Somervell County, Texas

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Somervell County is a county on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 9,205.[1] Its county seat is Glen Rose.[2] The county is named for Alexander Somervell, secretary of war for the Republic of Texas.

Somervell County is included in the Granbury micropolitan area.

The county contains the Comanche Peak Nuclear Generating Station, one of two nuclear power plants in Texas.

History

File:Dino footprint Glen Rose 20100401.jpg
Fossil footprint of a dinosaur displayed on the lawn of the Somervell County Courthouse, Glen Rose, Texas, April 1, 2010
File:Settlers memorial Glen Rose 20100401.jpg
Settlers Memorial bronze work on lawn of the Somervell County Courthouse, April 1, 2010

Native Americans

Caddo tribe Anadarko villages were scattered along Trinity and Brazos Rivers.[3] The Caddo tribe of Wichita also inhabited the area. By 1860, these tribes had moved to Oklahoma.

The Tonkawa[4] were hunter-gatherers of the area, and often traded with their allies the Caddo and Karankawa. Like the Wichita, Karankawa and Jumano, the Tonkawa tattooed their bodies and faces. Some Tonkawa men were employed as scouts for the Texas Rangers and United States Army.[5] As they were pushed out by the Comanche, they moved to the Brazos Indian Reservation,[6] and later to Oklahoma.

Comanche bands continued depredations on settlers until their removal to Oklahoma after 1875.[7]

County established

The county was formed and organized in 1875 from Hood County. The town of Glen Rose became the county seat.

Torrey Trading Houses opened as a part of the Sam Houston peace policy to develop friendly relationships with native tribes.[8] They bought from, and sold to, the Indians on a banking and credit system, enabling them to also recover stolen horses and human captives. The Torreys sold their business to George Barnard in 1848,[9] who with his brother Charles [10] moved the Tehuacana store in Limestone County to near Comanche Peak.[11] Juana Josefina Cavasos Barnard[12] had been captured by Comanches as a teenager. She was daughter of Maria Josefa Cavazos,[13] and granddaughter of Don José Narciso Cavazos Gonzalez-Hildago who in 1792 received the largest land grant in Texas.[14] George ransomed Juana from the tribe, but his brother Charles married her in 1848.[15]

Somervell County got its first courthouse in Glen Rose in 1882, but the courthouse and all county records burned in 1893.[16] The second and current courthouse was built in 1894 by architect John McCormick.[17] The roof and clock tower were damaged in the 1902 Glen Rose tornado. County funds at the time limited the repair, which eliminated the clock tower. In 1986, work was done to restore the structure to its original design.

Glen Rose Collegiate Institute, or Glen Rose College, operated as a private, faith-based educational facility from 1889 to 1910. Educational competition from the public-school system caused enrollment to taper off until the institution was shut down.[18]

Under the New Deal Works Progress Administration (WPA), Glen Rose built a new water and sewage system in the 1930s, as well as school buildings, a canning plant, and low-water dams.[19]

The Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant went online in the mid-1970s and employs over 1,000 people.[20] Squaw Creek Reservoir, which provides cooling water for the power plant, also has become a popular recreation site.[21]

Dinosaurs

The tragic Paluxy River flood in 1908 uncovered three-toed prints from the Cretaceous period, possibly Acrocanthosaurus, and were discovered by high school student George Adams in the limestone river bed. The teenager relayed the discovery to his principal, Robert McDonald.[22] Adams later ended up selling self-manufactured fake "giant man tracks"[23] to tourists sometime during the 1930s, sparking a debate about whether humans existed alongside dinosaurs.[24] In 1934, resident Charlie Moss discovered footprints of four-toed sauropods. Resident Jim Ryals dug out the actual dinosaur prints and sold them to tourists. Paleontologist Roland T. Bird of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City spotted the Adams "giant man tracks" in a tourist shop in Gallup, New Mexico, and, while recognizing them as fakes, was still intrigued enough to travel to Somervell County to see the Glen Rose area for himself. Bird's visit resulted in a 2-year WPA project to uncover the dinosaur prints. The American Museum of Natural History, the University of Texas at Austin, the Smithsonian Institution, and several local museums retain samples of what are said to be the best-preserved tracks in the United States.[25]

The land along the Paluxy River for Dinosaur Valley State Park was purchased by the State of Texas in 1968, and the park opened to the public in 1972.[26]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Script error: No such module "convert"., of which Script error: No such module "convert". (2.9%) are covered by water.[27] It is the second-smallest county by area in Texas, larger than only Rockwall County, and slightly smaller than Camp County.

