Wilson County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilson County
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The Wilson County Courthouse in Floresville. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 1978.
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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 | 1860 |
| Named for | James Charles Wilson |
| Seat | Floresville |
| Largest city | Floresville |
| Area | |
| • Total | 808 sq mi (2,090 km2) |
| • Land | 804 sq mi (2,080 km2) |
| • Water | 4.7 sq mi (12 km2) 0.6% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 49,753 |
| • Density | 61.58/sq mi (23.774/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 15th, 28th |
Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 49,753. Its county seat is Floresville. The county is named after James Charles Wilson. Wilson County is part of the San Antonio–New Braunfels, Texas, metropolitan statistical area.
Contents
History
Native Americans
Archeological evidence in the Wilson County area reveals early habitation from the Paleo-Indians Hunter-gatherers period. Later, the area was a hunting range for Tonkawa, Aranamas, Tamiques, Karankawa. Tawakoni, Lipan Apache and Comanche lived and hunted in the county.
Explorations and county established
In September 1718 Martín de Alarcón crossed the area on his way to explore the bay of Espíritu Santo. Pedro de Rivera y Villalón crossed the county in 1727 as part of an expedition to inspect the frontier defenses of New Spain. In 1766–67 the Marqués de Rubí included the area in his inspection of the Spanish frontier, and the 1798 explorations of the coast by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado skirted the area.
The first two land grants in the area were to Luis Menchaca and Andrés Hernández, who established ranches circa 1832-1833.
Anglos began arriving in the 1840s, and Southern planters in 1850 and 1860, followed by German and Polish immigrants from other counties.
Wilson County was formed in 1860 from Bexar and Karnes. Sutherland Springs was designated the county seat.
Wilson County voted in favor of secession from the Union, and sent several military units to serve. Wartime hardships were compounded by a 3-year drought.
Following the civil war, the county seat was moved to Floresville. The 1872 courthouse was destroyed by fire and replaced in 1884 with a new building designed by Alfred Giles.
Fence Cutting Wars in Texas lasted for approximately five years, 1883-1888. The 40,000-acre (160 km2) ranch of Houston and Dilworth became the focal point in Wilson County. As farmers and ranchers began to compete for precious land and water, cattlemen found it more difficult to feed their herds, prompting cowboys to cut through fences. Texas Governor John Ireland prodded a special assembly to order the fence cutters to cease. In response, the legislature made fence-cutting and pasture-burning crimes punishable with prison time, while at the same time regulating fencing. The practice abated with sporadic incidents of related violence 1888.
The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway reached Floresville in 1886. In 1898 the San Antonio and Gulf Railroad was extended to Stockdale.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 808 square miles (2,090 km2), of which 804 square miles (2,080 km2) is land and 4.7 square miles (12 km2) (0.6%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 87
U.S. Highway 181
State Highway 97
Adjacent counties
- Guadalupe County (north)
- Gonzales County (northeast)
- Karnes County (southeast)
- Atascosa County (southwest)
- Bexar County (northwest)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 2,556 | — | |
| 1880 | 7,118 | 178.5% | |
| 1890 | 10,655 | 49.7% | |
| 1900 | 13,961 | 31.0% | |
| 1910 | 17,066 | 22.2% | |
| 1920 | 17,289 | 1.3% | |
| 1930 | 17,606 | 1.8% | |
| 1940 | 17,066 | −3.1% | |
| 1950 | 14,672 | −14.0% | |
| 1960 | 13,267 | −9.6% | |
| 1970 | 13,041 | −1.7% | |
| 1980 | 16,756 | 28.5% | |
| 1990 | 22,650 | 35.2% | |
| 2000 | 32,408 | 43.1% | |
| 2010 | 42,918 | 32.4% | |
| 2020 | 49,753 | 15.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 25,186 | 27,877 | 58.68% | 56.03% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 644 | 693 | 1.50% | 1.39% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 125 | 148 | 0.29% | 0.30% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 143 | 229 | 0.33% | 0.46% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 9 | 24 | 0.02% | 0.05% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 25 | 187 | 0.06% | 0.38% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 374 | 1,363 | 0.87% | 2.74% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 16,412 | 19,232 | 38.24% | 38.65% |
| Total | 42,918 | 49,753 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
Communities
Cities
- Elmendorf (mostly in Bexar County)
- Floresville (county seat)
- La Vernia
- Nixon (mostly in Gonzales County)
- Stockdale
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Ghost Towns
Gallery
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The "Peanut Marker" at the Wilson County Courthouse lawn commemorates the life of Joe T. Sheehy (1886–1967), who introduced peanut farming to the area in 1916.
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The Wilson County Public Library near the courthouse.
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The Wilson County Hardware store in Floresville.
Education
School districts include:
- Falls City Independent School District
- Floresville Independent School District
- La Vernia Independent School District
- Nixon-Smiley Consolidated Independent School District
- Poth Independent School District
- Stockdale Independent School District
All of the county is in the service area of Alamo Community College District.
Notable people
- John Connally, governor of Texas and U.S. Secretary of the Navy and Treasury
- Merrill Connally, an actor and a county judge
- Wayne Connally, a member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature
- Frank Hamer, Texas Ranger
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Wilson (Texas) para niños
