Zavala County, Texas
Encyclopedia
Zavala County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Texas
. As of 2000, the population was 11,600. Its county seat
is Crystal City
. Zavala is named for Lorenzo de Zavala
, Mexican politician, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
, and first vice president of the Republic of Texas
.
, the county has a total area of 1302 square miles (3,372.2 km²), of which 1298 square miles (3,361.8 km²) is land and 3 square miles (7.8 km²) (0.25%) is water.
Archeologist T. C. Hill of Crystal City conducted excavations in 1972-1973 at the site, uncovering artifacts. More than 100 archeological sites have been identified by researchers of the University of Texas at San Antonio
at the Chaparrosa Ranch. Coahuiltecan
, Tonkawa
, Lipan Apache and Mescalero Apache
and Comanche
have inhabited the area after the Pacuache.
and the Nueces River
, which included Zavala County, became disputed territory known as the Wild Horse Desert, where neither the Republic of Texas
nor the Mexican government had clear control. Ownership was in dispute until the Mexican-American War. The area became filled with lawless characters who deterred settlers in the area. An agreement signed between Mexico and the United States in the 1930s put the liability of payments to the descents of the original land grants on Mexico.
, a Mexican colonist and one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence
. The county was organized in 1858, with an error putting an additional “L” in the county. The mistake was not corrected until 1929. Batesville
became the county seat. Crystal City
won a 1928 election to become the new county seat. Grey (Doc) White and the Vivian family settled Cometa circa 1867. They were joined by the Ramón Sánchez and Galván families in 1870 and by J. Fisher in 1871. Murlo community was settled about the same time. Ranching dominated the county originally, until overgrazing destroyed the grasslands. Zavala then became the first county in Texas to grow flax commercially. Ike T. La Pryor the largest ranch in the county and advertised the land for farming. The community that sprang up was named La Pryor
. Developers E. J. Buckingham and Carl Groos purchased all 96101 acres (388.9 km²) of the Cross S Ranch in 1905, platted the town of Crystal City, and sold the rest as sections divided into 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) farms.
, Frio and LaSalle counties are considered the Winter Garden Region of Texas. Irrigation and mild winter climate has made the area ideal for year-round vegetable farming. During the winter of 1917–18 spinach was introduced to Zavala. The first annual Spinach Festival was introduced in 1936, halted during World War II
, but resumed in 1982.
Cartoonist E. C. Segar
who created the spinach-eating Popeye
received a letter of appreciation from the Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce, thanking him for his support of Spinach in the American diet. Segar’s written response appeared in two newspapers exhorting children everywhere to enjoy Segar’s favorite vegetable. He later approved a 1937 statue of Popeye to be erected in Crystal City, dedicated “To All The Children of the World”.
Bermuda onions became a major crop. Spinach, sorghum, and cotton were the three biggest crops. The principal crops grown in Zavala County in 1989 were spinach, cotton, pecans, corn, and onions.
By the time it closed, it had held German and Japanese combatants and their families, Latin Americans and at least one Italian Latin American family, as well as German and Japanese American families. There were 100 acre (0.404686 km²) for housing and security measures. An additional 190 acre (0.7689034 km²) were for farming and personnel residences. The first internees, of German ethnicity, arrived on December 12, 1942, and were expected to work on construction, being paid 10 Cents an hour. A 70-bed hospital was built in 1943, as was a school for children of the internees. Internees ran nursery schools and kindergartens. From its inception through June 30, 1945, the Crystal City camp held 4,751 internees and saw 153 births. The camp closed in 1948.
that began in 1910 resulted in thousands of laborers flowing across the border to cultivate vegetable crops. By 1917 and 1918 Pancho Villa
was sending banditos across the Rio Grande. Crystal City organized home guards for protection against Villa's associates.
By 1930 Crystal City was overwhelmingly composed of Mexican American
s. That year, Zavala County had the highest percentage of laborers (1,430 per 100 farms) and the lowest percentage of tenants (33 per 100 farms) of all counties in South Texas. Owner-operators were primarily Anglo, whereas sharecroppers and farm laborers were Hispanic. By the late 1950s a majority of those graduating from high school in the county were Mexican American. In 1990, 89.4 percent of the county population of 12,162 were Hispanic.
and The Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations organized the Hispanic population among cannery workers and farm laborers of Crystal City in 1962–63 and succeeded in electing an all Latino city council. The feat became known as the Crystal City Revolts.
The Raza Unida Party
was established in 1970 in Crystal City and Zavala County to bring greater self-determination among Tejano
s.
of 2000, there were 11,600 people, 3,428 households, and 2,807 families residing in the county. The population density
was 9 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 4,075 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 65.06% White
, 0.49% Black
or African American
, 0.59% Native American
, 0.09% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 31.08% from other races
, and 2.66% from two or more races. 91.22% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 3,428 households out of which 43.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples
living together, 21.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.10% were non-families. 16.60% 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 3.28 and the average family size was 3.70.
