Mills County, Texas

Mills County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. In 2000, its population was 5,151. Mills County is named for John T. Mills, a justice of the Texas Supreme Court. The seat of the county is Goldthwaite^[1].

History Timeline

• Among first inhabitants were the Apache and 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]

• 1786-1789 Pedro Vial explores a route from San Antonio to Santa Fe for Spain.

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

• 1828 Capt. Henry Stevenson Brown passes through the county to recover stock stolen by Indians.

• 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.

• 1852 Dick Jenkins becomes the county’s first permanent settler.

• 1857 A Methodist circuit rider holds the county’s first religious service in the cabin of Charles Mullin.

• 1858 Mr. and Mrs. Mose Jackson and two of their children are killed by Indians at Jackson Springs, while two other children were carried into captivity. After a force of settlers route the Indians at Salt Gap, their pursuers and a company of Texas Rangers recover the captive Jackson children. ^[6]

• 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.

• 1869-1897 Lawlessness is rampant in post-Civil War Mills County. Vigilante committees create a reign of terror. Lynchings and assassinations become commonplace. The Texas Rangers are brought in to restore law and order.

• 1885 Goldthwaite is established as the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway builds tracks into the region.

• 1887 The Texas state legislature forms Mills County from Brown, Comanche, Hamilton, and Lampasas counties. Goldthwaite becomes the county seat.

• 1890 The county courthouse is erected.

• 1905 A Confederate Reunion is held in Goldthwaite. ^[9]

• 1912 The courthouse burns down.

• 1913 A new brick, stone and concrete courthouse is erected in the Classical Revival style by architect Henry Phelps. ^[10]

• 1982 Oil is discovered in the Mills County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 750 square miles (1,942 km²), of which, 748 square miles (1,938 km²) of it is land and 2 square miles (5 km²) of it (0.24%) is water.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 84
• U.S. Highway 183
• State Highway 16

Adjacent counties

• Comanche County (north)
• Hamilton County (northeast)
• Lampasas County (southeast)
• San Saba County (southwest)
• Brown County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 5,151 people, 2,001 households, and 1,398 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 2,691 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.24% White, 1.26% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 7.73% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 13.03% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,001 households out of which 27.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.20% were married couples living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 27.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.50% under the age of 18, 4.70% from 18 to 24, 20.50% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 23.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 102.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,579, and the median income for a family was $37,519. Males had a median income of $25,933 versus $20,076 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,915. About 12.70% of families and 18.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.40% of those under age 18 and 17.80% of those age 65 or over.

Local media

Mills County is home to one area newspaper: The Goldthwaite Eagle. Mills County is part of the Waco/Temple/Killeen (Central Texas) Television media market. Local News media outlets are: KCEN-TV, KWTX-TV, KXXV-TV, KWBU-TV, KWKT-TV and KNCT-TV. Two other television stations from the Abilene/Sweetwater/Brownwood DMA provide coverage for Mills County they include: KRBC-TV and KTAB-TV.

Cities and towns

• Goldthwaite
• Mullin
• Democrat (unincorporated)
• Priddy (unincorporated)
• Star (unincorporated)

References

1. ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. ^ Handbook of Texas, Mills 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. ^ Texas Historical Markers, Jackson Massacre [5]
7. ^ Government documents, Emancipation Proclamation [6]
8. ^ Cinnamon Hearts Juneteenth [7]
9. ^ Mills Co CC [8]
10. ^ Texas Escapes, Mills Co Courthouses [9]
11. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Mills County government website
• Mills County from the Handbook of Texas Online
• The Goldthwaite Eagle Newspaper

Coordinates: 31°30′N 98°35′W / 31.50°N 98.59°W

Categories: Texas counties | Mills County, Texas | 1887 establishments