Freestone County, Texas
Encyclopedia
Freestone County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Texas
. As of 2000, the population was 17,867. Its county seat
is Fairfield
.
, the county has a total area of 892 square miles (2,310.3 km²), of which 877 square miles (2,271.4 km²) is land and 15 square miles (38.8 km²) (1.65%) is water.
of 2000, there were 17,867 people, 6,588 households, and 4,664 families residing in the county. The population density
was 20 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 8,138 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 75.56% White
, 18.91% Black
or African American
, 0.37% Native American
, 0.27% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 3.90% from other races
, and 0.97% from two or more races. 8.20% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 6,588 households out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples
living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.60% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 110.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,283, and the median income for a family was $39,586. Males had a median income of $30,633 versus $19,214 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $16,338. About 9.80% of families and 14.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.80% of those under age 18 and 14.30% of those age 65 or over.
dates as far back as 200 BCE in the area. The Hernando de Soto
expedition of 1541 resulted in violent encounters. Spanish and French missionaries brought a smallpox
, measles
malaria
and influenza
epidemics against which the Caddo had no immunity. Eventually, the Caddo were forced to reservations.
The Tawakoni branch of Wichita Indians originated north of Texas, but migrated south into east Texas. From 1843 onward, the Tawakoni were part of treaties made by both the Republic of Texas
and the United States
. Tawakoni were also sometimes known as Tehuacana.
received a grant from the Coahuila y Tejas
legislature to settle 300 families. By contracting how many families each grantee could settle, the government sought to have some control over colonization.
The threat of Indian hostilities kept most from homesteading in Freestone County until the Treaty of Bird's Fort. Within three years of the treaty, colonization, primarily from Southern states, had been so successful that the counties surrounding Freestone had already been organized. In 1850 the Texas legislature formed Freestone County from Limestone County
. The county was organized in 1851. Fairfield
became the county seat. Of the county's total 1860 population of 6,881, more than half (3,613) were slaves.
Freestone County voted 585-3 in favor of secession from the Union. While the loss of slave labor may have hurt the economy, by Reconstruction, the number of farms doubled.
The Houston and Texas Central Railway and the International – Great Northern Railroad and skirted the county to the west and south in 1870, giving the local economy a boost. The Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway, laid track across the county in 1906, helping the growing economy.
When the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
took effect in 1920, banning the sale, manufacturing and transportation of alcoholic beverages for public consumption, until its repeal by the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
in 1933, some enterprising individuals in Freestone followed a national trend and began bootlegging for profit. It put food on the table during a period when the local economy was in a downward slide.
In 1969, Texas Utilities Generating Company located a new power plant near Fairfield, creating many local jobs. A dam was built to create Fairfield Lake as a cooling system for the plant. Fairfield Lake State Park was opened to the public in 1972.
-Fort Worth
DMA. Local media outlets include: KDFW-TV, KXAS-TV
, WFAA-TV
, KTVT-TV, KERA-TV
, KTXA-TV, KDFI-TV, KDAF-TV, and KFWD-TV. Although located in eastern Central Texas
geographically closer to the Waco
metropolitan area. Meaning all of the Waco
/Temple
/Killeen
market stations also provide coverage for Freestone County. They include: KCEN-TV
, KWTX-TV
, KXXV-TV, KDYW, and KWKT-TV. The Freestone County Times newspaper continues to serve the entire county out of Fairfield.
Historic communities in Freestone County have included Baty, Beene, Blunt, Bonner, Bowling, Brewster, Butler, Cobb, Cotton Gin, Driver, Flowerdale, Freestone, Goetz, Harp, Israel, Ivory, Keechil, Lakeport, Lanely, Long Bottom, Luna, Mills, Milton, Morehead, Mount Zion, Pinoak, Pyburn, Shanks, St. Elmo, Starling, Steward's Mill, Stonewall, Troy, Turlington, Valota, Wakefield, West Point, Winkler, Yedell, Yerby, and Young. http://www.rootsweb.com/~txpost/freestone.html
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. As of 2000, the population was 17,867. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Fairfield
Fairfield, Texas
Fairfield is a city in Freestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,094 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Freestone County.-Geography:Fairfield is located at ....
.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 892 square miles (2,310.3 km²), of which 877 square miles (2,271.4 km²) is land and 15 square miles (38.8 km²) (1.65%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 45
U.S. Highway 84
State Highway 75State Highway 75 (Texas)State Highway 75 is a Texas state route remnant of the old U.S. Highway 75. State Highway 75 retained the number as a state highway when Interstate 45 supplanted U.S. Highway 75 south of Dallas except in Dallas, where old U.S. Highway 75 is now State Highway 310, and through Ferris, Palmer, Ennis,...
