TX

Burnet County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 34,147. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate was 44,488. Its county seat is Burnet^[1]. Burnet is named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first (provisional) president of the Republic of Texas.

Burnet County is part of the Marble Falls, TX, Micropolitan Statistical Area, as well as the Austin-Round Rock-Marble Falls, TX Combined Statistical Area.^[2]

History Timeline

• 4500 B.C. indigenous peoples inhabit the area. ^[3] Later known tribes in the area include Tonkawa, Lipan Apache and Comanche.

• 1519-1685 Hernando Cortez and Alonso Álvarez de Pineda claim Texas for Spain.

• 1685-1690 France plants its flag on Texas soil, but departs after only five years. ^[4]

• 1690-1821 Spanish missions and settlements flourish in Texas.

• 1821 Mexico claims its independence from Spain. Anglos from the north settle in Texas and claim Mexican citizenship.

• 1820's-1830's Stephen F. Austin and Green DeWitt explorations

• 1829, September 15 - Mexican President Vicente Ramon Guerrero, himself an ex-slave of Spanish, African and Native American descent, emancipates all slaves within the Republic of Mexico: ^{[5] [6]}

1st - Slavery is abolished in the republic.

2nd - Consequently, those who have been until now considered slaves are free.

3rd - When the circumstances of the treasury may permit, the owners of the slaves will be indemnified in the mode that the laws may provide. And in order that every part of this decree may be fully complied with, let it be printed, published, and circulated.

Given at the Federal Palace of Mexico, the 15th of September, 1829.

Vicente Guerrero To José María Bocanegra'

• 1836

March 2 - Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico establishes the Republic of Texas.

March 6 - The Alamo falls.

April 21-22 - Battle of San Jacinto, Antonio López de Santa Anna captured.

May 14 - Santa Anna signs the Treaties of Velasco.

• 1845, December 29 -Texas Annexation by the United States

• 1846, May 13 - The United States Congress officially declares war on Mexico.

• 1847 Meusebach•Comanche Treaty ^[7]

• 1848, February 2 - Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ends the Mexican-American War.

• 1849 The United States establishes Fort Croghan ^[8]

• 1848 First settlers in the county ^[9] Samuel Eli Holland ^[10], Logan Vandeveer, Peter Kerr, William Harrison Magill, Noah Smithwick ^[11], Captain Jesse B. Burnham, R. H. Hall, Adam Rankin "Stovepipe" Johnson and Captain Christian Dorbandt.

• 1851 Twenty Mormon families under the leadership of Lyman Wight establish a colony at Hamilton Creek ^[12], later to be known as Mormon Mills ^[13]

• 1852, February 5 - Fourth Texas Legislature creates Burnet County ^[14] from Bell, Travis and Williamson.

• 1853 First post office is established at Hamilton.

• 1860 - 235 slaves in Burnet County

After the war some former slaves left the county, but many stayed. A group of them settled on land in the eastern part of Oatmeal. In 1870 the black population of the county had increased to 358, keeping pace with the growth of the total number of residents; the number of blacks had fallen to 248 by 1880, however, and the number of new white residents was such that after 1890, blacks represented less than 3 percent of the total population. Some found work on farms and ranches, but by the turn of the century many had moved into the Marble Falls area to work in town. ^[15]

• 1861

Burnet County voters reject secession from the Union. The issue divides the county.

February 1 - Texas secedes from the Union

March 2 - Texas joins the Confederate States of America

• 1863, January 1 • The Emancipation Proclamation. ^[16]

• 1865

April 9 • Robert E. Lee formally surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House.

April 15 • President Abraham Lincoln dies of a head wound inflicted by assassin John Wilkes Booth.

June 19 • Major General Gordon Granger arrives in Galveston to enforce the emancipation of all slaves. It is the first time African Americans in Texas know of the Emancipation. The date becomes celebrated annually in Texas as Juneteenth, and later as an official state holiday known as Emancipation Day. ^[17]

December 6 • The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits slavery.

• The Civil War and Reconstruction cause increased crime and economic decline in the county.

• 1870, March 30 - The United States Congress readmits Texas into the Union

• 1890's Brings county immigrants from England, Scotland, Germany, Sweden, and Mexico.

• 1897, May 27 - John O. Meusebach dies at his farm at Loyal Valley in Mason County, is buried in the Marschall Meusebach Cemetery at Cherry Spring.^[18]

• 1882-1903 Railroad tracks to Burnet, Granite Mountain, Marble Falls, Lampasas. Lake Victor and Bertram become shipping point communities. Other communities lose population as the railroad offers employment.

• Great Depression of the 20th Century - County farmers suffer financially but find work with government sponsored public-works projects. The Lower Colorado River Authority employs hundreds of people for the construction of the Hamilton (Buchanan) Dam and Roy B. Inks Dam.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,021 square miles (2,644 km²), of which, 996 square miles (2,580 km²) of it is land and 25 square miles (65 km²) of it (2.44%) is water.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 183
• U.S. Highway 281
• State Highway 29

Adjacent counties

• Lampasas County (north)
• Bell County (northeast)
• Williamson County (east)
• Travis County (southeast)
• Blanco County (south)
• Llano County (west)
• San Saba County (northwest)

National protected area

• Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

As of the census^[19] of 2000, there were 34,147 people, 13,133 households, and 9,665 families residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 15,933 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.64% White, 1.52% Black or African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 6.24% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. 14.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 13,133 households out of which 30.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.50% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out with 24.50% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,921, and the median income for a family was $43,871. Males had a median income of $30,255 versus $20,908 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,850. About 7.90% of families and 10.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.50% of those under age 18 and 7.90% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Notable people from Burnet County

• Adam R. "Stovepipe" Johnson, Civil War general and the 1887 founder of Marble Falls, despite being blinded during the war.
• Gerald Lyda (1923-2005), general contractor and cattle rancher, born and raised in Burnet County.
• Logan Vandeveer, early Texas soldier, ranger, cattleman and civic leader. Vandeveer was a leader in presenting the petition to the legislature in 1852 to establish Burnet County and was instrumental in having the town of Burnet named the county seat

References

1. ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. ^ http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/bulletins/b10-02.pdf
3. ^ Handbook of Texas, Burnet County [1]
4. ^ The Six National Flags of Texas [2]
5. ^ The Magnificent Life of Vicente Ramon Guerrero [3]
6. ^ TAMU Chieftans of Mexican Independence [4]
7. ^ Texas Historical Marker, Meusebach-Comanche Treaty [5]
8. ^ Fort Croghan [6]
9. ^ Portals of Texas, Pioneer monument [7]
10. ^ Handbook of Texas, Samuel Eli Holland [8]
11. ^ The Evolution of a State by Noah Smithwick, [9]
12. ^ Hamilton Creek Park [10]
13. ^ Morman Mills Cemetery [11]
14. ^ Rootsweb Ancestry,com, Burnet County [12]
15. ^ Handbook of Texas [13]
16. ^ Government documents, Emancipation Proclamation [14]
17. ^ Cinnamon Hearts Juneteenth [15]
18. ^ Find A Grave, John O. Meusebach [16]
19. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Burnet County government’s website
• Burnet County tourism office
• Burnet County from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Burnet County TXGenWeb Project
• Burnet Bulletin newspaper
• The Highlander newspaper

Coordinates: 30°47′N 98°11′W / 30.78°N 98.18°W

Categories: Texas counties | Burnet County, Texas | 1852 establishments