Major highways

File:Glen Rose August 2017 05 (NE Barnard Street).jpg
State Highway 144 as NE Barnard Street in Glen Rose

Adjacent counties

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Template:Sronly%±
18802,649—
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19502,542Script error: No such module "String".%
19602,577Script error: No such module "String".%
19702,793Script error: No such module "String".%
19804,154Script error: No such module "String".%
19905,360Script error: No such module "String".%
20006,809Script error: No such module "String".%
20108,490Script error: No such module "String".%
20209,205Script error: No such module "String".%
2025 (est.)10,261[28] IncreaseScript error: No such module "String".%
U.S. Decennial Census[29]
1850–2010[30] 2010[31] 2020[32]

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Racial and ethnic composition

Somervell County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
<templatestyles src="Nobold/styles.css"/>Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[33] Pop 1990[34] Pop 2000[35] Pop 2010[31] Pop 2020[32] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 3,821 4,547 5,763 6,595 7,011 91.98% 84.83% 84.64% 77.68% 76.17%
Black or African American alone (NH) 3 10 13 54 39 0.07% 0.19% 0.19% 0.64% 0.42%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 26 34 39 45 49 0.63% 0.63% 0.57% 0.53% 0.53%
Asian alone (NH) 10 18 17 40 55 0.24% 0.34% 0.25% 0.47% 0.60%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [36] x [37] 0 1 0 x x 0.00% 0.01% 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) 7 2 4 24 33 0.17% 0.04% 0.06% 0.28% 0.36%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [38] x [39] 58 105 331 x x 0.85% 1.24% 3.60%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 287 749 915 1,626 1,687 6.91% 13.97% 13.44% 19.15% 18.33%
Total 4,154 5,360 6,809 8,490 9,205 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 9,205 and the median age was 43.3 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.5% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.7 males age 18 and over.[40]

The racial makeup of the county was 80.1% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 5.8% from some other race, and 12.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 18.3% of the population.[41]

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[42]

There were 3,411 households in the county, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 60.0% were married-couple households, 14.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[40]

There were 3,928 housing units, of which 13.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.9% were owner-occupied and 22.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.4%.[40]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, about 1.3 same-sex couples per 1,000 households were in the county.[43]

2000 census

As of the census[44] of 2000, 6,809 people, 2,438 households, and 1,840 families were residing in the county. The population density was Script error: No such module "convert".. The 2,750 housing units had an average density of Script error: No such module "convert".. The racial makeup of the county was 92.19% White, 0.28% African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 5.12% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. About 13.44% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 2,438 households, 37.4% had children under 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were not families. About 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.73, and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county, the age distribution was 28.4% under 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,404, and for a family was $46,458. Males had a median income of $32,463 versus $23,381 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,367. About 6.10% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.30% of those under age 18 and 9.10% of those age 65 or over.

Media

One newspaper has an office located in Somervell County, the Glen Rose Reporter. Local television stations that provide coverage for the area broadcast from the Dallas-Fort Worth and the Waco/Temple/Killeen (Central Texas) metropolitan areas.

Communities

City

Unincorporated communities

Politics

Somervell County has voted for the Republican Party in all presidential elections since 1984, except in 1992, when it was one of the few counties nationwide to vote for the independent candidate Ross Perot who beat George H. W. Bush by a mere 42 votes. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot Template:T.X. GovHead Template:T.X. GovRow Template:T.X. GovFoot

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". Access Genealogy
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". Texas Beyond History
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". R. Edward Moore and Texarch Associates
  6. ↑ Crouch, Carrie J: Brazos Indian Reservation from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved April 28, 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". R E. Moore and Texarch Associates
  8. ↑ Armbruster, Henry C.: Torrey Trading Houses from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved April 28, 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
  9. ↑ Willingham, John: George Barnard from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved April 28, 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
  10. ↑ Andrus, Pearl: Charles E. Bernard from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved April 28, 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
  11. ↑ Comanche Peak from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved April 28, 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
  12. ↑ Orozco, Cynthia E.: Juana Josefina Cavasos Barnard from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved April 28, 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Hart, Brian: Glen Rose Collegiate Institute from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved April 28, 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
  19. ↑ Elam, Richard: Somervell County from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved April 28, 2010. Texas State Historical Association.
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Texas Highways
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". Visual Evolution. Keep it real
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". TPWD
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  37. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  38. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  39. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  40. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  44. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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