Adjacent counties
- Henderson CountyHenderson County, TexasAs of the census of 2000, there were 73,277 people, 28,804 households, and 20,969 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile . There were 35,935 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
(north) - Anderson CountyAnderson County, TexasAnderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 55,109. Its county seat is Palestine. Anderson county was organized in 1846, and is named in honor of Kenneth L. Anderson who had been Vice President of the Republic of Texas.-Geography:According to the...
(northeast) - Leon County (southeast)
- Limestone CountyLimestone County, TexasLimestone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 22,051. Its county seat is Groesbeck.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
(southwest) - Navarro County (northwest)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 17,867 people, 6,588 households, and 4,664 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 20 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 8,138 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 75.56% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 18.91% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.37% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.27% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 3.90% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.97% from two or more races. 8.20% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 6,588 households out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.60% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 110.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,283, and the median income for a family was $39,586. Males had a median income of $30,633 versus $19,214 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $16,338. About 9.80% of families and 14.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.80% of those under age 18 and 14.30% of those age 65 or over.
Native Americans
The farming Kichai band of the Caddoan Mississippian cultureCaddoan Mississippian culture
The Caddoan Mississippian culture was a prehistoric Native American culture considered by archaeologists as a variant of the Mississippian culture. The Caddoan Mississippians covered a large territory, including what is now Eastern Oklahoma, Western Arkansas, Northeast Texas, and Northwest Louisiana...
dates as far back as 200 BCE in the area. The Hernando de Soto
Hernando de Soto (explorer)
Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River....
expedition of 1541 resulted in violent encounters. Spanish and French missionaries brought a smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
, measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
epidemics against which the Caddo had no immunity. Eventually, the Caddo were forced to reservations.
The Tawakoni branch of Wichita Indians originated north of Texas, but migrated south into east Texas. From 1843 onward, the Tawakoni were part of treaties made by both the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Tawakoni were also sometimes known as Tehuacana.
County established
In 1826, empresario David G. BurnetDavid G. Burnet
David Gouverneur Burnet was an early politician within the Republic of Texas, serving as interim President of Texas , second Vice President of the Republic of Texas , and Secretary of State for the new state of Texas after it was annexed to the United States of America.Burnet was born in Newark,...
received a grant from the Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution.It had two capitals: first Saltillo, and then Monclova...
legislature to settle 300 families. By contracting how many families each grantee could settle, the government sought to have some control over colonization.
The threat of Indian hostilities kept most from homesteading in Freestone County until the Treaty of Bird's Fort. Within three years of the treaty, colonization, primarily from Southern states, had been so successful that the counties surrounding Freestone had already been organized. In 1850 the Texas legislature formed Freestone County from Limestone County
Limestone County, Texas
Limestone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 22,051. Its county seat is Groesbeck.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
. The county was organized in 1851. Fairfield
Fairfield, Texas
Fairfield is a city in Freestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,094 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Freestone County.-Geography:Fairfield is located at ....
became the county seat. Of the county's total 1860 population of 6,881, more than half (3,613) were slaves.
Freestone County voted 585-3 in favor of secession from the Union. While the loss of slave labor may have hurt the economy, by Reconstruction, the number of farms doubled.
The Houston and Texas Central Railway and the International – Great Northern Railroad and skirted the county to the west and south in 1870, giving the local economy a boost. The Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway, laid track across the county in 1906, helping the growing economy.
When the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Eighteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution established Prohibition in the United States. The separate Volstead Act set down methods of enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment, and defined which "intoxicating liquors" were prohibited, and which were excluded from prohibition...
took effect in 1920, banning the sale, manufacturing and transportation of alcoholic beverages for public consumption, until its repeal by the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution repealed the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which had mandated nationwide Prohibition...
in 1933, some enterprising individuals in Freestone followed a national trend and began bootlegging for profit. It put food on the table during a period when the local economy was in a downward slide.
In 1969, Texas Utilities Generating Company located a new power plant near Fairfield, creating many local jobs. A dam was built to create Fairfield Lake as a cooling system for the plant. Fairfield Lake State Park was opened to the public in 1972.
Local media
Freestone County is currently listed as part of the DallasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
-Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
DMA. Local media outlets include: KDFW-TV, KXAS-TV
KXAS-TV
KXAS-TV, virtual channel 5 , is the NBC television station for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The station was Texas' first television station when the station made its debut on September 28, 1948. Its transmitter is located in Cedar Hill...
