Deaf Smith County, Texas

Deaf Smith County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,372.[1] The county seat is Hereford,[2] which is known as the "Beef Capital of the World". The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1890.[3]

Not to be confused with Smith County, Texas.
Deaf Smith County
U.S. county
Deaf Smith County Courthouse in Hereford
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°58′N 102°36′W
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1890
Named forDeaf Smith
SeatHereford
Largest cityHereford
Area
 • Total1,498 sq mi (3,880 km2)
 • Land1,497 sq mi (3,880 km2)
 • Water1.5 sq mi (4 km2)  0.1%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total19,372
 • Density13/sq mi (5/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district13th
Websitewww.co.deaf-smith.tx.us

The Hereford, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Deaf Smith County.

History

In 1876, the state legislature defined and named the county, but it was not organized until 1890, with the town of La Plata as the original county seat. The county was named for Erastus "Deaf" Smith[4] (1787–1837), a partially deaf scout and soldier who served in the Texas Revolution and was the first to reach the Alamo after its fall. The pronunciation of "Deaf", like that of Smith himself, is /diːf/ DEEF; however, most residents pronounce it /dɛf/ DEF.

This county was also selected as an alternate site for a possible nuclear waste disposal repository, but was later dropped. Jesse Frank Ford, founder of Arrowhead Mills, led the opposition to the Deaf Smith site on grounds of contamination of the Ogallala Aquifer, the source of much of the water supply for West Texas.

  • Erastus "Deaf" Smith as he appears at the Deaf Smith County Museum
  • The Deaf Smith County Historical Museum in Hereford
  • The Deaf Smith County Library formerly housed the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame on the ground floor. The museum is now located in a new building in the Historic District of Fort Worth.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,498 square miles (3,880 km2), of which 1,497 square miles (3,880 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) (0.1%) is covered by water.[5]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
188038—
1890179371.1%
1900843370.9%
19103,942367.6%
19203,747−4.9%
19305,97959.6%
19406,0561.3%
19509,11150.4%
196013,18744.7%
197018,99944.1%
198021,16511.4%
199019,153−9.5%
200018,561−3.1%
201019,3724.4%
Est. 201918,546[6]−4.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1850–2010[8] 2010–2014[1]

As of the census[9] of 2000, 18,561 people, 6,180 households, and 4,832 families resided in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile (5/km²). The 6,914 housing units averaged 5 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 72.28% White, 1.51% Black or African American, 0.80% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 22.92% from other races, and 2.11% from two or more races. About 57.40% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 6,180 households, 41.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.00% were married couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.80% were not families. Around 19.70% of all households was made up of individuals and 10.00% 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 3.41.

In the county, the population was distributed as 33.30% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.

The median income for a household was $29,601, and for a family was $32,391. Males had a median income of $26,090 versus $19,113 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,119. About 19.30% of families and 20.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.30% of those under age 18 and 15.70% of those age 65 or over.

Infrastructure

The headquarters of the Deaf Smith Electric Cooperative are located in Hereford. The cooperative provides electricity for Deaf Smith County, as well as Castro, Parmer and Oldham Counties.[10]

Communities

City

Unincorporated communities

Politics
Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[11]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 69.1% 2,911 28.1% 1,185 2.8% 120
2012 70.6% 3,042 28.8% 1,239 0.7% 28
2008 73.1% 3,466 26.3% 1,247 0.7% 31
2004 78.2% 4,139 21.4% 1,133 0.4% 19
2000 74.0% 3,687 24.9% 1,240 1.1% 57
1996 60.4% 3,051 32.8% 1,655 6.8% 342
1992 56.4% 3,137 29.5% 1,642 14.0% 780
1988 65.4% 3,744 33.7% 1,930 0.9% 52
1984 75.8% 4,762 23.6% 1,485 0.6% 36
1980 69.5% 4,073 28.4% 1,666 2.1% 125
1976 51.1% 2,776 48.1% 2,613 0.9% 46
1972 73.7% 3,690 24.8% 1,240 1.6% 79
1968 52.5% 2,474 32.8% 1,545 14.7% 694
1964 46.0% 1,793 53.7% 2,094 0.3% 10
1960 60.4% 2,024 38.8% 1,299 0.8% 26
1956 55.2% 1,685 44.6% 1,361 0.3% 9
1952 70.9% 2,468 28.9% 1,006 0.3% 9
1948 25.6% 535 71.6% 1,496 2.8% 58
1944 28.1% 508 61.9% 1,117 10.0% 180
1940 25.7% 423 74.0% 1,219 0.3% 5
1936 10.2% 142 89.1% 1,236 0.7% 9
1932 13.2% 198 86.8% 1,307
1928 58.1% 570 41.9% 411
1924 25.2% 192 70.5% 538 4.3% 33
1920 30.8% 205 68.9% 459 0.3% 2
1916 17.0% 77 78.8% 356 4.2% 19
1912 7.8% 21 82.2% 221 10.0% 27

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 102.
  5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  8. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  10. Spotlight on CRC Member: Deaf Smith Electric Cooperative. Cooperative Response Center.
  11. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-07-21.

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