Concho County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Concho County
|
|
|---|---|
The Concho County Courthouse in Paint Rock
|
|
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
|
|
 Texas's location within the U.S. |
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1879 |
| Named for | Concho River |
| Seat | Paint Rock |
| Largest city | Eden |
| Area | |
| • Total | 994 sq mi (2,570 km2) |
| • Land | 984 sq mi (2,550 km2) |
| • Water | 9.9 sq mi (26 km2) 1.0% |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 3,303 |
| • Density | 3.3229/sq mi (1.2830/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 11th |
Concho County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,303. Its county seat is Paint Rock. The county was founded in 1858 and later organized in 1879. It is named for the Concho River.
Contents
History
Through the 1800s, Paleo-Indians lived in the county and left behind archaeological remains of a burned-rock midden. Athabascan-speaking Indians associated with the prehorse Plains culture live in this part of Texas. Later native inhabitants include Jumano, Tonkawa, Comanche and Lipan Apache.
In 1847, John O. Meusebach sent surveyors into the area. In 1849, Robert Simpson Neighbors lead a small expedition through the area.
The Texas Legislature formed Concho County from Bexar County in 1858.
In 1874, Ranald S. Mackenzie led a campaign to drive out remaining native peoples and established the Mackenzie Trail. The county seat was formally established and named Paint Rock after the nearby pictographs. The Eden community was established in 1882. In 1909, the community of Lowake community was established.
Railroad Development
Railroads came to the county first in 1910, with the Concho, San Saba and Llano Valley railroad being completed to Paint Rock. The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway is completed across the southeastern corner of the county in 1911, and the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railroad finished a line to Eden in 1912.
By 1930, the area had 449 owner-operated farms and 682 tenant operated farms, of whom 619 were sharecroppers.
In 1940, Concho County became part of a soil-conservation district. In 1985, the Texas Water Commission granted permission to impound 554,000 acre-feet (683,000,000 m3) of water on the Colorado River at Stacy, to create the O. H. Ivie Reservoir.
As of 1988, Concho County was the leading sheep-producing county in Texas.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 994 square miles (2,570 km2), of which 984 square miles (2,550 km2) is land and 9.9 square miles (26 km2) (1.0%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 83
U.S. Highway 87
State Highway 153
State Highway 206
Adjacent counties
- Runnels County (north)
- Coleman County (northeast)
- McCulloch County (east)
- Menard County (south)
- Tom Green County (west)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 800 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,065 | 33.1% | |
| 1900 | 1,427 | 34.0% | |
| 1910 | 6,654 | 366.3% | |
| 1920 | 5,847 | −12.1% | |
| 1930 | 7,645 | 30.8% | |
| 1940 | 6,192 | −19.0% | |
| 1950 | 5,078 | −18.0% | |
| 1960 | 3,672 | −27.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,937 | −20.0% | |
| 1980 | 2,915 | −0.7% | |
| 1990 | 3,044 | 4.4% | |
| 2000 | 3,966 | 30.3% | |
| 2010 | 4,087 | 3.1% | |
| 2020 | 3,303 | −19.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
|||
2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 1,810 | 2,097 | 44.29% | 63.49% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 57 | 69 | 1.39% | 2.09% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 13 | 9 | 0.32% | 0.27% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 14 | 19 | 0.34% | 0.58% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 5 | 1 | 0.12% | 0.03% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 2 | 16 | 0.05% | 0.48% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 13 | 59 | 0.32% | 1.79% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,173 | 1,033 | 53.17% | 31.27% |
| Total | 4,087 | 3,303 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
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 can be of any race.
Communities
City
Town
- Paint Rock (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Concho para niños
