Crosby County | |
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![]() Crosby County Courthouse in Crosbyton | |
![]() Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
![]() Texas's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 33°37′N101°18′W / 33.61°N 101.3°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | 1886 |
Named for | Stephen Crosby |
Seat | Crosbyton |
Largest city | Ralls |
Area | |
• Total | 902 sq mi (2,340 km2) |
• Land | 900 sq mi (2,000 km2) |
• Water | 1.5 sq mi (4 km2) 0.2% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,133 |
• Density | 5.7/sq mi (2.2/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 19th |
Website | www |
Crosby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 5,133. [1] [2] The county seat is Crosbyton. [3] The county was founded in 1876 and later organized in 1886. [4] Both the county and its seat are named for Stephen Crosby, a land commissioner in Texas.
Crosby County, along with Lubbock and Lynn Counties, is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Lubbock MSA and Levelland Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA), encompassing only Hockley County, form the larger Lubbock–Levelland Combined Statistical Area.
Until the passage of a referendum to permit liquor sales, held on May 11, 2013, Crosby County had been one of 19 remaining prohibition or entirely dry counties within Texas. [5] That same day, voters in Denver City and Yoakum County also approved separate referendums to permit liquor sales. The number of prohibition counties in Texas at that time hence dropped to 17. [6] Part of the large Matador Ranch of West Texas extends into the county. [7]
Around 11,000 BC, Paleo-Indians were the first inhabitants. Archeological artifacts indicate hunter-gatherers hunted the mammoth, mastodon, saber-toothed cat, and giant ground sloth. Later Native American inhabitants included the Comanche. [8] In 1871, Ranald S. Mackenzie fought Quanah Parker and other Comanches at the Battle of Blanco Canyon. The campaign established the Mackenzie Trail used by the first settlers in Crosby County in the late 1870s. [9]
The Texas Legislature formed Crosby County from Young and Bexar districts in 1876. [8] Bavarian Heinrich Schmidtt (Henry “Hank” Clay Smith) and his wife Elizabeth Boyle and their six children became the first permanent settlers in the area in 1878; Hank was active in the county's organization. [10] [11] [12]
Confederate veteran Paris Cox first visited the Caprock Escarpment of the Llano Estacado with a group of buffalo hunters in 1879. [13] Estacado was named the county seat in 1886. [14] By 1900, the beef industry was thriving, supporting 30,618 head. [8]
The country and western song (Ghost) Riders in the Sky was inspired by a legend of a stampede that took place in Crosby County in 1889 reference https://texashillcountry.com/legend-ghost-riders/
In 1908, the Bar-N-Bar Ranch began selling acreage to farmers. [8]
Crosbyton became the new county seat in 1910. [15] Some 45,400 acres (184 km2) in the county were planted in cotton, and 15,000 apple and peach trees were growing in the county in 1920. [8] By 1929, farmers owned 83,000 chickens and sold 395,000 dozen eggs that year. [8]
The first soil conservation district in the county was formed [8] in 1941. In 1955, oil was discovered in the county. [8]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 902 square miles (2,340 km2), of which 900 square miles (2,300 km2) are land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) (0.2%) are covered by water. [16]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 82 | — | |
1890 | 346 | 322.0% | |
1900 | 788 | 127.7% | |
1910 | 1,765 | 124.0% | |
1920 | 6,084 | 244.7% | |
1930 | 11,023 | 81.2% | |
1940 | 10,046 | −8.9% | |
1950 | 9,582 | −4.6% | |
1960 | 10,347 | 8.0% | |
1970 | 9,085 | −12.2% | |
1980 | 8,859 | −2.5% | |
1990 | 7,304 | −17.6% | |
2000 | 7,072 | −3.2% | |
2010 | 6,059 | −14.3% | |
2020 | 5,133 | −15.3% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [17] 1850–2010 [18] 2010 [19] 2020 [20] |
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 [19] | Pop 2020 [20] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 2,625 | 2,076 | 43.32% | 40.44% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 199 | 117 | 3.28% | 2.28% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 13 | 8 | 0.21% | 0.16% |
Asian alone (NH) | 4 | 12 | 0.07% | 0.23% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 2 | 0 | 0.03% | 0.00% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 8 | 6 | 0.13% | 0.12% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 37 | 85 | 0.61% | 1.66% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,171 | 2,829 | 52.34% | 55.11% |
Total | 6,059 | 5,133 | 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 [21] of 2000, 7,072 people, 2,512 households, and 1,866 families resided in the county. The population density was eight people per square mile (3.1 people/km2). The 3,202 housing units averaged four units per square mile (1.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 63.77% White, 3.89% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.03% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 29.89% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races. About 48.93% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 2,512 households, 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were not families. About 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the county, the population was distributed as 30.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,769, and for a family was $29,891. Males had a median income of $23,775 versus $17,229 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,445. About 22.6% of families and 28.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.6% of those under age 18 and 22.7% of those age 65 or over.