In the county, the population was spread out with 34.10% under the age of 18, 10.20% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 18.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $16,844, and the median income for a family was $19,418. Males had a median income of $22,045 versus $14,416 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $10,034. About 37.40% of families and 41.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.90% of those under age 18 and 42.40% of those age 65 or over. The county's per-capita income
makes it one of the poorest counties in the United States.
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 11,600. 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 Crystal City
Crystal City, Texas
Crystal City is a city in and the county seat of Zavala County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,190 at the 2000 census. The mascot of Crystal City High School is the Javelina....
. Zavala is named for Lorenzo de Zavala
Lorenzo de Zavala
Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y Saenz was a 19th-century Mexican politician. He served as finance minister under President Vicente Guerrero. A colonizer and statesman, he was also the interim Vice President of the Republic of Texas, serving under interim President David G...
, Mexican politician, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
, and first vice president of 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...
.
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 1302 square miles (3,372.2 km²), of which 1298 square miles (3,361.8 km²) is land and 3 square miles (7.8 km²) (0.25%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 57
U.S. Highway 83
Adjacent counties
- Uvalde CountyUvalde County, TexasUvalde County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 25,926. Its county seat is Uvalde. The county is named for Juan de Ugalde, the Spanish governor of Coahuila. Uvalde County was founded by Reading Wood Black who also founded the city of Uvalde,...
(north) - Frio County (east)
- Dimmit CountyDimmit County, TexasDimmit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 10,248. It is named for Philip Dimmitt, a major figure in the Texas Revolution. The reason the county name differs is because the bill creating the county misspelled Dimmitt's name...
(south) - Maverick CountyMaverick County, TexasMaverick County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 47,297. Its county seat is Eagle Pass. Maverick County is named for Samuel Maverick, cattleman and state legislator....
(west)
Native Americans
Radiocarbon assays indicate the county’s Tortuga Flat Site was used in the 15th and 16th centuries by Pacuache.Archeologist T. C. Hill of Crystal City conducted excavations in 1972-1973 at the site, uncovering artifacts. More than 100 archeological sites have been identified by researchers of the University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of Texas at San Antonio, commonly referred to as UTSA, is a state university in San Antonio, Texas. With an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, it is the third-largest of nine universities and six health institutions in the University of Texas System and the eighth-largest in...
at the Chaparrosa Ranch. Coahuiltecan
Coahuiltecan
Coahuiltecan or Paikawa was a proposed language family in John Wesley Powell's 1891 classification of Native American languages that consisted of Coahuilteco and Cotoname. The proposal was expanded to include Comecrudo, Karankawa, and Tonkawa...
, Tonkawa
Tonkawa
The Tickanwa•tic Tribe , better known as the Tonkawa , are a Native American people indigenous to present-day Oklahoma and Texas. They once spoke the now-extinct Tonkawa language believed to have been a language isolate not related to any other indigenous tongues...
, Lipan Apache and Mescalero Apache
Mescalero
Mescalero is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation in southcentral New Mexico...
and Comanche
Comanche
The 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...
have inhabited the area after the Pacuache.
The Wild Horse Desert
The area between the Rio GrandeRio 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 the Nueces River
Nueces River
The Nueces River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, approximately long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas northeast of the Rio Grande...
, which included Zavala County, became disputed territory known as the Wild Horse Desert, where neither 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...
nor the Mexican government had clear control. Ownership was in dispute until the Mexican-American War. The area became filled with lawless characters who deterred settlers in the area. An agreement signed between Mexico and the United States in the 1930s put the liability of payments to the descents of the original land grants on Mexico.
County Established and Growth
Zavala County was established in 1846 and named for Lorenzo de ZavalaLorenzo de Zavala
Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y Saenz was a 19th-century Mexican politician. He served as finance minister under President Vicente Guerrero. A colonizer and statesman, he was also the interim Vice President of the Republic of Texas, serving under interim President David G...
, a Mexican colonist and one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
. The county was organized in 1858, with an error putting an additional “L” in the county. The mistake was not corrected until 1929. Batesville
Batesville, Texas
Batesville is a census-designated place in Zavala County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,298 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Batesville is located at ....
became the county seat. Crystal City
Crystal City, Texas
Crystal City is a city in and the county seat of Zavala County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,190 at the 2000 census. The mascot of Crystal City High School is the Javelina....
won a 1928 election to become the new county seat. Grey (Doc) White and the Vivian family settled Cometa circa 1867. They were joined by the Ramón Sánchez and Galván families in 1870 and by J. Fisher in 1871. Murlo community was settled about the same time. Ranching dominated the county originally, until overgrazing destroyed the grasslands. Zavala then became the first county in Texas to grow flax commercially. Ike T. La Pryor the largest ranch in the county and advertised the land for farming. The community that sprang up was named La Pryor
La Pryor, Texas
La Pryor is a census-designated place in Zavala County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,491 at the 2000 census.The town is named for Col. Isaac T. Pryor, who in the 1880s owned a ranch that included the site of the community....
. Developers E. J. Buckingham and Carl Groos purchased all 96101 acres (388.9 km²) of the Cross S Ranch in 1905, platted the town of Crystal City, and sold the rest as sections divided into 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) farms.
