Borden County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Borden County
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Borden County Courthouse in Gail
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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 | 1876 |
| Named for | Gail Borden Jr. |
| Seat | Gail |
| Largest community | Gail |
| Area | |
| • Total | 906 sq mi (2,350 km2) |
| • Land | 897 sq mi (2,320 km2) |
| • Water | 8.6 sq mi (22 km2) 1.0% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 631 |
| • Estimate
(2022)
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585  |
| • Density | 0.6965/sq mi (0.2689/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 19th |
Borden County is a rural area in the state of Texas, United States. It is located in West Texas. The main town and center of the county is Gail.
In 2020, about 631 people lived in Borden County. This makes it the fifth-least populated county in Texas.
Borden County was created in 1876 and officially set up in 1891. Both Gail and Borden County are named after Gail Borden Jr.. He was a famous businessman, publisher, and surveyor. He is best known for inventing condensed milk.
Contents
History of Borden County
Early People in the Area
Long ago, the Shoshone and Penateka tribes of Native Americans lived in the area that is now Borden County.
How the County Started
Borden County was formed in 1876 from a part of Bosque County. It was named after Gail Borden Jr., who invented condensed milk. Gail Borden Jr. was also a newspaper publisher and a political leader in the early days of the Republic of Texas.
The county was officially organized in 1891. The town of Gail was chosen as the county seat, which is like the main administrative town.
Farmers and ranchers began to settle in the county. However, not many people lived there at first. In 1902, Texas offered public land, which led to many new settlers coming to Borden County. Many of these new people started growing cotton.
Borden County has had two courthouses. The first one was built in 1890. The current courthouse is made of brick and concrete. It was built in 1939 by an architect company called David S. Castle Co.
Oil was found in the county in 1949. By 1991, over 340 million barrels of oil had been taken from Borden County since its discovery.
Geography of Borden County
Borden County covers a total area of about 906 square miles (2,347 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 897 square miles (2,323 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 8.6 square miles (22 square kilometers) is covered by water.
Main Roads
U.S. Highway 180
Farm to Market Road 669
Neighboring Counties
Borden County shares borders with several other counties:
- Garza County (to the north)
- Scurry County (to the east)
- Mitchell County (to the southeast)
- Howard County (to the south)
- Martin County (to the southwest)
- Dawson County (to the west)
- Lynn County (to the northwest)
People of Borden County
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 35 | — | |
| 1890 | 222 | 534.3% | |
| 1900 | 776 | 249.5% | |
| 1910 | 1,386 | 78.6% | |
| 1920 | 965 | −30.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,505 | 56.0% | |
| 1940 | 1,396 | −7.2% | |
| 1950 | 1,106 | −20.8% | |
| 1960 | 1,076 | −2.7% | |
| 1970 | 888 | −17.5% | |
| 1980 | 859 | −3.3% | |
| 1990 | 799 | −7.0% | |
| 2000 | 729 | −8.8% | |
| 2010 | 641 | −12.1% | |
| 2020 | 631 | −1.6% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 585 | −8.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010-2020 |
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In 2020, the population of Borden County was 631 people. Most people in the county are White. About 13.63% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino background.
In 2000, there were 292 households in the county. About 30% of these households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.5 people. The average family had 2.93 people.
The median age in the county was 40 years old. This means half the people were older than 40 and half were younger.
The main radio stations serving the county are KBXJ (FM) and KPET (AM). People can also listen to and watch various radio and TV stations from Midland and Odessa.
The largest self-reported family backgrounds in Borden County include:
- English – 17%
- Irish – 15%
- German – 12%
- Mexican – 9%
Education in Borden County
Most of Borden County is served by the Borden County Independent School District. A small part of the county is in the Sands Consolidated Independent School District.
The state of Texas has also placed the county in the Western Texas College District. This means students from Borden County can attend Western Texas College.
Media in Borden County
The local weekly newspaper is called the Borden Star. It shares news and events from the school and the county.
Towns and Communities
Gallery
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Mushaway Peak viewed from Willow Valley Road
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Abandoned schoolhouse in the ghost town of Mesquite
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Frontal view of Borden County Courthouse
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Coyote Country Store across from the courthouse is one of the few businesses in Borden County
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Gail Mountain viewed from Willow Valley Road
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First Baptist Church in Gail
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Borden para niños