, WFAA-TV
WFAA-TV
WFAA, channel 8, is an ABC-affiliated television station serving the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, one of the top ten media markets in North America. The station is the flagship of Belo Corporation and the largest ABC affiliate not owned and operated by the network...
, KTVT-TV, KERA-TV
KERA-TV
KERA-TV, virtual channel 13 , is the PBS member station in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Licensed to Dallas, it broadcasts from a transmitter located in Cedar Hill. However, it also serves as the default PBS station for the Abilene, San Angelo and Tyler/Longview/Lufkin/Nacogdoches markets, as...
, KTXA-TV, KDFI-TV, KDAF-TV, and KFWD-TV. Although located in eastern Central Texas
Central Texas
Central Texas , is a region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is roughly bordered by San Marcos to Fredericksburg to Waco, and to Brenham, and includes the Austin–Round Rock, Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, Bryan-College Station, and Waco metropolitan areas...
geographically closer to the Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
metropolitan area. Meaning all of the Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
/Temple
Temple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
/Killeen
Killeen, Texas
Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921...
market stations also provide coverage for Freestone County. They include: KCEN-TV
KCEN-TV
KCEN-TV, virtual channel 6, is the NBC affiliate for Waco, Killeen and Temple, Texas. Licensed to nearby Temple, it is owned by London Broadcasting. It was founded in 1953 by Frank W. Mayborn, publisher of the nearby Temple Daily Telegram newspaper...
, KWTX-TV
KWTX-TV
KWTX-TV, channel 10, is a full-power television station in Waco, Texas, serving Central Texas as a CBS affiliate. Owned by Gray Television, it airs a digital signal on VHF channel 10...
, KXXV-TV, KDYW, and KWKT-TV. The Freestone County Times newspaper continues to serve the entire county out of Fairfield.
Cities and towns
- FairfieldFairfield, TexasFairfield is a city in Freestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,094 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Freestone County.-Geography:Fairfield is located at ....
- KirvinKirvin, TexasKirvin is a town in Freestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 122 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kirvin is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land....
- OakwoodOakwood, TexasOakwood is a town in Freestone and Leon counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 471 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oakwood is located at ....
- StreetmanStreetman, TexasStreetman is a town in Freestone and Navarro Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. In 1990 the population was 260. The population dropped to 203 in 2000.-Geography:...
- TeagueTeague, TexasTeague is a city in Freestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,557 at the 2000 census.-Settlement:The area was first settled around the time of the Civil War. During the latter...
- WorthamWortham, TexasWortham is a town in Freestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,082 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wortham is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land...
Other places
- CoutchmanCoutchman, TexasCoutchman was a town in northern Freestone County, Texas, United States, some 5 miles west of Streetman on farm road 489....
- DewDew, TexasDew is an unincorporated community in southern Freestone County, Texas, United States. It is located at the junction of State Highway 75 and Farm to Market Road 489, nine miles south of Fairfield, the county seat....
- DonieDonie, TexasDonie is an unincorporated community in southern Freestone County, Texas, United States. It lies along State Highway 164 south of the city of Fairfield, the county seat of Freestone County. Its elevation is 489 feet . Although Donie is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code...
Historic communities in Freestone County have included Baty, Beene, Blunt, Bonner, Bowling, Brewster, Butler, Cobb, Cotton Gin, Driver, Flowerdale, Freestone, Goetz, Harp, Israel, Ivory, Keechil, Lakeport, Lanely, Long Bottom, Luna, Mills, Milton, Morehead, Mount Zion, Pinoak, Pyburn, Shanks, St. Elmo, Starling, Steward's Mill, Stonewall, Troy, Turlington, Valota, Wakefield, West Point, Winkler, Yedell, Yerby, and Young. http://www.rootsweb.com/~txpost/freestone.html
Notable residents
- Leonard DavisLeonard DavisLeonard Barnett Davis is an American football guard for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Davis has also played for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:Davis is the...
, NFL offensive lineman for the Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
who grew up in Wortham. - Blind Lemon JeffersonBlind Lemon Jefferson"Blind" Lemon Jefferson was an American blues singer and guitarist from Texas. He was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s, and has been titled "Father of the Texas Blues"....
, influential bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
great, born near Wortham - George WatkinsGeorge Watkins (baseball player)George Watkins was a Major League Baseball player, born in Freestone County, Texas who owns the record for the highest batting average in their rookie season, batting .373 in his rookie year of , with the St...
(1900–1970), Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who owns the record for highest batting average as a rookie.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Freestone County, Texas