Hale County, Texas

Hale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 36,602. It was organized in 1888, and is named for Lt. John C. Hale, a hero of the Battle of San Jacinto. The seat of the county is Plainview^[1]. Home of the noted former Hale County Judge, Judge Bill Hollars a.k.a. "Hang 'em High" Hollars.

History Timeline

• 7000 b.c. Paleo-Indians first county inhabitants. ^[2] Later native American inhabitants include the 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. ^[3].

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

• 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: ^{[4] [5]}

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.

• 1861

February 1 - Texas secedes from the Union

March 2 - Texas joins the Confederate States of America

• 1863, January 1 • The Emancipation Proclamation. ^[6]

• 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. ^[7]

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 Ranald S. Mackenzie establishes the Mackenzie Trail.

• 1876 The Texas legislature forms Hale County from Bexar County.

• 1881 Two Illinois brothers named Morrison establish the cattle Cross L Ranch.

• 1883 Horatio Graves becomes the first permanent settler in the county.

• 1886 The city of Plainview has its beginnings when sheep rancher Zachery Taylor Maxwell moves his family and 2,000 sheep from Floyd County to the site of two hackberry groves on the old military trail established by Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie. The city’s name comes from the area’s vista. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

• 1888 The county is organized. Plainview is the county seat.

• 1900 The county has 259 farms and ranches, with a population of 1,680.

• 1907 The Santa Fe Railway comes to Plainview.

• 1908 Wayland Baptist College is founded in Plainview. ^{[11] [12]}

• 1909 Businessman Levi Schick opens the Schick Opera House in Plainview. ^[13]

• 1911 The county's first motor-driven irrigation well is drilled.

• 1912 The Texas Land and Development Company is organized in Plainview. The purpose is to entice settlers by dividing a large tract of land into individual farms, and preparing each farm for occupancy. ^[14]

• 1941 Plainview Point archeological site is discovered. In addition to bone and man-man artifacts, archeologists find the remains of 100 extinct bison about twice the size of modern size.^[15]

• 1946 Oil is discovered in the Anton-Irish field of Lamb and Hale counties. ^[16]

• 1969 Country artist Jimmy Dean founds the Jimmy Dean Sausage Company and opens the Jimmy Dean Meat Company in Plainview.

• 1986 Hale County is one of sixty-two counties in the Texas still legally barring the sale of alcohol.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,005 square miles (2,602 km²), virtually all of which is land.

Major highways

• Interstate 27
• U.S. Highway 70
• State Highway 194

Adjacent counties

• Swisher County (north)
• Floyd County (east)
• Lubbock County (south)
• Lamb County (west)
• Castro County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census^[17] of 2000, there were 36,602 people, 11,975 households, and 9,136 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile (14/km²). There were 13,526 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 66.77% White, 5.79% Black or African American, 0.92% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 23.76% from other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. 47.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,975 households out of which 40.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.30% were married couples living together, 11.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.70% were non-families. 21.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.32.

In the county, the population was spread out with 30.20% under the age of 18, 11.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 18.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 102.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,280, and the median income for a family was $35,250. Males had a median income of $26,007 versus $20,057 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,655. About 14.30% of families and 18.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.30% of those under age 18 and 14.80% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Abernathy
• Cotton Center
• Edmonson
• Hale Center
• Hale City
• Petersburg
• Plainview
• Seth Ward

See also

• Dry counties

References

1. ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. ^ Handbook of Texas, Hale County [1]
3. ^ The Six National Flags of Texas [2]
4. ^ The Magnificent Life of Vicente Ramon Guerrero [3]
5. ^ TAMU Chieftans of Mexican Independence [4]
6. ^ Government documents, Emancipation Proclamation [5]
7. ^ Cinnamon Hearts Juneteenth [6]
8. ^ Texas Historical Markers, Hackberry Grove [7]
9. ^ Texas Escapes, Plainview [8]
10. ^ Handbook of Texas, Plainview [9]
11. ^ Texas Historical Markers, Wayland Baptist College [10]
12. ^ Wayland Baptist College [11]
13. ^ Texas Historical Marker, Schick Opera House [12]
14. ^ Handbook of Texas, Texas Land and Dev Co [13]
15. ^ Texas Historical Marker, Plainview Point [14]
16. ^ AAPG Bulletin, Oil Discovered in Hale Co [15]
17. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Hale County government's website (under development, but some links)
• Hale County from the Handbook of Texas Online

Coordinates: 34°04′N 101°50′W / 34.07°N 101.83°W

Categories: Texas counties | Hale County, Texas