Kaufman County, Texas

Kaufman County is a county in the northeast area of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 103,350.[1] Its county seat is Kaufman.[2] Both the county, established in 1848, and the city were named for David S. Kaufman, a U.S. Representative and diplomat from Texas.

Kaufman County
U.S. county
The Kaufman County Courthouse in Kaufman
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°36′N 96°17′W
Country United States
State Texas
FoundedFebruary 1848
Named forDavid Spangler Kaufman
SeatKaufman
Largest cityForney
Area
 • Total808 sq mi (2,090 km2)
 • Land781 sq mi (2,020 km2)
 • Water27 sq mi (70 km2)  3.3%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total103,350
 • Density132/sq mi (51/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district5th
Websitewww.kaufmancounty.net

Kaufman County is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan statistical area.

Western artist Frank Reaugh moved from Illinois to Kaufman County in 1876. There he was directly inspired for such paintings as The Approaching Herd (1902).[3]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 808 square miles (2,090 km2), of which 781 square miles (2,020 km2) are land and 27 square miles (70 km2) (3.3%) are covered by water.[4] Located in the northeast portion of Texas, it is bounded on the southwest by the Trinity River, and drained by the east fork of that stream.[5]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18501,047—
18603,936275.9%
18706,89575.2%
188015,448124.0%
189021,59839.8%
190033,37654.5%
191035,3235.8%
192041,27616.9%
193040,905−0.9%
194038,308−6.3%
195031,170−18.6%
196029,931−4.0%
197032,3928.2%
198039,01520.4%
199052,22033.8%
200071,31336.6%
2010103,35044.9%
2019 (est.)136,154[6]31.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1850–2010[8] 2010–2014[1]

As of the census[9] of 2000, 71,313 people, 24,367 households, and 19,225 families were residing in the county. The population density was 91/sq mi (35/km2). Its 26,133 housing units averaged 33/sq mi (13/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 81.10% White, 10.53% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 5.68% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. About 11.11% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 24,367 households, 39.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.10% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.10% were not families. About 17.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87, and the average family size was 3.24.

In the county, the population distribution was 29.20% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,783, and for a family was $50,354. Males had a median income of $35,537 versus $26,494 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,827. About 7.80% of families and 10.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.30% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Kaufman County is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth DMA. Local media outlets include KDFW-TV, KXAS-TV, WFAA-TV, KTVT-TV, KERA-TV, KTXA-TV, KDFI-TV, KDAF-TV, KFWD-TV, and KDTX-TV. Other nearby stations that provide coverage for Kaufman County come from the Tyler/Longview/Jacksonville market and they include KLTV, KYTX-TV, KFXK-TV, and KETK-TV.

Kaufman County is served by three newspapers, the Terrell Tribune, the Kaufman Herald, and the Forney Messenger. Forney, Texas, is also served by online news media outlet inForney.com, which covers breaking news for the county. A quarterly magazine called Kaufman County Life is produced by the Terrell Tribune. The Kemp and Mabank areas are included in coverage by The Monitor and Athens Daily Review newspapers.

Law enforcement

The Kaufman County Sheriff's Office is Kaufman County's main police force. Smaller cities depend on the sheriff's office, along with the Texas Highway Patrol, for law-enforcement duties.

Kaufman County murders
Main article: Kaufman County murders

In December 2012, Texas officials issued a statewide bulletin warning that the Aryan Brotherhood was "actively planning retaliation against law enforcement officials" who worked to prosecute the gang's leadership.[10]

In January 2013, Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse of Kaufman County was assassinated by gunshot outside the Kaufman County courthouse.[10]On March 30, 2013, District Attorney Mike McLelland, along with his wife, were found shot and killed in their home.[11] On April 13, 2013, ex-justice of the peace Eric Williams was arrested for making terrorist threats to county officials by email. Hasse and McLelland had aggressively prosecuted Williams in a theft case. Williams was convicted, and lost his position and his law license as a result.[12] On April 17, 2013, his wife Kim Williams was arrested on capital murder charges in all three deaths.[13]

