Hamilton County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hamilton County
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The Hamilton County Courthouse in Hamilton, Texas. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 4, 1980.
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Location within the U.S. state of Texas
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Texas's location within the U.S. |
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Country | United States |
State | Texas |
Founded | 1858 |
Named for | James Hamilton Jr. |
Seat | Hamilton |
Largest city | Hamilton |
Area | |
• Total | 836 sq mi (2,170 km2) |
• Land | 836 sq mi (2,170 km2) |
• Water | 0.5 sq mi (1 km2) 0.06% |
Population
(2020)
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• Total | 8,222 |
• Density | 9.835/sq mi (3.7973/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 25th |
Hamilton County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 8,222. The county seat is Hamilton. The county was created in 1858. It is named for James Hamilton Jr., a former governor of South Carolina who gave financial aid to the Republic of Texas.
Contents
History
Indigenous peoples were the first inhabitants of the area. Later Indian tribes settled in the area, including Tawakoni, Tonkawa, Waco and Comanche.
In 1821, shortly after Mexico claimed its independence from Spain, Anglo settlers from the North came to Texas, claiming Mexican citizenship.
Following Texas's independence from Mexico (1836) and its annexation by the United States (1845), Robert Carter and family became the first permanent white settlers in the county in 1854. The next year, settlers James Rice, Henry Standefer, Frederic Bookerman, William Beauchamp, and Asa Langford formed a community that later becomes the town of Hamilton. Asa Langford began Langford's Cove, which later grows into present-day Evant. In 1858 the Sixth Texas Legislature formed Hamilton County, named after James Hamilton Jr., from parts of Comanche, Bosque, and Lampasas counties. In 1858, Hamilton was named the county seat.
Despite growing white settlements in Texas, Indian tribal presences remained. In 1867, Comanche raiders attacked a school where Ann Whitney was the teacher. She helped students escape before finally succumbing to 18 Comanche arrows.
In 1882, the Hico community initiated the annual Hico Old Settlers' Reunion.
By 1900, cotton cultivation had spread to almost 47,500 acres (192 km2) of county land. By 1907, the Stephenville North and South Texas Railway had connected Hamilton with Stephenville. The St. Louis Southwestern Railway of Texas connected Hamilton with Gatesville and Comanche in 1911.
In 1934, the Civil Works Administration's payroll included 747 Hamilton County men, who together earned about $2,000 per day.
In 1950, Ollie P. Roberts (also known as Ollie L. Roberts, "Brushy Bill" Roberts, or William Henry Roberts), a resident of Hico during the late 1940s, claimed to have been the outlaw Billy The Kid. The assertion is based on a legend that Patrick F. Garrett helped Billy fake his own death. Hico Chamber of Commerce responded by opening a Billy The Kid Museum.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 836 square miles (2,170 km2), of which 836 square miles (2,170 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) (0.06%) is water.
Major highways
- U.S. Highway 84
- U.S. Highway 281
- State Highway 6
- State Highway 22
- State Highway 36
- State Highway 220
Adjacent counties
- Erath County (north)
- Bosque County (northeast)
- Coryell County (southeast)
- Lampasas County (south)
- Mills County (southwest)
- Comanche County (northwest)
Demographics
Historical population | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1860 | 489 | — | |
1870 | 733 | 49.9% | |
1880 | 6,365 | 768.3% | |
1890 | 6,313 | −0.8% | |
1900 | 13,520 | 114.2% | |
1910 | 15,315 | 13.3% | |
1920 | 14,676 | −4.2% | |
1930 | 13,523 | −7.9% | |
1940 | 13,303 | −1.6% | |
1950 | 10,660 | −19.9% | |
1960 | 8,488 | −20.4% | |
1970 | 7,198 | −15.2% | |
1980 | 8,297 | 15.3% | |
1990 | 7,733 | −6.8% | |
2000 | 8,229 | 6.4% | |
2010 | 8,517 | 3.5% | |
2020 | 8,222 | −3.5% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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White alone (NH) | 7,495 | 6,805 | 88.00% | 82.77% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 38 | 32 | 0.45% | 0.39% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 31 | 37 | 0.36% | 0.45% |
Asian alone (NH) | 31 | 36 | 0.36% | 0.44% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 2 | 0.01% | 0.02% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 3 | 17 | 0.04% | 0.21% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 55 | 248 | 0.65% | 3.02% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 863 | 1,045 | 10.13% | 12.71% |
Total | 8,517 | 8,222 | 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
Cities
- Cranfills Gap (mostly in Bosque County)
- Hamilton (county seat)
- Hico
Town
- Evant (partly in Coryell County)
Unincorporated communities
- Carlton
- Fairy
- Indian Gap
- Jonesboro (partly in Coryell County)
- Ohio
- Pottsville
- Shive
- Sunshine
Ghost Town
Notable people
- Brushy Bill, the man who claimed to be the infamous outlaw, Billy the Kid, died in Hico, Texas and is buried in Hamiliton County.
Images for kids
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Hamilton County historical marker
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Gravestone of Brushy Bill Roberts, who claimed to be Billy the Kid
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Billy the Kid statue in Hico
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St. Olaf Kirke, just outside of Cranfills Gap
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Hamilton (Texas) para niños