Reagan County

Reagan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 3,326. The seat of the county is Big Lake^[1]. It is named in honor of John Henninger Reagan (1818-1905), who served as postmaster general of the Confederate States of America and also as a U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, and first chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas.

History Timeline

• First inhabitants Paleo-Indian, Suma-Jumano, Kiowa and Comanche. ^[2]

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

• 1650 Captains Hernán Martín and Diego del Castillo explore the region. ^[3]

• 1684 Juan Domínguez de Mendoza and Nicolás López report on local Indians.

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

• 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

• 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 -1861 Butterfield Overland Mail crosses the center of the 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.

• 1878 Camp Grierson’s Spring is established as a subpost of Fort Concho and named in honor of Col. Benjamin H. Grierson. ^{[9] [10]}

• 1903 Reagan County is carved from Tom Green County and named for United States Senator John Henninger Reagan. Stiles, named after local rancher William G. Stiles, becomes the first county seat. ^[11]

• 1911 The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient of Texas Railway is completed.

• 1923

May 28 • Oil is discovered at the Big Lake Oilfield in the Permian Basin. Big Lake Oilfield, located on University of Texas land, opens the Permian Basin to oil production and endows the Permanent University Fund. The rig is named Santa Rita #1 for The Patron Saint of the Impossible. ^{[12] [13]},

Big Lake is incorporated as a city. ^[14]

• 1924 Boom town community of Best denigrates into vice and violence, necessitating the Texas Rangers intervention. The Rangers destroy buildings that are being used as brothels, gambling houses, and saloons. ^[15]

• 1925 Voters move the county seat to Big Lake.

• 1926 Texon is established by the Big Lake Oil Company for its employees and their families and is devoted to family life. ^[16]

• 1951 A renewed oil boom from the Spraberry Trend production.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,176 square miles (3,046 km²), of which, 1,175 square miles (3,044 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (2 km²) of it (0.06%) is water. The Spraberry Trend, the third-largest oil field in the United States by remaining reserves, underlies much of the county.^[17]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 67
• State Highway 137
• Farm to Market Road 33

Adjacent counties

• Glasscock County (north)
• Sterling County (northeast)
• Tom Green County (east)
• Irion County (east)
• Crockett County (south)
• Upton County (west)

Demographics

As of the census^[18] of 2000, there were 3,326 people, 1,107 households, and 872 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile (1/km²). There were 1,452 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 64.64% White, 3.01% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 29.56% from other races, and 1.98% from two or more races. 49.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,107 households out of which 46.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.10% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.20% were non-families. 19.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.42.

In the county, the population was spread out with 34.20% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 19.90% from 45 to 64, and 10.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 100.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,231, and the median income for a family was $36,806. Males had a median income of $31,228 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,174. About 9.30% of families and 11.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.60% of those under age 18 and 23.60% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Big Lake
• Best
• Stiles
• Texon

See individual town articles for history of the county.

References

1. ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. ^ Handbook of Texas, Reagan County [1]
3. ^ Texas Historical Markers, Martin and Castillo expedition [2]
4. ^ The Six National Flags of Texas [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. ^ Handbook of Texas, Camp Grierson’s Spring [8]
10. ^ Texas Historical Marker, Camp Grierson’s Spring [9]
11. ^ Texas Escapes, Stiles [10]
12. ^ Handbook of Texas, Big Lake Oilfield [11]
13. ^ Texas Escapes, Santa Rita #1 [12]
14. ^ Big Lake home page [13]
15. ^ Texas Escapes, Best [14]
16. ^ Texas Excapes, Texon [15]
17. ^ Top 100 Oil and Gas Fields
18. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Reagan County from the Handbook of Texas Online

Coordinates: 31°22′N 101°31′W / 31.36°N 101.52°W

Categories: Texas counties | Reagan County, Texas