Officials did not link these arrests or events to the Aryan Brotherhood. Eric Williams was convicted at trial and sentenced to death on December 16, 2014.[14] Kim Williams pleaded guilty on December 30, 2014, and received a 40-year sentence.[15]

Communities

Cities (multiple counties)

Cities
Map showing cities and towns in Kaufman County

Towns

Villages

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Politics

Prior to 1952, Kaufman County was a Democratic Party stronghold in presidential elections. From 1952 to 1980, it was still primarily Democratic, though the party's margin of victories were far lower than before. Republican Richard Nixon won the county handily in 1972 as part of his national landslide. Starting with the 1984 election, it has become a Republican stronghold like most white-majority counties in the South, though neither of Bill Clinton's two Republican opponents managed a majority despite winning the county due to Ross Perot's strong third-party candidacy.

Presidential election results
Presidential election results[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 66.3% 37,624 32.5% 18,405 1.2% 689
2016 71.7% 29,587 24.9% 10,278 3.4% 1,400
2012 71.7% 24,846 27.3% 9,472 1.0% 352
2008 67.5% 23,735 31.8% 11,161 0.7% 249
2004 70.2% 21,304 29.5% 8,947 0.4% 115
2000 66.3% 15,290 32.3% 7,455 1.4% 318
1996 48.3% 8,697 41.0% 7,383 10.6% 1,913
1992 34.5% 6,578 34.1% 6,498 31.4% 5,984
1988 53.2% 8,466 46.2% 7,358 0.6% 92
1984 62.6% 9,343 37.2% 5,554 0.3% 41
1980 47.6% 5,852 51.0% 6,266 1.4% 169
1976 37.9% 3,867 61.8% 6,302 0.3% 35
1972 64.5% 5,100 35.4% 2,795 0.1% 11
1968 30.0% 2,431 40.9% 3,311 29.0% 2,350
1964 28.7% 1,922 71.2% 4,766 0.1% 6
1960 47.1% 2,717 52.2% 3,008 0.8% 43
1956 49.0% 2,816 50.5% 2,902 0.6% 32
1952 44.1% 2,964 55.9% 3,762 0.0% 3
1948 15.6% 764 71.2% 3,479 13.2% 647
1944 8.4% 430 82.8% 4,251 8.9% 455
1940 9.0% 516 91.0% 5,232 0.1% 3
1936 5.5% 229 94.4% 3,943 0.1% 3
1932 6.1% 268 93.8% 4,116 0.1% 5
1928 39.3% 1,718 60.7% 2,657
1924 13.5% 884 85.3% 5,573 1.1% 74
1920 12.8% 573 68.8% 3,070 18.4% 819
1916 12.6% 427 82.3% 2,780 5.1% 173
1912 9.3% 248 76.5% 2,039 14.2% 378

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 30, 2011. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. Kaufman County Historical Commission, History of Kaufman County (Dallas, Texas: Taylor, 1978)
  4. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  5. Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Kaufman" . The American Cyclopædia.
  6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  8. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  10. "Breaking news: Texas County District Attorney and Wife Found Dead". The New York Times. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  11. "Breaking news: Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, wife reportedly found dead in home". The Dallas Morning News. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  12. Eiserer, Tanya and Jana J. Pruet (April 13, 2013). "Ex-justice of peace is prime suspect in Kaufman DA slayings". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  13. Eiserer, Tanya (April 17, 2013). "Wife of jailed ex-Kaufman County justice of the peace is now behind bars, charged with capital murder". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on April 18, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  14. Eiserer, Tanya. "Ex-judge sentenced to death in Texas revenge plot". USA TODAY.
  15. "Wife of convicted Kaufman County killer sentenced to 40 years in prison". Dallas News. July 29, 2018.
  16. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2 April 2018.

Further reading
  • Butler, Robert Richard History of Kaufman County, Texas (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1940)
  • Keller, Mabel Covington History of Kaufman County, Texas (M.A. thesis, North Texas State College, 1950)
  • Clausen, C. A. ed., The Lady with the Pen: Elise Wærenskjold in Texas (Northfield, Minnesota: Norwegian-American Historical Association, 1961)

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