Edwards County, Texas

Edwards County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 2,162. Edwards is named for Haden Harrison Edwards, an early settler of Nacogdoches, Texas. The seat of the county is Rocksprings^[1].

History Timeline

• Early inhabitants are Lipan Apache, Comanche. ^[2]

• 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. ^[3]

• 1762 Looking for protection from Comanches, Lipan Apache chief El Gran Cabezón persuades Franciscans and the Spanish military to establish San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz Mission on the Nueces River.

• 1771 San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz Mission abandoned.

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

• 1825, April 15 • Virginia born Haden Harrison Edwards joins forces with Stephen F. Austin and contracts with Coahuila y Tejas for the introduction 800 families into east Texas. ^[4]

• 1826, December 21 • The Fredonian Rebellion - Edwards declares the Republic of Fredonia near Nacogdoches, Texas, an early attempt to secede from Mexico. Stephen F. Austin joins forces with Mexico against Edwards.

• 1827, January 28 • Haden Edwards flees to Louisiana for his safety, later to return and spend the rest of his life in Nacogdoches.

• 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.

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

• 1858 Edwards County is formed from Bexar County.

• 1861

February 1 - Texas secedes from the Union

March 2 - Texas joins the Confederate States of America.

• 1863, January 1 • The Emancipation Proclamation. ^[7]

• 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. ^[8]

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

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

• 1871 Clint Smith, age 11, and brother Jeff Smith, age 9, kidnapped by Indians near Rocksprings. ^[9]

• 1882 W.J. Greer settles a sheep camp at Rocksprings. ^[10]

• 1883 Edwards County officially organized and named for Haden Harrison Edwards. ^{[11] [12] [13]}

• 1884 Francis Winan cattle and sheep ranch at Rocksprings.

• 1885 A.O. Burr sets up farming at Rocksprings.

• 1891 County seat becomes Rocksprings.

• 1898 Rocksprings Telephone Company starts up. ^[14]

• 1913 Edwards loses land in its eastern section to Real County.

• 1927, April • Tornado hits Rocksprings. ^[15]

• 1940 Rocksprings calls itself the "Top-o-the-World" in mohair production, which peaks that year.

• 1946 Oil discovered in the county.

• 1991 Kickapoo Cavern State Park, 6,400 acres in both Edwards and Kinney County, opens to the public. ^[16]

• 1992 Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area near Rocksprings, home to the largest single-chambered cavern and third-deepest in the state, opens to the public. ^[17]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,120 square miles (5,491 km²), virtually all of which is land.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 277
• U.S. Highway 377
• State Highway 41
• State Highway 55

Adjacent counties

• Sutton County (north)
• Kimble County (northeast)
• Kerr County (east)
• Real County (southeast)
• Uvalde County (southeast)
• Kinney County (south)
• Val Verde County (west)

Demographics

As of the census^[18] of 2000, there were 2,162 people, 801 households, and 586 families residing in the county. The population density was less than 1/km² (1/sq mi). There were 1,217 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.26% White, 0.79% Black or African American, 0.79% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 12.72% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. 45.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 801 households out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.80% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the county, the population was spread out with 28.50% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 23.20% from 25 to 44, 25.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 102.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,298, and the median income for a family was $27,083. Males had a median income of $21,912 versus $14,907 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,691. About 24.60% of families and 31.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.40% of those under age 18 and 17.70% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Rocksprings
• Barksdale (unincorporated)
• Carta Valley (unincorporated)

References

1. ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. ^ Handbook of Texas, Edwards County. [1]
3. ^ The Six National Flags of Texas [2]
4. ^ TAMU Hayden Edwards [3]
5. ^ The Magnificent Life of Vicente Ramon Guerrero [4]
6. ^ TAMU Chieftans of Mexican Independence [5]
7. ^ Government documents, Emancipation Proclamation [6]
8. ^ Cinnamon Hearts Juneteenth [7]
9. ^ Texas Historical Marker, Smith abduction [8]
10. ^ Texas Escapes, Rocksprings [9]
11. ^ Handbook of Texas, Hayden Edwards [10]
12. ^ Find A Grave, Haden Edwards [11]
13. ^ Son of the South, Hayden Edwards [12]
14. ^ Texas Historical Marker, Rock Springs Telephone Co [13]
15. ^ Gen Disasters, Rocksprings Tornado [14]
16. ^ Kickapoo Cavern [15]
17. ^ TPWD, Devil’s Sinkhole [16]
18. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Edwards County in Handbook of Texas Online

Coordinates: 29°58′N 100°18′W / 29.97°N 100.30°W

Categories: Texas counties | Edwards County, Texas >