Presidio County, Texas
Encyclopedia
Presidio County is a county located in the U.S. state
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...

. In 2000, its population was 7,304. 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 Marfa
Marfa, Texas
Marfa is a town in the high desert of far West Texas in the Southwestern United States. Located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, it is also the county seat of Presidio County. The population was 1,981 at the 2010 census....

. Presidio County (K-5 in Texas topological index of counties) is in the Trans-Pecos
Trans-Pecos
The term Trans-Pecos, as originally defined in 1887 by the Texas geologist Robert T. Hill, refers to the portion of Texas that lies west of the Pecos River. The term is considered synonymous with "Far West Texas", a subdivision of West Texas...

 region of West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....

 and is named for the ancient border settlement of Presidio del Norte.

Geography

Presidio County is triangular in shape and is bounded on the east by Brewster County
Brewster County, Texas
Brewster County is a county located in western part of the US state of Texas, along the border with Mexico. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. As of the 2000 census, the population is 8,866. In 2009, the population was estimated to be 9,481. Its...

, on the north by Jeff Davis County
Jeff Davis County, Texas
Jeff Davis County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is named for Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. In 2000, its population was 2,207, and 2,258 by 2009...

, and on the south and west for 135 miles (217 km) by the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...

 and Mexico. Marfa, the county seat, is 190 miles (306 km) southeast of El Paso and 150 miles (241 km) southwest of Odessa. The center of the county lies at 30°30' north latitude and 104°15' west longitude. According to the U.S. Census Bureau
United 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 3,856 square miles (9,988 km²), of which 3,855 square miles (9,986 km²) is land and 1 square mile (2 km²) (0.02%) is water.

Geographically, Presidio County comprises 3857 square miles (9,990 km²) of contrasting topography, geology, and vegetation. In the north and west, clay and sandy loam cover the rolling plains known as the Marfa Plateau and the Highland Country, providing good ranges of grama grasses for the widely acclaimed Highland Herefords. In the central, far western, and southeastern areas of the county some of the highest mountain ranges in Texas are found. These peaks are formed of volcanic rock and covered with loose surface rubble. They support desert shrubs and cacti and dominate a landscape of rugged canyons and numerous springs. The spring-fed Capote Falls, with a drop of 175 feet (53 m), the highest in Texas, is located in western Presidio County. In the southern and western parts of the county, the volcanic cliffs of the Candelaria Rimrock (also called the Sierra Vieja) rise perpendicular and run parallel to the river, separating the highland prairies from the desert floor hundreds of feet below them. The gravel pediment, which allows only the growth of desert shrubs and cacti, extends from the Rimrock to the flood plain of the river. Along the river, irrigation allows the farming of vegetables, grains, and cotton. There are no permanent streams in the county, although many arroyos become raging torrents during heavy rainfalls. Major ones are Alamito Creek, Cibolo Creek, Capote Creek, and Pinto Canyon. San Esteban Dam was built across Alamito Creek and on the site of a historic spring-fed tinaja in 1911 as an irrigation and land promotion project. Altitudes in the county vary from 2518 to 7728 ft (767.5 to 2,355.5 m) above sea level. Temperatures, moderated by the mountains, vary from 33 °F (0.555555555559977 °C) in January to 100 °F (37.8 °C) in July. Average rainfall is 12 inches (304.8 mm) per year, mainly in June, July, and August. The growing season extends for 238 days. Natural resources under production in 1982 were perlite, crushed rhyolite, sand, and gravel. Silver mining contributed greatly to the economy of the county from the 1880s to the 1940s. Presidio County has no oil or gas production.

Major highways

  • U.S. Highway 67
  • U.S. Highway 90
  • State Highway 17
    State Highway 17 (Texas)
    State Highway 17, or SH 17, runs from Marfa to Pecos in west Texas. The road is maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation .- Route description :...


Adjacent counties and municipios

Presidio County's unusual shape has it facing more of Mexico than of the United States. The county is bounded on the east by Brewster County, on the north by Jeff Davis County, and on the south and west for 135 miles (217 km) by the Rio Grande and Mexico along which it faces on its south side the Manuel Benavides and Ojinaga Districts of the state of Chihuaha, Mexico and on its southwestern side the municipality of Guadalupe of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico.
  • Jeff Davis County
    Jeff Davis County, Texas
    Jeff Davis County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is named for Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. In 2000, its population was 2,207, and 2,258 by 2009...

      (north)
  • Brewster County
    Brewster County, Texas
    Brewster County is a county located in western part of the US state of Texas, along the border with Mexico. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. As of the 2000 census, the population is 8,866. In 2009, the population was estimated to be 9,481. Its...

      (east)
  • Manuel Benavides Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexico  (south)
  • Ojinaga Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexico  (southwest)
  • Guadalupe Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexico
    Mexico
    The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

     (west, at northwest corner)

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 7,304 people, 2,530 households, and 1,864 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 2 people per square mile (1/km²). There were 3,299 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.95% 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...

, 0.27% 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...

, 0.27% 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...

, 0.08% 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...

, 0.01% 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...