Winter Garden
Zavala, DimmittDimmit County, Texas
Dimmit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 10,248. It is named for Philip Dimmitt, a major figure in the Texas Revolution. The reason the county name differs is because the bill creating the county misspelled Dimmitt's name...
, Frio and LaSalle counties are considered the Winter Garden Region of Texas. Irrigation and mild winter climate has made the area ideal for year-round vegetable farming. During the winter of 1917–18 spinach was introduced to Zavala. The first annual Spinach Festival was introduced in 1936, halted during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but resumed in 1982.
Cartoonist E. C. Segar
E. C. Segar
Elzie Crisler Segar was an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of Popeye, a character who first appeared in 1929 in his comic strip Thimble Theatre. Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest it was "SEE-gar". He commonly signed his work simply Segar or E...
who created the spinach-eating Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
received a letter of appreciation from the Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce, thanking him for his support of Spinach in the American diet. Segar’s written response appeared in two newspapers exhorting children everywhere to enjoy Segar’s favorite vegetable. He later approved a 1937 statue of Popeye to be erected in Crystal City, dedicated “To All The Children of the World”.
Bermuda onions became a major crop. Spinach, sorghum, and cotton were the three biggest crops. The principal crops grown in Zavala County in 1989 were spinach, cotton, pecans, corn, and onions.
Internment Camp
The Crystal City, Texas Family Internment Camp began as a migrant labor camp in the 1930s.By the time it closed, it had held German and Japanese combatants and their families, Latin Americans and at least one Italian Latin American family, as well as German and Japanese American families. There were 100 acre (0.404686 km²) for housing and security measures. An additional 190 acre (0.7689034 km²) were for farming and personnel residences. The first internees, of German ethnicity, arrived on December 12, 1942, and were expected to work on construction, being paid 10 Cents an hour. A 70-bed hospital was built in 1943, as was a school for children of the internees. Internees ran nursery schools and kindergartens. From its inception through June 30, 1945, the Crystal City camp held 4,751 internees and saw 153 births. The camp closed in 1948.
Mexican Americans
The Mexican RevolutionMexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
that began in 1910 resulted in thousands of laborers flowing across the border to cultivate vegetable crops. By 1917 and 1918 Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
was sending banditos across the Rio Grande. Crystal City organized home guards for protection against Villa's associates.
By 1930 Crystal City was overwhelmingly composed of Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
s. That year, Zavala County had the highest percentage of laborers (1,430 per 100 farms) and the lowest percentage of tenants (33 per 100 farms) of all counties in South Texas. Owner-operators were primarily Anglo, whereas sharecroppers and farm laborers were Hispanic. By the late 1950s a majority of those graduating from high school in the county were Mexican American. In 1990, 89.4 percent of the county population of 12,162 were Hispanic.
Tejano Politics
Juan Cornejo of the Teamsters UnionTeamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
and The Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations organized the Hispanic population among cannery workers and farm laborers of Crystal City in 1962–63 and succeeded in electing an all Latino city council. The feat became known as the Crystal City Revolts.
The Raza Unida Party
Raza Unida Party
Partido Nacional de La Raza Unida is an American political party centered on Chicano interests. The party was termed La Raza in reference to the Mestizo people. During the 1970s the Party campaigned for better housing, work, and educational opportunities for Mexican-Americans...
was established in 1970 in Crystal City and Zavala County to bring greater self-determination among Tejano
Tejano
Tejano or Texano is a term used to identify a Texan of Mexican heritage.Historically, the Spanish term Tejano has been used to identify different groups of people...
s.
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 11,600 people, 3,428 households, and 2,807 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 9 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 4,075 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 65.06% 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...
, 0.49% 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...
, 0.59% 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...
, 0.09% 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...
, 0.03% 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...
, 31.08% 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 2.66% from two or more races. 91.22% 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 3,428 households out of which 43.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% 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, 21.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.10% were non-families. 16.60% 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 3.28 and the average family size was 3.70.
In the county, the population was spread out with 34.10% under the age of 18, 10.20% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 18.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $16,844, and the median income for a family was $19,418. Males had a median income of $22,045 versus $14,416 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 $10,034. About 37.40% of families and 41.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.90% of those under age 18 and 42.40% 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.
Cities and towns
- BatesvilleBatesville, TexasBatesville is a census-designated place in Zavala County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,298 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Batesville is located at ....
- Cometa
- Chula Vista-River SpurChula Vista-River Spur, TexasChula Vista-River Spur is a census-designated place in Zavala County, Texas, United States. The population was 400 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chula Vista-River Spur is located at ....
- Crystal CityCrystal City, TexasCrystal City is a city in and the county seat of Zavala County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,190 at the 2000 census. The mascot of Crystal City High School is the Javelina....
- La PryorLa Pryor, TexasLa Pryor is a census-designated place in Zavala County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,491 at the 2000 census.The town is named for Col. Isaac T. Pryor, who in the 1880s owned a ranch that included the site of the community....
- Las ColoniasLas Colonias, TexasLas Colonias is a census-designated place in Zavala County, Texas, United States. The population was 283 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Las Colonias is located at ....
- Loma Vista