Reagan County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Reagan County
|
|
|---|---|
The Reagan County Courthouse in Big Lake
|
|
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
|
|
 Texas's location within the U.S. |
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1903 |
| Named for | John Henninger Reagan |
| Seat | Big Lake |
| Largest city | Big Lake |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,176 sq mi (3,050 km2) |
| • Land | 1,175 sq mi (3,040 km2) |
| • Water | 0.7 sq mi (2 km2) 0.06% |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 3,385  |
| • Density | 2.9/sq mi (1.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 23rd |
Reagan County is a county in the state of Texas, located on the Edwards Plateau. In 2020, about 3,385 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Big Lake. The county is named after John Henninger Reagan (1818–1905). He was an important person who worked for the Confederate States and later became a U.S. senator and U.S. representative. He also led the first Railroad Commission of Texas.
Contents
History of Reagan County
Reagan County has a long and interesting history. The first people to live here were Paleo-Indians, followed by groups like the Suma-Jumano, Kiowa, and Comanche.
Early Explorers and Trails
In 1650, Spanish captains Hernán Martín and Diego del Castillo explored this area. Later, in 1684, Juan Domínguez de Mendoza and Nicolás López wrote reports about the local Native American groups. From 1858 to 1861, the Butterfield Overland Mail route, which was a stagecoach service, crossed through the middle of the county. In 1878, Camp Grierson’s Spring was set up as a small military post. It was named after Colonel Benjamin H. Grierson.
County Formation and Oil Discovery
Reagan County was officially created in 1903 from parts of Tom Green County. It was named after John Henninger Reagan. The town of Stiles, named after rancher William G. Stiles, became the first county seat. In 1911, the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient of Texas Railway was finished, helping people and goods move around.
A very important event happened in 1923: oil was found at the Big Lake Oilfield. This oilfield is in the Permian Basin and is on land owned by the University of Texas System. This discovery helped start the oil industry in the Permian Basin and created money for the Permanent University Fund, which supports Texas universities. The oil rig was called Santa Rita #1, named after the Patron Saint of the Impossible. Soon after, Big Lake became an official city.
Boom Towns and Growth
In 1924, the town of Best grew very quickly because of the oil boom. It faced some challenges with law and order, so the Texas Rangers had to step in. They helped bring peace by removing buildings used for illegal activities. In 1925, people voted to move the county seat from Stiles to Big Lake. The next year, in 1926, the Big Lake Oil Company built the town of Texon for its workers and their families, focusing on a good community life. In 1951, there was another big increase in oil production from the Spraberry Trend, which brought more growth to the county.
Geography
Reagan County covers a total area of about 1,176 square miles. Most of this is land, with only a small part (about 0.7 square miles) being water. A large part of the county sits on top of the Spraberry Trend. This is the third-largest oil field in the United States when you look at how much oil is still left to be found.
Main Roads
U.S. Highway 67
State Highway 137
Ranch to Market Road 33
Neighboring Counties
Reagan County shares its borders with several other counties:
- Glasscock County (to the north)
- Sterling County (to the northeast)
- Tom Green County (to the east)
- Irion County (to the east)
- Crockett County (to the south)
- Upton County (to the west)
- Midland County (to the northwest)
People of Reagan County (Demographics)
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 392 | — | |
| 1920 | 377 | −3.8% | |
| 1930 | 3,028 | 703.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,997 | −34.0% | |
| 1950 | 3,127 | 56.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,782 | 20.9% | |
| 1970 | 3,239 | −14.4% | |
| 1980 | 4,135 | 27.7% | |
| 1990 | 4,514 | 9.2% | |
| 2000 | 3,326 | −26.3% | |
| 2010 | 3,367 | 1.2% | |
| 2020 | 3,385 | 0.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
|||
This table shows the different groups of people living in Reagan County, Texas. The US Census counts people by their race and also by whether they are of Hispanic or Latino background. Someone can be of any race and also be Hispanic or Latino.
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 1,545 | 1,219 | 968 | 46.45% | 36.20% | 28.60% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 94 | 65 | 33 | 2.83% | 1.93% | 0.97% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 10 | 7 | 12 | 0.30% | 0.21% | 0.35% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 9 | 1 | 19 | 0.27% | 0.03% | 0.56% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.00% | 0.03% | 0.18% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 22 | 23 | 63 | 0.66% | 0.68% | 1.86% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,646 | 2,051 | 2,283 | 49.49% | 60.91% | 67.44% |
| Total | 3,326 | 3,367 | 3,385 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
In 2000, there were 3,326 people living in Reagan County. This included 1,107 households and 872 families. The population density was about 3 people per square mile. This means there were 3 people for every square mile of land.
Many households (46.8%) had children under 18 living with them. Most households (68.1%) were married couples. The average household had almost 3 people, and the average family had over 3 people.
The age of people in the county varied. About 34.2% were under 18 years old. About 10.3% were 65 years or older. The average age was 32 years old. For every 100 females, there were about 100.5 males.
The median income for a household was $33,231. This means half of the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less. For families, the median income was $36,806. The income per person in the county was $13,174. About 11.8% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line. This included 10.6% of those under 18 and 23.6% of those 65 or older.
Communities
City
- Big Lake (This is the main town and county seat.)
Unincorporated communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially organized as cities:
Ghost Town
- Stiles (This was once a town but is now mostly abandoned.)
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Reagan para niños