School districts serving the county include: [22]
The county is in the service area of South Plains College. [23]
Republican Drew Springer Jr., a businessman from Muenster in Cooke County, has since January 2013 represented Crosby County in the Texas House of Representatives. [24]
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 1,396 | 71.48% | 527 | 26.98% | 30 | 1.54% |
2016 | 1,181 | 68.34% | 468 | 27.08% | 79 | 4.57% |
2012 | 1,132 | 63.35% | 639 | 35.76% | 16 | 0.90% |
2008 | 1,221 | 63.79% | 684 | 35.74% | 9 | 0.47% |
2004 | 1,647 | 72.40% | 622 | 27.34% | 6 | 0.26% |
2000 | 1,270 | 63.44% | 705 | 35.21% | 27 | 1.35% |
1996 | 968 | 42.33% | 1,122 | 49.06% | 197 | 8.61% |
1992 | 1,006 | 43.08% | 1,010 | 43.25% | 319 | 13.66% |
1988 | 1,121 | 43.75% | 1,435 | 56.01% | 6 | 0.23% |
1984 | 1,376 | 52.94% | 1,212 | 46.63% | 11 | 0.42% |
1980 | 1,361 | 48.50% | 1,408 | 50.18% | 37 | 1.32% |
1976 | 897 | 29.01% | 2,176 | 70.38% | 19 | 0.61% |
1972 | 1,503 | 59.15% | 1,021 | 40.18% | 17 | 0.67% |
1968 | 865 | 30.46% | 1,574 | 55.42% | 401 | 14.12% |
1964 | 611 | 21.13% | 2,278 | 78.77% | 3 | 0.10% |
1960 | 889 | 33.13% | 1,783 | 66.46% | 11 | 0.41% |
1956 | 704 | 28.00% | 1,804 | 71.76% | 6 | 0.24% |
1952 | 1,053 | 40.45% | 1,550 | 59.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 168 | 8.12% | 1,731 | 83.66% | 170 | 8.22% |
1944 | 201 | 9.45% | 1,691 | 79.50% | 235 | 11.05% |
1940 | 276 | 13.79% | 1,720 | 85.91% | 6 | 0.30% |
1936 | 153 | 8.19% | 1,711 | 91.64% | 3 | 0.16% |
1932 | 108 | 6.36% | 1,590 | 93.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
1928 | 1,004 | 57.97% | 728 | 42.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 278 | 17.89% | 1,242 | 79.92% | 34 | 2.19% |
1920 | 146 | 18.67% | 572 | 73.15% | 64 | 8.18% |
1916 | 31 | 5.82% | 456 | 85.55% | 46 | 8.63% |
1912 | 7 | 2.37% | 247 | 83.73% | 41 | 13.90% |
Lynn County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 5,596. Its county seat is Tahoka. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1903.
Lubbock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 census placed the population at 310,639. Its county seat and largest city is Lubbock. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1891. It is named for Thomas Saltus Lubbock, a Confederate colonel and Texas Ranger.
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Quitaque is a city in southeastern Briscoe County, Texas, United States. The town lies directly south of Caprock Canyon State Park and is a ranching and farming area in West Texas. The population was 342 at the 2020 census, and 411 at the 2010 census.
Crosbyton is a city in and the county seat of Crosby County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,492 at the 2020 census. Crosbyton is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Lorenzo is a city in Crosby County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 964, down from 1,147 in 2010. It is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Ralls is a city in Crosby County, Texas, United States. It was named after John Robinson Ralls, who, with the help of W.E. McLaughlin, laid out the townsite in July 1911. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,665, down from 1,944 at the 2010 census. Ralls is surrounded by productive farmlands that primarily produce cotton and grains, with lesser amounts of soybean, sunflower seed, and vegetables.
Floydada is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Texas, United States. This rural community lies on the high plains of the Llano Estacado in West Texas and is sometimes referred to as the Pumpkin Capital of Texas. The population was 2,675 at the 2020 census, down from 3,038 at the 2010 census and 3,676 at the 2000 census.
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Ransom Canyon is a town in Lubbock County of West Texas, United States. The population was 1,189 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Slaton is a city in Lubbock County, Texas, United States. Founded by German immigrants, Slaton was the westernmost German settlement in Texas. The population was 5,858 at the 2020 census. Slaton is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Brownfield is a city in Terry County, Texas, United States. Its population was 8,936 at the 2020 census. Brownfield is 39 miles southwest of Lubbock, it is the county seat of Terry County.
The Caprock Escarpment is a term used in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico to describe the geographical transition point between the level High Plains of the Llano Estacado and the surrounding rolling terrain.
The Lubbock metropolitan area is a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the South Plains region of West Texas, United States, that covers three counties – Crosby, Lubbock, and Lynn. As of the 2010 census, the Lubbock MSA had a population of 290,805, though a 2019 estimate placed the population at 322,257, which ranks it the 157th-most populated MSA in the United States. It is also part of the larger Lubbock–Plainview combined statistical area.
The Lubbock–Plainview Combined Statistical Area consists of the Lubbock Metropolitan Area and the Plainview Micropolitan Area and comprises eight counties: in the South Plains region of west Texas. The Levelland Micropolitan Statistical Area was a separate statistical area within the CSA until 2023 when it was added to the Lubbock MSA. In the 2010 census, the CSA had a population of 350,013, though a July 1, 2019 estimate placed the population at 381,664. The CSA's principal city is Lubbock.
Blanco Canyon is a canyon located in the U.S. state of Texas. Eroded by the White River into the Caprock Escarpment on the east side of the Llano Estacado, the canyon runs for 34 miles (55 km) in a southeasterly direction, gradually widening from its beginning in southwestern Floyd County to 10 miles (16 km) across at its mouth in southeastern Crosby County. It also gradually deepens from 50 feet (15 m) at its beginning to 300 to 500 feet at its mouth. One side canyon, 5-mile long Crawfish Canyon, was cut by Crawfish Creek as it feeds into the White River from the west.
Canyon Valley is a ghost town in southern Crosby County, Texas, United States. Today, only a few farms and ranches are scattered across the area.