, 13.47% 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 0.93% from two or more races. 84.36% of the population was 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 2,530 households out of which 40.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.50% 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, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.43.

In the county, the population was spread out with 32.70% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 24.90% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $19,860, and the median income for a family was $22,314. Males had a median income of $23,218 versus $16,208 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 $9,558. About 32.50% of families and 36.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.40% of those under age 18 and 44.10% of those age 65 or over. The county's 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...

 makes it one of the poorest counties in the United States.

Native Americans

Paleo-Indians Hunter-gatherers existed thousands of years ago on the Trans-Pecos
Trans-Pecos
The term Trans-Pecos, as originally defined in 1887 by the Texas geologist Robert T. Hill, refers to the portion of Texas that lies west of the Pecos River. The term is considered synonymous with "Far West Texas", a subdivision of West Texas...

, and often did not adapt to culture clashes, European diseases and colonization. The Masames tribe was exterminated by the Tobosos, circa 1652. The Nonojes suffered from clashes with the Spanish and merged with the Tobosos. The Spanish made slave raids to the La Junta de los Ríos, committing cruelties against the native population. The Suma-Jumano
Suma-Jumano
The Suma and the Jumano were people in western Sonora and Trans-Pecos region of western Texas. The Suma was the western division and the Jumano were the eastern division.-History:...

 tribe sought to align themselves with the Spanish for survival. The tribe later merged with the Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...

 people. Foraging peoples who did not survive the 18th Century include the Chisos, Mansos, Jumanos, Conchos, Julimes, Cibolos, Tobosos, Sumas, Cholomes, Caguates, Nonojes, Cocoyames, and Acoclames.

Early Explorations and Settlements

The entrada of Juan Domínguez de Mendoza and Father Nicolás López in 1683–84 set out from El Paso to La Junta where they established seven missions at seven pueblos. In 1683 Father López celebrated the first Christmas Mass ever observed in Texas at La Junta.

In 1832, José Ygnacio Ronquillo was issued a conditional land grant, and established the county’s first white settlement on Cibolo Creek. Military obligations forced him to abandon the settlement, and then sold the land.

The Chihuahua Trail
Chihuahua Trail
The Chihuahua Trail is a major land route from New Mexico through the state of Chihuahua to central Mexico.In the late 16th century Spanish exploration and colonization had advanced from Mexico City northward by the great central plateau to its ultimate goal in Santa Fe...

 connecting Mexico’s state of Chihuahua with Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...

 opened up in 1839.

By 1848 Ben Leaton built Fort Leaton, sometimes called the largest adobe structure in Texas, on the river as his home, trading post, and private bastion. Leaton died in debt in 1851, with the fort passing to the holder of the mortgage, John Burgess. In 1934 T. C. Mitchell and the Marfa State Bank acquired the old structure and donated it to the county as a historic site. The park was opened to the public in 1978.

Milton Faver became the county’s first cattle baron. In 1857, he moved his family to Chinati Mountains
Chinati Mountains
The Chinati Mountains of Texas are a small range in the high desert of far West Texas near the city of Presidio. There is a pass through the mountains on Ranch to Market Road 2810, also known as Pinto Canyon Road, which connects to Farm to Market Road 170 at Ruidosa, Texas...

 in the county. Faver bought small tracts of land around three springs-Cibolo, Cienega, and La Morita and established cattle ranches. He built Fort Cienega and Fort Cibolo.

County established and growth

Presidio County was established from Bexar County
Bexar County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile...

 on January 3, 1850. Fort Leaton became the county seat. The county was organized in 1875 as the largest county in the United States, with 12000 square miles (31,079.9 km²). Fort Davis was named the county seat. The boundaries and seat of Presidio County were changed in the 1880s. Marfa was established in 1883, and the county seat was moved there from Fort Davis in 1885.

In 1854 the army built Fort Davis
Fort Davis, Texas
Fort Davis is a census-designated place in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,050 at the 2000 census and 1,041 according to a 2007 estimate. It is the county seat of Jeff Davis County...

 in northern Presidio County.
Fort Davis closed during the Civil War and reopened in 1867. The black population increased to 489 when Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas....

s were stationed at Fort Davis.

John W. Spencer, a local rancher and trader, found a silver deposit in the Chinati Mountains in 1880 that resulted in the opening of Presidio Mine and the beginning of the company town of Shafter
Shafter, Texas
Shafter is an unincorporated community in Presidio County, Texas, United States. The Texas Attorney General's Office gives a population of 11 as of the 2000 Census. It was named in honor of General William Shafter, who at one point commanded the nearby Fort Davis. In the early 1900s six silver...

. From 1883 until 1942 the mine produced over 32.6 million ounces of silver.

The railroad reached Presidio County in 1882 when the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway laid tracks through its northeastern corner.

W. F. Mitchell built the first barbed wire fence in the county at Antelope Springs in 1888. The widespread use of barbed wire resulted in the refinement of cattle breeds, improvement of ranges, and innovative use of water supplies.

Windmills, water wells, and earthen tanks were introduced on Presidio County ranches in the late 1880s.

