DeWitt County, Texas

DeWitt County
County
The DeWitt County Courthouse located in Cuero. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 6, 1971.
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°05′N97°22′W / 29.08°N 97.36°W / 29.08; -97.36
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1846
Named for	Green DeWitt
Seat	Cuero
Largest city	Cuero
Area
• Total	910 sq mi (2,400 km2)
• Land	909 sq mi (2,350 km2)
• Water	1.5 sq mi (4 km2)  0.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	19,824 [1]
• Density	21.8/sq mi (8.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	27th
Website	www.co.dewitt.tx.us

DeWitt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 19,824. ^[2] The county seat is Cuero. ^[3] The county was founded in 1846 and is named for Green DeWitt, who founded an early colony in Texas.

History

Native Americans

Archeological digs ^{[4] [5]} indicate early habitation from the Paleo-Indians hunter-gatherers period. Later, Tonkawa, Aranamas, Tamiques, Karankawa, Tawakoni, Lipan Apache, and Comanche lived and hunted in the county.

Explorers

The first European visitors to the county are thought to have been ^[6] Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Alonso del Castillo Maldonado, Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, and his slave Estevanico of the ill-fated 1528 Narváez expedition. French explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle ^{[7] [8]} is believed to have crossed the county on his way westward from Victoria County; and while La Bahia ^[9] was a common route, no evidence of any settlements exist before the Anglo homesteaders.

County established and growth

In 1825, empresario Green DeWitt ^[10] received a grant from the Coahuila y Tejas legislature to settle 400 families. ^{[11] [12]} Between 1826 and 1831 ^[13] settlers arrived from Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and other Southern states.

A temporary county government was set up in 1846, with the county seat being Daniel Boone Friar's store at the junction of the La Bahía Road and the Gonzales-Victoria road. ^[14] On November 28, 1850, Clinton became the county seat until Cuero became county seat in 1876.

Dewitt County voted in favor of secession from the Union, and sent several military units ^[15] to serve. During Reconstruction, the county was occupied by the Fourth Corps, based at Victoria.

From April 1866 until December 1868, a sub-assistant commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau ^{[16] [17]} served at Clinton. The community of Hopkinsville was established in 1872 by Henry Hopkins, ^[18] freedman former slave of Judge Henry Clay Pleasants, ^[19] the judge credited for ending the Sutton-Taylor Feud. Residents began a school that was active until 1956, and established the Antioch Baptist Church.

The notorious Sutton–Taylor feud ^{[20] [21]} began as a Reconstruction-era county law enforcement issue between the Taylor family and lawman William E. Sutton. It eventually involved both the Taylor and Sutton families, the Texas State Police, the Texas Rangers, and John Wesley Hardin. The feud, which lasted a decade and cost 35 lives, has been called the longest and bloodiest in Texas history.

April 1, 1866, marked the first cattle drive on the Chisholm Trail, ^[22] which originated at Cardwell's Flat, near the present Cuero. The coming of the railroads eliminated the need for the Chisholm Trail. Dewitt's first rail line, the Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific, ^[23] extended to San Antonio. The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway, ^[24] was the second line in the county. In 1907 the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway ^[25] came through Dewitt. In 1925, the three lines came under the control of the Southern Pacific lines and operated as the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. ^[26] Passenger service continued until November 1950.

The United States Army Air Corps opened Cuero Field, ^[27] serving 290 cadets, at Cuero Municipal Airport as a pilot flight school in 1941. The school was deactivated in 1944.

Cuero and its large turkey-growing industry bills itself as the "Turkey Capital of the World". The turkey industry in Cuero began large-scale operations in 1908. Much like ranchers had cattle drives, Cuero poultry growers drove their turkeys down Main Street to the local packing plant. ^[28] Each year, the crowds grew to watch the sight and sound of upwards of 20,000 turkeys going through town. ^[29] The first annual Cuero Turkey Trot ^[30] celebration began in 1912, complete with the "Turkey Trot" dance music of the era. By the 1970s, ^[31] the event had become a 3-day typical Texas celebration with parades, live entertainment, food booths, and street dances.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 910 square miles (2,400 km²), of which 909 square miles (2,350 km²) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) (0.2%) is water. ^[32]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 87
• 
  U.S. Highway 77 Alternate/U.S. Highway 183
• State Highway 72
• State Highway 119

