Victoria County, Texas
Victoria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 84,088. Its county seat is Victoria[1]. It is included in the Victoria, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 889 square miles (2,302 km²), of which, 882 square miles (2,286 km²) of it is land and 7 square miles (16 km²) of it (0.70%) is water.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Lavaca County (north)
- Jackson County (northeast)
- Calhoun County (southeast)
- Refugio County (south)
- Goliad County (southwest)
- DeWitt County (northwest)
History Timeline
- Paleo-Indians Hunter-gatherers, and later Tonkawa, Aranamas, Tamiques, Karankawa. Tawakoni, Lipan Apache and Comanche, first inhabitants. [2]
- 1519-1685 Hernando Cortez and Alonso Álvarez de Pineda claim Texas for Spain.
- 1528 Álvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca explorations.
- 1685
- France plants its flag on Texas soil, but departs after only five years. [3]
- René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle establishes Fort St. Louis [4]
- 1689 Alonso de Leon names the Guadalupe River in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- 1722 Nuestra Señora de Loreto Presidio and Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga Mission become the first Spanish settlement in Victoria County.
- 1821 Mexico claims its independence from Spain. Anglos from the north settle in Texas and claim Mexican citizenship
- 1824 Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Jesús Victoria is established by Martín De León, who starts his colony with 5,000 branded cattle and establishes the county's claim as the "Cradle of the Texas Cattle Industry." The only primarily Mexican colony in Texas. Settlers supported the revolution against Antonio López de Santa Anna, but were ostracized and forced to flee after the revolution in 1836. Anglo-Americans resettle the area.
- 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.
- March 17 • Victory County is formed by the Republic of Texas. It is named after Guadalupe Victoria, the first President of Mexico.
- April 21-22 - Battle of San Jacinto, Antonio López de Santa Anna captured.
- 3,000 troops of the Texas army encamp near Spring Creek, Victoria County, under the command of Gen. Thomas J. Rusk, as the main defense against a threatened attack by Mexican general José de Urrea.
- May 14 - Santa Anna signs the Treaties of Velasco.
- 3,000 troops of the Texas army encamp near Spring Creek, Victoria County, under the command of Gen. Thomas J. Rusk, as the main defense against a threatened attack by Mexican general José de Urrea.
- April 21-22 - Battle of San Jacinto, Antonio López de Santa Anna captured.
- March 17 • Victory County is formed by the Republic of Texas. It is named after Guadalupe Victoria, the first President of Mexico.
- March 6 - The Alamo falls.
- 1842 Rafael Vásquez and Adrián Woll lead Mexican forces in an invasion into the county.
- 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.
- 1851 Victoria County’s first toll bridge is erected across the river, built by Richard Owens and Sylvester Sutton.
- 1860 There are 1,413 slaves in the county.
- 1861
- County votes 318-88 in favor of secession from the Union. Victoria County sends 300 men to fight for the Confederate States Army.
- February 1 - Texas secedes from the Union
- March 2 - Texas joins the Confederate States of America
- February 1 - Texas secedes from the Union
- 1863
- January 1 • The Emancipation Proclamation. [9]
- Confederate General John B. Magruder destroys the railroad from Port Lavaca to Victoria to keep it out of Union hands. He also sinks trees and boats into the Guadalupe River.
- 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. [10]
- December 6 • The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits slavery.
- 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. [10]
- April 15 • President Abraham Lincoln dies of a head wound inflicted by assassin John Wilkes Booth.
- 1867-1869 The county is occupied by federal troops. Mob mentality violence by those same troops results in the axing death and corpse mutilation of local official Benjamin F. Hill, who is at the time incarcerated for an alleged self-defense killing of a discharged Union soldier. [11]
- 1870, March 30 - The United States Congress readmits Texas into the Union.
- 1873 Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific Railway connects Victoria with Cuero and the coast.
- 1882 New York, Texas and Mexican Railway provides the first cross-country route to Rosenberg Junction in Fort Bend County.
- 1883 Texas Continental Meat Company is erected in the county and is the largest meat packing plant in Texas.
- 1886 Bray's Ferry is established at the San Antonio River by G. B. Amery and John Bray.
- 1906 The Guadalupe River Navigation Company is established.
- 1930
- Oil is discovered at the McFaddin Oil Field [12]
- Victoria County holds more cattle than any other county in Texas.
- 1941 Foster Air Force Base is established as Victoria Army Air Field as a training air field.
- 1949 A DuPont plant is established in the county.
- 1967 The Victoria Barge Canal is completed, connecting Victoria County with the Intercoastal Canal.
Demographics
As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 84,088 people, 30,071 households, and 22,192 families residing in the county. The population density was 95 people per square mile (37/km²). There were 32,945 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.22% White, 6.30% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 15.92% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races. 39.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.2% were of German, 6.2% American and 5.6% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 73.3% spoke English and 25.5% Spanish as their first language.
There were 30,071 households out of which 37.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the county, the population was spread out with 29.10% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,732, and the median income for a family was $44,443. Males had a median income of $35,484 versus $21,231 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,379. About 10.50% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 11.70% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated areas
References
- ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Handbook of Texas, Victoria County [1]
- ^ The Six National Flags of Texas [2]
- ^ Texas Historical Markers, Fort St. Louis [3]
- ^ The Magnificent Life of Vicente Ramon Guerrero [4]
- ^ TAMU Chieftans of Mexican Independence [5]
- ^ Handbook of Texas, Coletoville [6]
- ^ Texas Escapes, Coletoville [7]
- ^ Government documents, Emancipation Proclamation [8]
- ^ Cinnamon Hearts Juneteenth [9]
- ^ Handbook of Texas, Benjamin F. Hill [10]
- ^ Hometown Locator, McFaddin [11]
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- Victoria County government's website
- Victoria Economic Development Corporation economic development
- Victoria County from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Texas Beyond History, Morhiss Mound
| DeWitt County | Lavaca County | Jackson County | ||
| Victoria County, Texas | ||||
| Goliad County | Refugio County | Calhoun County |
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Coordinates: 28°48′N 96°58′W / 28.80°N 96.97°W
Categories: Texas counties | Victoria County, Texas | Guadalupe River (Texas) | Victoria, Texas metropolitan area javascript"> if ( window.isMSIE55 ) fixalpha();