Tonkawa Massacre

Judge Michael D. Brown Justice Center across from the Tom Green County Courthouse

Tom Green County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 120,003.[1] Its county seat is San Angelo.[2] The county was created in 1874 and organized the following year.[3] It is named for Thomas Green, who was a Confederate soldier and lawyer. Tom Green County is included in the San Angelo metropolitan statistical area; the county is home to Goodfellow Air Force Base, as well as Angelo State University, part of the Texas Tech University System.

History

The county was established by the state legislature on March 13, 1874, and named after Thomas Green, a Confederate brigadier general. It originally comprised an area over 60,000 sq mi (160,000 km2).

The original county seat was the town of Ben Ficklin. In 1882, flood waters of the Concho River destroyed the town and drowned 65 people. The county seat was moved to Santa Angela. In 1883, the town's name was officially changed to San Angelo by the United States Post Office. Following completion of the Santa Fe Railway in September 1888, the county has increase its cattle production to an estimated export of 3,500 to 5,000 railroad cars. In 1889, San Angelo became incorporated to a city, and the Fort Concho shut down after 22 years of operation.[4]

Tom Green County has a long, narrow strip of land extending to the west. This unusual feature is because Reagan County to the west used to be part of Tom Green County, and the state of Texas required that all counties have a contiguous land route to their county seat. The small strip of land served to connect the two main regions. In 1903, the residents of the western section voted to form Reagan County, while the same vote decided that the connecting strip would remain part of Tom Green County.[5]

During Winter Storm Uri, the city of San Angelo endured 152 hours at or below freezing temperatures.[6] Hurricanes and tropical storms that have hit Tom Green include:

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,541 sq mi (3,990 km2), of which 1,522 sq mi (3,940 km2) are land and 19 sq mi (49 km2) (1.2%) are covered by water.[7] The county's protected areas are Lake Nasworthy, O.C. Fisher Reservoir, Twin Buttes Reservoir, San Angelo State Park and Heart of Texas Wildlife Trail. Tom Green County also has the Concho Rivers, North Concho River, South Concho River; and a small creek named Kickapoo Creek as well.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18803,615
18905,15242.5%
19006,80432.1%
191017,882162.8%
192015,210−14.9%
193036,033136.9%
194039,3029.1%
195058,92949.9%
196064,6309.7%
197071,0479.9%
198084,78419.3%
199098,45816.1%
2000104,0105.6%
2010110,2246.0%
2020120,0038.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1850–2010[9] 2010[10] 2020[11]
Tom Green County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[10] Pop 2020[11] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 63,799 62,390 57.88% 51.99%
Black or African American alone (NH) 3,997 4,010 3.63% 3.34%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 406 366 0.37% 0.30%
Asian alone (NH) 1,046 1,704 0.95% 1.42%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 78 143 0.07% 0.12%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 129 369 0.12% 0.31%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 1,454 3,955 1.32% 3.30%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 39,315 47,066 35.67% 39.22%
Total 110,224 120,003 100.00% 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.

As of the census[12] of 2000, 104,010 people, 39,503 households, and 26,783 families resided in the county. The population density was 68 people/sq mi (26 people/km2). The 43,916 housing units averaged 29 units per square mile (11 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 50.76% White, 5.13% African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 12.82% from other races, and 2.39% from two or more races. About 30.71% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race, 13.2% were of German, 10.7% American, 8.2% English, and 7.2% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

Of the 39,503 households, 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.10% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.20% were not families. About 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.52, and the average family size was 3.09.

In the county, the age distribution was 26.10% under 18, 12.80% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,148, and for a family was $39,482. Males had a median income of $27,949 versus $20,683 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,325. About 11.20% of families and 15.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.20% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

Education

View from U.S. Highway 87 northwest of San Angelo in Tom Green County

Colleges

Public school districts

Transportation

Major highways

Communities

Former Texas Theater in downtown San Angelo

City

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost town

Military base

Politics

United States presidential election results for Tom Green County, Texas[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 32,313 71.47% 12,239 27.07% 658 1.46%
2016 27,494 71.45% 9,173 23.84% 1,812 4.71%
2012 26,878 73.20% 9,294 25.31% 548 1.49%
2008 27,362 70.41% 11,158 28.71% 341 0.88%
2004 28,185 75.33% 9,007 24.07% 225 0.60%
2000 24,733 71.43% 9,288 26.82% 605 1.75%
1996 18,112 55.21% 11,782 35.91% 2,914 8.88%
1992 14,989 40.80% 11,437 31.13% 10,313 28.07%
1988 21,463 63.10% 12,283 36.11% 266 0.78%
1984 23,847 72.46% 8,981 27.29% 82 0.25%
1980 16,555 60.71% 9,892 36.27% 824 3.02%
1976 12,316 52.29% 11,064 46.97% 174 0.74%
1972 15,784 71.87% 6,082 27.69% 95 0.43%
1968 9,682 49.56% 6,774 34.67% 3,080 15.77%
1964 6,664 40.53% 9,767 59.40% 12 0.07%
1960 8,176 53.63% 7,031 46.12% 39 0.26%
1956 9,070 64.63% 4,923 35.08% 40 0.29%
1952 9,698 62.49% 5,797 37.35% 24 0.15%
1948 1,822 19.99% 6,777 74.34% 517 5.67%
1944 1,125 13.54% 6,272 75.51% 909 10.94%
1940 1,049 13.99% 6,433 85.81% 15 0.20%
1936 627 11.40% 4,803 87.34% 69 1.25%
1932 739 12.93% 4,957 86.75% 18 0.32%
1928 2,618 63.11% 1,528 36.84% 2 0.05%
1924 554 19.83% 2,116 75.73% 124 4.44%
1920 256 15.52% 1,264 76.61% 130 7.88%
1916 92 6.52% 1,243 88.16% 75 5.32%
1912 50 4.48% 906 81.18% 160 14.34%

Notable person

See also

References

  1. ^ "Tom Green County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  4. ^ "TSHA | Tom Green County". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  5. ^ "Abilene Reporter-News". Abilene Reporter-News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  6. ^ "Texas cities that set new records for longest stretch below freezing this week". KMGH. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  8. ^ "Decennial Census by Decade". US Census Bureau.
  9. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  10. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Tom Green County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  11. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Tom Green County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  12. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  13. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 9, 2018.

External links

31°25′N 100°28′W / 31.41°N 100.46°W / 31.41; -100.46