Baylor County, Texas

Baylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,726.[1] Its county seat is Seymour.[2] The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1879.[3] It is named for Henry Weidner Baylor, a surgeon in the Texas Rangers during the Mexican–American War.

Baylor County
U.S. county
The Baylor County Courthouse in Seymour
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 33°38′N 99°13′W
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1879
Named forHenry Weidner Baylor
SeatSeymour
Largest citySeymour
Area
 • Total901 sq mi (2,330 km2)
 • Land867 sq mi (2,250 km2)
 • Water34 sq mi (90 km2)  3.7%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total3,726
 • Density4.3/sq mi (1.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district13th
Websitewww.co.baylor.tx.us

Baylor County is not to be confused with Baylor University, which is located about 230 miles southeast in McLennan County, nor should its namesake be confused with Confederate Colonel George W. Baylor, who fought in Louisiana during the American Civil War.[4]

Baylor County is represented in the Texas House of Representatives by the Republican James Frank, a businessman from Wichita Falls.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 901 square miles (2,330 km2), of which 867 square miles (2,250 km2) is land and 34 square miles (88 km2) (3.7%) is covered by water.[5]

Major highways
  • U.S. Highway 82
  • U.S. Highway 183
  • U.S. Highway 277
  • U.S. Highway 283
  • State Highway 114

Adjacent counties

Geology
See also: Geology of Wichita Falls, Texas

Baylor County is part of the Texas Red Beds, which are a strata of red-colored sedimentary rock from the Early Permian. The fossils of Permian period vertebrates in the Texas Red Beds were first discovered by Edward Drinker Cope in 1877.[6][7] Subsequent research has revealed rare fossils of Permian-era amphibians like Trimerorhachis,[8] as well as rich deposits of other Permian tetrapods such as Dimetrodon and Diadectes.[9] Seymouria baylorensis, a species of Seymouria, was first discovered and named after Baylor County and the city of Seymour.[10]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1880715—
18902,595262.9%
19003,05217.6%
19108,411175.6%
19207,027−16.5%
19307,4185.6%
19407,7554.5%
19506,875−11.3%
19605,893−14.3%
19705,221−11.4%
19804,919−5.8%
19904,385−10.9%
20004,093−6.7%
20103,726−9.0%
2019 (est.)3,509[11]−5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1850–2010[13] 2010–2014[1]

As of the census[14] of 2000, 4,093 people, 1,791 households, and 1,156 families resided in the county. The population density was five people per square mile (2/km2). The 2,820 housing units averaged three per square mile (1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.96% White, 3.35% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 3.32% from other races] and 1.15% from two or more races; 9.33% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 1,791 households, 25.2% had children under the age of 18 residing in them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were not families. In addition, 33.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county, the population was distributed as 23.4% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,627, and for a family was $34,583. Males had a median income of $21,607 versus $19,571 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,384. About 16.1% of the population and 12.9% of families were below the poverty line, and 26.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Educational attainment

According to the 2000 census, 21.2% of those aged over 25 did not have a high school diploma, while 32.7% did. Roughly 8.7% of the population had a bachelor's degree, 2.3% had a master's degree, and 0.2% had a doctoral degree. No males had doctoral degrees, while 0.4% of females had one.

Education

Almost all of Baylor County is served by the Seymour Independent School District, which also serves portions of adjacent counties. A small portion is served by the Olney Independent School District. The OISD portion was served by the Megargel Independent School District until MISD closed after May 2006.

Communities

City

Unincorporated communities

Politics
Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 84.5%, 1,267 12.7%, 191 2.7%, 41
2012 81.5%, 1,297 16.8%, 267 1.8%, 28
2008 76.8%, 1,262 22.3%, 366 0.9%, 15
2004 71.3%, 1,169 28.5%, 467 0.2%, 4
2000 64.8%, 1,285 33.4%, 663 1.8% 36
1996 41.2%, 860 45.8%, 955 13.0%, 271
1992 28.7%, 611 46.4%, 990 24.9%, 531
1988 44.2%, 914 55.7%, 1,153 0.1% 3
1984 56.0%, 1,314 43.4%, 1,019 0.6%, 13
1980 47.6%, 1,098 51.3%, 1,183 1.1%, 25
1976 36.8%, 783 62.7%, 1,335 0.6%, 12
1972 66.5%, 1,190 33.4%, 598 0.1%, 1
1968 30.4%, 657 49.2%, 1,064 20.5%, 443
1964 21.7%, 389 78.2%, 1,403 0.1%, 2
1960 37.3% 713 62.7% 1,199 0.1% 1
1956 40.5% 715 59.3% 1,047 0.2% 4
1952 43.4% 879 56.4% 1,142 0.2% 3
1948 6.0% 101 90.8% 1,522 3.2% 53
1944 5.7% 102 87.7% 1,568 6.7% 119
1940 7.7% 139 92.3% 1,667 0.1% 1
1936 6.1% 100 93.9% 1,541 0.1% 1
1932 3.7% 55 96.3% 1,437 0.1% 1
1928 38.5% 491 61.5% 784
1924 11.6% 135 87.0% 1,012 1.4% 16
1920 16.2% 139 73.6% 632 10.2% 88
1916 5.6% 47 85.1% 711 9.3% 78
1912 2.4% 15 89.3% 551 8.3% 51

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 1, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 4, 2012. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  4. John D. Winters, The Civil War in Louisiana, Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963, ISBN 0-8071-0834-0, pp. 287–288. 364–365, 370–371
  5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  6. Cope, E. D. Descriptions of extinct vertebrata from the Permian and Triassic formations of the United States. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 1877. Volume 17:182–195. JSTOR. Accessed on August 28, 2017.
  7. Case, E.C.The Red Beds between Wichita Falls, Texas, and Las Vegas, New Mexico, in Relation to Their Vertebrate Fauna. The Journal of Geology, vol. 22, no. 3, 1914, pp. 243–259. JSTOR. Accessed on August 28, 2017.
  8. Henry, Randy. NRCS and Landowner Team Up With Houston Museum after Rare Species Discovery. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Accessed on August 28, 2017.
  9. Caulfield, Dave. Prehistoric Predators: Fossil Findings in Seymour 'Redefining'. Newschannel 6: October 25, 2015. Accessed on August 28, 2017.
  10. Williston, S. W. Restoration of Seymouria Baylorensis Broili, an American Cotylosaur. The Journal of Geology: 1911, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 232–237. JSTOR. Accessed on August 28, 2017.
  11. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  12. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  13. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 19, 2018.

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