Gaines County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gaines County
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The Gaines County Courthouse in Seminole
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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 | 1905 |
| Seat | Seminole |
| Largest city | Seminole |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,503 sq mi (3,890 km2) |
| • Land | 1,502 sq mi (3,890 km2) |
| • Water | 0.5 sq mi (1 km2) 0.03% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 21,598 |
| • Density | 14.370/sq mi (5.5483/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 19th |
Gaines County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It's like a special area within the state. In 2020, about 21,598 people lived there. The main town, or county seat, where the county government is located, is Seminole.
Contents
History of Gaines County
Gaines County is named after James Gaines. He was a merchant who helped sign the Texas Declaration of Independence. This important document declared Texas's freedom. James Gaines was born in 1779.
For a long time, the land that is now Gaines County was home to the Comanche people. Mexican traders called Comancheros also did business there. They traded with the Plains Indians.
In 1875, a military officer named Lt. Bullis found a large group of Native Americans at Cedar Lake. Later, Col. Shafter set up a camp there. He explored the area and found many wells. This spot became a regular place for trading goods.
In 1887, the northern part of the county was a large ranch. It was later sold for driving cattle. On October 24, 1905, Gaines County officially became an organized county in Texas. Land was given by landowners to create the town of Seminole, Texas. This town became the county seat.
In 1912, a small post office opened east of Seminole. It was named after a local ranch. This place later became the town of Loop, Texas. In 1917, the Santa Fe Railroad came through. A town called Blythe, Texas, was on the line. But its name was changed to Seagraves, Texas because there was already another town with the same name.
A big change happened in Gaines County in 1977. A group of Mennonites moved there. They started farming and ranching. By 2005, Gaines County was a top producer in Texas. It produced a lot of oil, cotton, and peanuts.
Geography and Location
Gaines County covers about 1,503 square miles. Most of this area is land. Only a tiny part is water.
Main Roads in Gaines County
These are some of the important highways that go through Gaines County:
U.S. Highway 62
U.S. Highway 180
U.S. Highway 385
State Highway 83
State Highway 115
State Highway 214
Neighboring Counties
Gaines County shares borders with these other counties:
- Yoakum County (to the north)
- Terry County (to the north)
- Dawson County (to the east)
- Martin County (to the southeast)
- Andrews County (to the south)
- Lea County, New Mexico (to the west)
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 8 | — | |
| 1890 | 68 | 750.0% | |
| 1900 | 55 | −19.1% | |
| 1910 | 1,255 | 2,181.8% | |
| 1920 | 1,018 | −18.9% | |
| 1930 | 2,800 | 175.0% | |
| 1940 | 8,136 | 190.6% | |
| 1950 | 8,909 | 9.5% | |
| 1960 | 12,267 | 37.7% | |
| 1970 | 11,593 | −5.5% | |
| 1980 | 13,150 | 13.4% | |
| 1990 | 14,123 | 7.4% | |
| 2000 | 14,467 | 2.4% | |
| 2010 | 17,526 | 21.1% | |
| 2020 | 21,598 | 23.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
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Gaines County has grown quite a bit over the years. In 1880, only 8 people lived there! By 2020, the population was 21,598.
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 8,803 | 10,628 | 12,554 | 60.85% | 60.64% | 58.13% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 304 | 261 | 241 | 2.10% | 1.49% | 1.12% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 37 | 46 | 42 | 0.26% | 0.26% | 0.19% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 22 | 37 | 72 | 0.15% | 0.21% | 0.33% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 7 | 17 | 46 | 0.05% | 0.10% | 0.21% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 119 | 124 | 239 | 0.82% | 0.71% | 1.11% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5,175 | 6,413 | 8,401 | 35.77% | 36.59% | 38.90% |
| Total | 14,467 | 17,526 | 21,598 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
In 2020, there were 21,598 people living in Gaines County. These people lived in 5,812 households. Many of these households were families.
Local Media
Gaines County has its own local news! The Seminole Sentinel is a newspaper that comes out twice a week. You can also listen to local radio stations like KIKZ (AM) and KSEM-FM.
Towns and Communities
Gaines County has several towns and communities:
Cities
Town
- Denver City (Most of this town is in a neighboring county, Yoakum County.)
Census-designated place
Education in Gaines County
Students in Gaines County attend schools in several different school districts:
- Loop Independent School District
- Seagraves Independent School District
- Seminole Independent School District
- Wellman-Union Consolidated Independent School District
For college, most of Gaines County is served by South Plains College. However, the part of the county in Seminole ISD is served by Odessa College.
Famous People from Gaines County
Some well-known people have come from Gaines County:
- Larry Gatlin, a country music singer
- Paul Patterson (author), an author
- Tanya Tucker, another famous country music singer
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Gaines para niños
