Reagan County, Texas
Encyclopedia
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
. 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
.
, the county has a total area of 1176 square miles (3,045.8 km²), of which 1175 square miles (3,043.2 km²) is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) (0.06%) is water. The Spraberry Trend
, the third-largest oil field in the United States by remaining reserves, underlies much of the county.
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.
See individual town articles for history of the county.
Edwards Plateau
The Edwards Plateau is a region of west-central Texas which is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the Pecos River and Chihuahuan Desert to the west. San Angelo, Austin, San Antonio and Del Rio roughly outline the area...
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 3,326. The 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....
of the county is Big Lake
Big Lake, Texas
Big Lake is a small rural city in Reagan County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,885. It is the county seat of Reagan County....
. It is named in honor of John Henninger Reagan
John Henninger Reagan
John Henninger Reagan , was a leading 19th century American politician from the U.S. state of Texas. A Democrat, Reagan resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives when Texas seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. He served in the cabinet of Jefferson Davis as...
(1818-1905), who served as postmaster general of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
and also as a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, and first chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas
Railroad Commission of Texas
The Railroad Commission of Texas is the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in the liquefied petroleum gas industry, and surface coal and uranium mining .Established by the Texas Legislature in 1891, it is the state's oldest regulatory...
.
History Timeline
- First inhabitants Paleo-Indian, Suma-JumanoSuma-JumanoThe 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:...
, KiowaKiowaThe Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
and ComancheComancheThe Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
. - 1650 Captains Hernán Martín and Diego del Castillo explore the region.
- 1684 Juan Domínguez de Mendoza and Nicolás López report on local Indians.
- 1858 -1861 Butterfield Overland MailButterfield Overland MailThe Butterfield Overland Mail Trail was a stagecoach route in the United States, operating from 1857 to 1861. It was a conduit for the U.S. mail from two eastern termini, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, meeting Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continuing through Indian Territory, New Mexico,...
crosses the center of the county. - 1878 Camp Grierson’s Spring is established as a subpost of Fort Concho and named in honor of Col. Benjamin H. Grierson.
- 1903 Reagan County is carved from Tom Green County and named for United States SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
John Henninger ReaganJohn Henninger ReaganJohn Henninger Reagan , was a leading 19th century American politician from the U.S. state of Texas. A Democrat, Reagan resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives when Texas seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. He served in the cabinet of Jefferson Davis as...
. StilesStiles, TexasStiles is a ghost town in Reagan County, Texas, United States, about north of Big Lake. As the only town in the area when Reagan County was established in 1903, Stiles was made the county seat...
, named after local rancher William G. Stiles, becomes the first county seat. - 1911 The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient of Texas RailwayKansas City, Mexico and Orient RailwayThe Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, started in 1900 by American railroad entrepreneur Arthur Edward Stilwell, was the predecessor to the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad in Mexico. It was intended to reach the Pacific Ocean at Topolobampo, Sinaloa...
is completed. - 1923 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 FundPermanent University FundThe Permanent University Fund is one of the methods by which the State of Texas funds public higher education within the state. A portion of the returns from the PUF are annually directed towards the Available University Fund , which distributes the funds according to provisions set forth by the...
. The rig is named Santa Rita #1 for The Patron Saint of the ImpossibleRita of CasciaSaint Rita of Cascia is an Italian Augustinian saint.-Early life:St. Rita was born at Roccaporena near Spoleto, Umbria, Italy....
. Big LakeBig Lake, TexasBig Lake is a small rural city in Reagan County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,885. It is the county seat of Reagan County....
is incorporated as a city. - 1924 Boom town community of BestBest, TexasBest is an unincorporated town in southwestern Reagan County in the western part of the U.S. state of Texas. It was portrayed in the Clyde Ragsdale novel “The Big Fist”.-Location and population:...
plunges into vice and violence, necessitating the Texas Rangers intervention. The Rangers destroy buildings that are being used as brothels, gambling houses, and saloons. - 1925 Voters move the county seat to Big Lake.
- 1926 TexonTexon, TexasTexon is a small unincorporated town in Reagan County, Texas, United States, in the western part of the state. The town is noted for its boom as an oil town and subsequent near abandonment.-Population and location:...
is established by the Big Lake Oil Company for its employees and their families and is devoted to family life. - 1951 A renewed oil boom from the Spraberry TrendSpraberry TrendThe Spraberry Trend is a large oil field in the Permian Basin of west central Texas, covering large parts of six counties, and having a total area of approximately . It is named for Abner Spraberry, the Dawson County farmer who owned the land containing the 1943 discovery well...
production.
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 1176 square miles (3,045.8 km²), of which 1175 square miles (3,043.2 km²) is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) (0.06%) is water. The Spraberry Trend
Spraberry Trend
The Spraberry Trend is a large oil field in the Permian Basin of west central Texas, covering large parts of six counties, and having a total area of approximately . It is named for Abner Spraberry, the Dawson County farmer who owned the land containing the 1943 discovery well...
, the third-largest oil field in the United States by remaining reserves, underlies much of the county.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 67
State Highway 137- Farm to Market Road 33
Adjacent counties
- Glasscock County (north)
- Sterling CountySterling County, TexasSterling County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 1,393. Its county seat is Sterling City. The county is named for W. S. Sterling, an early settler in the area. Sterling County is one of 30 prohibition, or entirely dry, counties in...
(northeast) - Tom Green County (east)
- Irion County (east)
- Crockett County (south)
- Upton CountyUpton County, TexasUpton County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 3,404. Its county seat is Rankin. The county is named for two brothers: John C. and William F. Upton, both Colonels in the Confederate army....
(west)
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 3,326 people, 1,107 households, and 872 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 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
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...
, 3.01% 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...
, 0.54% 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...
, 29.56% 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 1.98% from two or more races. 49.49% 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 1,107 households out of which 46.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.10% 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, 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
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 $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 LakeBig Lake, TexasBig Lake is a small rural city in Reagan County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,885. It is the county seat of Reagan County....
- BestBest, TexasBest is an unincorporated town in southwestern Reagan County in the western part of the U.S. state of Texas. It was portrayed in the Clyde Ragsdale novel “The Big Fist”.-Location and population:...
- StilesStiles, TexasStiles is a ghost town in Reagan County, Texas, United States, about north of Big Lake. As the only town in the area when Reagan County was established in 1903, Stiles was made the county seat...
- TexonTexon, TexasTexon is a small unincorporated town in Reagan County, Texas, United States, in the western part of the state. The town is noted for its boom as an oil town and subsequent near abandonment.-Population and location:...
See individual town articles for history of the county.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Reagan County, Texas