Deaf Smith County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Deaf Smith County
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Deaf Smith County Courthouse in Hereford
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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 | 1890 |
| Named for | Deaf Smith |
| Seat | Hereford |
| Largest city | Hereford |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,498 sq mi (3,880 km2) |
| • Land | 1,497 sq mi (3,880 km2) |
| • Water | 1.5 sq mi (4 km2) 0.1% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 18,583  |
| • Density | 12/sq mi (5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 13th |
Deaf Smith County is a county in the state of Texas, USA. In 2020, about 18,583 people lived there. The main town and county seat is Hereford. Hereford is famous as the "Beef Capital of the World." The county was created in 1876 and officially started in 1890. Deaf Smith County is also part of the Hereford, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
In 1876, the state of Texas officially named and defined Deaf Smith County. But it wasn't until 1890 that the county government was set up. The first county seat was a town called La Plata.
The county is named after Erastus "Deaf" Smith. He lived from 1787 to 1837. He was a scout and soldier who couldn't hear very well. He played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He was the first person to reach the Alamo after it fell in 1836. Smith himself said his name "Deaf" should be pronounced "DEEF." But most people in the county today say "DEF."
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Deaf Smith as he appears at the Deaf Smith County Museum
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The Deaf Smith County Historical Museum in Hereford
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The Deaf Smith County Library used to have the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame on its first floor. That museum is now in Fort Worth.
Geography
Deaf Smith County covers a total area of about 1,498 square miles. Most of this area, 1,497 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 1.5 square miles, is water.
Major Highways
These are the main roads that go through Deaf Smith County:
Interstate 40
U.S. Highway 60
U.S. Highway 385
State Highway 214
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Neighboring Counties
Deaf Smith County shares borders with these other counties:
- Oldham County (to the north)
- Potter County (to the northeast)
- Randall County (to the east)
- Castro County (to the southeast)
- Parmer County (to the south)
- Curry County, New Mexico (to the southwest, in a different time zone)
- Quay County, New Mexico (to the west, in a different time zone)
People of Deaf Smith County
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 38 | — | |
| 1890 | 179 | 371.1% | |
| 1900 | 843 | 370.9% | |
| 1910 | 3,942 | 367.6% | |
| 1920 | 3,747 | −4.9% | |
| 1930 | 5,979 | 59.6% | |
| 1940 | 6,056 | 1.3% | |
| 1950 | 9,111 | 50.4% | |
| 1960 | 13,187 | 44.7% | |
| 1970 | 18,999 | 44.1% | |
| 1980 | 21,165 | 11.4% | |
| 1990 | 19,153 | −9.5% | |
| 2000 | 18,561 | −3.1% | |
| 2010 | 19,372 | 4.4% | |
| 2020 | 18,583 | −4.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
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In 2000, there were 18,561 people living in Deaf Smith County. The county had about 12 people for every square mile. Most people identified as White, but a large part of the population was also Hispanic or Latino. In fact, over half of the people in the county were Hispanic or Latino.
Many households in the county had children under 18 living with them. The average household had almost three people. The average family had over three people. The median age of people in the county was 31 years old. This means half the people were younger than 31 and half were older.
Important Services
The main office for the Deaf Smith Electric Cooperative is in Hereford. This cooperative provides electricity to Deaf Smith County. It also serves parts of Castro, Parmer, and Oldham Counties.
Towns and Communities
Cities
- Hereford (This is the county seat, where the main county government offices are.)
Small Towns and Areas
These are smaller communities that are not officially cities:
Old Towns
These are places that used to be towns but are now abandoned:
- Ayr
- Bootleg
- Kelso
- La Plata (This was the first county seat!)
Education
Several school districts serve the students in Deaf Smith County:
- Adrian Independent School District
- Friona Independent School District
- Hereford Independent School District
- Vega Independent School District
- Walcott Independent School District
- Wildorado Independent School District
Also, all of Deaf Smith County is in the service area for Amarillo College. This college offers higher education opportunities.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Deaf Smith para niños
