Menard County, Texas

Menard County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 2,360. Its seat is Menard^[1]. Menard County is named for Michel Branamour Menard, the founder of Galveston, Texas.

History Timeline

• 8000 b.c. Early native American inhabitants arrive. Later native Americans include Comanche and Lipan Apache. ^[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]

• 1757, April - Father Alonso Giraldo de Terreros founds Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, as a support for Santa Cruz de San Sabá Mission, for the Apache Indians. ^[4]

• 1788 José Mares expedition from San Antonio to Santa Fe.

• 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: ^{[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

• 1830’s, James Bowie and Rezin P. Bowie, scour the San Saba valley seeking a silver mine that the Spanish had believed to be in the area. They are unsuccessful, but the legend of the Lost Bowie Mine, also known as the Lost San Saba Mine or the Los Almagres Mine, feeds the imagination of treasure-seekers for the next 150 years. ^[7]

• 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.

• 1852 Camp San Saba is established to protect settlers from Indian attacks. ^[8]

• 1858 State legislature forms Menard County from Bexar County The county was named for Michel Branamour Menard, the founder of Galveston. Menardville, later known as Menard becomes the county seat. ^[9]. ^[10]

• 1861

February 1 - Texas secedes from the Union.

March 2 - Texas joins the Confederate States of America.

• 1863, January 1 • The Emancipation Proclamation. ^[11]

• 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. ^[12]

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

• 1870

County population is 667. 295 are white. 372 are black, possibly due to the Buffalo Soldiers at Fort McKavett. Most immigrants are from England, Ireland and Germany.

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

• 1871 Menard County residents elect their own officials.

• 1880’s County immigrant influx from Mexico.

• 1911, February - Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad Company arrives.

• 1919 Oil wildcatters hit a dry hole.

• 1929 Gas deposit is tapped, but plugged for lack of a market.

• 1931 The local Parent-Teacher Association offers free lunches for needy children.

• 1934

Texas Relief Cannery is in operation.

Drought Relief Program buys cattle and sheep from area ranchers.

• 1941 Gas well is re-drilled and produces about seven million cubic feet of gas.

• 1946 A small oilfield is discovered northeast of Fort McKavett but abandoned the following year.

• 1960’s Oil and gas production with an average annual yield of more than 270,000 barrels.

• 1980’s Of the county's forty oilfields, about twenty are still active producing 132,000 to 185,000 barrels annually.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 902 square miles (2,337 km²), of which, 901 square miles (2,336 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (1 km²) of it (0.04%) is water.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 83
• U.S. Highway 190
• State Highway 29

Adjacent counties

• Concho County (north)
• McCulloch County (northeast)
• Mason County (east)
• Kimble County (south)
• Schleicher County (west)

Demographics

As of the census^[13] of 2000, there were 2,360 people, 990 households, and 665 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile (1/km²). There were 1,607 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.54% White, 0.51% Black or African American, 0.64% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 9.79% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 31.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 990 households out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.00% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.80% were non-families. 30.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, the population was spread out with 24.20% under the age of 18, 5.30% from 18 to 24, 21.90% from 25 to 44, 26.60% from 45 to 64, and 21.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,762, and the median income for a family was $30,872. Males had a median income of $21,953 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,987. About 20.00% of families and 25.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.90% of those under age 18 and 19.10% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Fort McKavett
• Hext
• Menard

References

1. ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. ^ Handbook of Texas, Menard County [1]
3. ^ The Six National Flags of Texas [2]
4. ^ Handbook of Texas San Luis de las Amarillas [3]
5. ^ The Magnificent Life of Vicente Ramon Guerrero [4]
6. ^ TAMU Chieftans of Mexican Independence [5]
7. ^ TexFiles The Lost San Saba Mine [6]
8. ^ Texas Escapes, Ft McKavett [7]
9. ^ The Texas Underground, Michel B. Menard [8]
10. ^ Texas Escapes, Menard Tx [9]
11. ^ Government documents, Emancipation Proclamation [10]
12. ^ Cinnamon Hearts Juneteenth [11]
13. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Menard County from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Texas Beyond History, Mission San Saba

Coordinates: 30°54′N 99°49′W / 30.90°N 99.82°W

Categories: Texas counties | Menard County, Texas