Adjacent counties

• Lavaca County (northeast)
• Victoria County (southeast)
• Goliad County (south)
• Karnes County (southwest)
• Gonzales County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	1,716		—
1860	5,108		197.7%
1870	6,443		26.1%
1880	10,082		56.5%
1890	14,307		41.9%
1900	21,311		49.0%
1910	23,501		10.3%
1920	27,971		19.0%
1930	27,441		−1.9%
1940	24,935		−9.1%
1950	22,973		−7.9%
1960	20,683		−10.0%
1970	18,660		−9.8%
1980	18,903		1.3%
1990	18,840		−0.3%
2000	20,013		6.2%
2010	20,097		0.4%
2020	19,824		−1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [33] 1850–2010 [34] 2020 [35]

DeWitt County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
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 may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000 [36]	Pop 2010 [37]	Pop 2020 [35]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	12,168	11,482	10,854	60.80%	57.13%	54.75%
Black or African American alone (NH)	2,158	1,781	1,557	10.78%	8.86%	7.85%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	63	43	32	0.31%	0.21%	0.16%
Asian alone (NH)	34	44	70	0.17%	0.22%	0.35%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	5	0	2	0.02%	0.00%	0.01%
Other race alone (NH)	7	96	35	0.03%	0.48%	0.18%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	126	149	384	0.63%	0.74%	1.94%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	5,432	6,502	6,890	27.24%	32.35%	34.76%
Total	20,013	20,097	19,824	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census ^[38] of 2000, 20,013 people, 7,207 households, and 5,131 families were residing in the county. The population density was 22 people/sq mi (8.5 people/km²). The 8,756 housing units had an average density of 10 per square mile (3.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 76.4% White, 11.0% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 10.0% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. About 27.2% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race; 28.0% were of German and 6.1% American ancestry according to Census 2000, and 77.2% spoke English, 20.5% Spanish, and 1.6% German as their first language.

Of the 7,207 households, 31.0% had children under 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were not families. Around 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.53, and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the age distribution was 23.8% under 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 105.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,714, and for a family was $33,513. Males had a median income of $27,134 versus $18,370 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,780. About 15.3% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.5% of those under age 18 and 16.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Dewitt County is served by:

• Cuero Independent School District
• Meyersville Independent School District
• Nordheim Independent School District
• Westhoff Independent School District
• Yorktown Independent School District

Of the five school districts, only three have high schools. Meyersville ISD and Westhoff ISD students transfer to one of the other high schools in the county. Those high schools are:

• Cuero High School
• Yorktown High School (Texas)
• Nordheim High School

Communities

Cities

• Cuero (county seat)
• Nordheim
• Yoakum (partly in Lavaca County)
• Yorktown

Unincorporated communities

• Arneckeville
• Concrete
• Hochheim
• Lindenau
• Meyersville
• Pearl City
• Thomaston
• Westhoff

Ghost town

• Clinton

Politics

United States presidential election results for DeWitt County, Texas ^[39]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	6,567	80.89%	1,494	18.40%	57	0.70%
2016	5,519	80.64%	1,163	16.99%	162	2.37%
2012	5,122	77.16%	1,467	22.10%	49	0.74%
2008	4,888	73.77%	1,716	25.90%	22	0.33%
2004	5,100	75.76%	1,610	23.92%	22	0.33%
2000	4,541	73.44%	1,570	25.39%	72	1.16%
1996	3,577	58.03%	2,074	33.65%	513	8.32%
1992	3,238	48.11%	2,127	31.60%	1,365	20.28%
1988	3,628	58.00%	2,579	41.23%	48	0.77%
1984	4,401	69.95%	1,882	29.91%	9	0.14%
1980	3,450	61.83%	2,044	36.63%	86	1.54%
1976	2,754	51.70%	2,540	47.68%	33	0.62%
1972	3,755	72.96%	1,357	26.36%	35	0.68%
1968	2,589	49.37%	1,871	35.68%	784	14.95%
1964	2,283	40.97%	3,286	58.96%	4	0.07%
1960	2,763	54.94%	2,253	44.80%	13	0.26%
1956	3,401	70.14%	1,435	29.59%	13	0.27%
1952	4,075	67.71%	1,934	32.14%	9	0.15%
1948	1,612	44.20%	1,808	49.57%	227	6.22%
1944	1,879	44.88%	1,884	45.00%	424	10.13%
1940	1,735	45.77%	2,056	54.23%	0	0.00%
1936	616	23.67%	1,977	75.98%	9	0.35%
1932	309	8.78%	3,206	91.05%	6	0.17%
1928	1,142	41.66%	1,594	58.15%	5	0.18%
1924	868	22.90%	2,131	56.21%	792	20.89%
1920	1,277	38.59%	971	29.34%	1,061	32.06%
1916	1,068	49.74%	1,056	49.18%	23	1.07%
1912	219	14.96%	1,081	73.84%	164	11.20%

