Kent County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kent County
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Kent County Courthouse in Jayton
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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 | 1892 |
| Named for | Andrew Kent |
| Seat | Jayton |
| Largest city | Jayton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 903 sq mi (2,340 km2) |
| • Land | 903 sq mi (2,340 km2) |
| • Water | 0.4 sq mi (1 km2) 0.05% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 753 |
| • Density | 0.8339/sq mi (0.3220/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 19th |
Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 753, making it the sixth-least populous county in Texas. Its county seat is Jayton. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1892. It is named for Andrew Kent, who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Kent County is a prohibition or entirely dry county.
Republican Drew Springer, Jr., a businessman from Muenster in Cooke County, has since January 2013 represented Kent County in the Texas House of Representatives.
Contents
History timeline
- 8000 BC Paleo-Indians were the first inhabitants. Later Native American inhabitants included the Wanderers band of Comanche.
- 1872 Ranald S. Mackenzie and his soldiers trounced the Comanches at Treasure Butte, southeast of Clairemont.
- 1876 The Texas legislature formed Kent County from Young and Bexar districts. The new county is named after Alamo defender Andrew Kent.
- 1888 Cattleman R. L. Rhomberg settled in the new county and named a settlement Clairemont for his daughter, Claire.
- 1890 The county census recorded 324 residents.
- 1891 A conflict arose between cattle ranchers and farmers who tried to fence their farms against cattle.
- 1892 Kent County was organized, with Clairemont as the county seat.
- 1900 The county population was 899.
- 1909 The Stamford and Northeastern Railway built a line across the county's northeast corner. The railroad, which connected Stamford and Spur, later became part of the Wichita Valley Railroad. The Jayton community was founded.
- 1930 The county's population peaked at 3,851.
- 1946-1991 Oil was discovered in Kent County in 1946. By 1991, more than 448,448,000 barrels (71,297,500 m3) of oil have been produced in the county since 1946.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 903 square miles (2,340 km2), of which 903 square miles (2,340 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) (0.05%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 380
State Highway 70
State Highway 208
Adjacent counties
- Dickens County (north)
- Stonewall County (east)
- Fisher County (southeast)
- Scurry County (south)
- Garza County (west)
- King County (northeast)
- Crosby County (northwest)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 92 | — | |
| 1890 | 324 | 252.2% | |
| 1900 | 899 | 177.5% | |
| 1910 | 2,655 | 195.3% | |
| 1920 | 3,335 | 25.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,851 | 15.5% | |
| 1940 | 3,413 | −11.4% | |
| 1950 | 2,249 | −34.1% | |
| 1960 | 1,727 | −23.2% | |
| 1970 | 1,434 | −17.0% | |
| 1980 | 1,145 | −20.2% | |
| 1990 | 1,010 | −11.8% | |
| 2000 | 859 | −15.0% | |
| 2010 | 808 | −5.9% | |
| 2020 | 753 | −6.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 669 | 657 | 82.80% | 87.25% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 6 | 2 | 0.74% | 0.27% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 5 | 3 | 0.62% | 0.40% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 0 | 3 | 0.00% | 0.40% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 8 | 7 | 0.99% | 0.93% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 120 | 81 | 14.85% | 10.76% |
| Total | 808 | 753 | 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
- Jayton (county seat)
Census-designated place
Ghost Town
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Kent (Texas) para niños
