kids encyclopedia robot

Menard County, Texas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Menard County
U.S. county
The Menard County Courthouse in Menard
The Menard County Courthouse in Menard
Map of Texas highlighting Menard County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Texas
Founded 1871
Named for Michel Branamour Menard
Seat Menard
Largest city Menard
Area
 • Total 902 sq mi (2,340 km2)
 • Land 902 sq mi (2,340 km2)
 • Water 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)  0.03%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,962
 • Density 2.1752/sq mi (0.8398/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 11th
Pioneer Rest Cemetery, Menard, TX IMG 4366
Historic Pioneer Rest Cemetery in Menard has graves dating to the 19th century.

Menard County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,962. The county seat is Menard. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1871. It is named for Michel Branamour Menard, the founder of Galveston, Texas.

History

  • 8000 b.c. Early Native American inhabitants arrive. Later Native Americans include Comanche and Lipan Apache.
  • 1757, April - Father Alonso Giraldo de Terreros founds Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, as a support for Santa Cruz de San Sabá Mission, for the Apache Indians.
  • 1830s, James Bowie and Rezin P. Bowie, scour the San Saba valley seeking a silver mine that the Spanish had believed to be in the area. They are unsuccessful, but the legend of the Lost Bowie Mine, also known as the Lost San Saba Mine or the Los Almagres Mine, feeds the imagination of treasure-seekers for the next 150 years.
  • 1852 Camp San Saba is established to protect settlers from Indian attacks.
  • 1858 State legislature forms Menard County from Bexar County The county was named for Michel Branamour Menard, the founder of Galveston. Menardville, later known as Menard becomes the county seat.
  • 1870 County population is 667. 295 are white. 372 are black, possibly due to the Buffalo Soldiers at Fort McKavett.
  • 1871 Menard County residents elect their own officials.
  • 1880s County immigrant influx from Mexico.
  • 1911, February - Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad Company arrives.
  • 1919 Oil wildcatters hit a dry hole.
  • 1929 Gas deposit is tapped, but plugged for lack of a market.
  • 1931 The local Parent-Teacher Association offers free lunches for needy children.
  • 1934 Texas Relief Cannery is in operation. Drought Relief Program buys cattle and sheep from area ranchers.
  • 1941 Gas well is re-drilled and produces about seven million cubic feet of gas.
  • 1946 A small oilfield is discovered northeast of Fort McKavett but abandoned the following year.
  • 1960s Oil and gas production with an average annual yield of more than 270,000 barrels (43,000 m3).
  • 1980s Of the county's forty oilfields, about twenty are still active producing 132,000 to 185,000 barrels (29,400 m3) annually.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 902 square miles (2,340 km2), of which 902 square miles (2,340 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.03%) is water.

Major highways

  • US 83.svg U.S. Highway 83
  • US 190.svg U.S. Highway 190
  • US 377.svg U.S. Highway 377
  • Texas 29.svg State Highway 29

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1870 667 —
1880 1,239 85.8%
1890 1,215 −1.9%
1900 2,011 65.5%
1910 2,707 34.6%
1920 3,162 16.8%
1930 4,447 40.6%
1940 4,521 1.7%
1950 4,175 −7.7%
1960 2,964 −29.0%
1970 2,646 −10.7%
1980 2,346 −11.3%
1990 2,252 −4.0%
2000 2,360 4.8%
2010 2,242 −5.0%
2020 1,962 −12.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010 2020

2020 census

Menard County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 1,425 1,231 63.56% 62.74%
Black or African American alone (NH) 11 12 0.49% 0.61%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 6 7 0.27% 0.36%
Asian alone (NH) 3 5 0.13% 0.25%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 3 0.00% 0.15%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 1 8 0.04% 0.41%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 6 34 0.27% 1.73%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 790 662 35.24% 33.74%
Total 2,242 1,962 100.00% 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

Census-designated place

Unincorporated community

  • Hext
  • Saline (Pop. 59 in 2000)

Ghost Town

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Menard (Texas) para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Menard County, Texas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.