Bosque County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bosque County
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The Bosque County Courthouse in Meridian
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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 | 1854 |
| Named for | Bosque River |
| Seat | Meridian |
| Largest city | Clifton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,003 sq mi (2,600 km2) |
| • Land | 983 sq mi (2,550 km2) |
| • Water | 20 sq mi (50 km2) 1.99% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 18,235 |
| • Density | 18.180/sq mi (7.020/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 31st |
Bosque County (pronounced BOSS-kee) is a county in Texas, USA. It is located northwest of Waco. In 2020, about 18,235 people lived there.
The main town, called the county seat, is Meridian. However, Clifton is the biggest city and a key center for culture and money in the county. The county gets its name from the Bosque River. This river flows right through the middle of the county from north to south. The Brazos River forms the eastern edge of the county. It also feeds into Lake Whitney, a large reservoir.
Since 2015, DeWayne Burns, a Republican, has represented Bosque County. He is part of the Texas House of Representatives.
Contents
History of Bosque County
Early Explorers and Settlements
In 1721, a Spanish explorer named the Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo traveled through this area. He was on his way to a mission in East Texas. He camped near the Brazos River and found a smaller river flowing into it. He named this smaller river "Bosque," which means "forest" in Spanish. This was the first time Europeans explored this region.
For many years, very few people settled in the area that would become Bosque County. In the 1840s, some explorers from the Texan Santa Fe Expedition decided to stay.
One interesting attempt at settlement was the town of Kent. In 1850, a company from England bought land for a town. They sent 30 families to live there. But the first winter was very hard, and many people died.
The next spring, the settlers tried to improve things. They bought cattle and corn seeds. But the cattle ate the corn before it could be harvested because there was no fence. Eventually, the town of Kent failed. Most settlers left, and some even went back to England.
Founding of the County
Bosque County was officially created in 1854. It was separated from McLennan County. The very first election for county leaders was held that year. Voters cast their ballots at three different places. One of these places was under a large live oak tree. This tree became known as the "Bosque County Oak" or the "Election Oak."
The first county officers were chosen by the voters. They elected L. H. Scrutchfield as Judge and P. Bryant as Sheriff, among others.
Geography of Bosque County
Bosque County covers about 1,003 square miles. Most of this area, 983 square miles, is land. The remaining 20 square miles are covered by water, like rivers and lakes.
Major Roads
Several important roads run through Bosque County:
State Highway 6
State Highway 22
State Highway 144
State Highway 174
Neighboring Counties
Bosque County shares its borders with several other counties:
- Somervell County (to the north)
- Johnson County (to the northeast)
- Hill County (to the east)
- McLennan County (to the southeast)
- Coryell County (to the south)
- Hamilton County (to the west)
- Erath County (to the northwest)
People of Bosque County
Population Changes Over Time
The number of people living in Bosque County has changed a lot over the years. Here's a look at the population from 1860 to 2020:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 2,005 | — | |
| 1870 | 4,981 | 148.4% | |
| 1880 | 11,217 | 125.2% | |
| 1890 | 14,224 | 26.8% | |
| 1900 | 17,390 | 22.3% | |
| 1910 | 19,013 | 9.3% | |
| 1920 | 18,032 | −5.2% | |
| 1930 | 15,750 | −12.7% | |
| 1940 | 15,761 | 0.1% | |
| 1950 | 11,836 | −24.9% | |
| 1960 | 10,809 | −8.7% | |
| 1970 | 10,966 | 1.5% | |
| 1980 | 13,401 | 22.2% | |
| 1990 | 15,125 | 12.9% | |
| 2000 | 17,204 | 13.7% | |
| 2010 | 18,212 | 5.9% | |
| 2020 | 18,235 | 0.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
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Diversity in Bosque County
The county is home to people from many different backgrounds. The table below shows the mix of races and ethnic groups. Please note that the U.S. Census counts Hispanic/Latino people as an ethnic group, separate from racial categories.
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 14,507 | 14,701 | 13,621 | 84.32% | 80.72% | 74.70% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 320 | 277 | 244 | 1.86% | 1.52% | 1.34% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 73 | 74 | 83 | 0.42% | 0.41% | 0.46% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 19 | 38 | 80 | 0.11% | 0.21% | 0.44% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.02% |
| Other Race alone (NH) | 6 | 9 | 29 | 0.03% | 0.05% | 0.16% |
| Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH) | 174 | 185 | 854 | 1.01% | 1.02% | 4.68% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,104 | 2,926 | 3,321 | 12.23% | 16.07% | 18.21% |
| Total | 17,204 | 18,212 | 18,235 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
In 2000, there were 17,204 people living in Bosque County. About 29.5% of households had children under 18. Most households (60.6%) were married couples. The average age in the county was 42 years old.
Media in Bosque County
Bosque County is part of the larger Dallas-Fort Worth media area. This means people in Bosque County can watch TV channels from those big cities. Some of these channels include KDFW-TV, KXAS-TV, and WFAA-TV.
Even though it's near Dallas-Fort Worth, Bosque County also gets coverage from TV stations in the nearby Waco, Temple, and Killeen areas. These include channels like KCEN-TV and KWTX-TV.
For local news, people in Bosque County can read newspapers like The Clifton Record and Meridian Tribune. These are both run by BosqueCountyToday.com.
Communities in Bosque County
Bosque County has several towns and communities.
Cities
- Clifton
- Cranfills Gap (a small part is in Hamilton County)
- Iredell
- Meridian (this is the county seat)
- Morgan
- Valley Mills (a small part is in McLennan County)
- Walnut Springs
Census-Designated Places
These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities:
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller communities that are not part of any city or census-designated place:
- Cayote
- Cedar Shores
- Eulogy
- Lakeside Village
- Norse
- Smith Bend
- Womack
Notable People from Bosque County
Many interesting people have connections to Bosque County:
- Jacob De Cordova: He was a land agent and served in the Texas House of Representatives.
- Calvin Maples Cureton: He was the Texas attorney general and later a chief justice.
- James T. Draper Jr.: A Southern Baptist clergyman who was a pastor in Iredell.
- James E. Ferguson: He served as the 26th governor of Texas.
- Miriam A. Ferguson: James' wife, she also served as the 29th and 32nd governor of Texas.
- Earle Bradford Mayfield: He was a Texas state senator and a United States senator.
- John Lomax: An American musicologist who studied and collected folk music.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Bosque para niños