Notable people

• James Dahlman, eight-term Omaha mayor from 1906 to 1930, was born in DeWitt County.
• Harlon Block, one of the Marines pictured in Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima , was born in Yorktown.
• Roy Benavidez, Medal of Honor recipient of the Studies and Observations Group of the United States Army, was born in Lindenau.

See also

• Texas portal

• List of museums in South Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in DeWitt County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in DeWitt County

References

1. "US Census 2020 Population Dataset Tables for all Texas Counties". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
2. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: DeWitt County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. "Native Peoples of the South Texas Plains During Early Historic Times". Texas Beyond History. Retrieved May 10, 2010. UT Texas at Austin
5. "Artistic Expression". Texas Beyond History. Retrieved May 10, 2010. UT Texas at Austin
6. Cabeza de Vaca, Alvar Núnez (2002). Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition. Penguin Classics. ISBN   978-0-14-243707-0.
7. Weddle, Robert S: René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas State Historical Association
8. Joutel, Henri (1998). The La Salle Expedition to Texas: The Journal of Henri Joutel, 1684-1687. Texas State Historical Assn. ISBN   978-0-87611-165-9.
9. La Bahía from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas State Historical Association
10. Lukes, Edward D: DeWitt, Green from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas State Historical Association
11. "El Nacimiento de la Colonia DeWitt 1825-1828". Texas A&M University. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas A&M University
12. "Empresario Contracts in the Colonization of Texas 1825-1834". Texas A & M UNiversity. Archived from the original on June 15, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Wallace L. McKeehan,
13. Roell, Craig H: DeWitt's Colony from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas State Historical Association
14. Dewitt County, Historical Commission (1991). The History of Dewitt County, Texas. Curtis Media. ISBN   978-0-88107-175-7.
15. "Texas Frontier Regiment of Mounted Volunteers". Texas State Archives. Retrieved May 10, 2010.Texas State Archives
16. Miller, Randall; Cimbala, Paul (1999). The Freedmen's Bureau and Reconstruction. Fordham University Press. ISBN   978-0-8232-1935-3.
17. Harper Jr., Cecil: Freedman's Bureau from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas State Historical Association
18. "Hopkinsville Community". Texas Historical Markers. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
19. Roell, Craig H: Henry Clay Pleasants from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas State Historical Association
20. Weiser, Kathy. "The Sutton-Taylor Feud of DeWitt County". Legends of America. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Legends of America
21. Parsons, Chuck (2009). The Sutton-Taylor Feud: The Deadliest Blood Feud in Texas. University of North Texas Press. ISBN   978-1-57441-257-4.
22. "The Beginning of the Chisholm Trail". Chisholm Trail Heritage Center. Archived from the original on April 13, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Chisholm Trail Heritage Center
23. Roell, Craig H: Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific Railway from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas State Historical Association
24. "San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway". Archived from the original on September 12, 2006. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
25. Werner, George C: Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas State Historical Association
26. Williams, Howard C: Texas and New Orleans Railroad from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas State Historical Association
27. Roell, Craig H: Cuero Field from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas State Historical Association
28. "Turkeyfest". Cuero Turkeyfest Association, Inc. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Cuero Turkeyfest Association, Inc.
29. "Turkey Trot Parade". Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC.
30. Kleiner, Diana J: Turkey Trot at Cuero, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved May 10, 2010. Texas State Historical Association
31. Kuralt, Charles (1995). On the Road with Charles Kuralt. Fawcett. p. 347. ISBN   978-0-449-00740-2.
32. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
33. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
34. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
35. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – DeWitt County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
36. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – DeWitt County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
37. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – DeWitt County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
38. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
39. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 11, 2018.

External links

• DeWitt County government's website
• DeWitt County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas

29°05′N97°22′W / 29.08°N 97.36°W / 29.08; -97.36