Elephant Butte Dam
Elephant Butte Dam
Elephant Butte Dam or Elephant Butte Dike is a concrete gravity dam on the Rio Grande near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. The river was dammed here, impounding the Elephant Butte Reservoir for recreation and agriculture, lessening the downstream flow from a Rio Bravo to a stream a foot deep.The...

 was built in 1910 on the Rio Grande, creating a large reliable irrigation source for the county.

The growth of Presidio County's population in the 1910s reflected the impact of the Mexican Revolution on border life. Refugees migrated to the county from Chihuahua as the fighting moved into northern Mexico. The United States Army established several posts in the county. Marfa became the headquarters for the Big Bend Military District, and in 1917 the Army established Camp Marfa, later called Fort D. A. Russell, at Marfa to protect the border. As Presidio County entered the 1930s the people faced a drought and a population decline. Low silver prices closed Presidio Mine at Shafter. Economic recovery began by 1936. During World War II Presidio County enjoyed economic prosperity as the home for two military installations-Fort Russell and Marfa Army Airfield
Marfa Army Airfield
Marfa Army Airfield is an abandoned airfield located in the high desert of West Texas, about southeast of El Paso.-History:...

.

The economy of the county in 1982 was based primarily on agriculture with 83 percent of the land in farms and ranches.

Marfa Lights

Wagon trains on the Chihuahua Trail
Chihuahua Trail
The Chihuahua Trail is a major land route from New Mexico through the state of Chihuahua to central Mexico.In the late 16th century Spanish exploration and colonization had advanced from Mexico City northward by the great central plateau to its ultimate goal in Santa Fe...

 reported seeing unexplained lights in the mid 19th Century. The first recorded incident of the Marfa Lights
Marfa lights
The Marfa lights, also known as the Marfa ghost lights, have been observed near U.S. Route 67 on Mitchell Flat east of Marfa, Texas, in the United States...

 was in 1883 when Robert Reed Ellison and cowhands camped at Mitchell Flats.
They thought the lights might have been Apaches, but later found no evidence of an Apache encampment. Since that time, the lights continue to appear between Marfa and Paisano Pass. Speculation and fascination spark imaginations about the source. Some say they are caused by car headlights, some say extraterrestrial visitors. One theory is that the lights are similar to a mirage caused by atmospheric conditions. No one really knows for sure. Marfa celebrates with a Mystery Lights Festival every Labor Day.

Ghost towns

  • Adobes
  • Candelaria
    Candelaria, Texas
    Candelaria is an unincorporated community in Presidio County, Texas, United States, with about 75 inhabitants.The town stands in the Chihuahuan Desert on the north bank of the Rio Grande, just across from the small Mexican town of San Antonio Del Bravo...

  • Casa Piedra
  • Fort Holland
  • Lindsey City
  • Plata
    Plata, Texas
    Plata is an unincorporated community in Presidio County, Texas, United States.Population at the 2000 census was 37. 2006 census was 56.-External links:...

  • Ruidosa
    Ruidosa, Texas
    Ruidosa is an unincorporated community in Presidio County, Texas, United States.-Education:Ruidosa is zoned to schools in the Presidio Independent School District. In 2000 the population was 43-External links:...

  • Shafter
    Shafter, Texas
    Shafter is an unincorporated community in Presidio County, Texas, United States. The Texas Attorney General's Office gives a population of 11 as of the 2000 Census. It was named in honor of General William Shafter, who at one point commanded the nearby Fort Davis. In the early 1900s six silver...

  • Tinaja

Education

Marfa Independent School District
Marfa Independent School District
Marfa Independent School District is a public school district based in Marfa, Texas .In addition to Marfa, the district also serves the CDP of Redford and the unincorporated communities of Plata and Shafter....

 serves eastern Presidio County while Presidio Independent School District
Presidio Independent School District
Presidio Independent School District is a public school district based in Presidio, Texas .In addition to Presidio the district also serves the unincorporated areas of Candelaria, Chinati, and Ruidosa....

 serves western Presidio County

Presidential elections

The county is reliably Democratic. In the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...

 Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 received 71.3% of the county's vote.

The county has at times given higher than average support for third party or independent candidates. In 1984 it gave Lyndon LaRouche
Lyndon LaRouche
Lyndon Hermyle LaRouche, Jr. is an American political activist and founder of a network of political committees, parties, and publications known collectively as the LaRouche movement...

 3.84%, which might be the highest percentage he received in the nation in that election.

In popular culture

The Howard Hawks
Howard Hawks
Howard Winchester Hawks was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era...

' film Rio Bravo
Rio Bravo (1959 film)
Rio Bravo is a 1959 American Western film, directed by Howard Hawks. The script was written by Jules Furthman and Leigh Brackett, based on a short story by B.H. McCampbell...

, starring John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...

, was set in Presidio County.

The Riata house and exteriors for Giant were at Marfa.

See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Presidio County, Texas
    National Register of Historic Places listings in Presidio County, Texas
    List of Registered Historic Places in Presidio County, TexasThis is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Presidio County, Texas...

  • Presidio County Courthouse
    Presidio County Courthouse
    The Presidio County Courthouse is located in Marfa in the U.S. state of Texas. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1964.-Design:...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK