Jeff Davis County | |
---|---|
County | |
Coordinates: 30°43′N104°08′W / 30.72°N 104.13°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
Founded | 1887 |
Named for | Jefferson Davis |
Seat | Fort Davis |
Largest town | Fort Davis |
Area | |
• Total | 2,265 sq mi (5,870 km2) |
• Land | 2,265 sq mi (5,870 km2) |
• Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.2 km2) 0% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,996 |
• Density | 0.88/sq mi (0.34/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 23rd |
Website | www |
Jeff Davis County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,996. [1] Its county seat is Fort Davis. [2] The county is named for Jefferson Davis, who served as the 23rd United States Secretary of War in the 1850s, and as Confederate president. [3]
Jeff Davis County is recognizable for its unique shape; it is a pentagon that has no north–south nor east–west boundaries, save for a six-mile line serving as its southern boundary. It is the only county in the United States that touches a foreign country (Mexico) at a single point. Jeff Davis is one of the nine counties that compose the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas.
The county contains the 270,000-acre (1,100 km2) Texas Davis Mountains American Viticultural Area. About 50 acres (0.2 km2) are "under vine". The McDonald Observatory, owned by the University of Texas at Austin, is located near Fort Davis.
Prehistoric peoples camped at Phantom Lake Spring, in present-day northeastern Jeff Davis County, and may have used the springs for irrigation. [4] Indian pictographs in the Painted Comanche Camp of Limpia Canyon were discovered by the Whiting and Smith Expedition of 1849. [5]
As white migrants moved into the area, tensions with Native Americans increased. The groups competed for resources, and armed conflicts were conducted for more than two decades, especially after the Civil War. In August 1861, Mescalero Apache under Chief Nicolas attacked Fort Davis, driving off livestock and killing three people. In the ensuing chase by the cavalry, Nicolas ambushed the soldiers, killing them all. [6]
In September 1868 at Horsehead Hills, a group of volunteer Mexican and buffalo soldiers from Fort Davis attacked and destroyed a Mescalero village to recover captives and stolen livestock. In January 1870, a group of soldiers attacked a Mescalero Apache village near Delaware Creek in the Guadalupe Mountains. In July 1880, soldiers at Tinaja de las Palmas attacked a group of Mescaleros led by Chief Victorio. In August 1880, buffalo soldiers ambushed Victorio at Rattlesnake Springs. Victorio retreated to Mexico, where he was killed in October of that year by Mexican soldiers. The last Indian depredation in the area was at Barry Scobee Mountain in 1881. [7]
In March 1849, Lieutenants William H. C. Whiting and William F. Smith were sent out by Maj. Gen. William J. Worth of the Texas 8th Military Department to look for a route from San Antonio to El Paso del Norte. A second party, led by Dr. John S. Ford and financed by a group of Austin merchants, pioneered a trail that ran north of the Davis Mountains before turning southward toward El Paso. In June 1849 Lt. Col. Joseph E. Johnston, attached to Bvt. Maj. Jefferson Van Horne's battalion, was sent for additional surveying.
At El Paso, Horne established Fort Bliss. Texas Ranger Big Foot Wallace escorted the San Antonio-El Paso Mail coach through the mountains. [8] Fort Davis was established in 1854. The land was leased from surveyor John James at $300 a year. The federal government surrendered the fort to the Confederacy in 1861. The CSA abandoned it in 1862 after their defeat at Glorieta Pass, New Mexico. The facility was reoccupied by U.S. troops on July 1, 1867, as a base for actions against Native American forces. [9] [10]
The Texas Legislature established Jeff Davis County on March 15, 1887. Fort Davis was named as the county seat. [10] Cattle ranchers began operating in the county in the 1880s. The towns of Valentine [11] and Chispa [12] became supply centers for the ranchers and were later designated as railroad stops as railway construction entered the area.
Fort Davis has always been the county's largest town. By 1970, Madera Springs was known as the smallest town in Texas. [13] Davis Mountains State Park opened to the public in the 1930s, improved during the Great Depression. [14]
Fort Davis National Historic Site was established in 1961. The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute arboretum was established in 1974. [15] [16]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,265 square miles (5,870 km2), virtually all of which is land. [17] The county is home to the Davis Mountains, the highest mountain range located entirely within Texas.
The county has parks and preserves maintained by federal and state park services, in addition to the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute and the Nature Conservancy of Texas. In addition to the properties listed below, the Nature Conservancy has been instrumental in the creation of conservation easements protecting an additional 69,600 acres (28,200 ha) of private property surrounding its preserve. [18]
Park or preserve | Maintaining authority | Area | Year established |
---|---|---|---|
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Gardens | Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute | 507 acres (205 ha) [19] | 1978 [19] |
Davis Mountains State Park | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department | 2,709 acres (1,096 ha) [20] | 1933 [20] |
Davis Mountains Preserve | The Nature Conservancy of Texas | 33,075 acres (13,385 ha) [18] | 1997 [21] |
Fort Davis National Historic Site | National Park Service | 523 acres (212 ha) [22] | 1961 [23] |
Jeff Davis County predominantly experiences a semiarid steppe climate with 83.0% of the county classified as cold semiarid (Köppen BSk) and 0.4% classified as hot semiarid (Köppen BSh). An additional 16.5% is classified as having a hot arid desert climate (Köppen BWh). [24] Within the county, precipitation increases while daytime and nighttime temperatures generally become milder with increasing elevation. Rainfall is most abundant from May through October. Snowfall is also more abundant at higher elevations despite having higher wintertime average low temperatures.
Climate data for Fort Davis, Texas (January 1, 1902–March 31, 2013) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 60.8 (16.0) | 64.4 (18.0) | 71.3 (21.8) | 78.9 (26.1) | 85.8 (29.9) | 90.3 (32.4) | 88.4 (31.3) | 87.4 (30.8) | 83.2 (28.4) | 76.9 (24.9) | 67.5 (19.7) | 60.6 (15.9) | 76.3 (24.6) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 31.8 (−0.1) | 37.3 (2.9) | 45.0 (7.2) | 53.4 (11.9) | 60.3 (15.7) | 62.1 (16.7) | 61.0 (16.1) | 55.3 (12.9) | 45.7 (7.6) | 35.9 (2.2) | 29.7 (−1.3) | 45.5 (7.5) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.50 (13) | 0.46 (12) | 0.38 (9.7) | 0.54 (14) | 1.31 (33) | 1.98 (50) | 2.85 (72) | 2.91 (74) | 2.27 (58) | 1.35 (34) | 0.54 (14) | 0.55 (14) | 15.64 (397.7) |
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute [26] |
Climate data for Mount Locke, Texas (January 1, 1935–March 31, 2013) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.5 (11.9) | 56.9 (13.8) | 63.7 (17.6) | 71.4 (21.9) | 78.6 (25.9) | 84.5 (29.2) | 82.7 (28.2) | 81.3 (27.4) | 76.6 (24.8) | 70.5 (21.4) | 61.2 (16.2) | 54.4 (12.4) | 69.6 (20.9) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 32.0 (0.0) | 33.9 (1.1) | 38.2 (3.4) | 45.2 (7.3) | 52.4 (11.3) | 58.2 (14.6) | 58.9 (14.9) | 58.4 (14.7) | 54.4 (12.4) | 48.0 (8.9) | 38.7 (3.7) | 33.6 (0.9) | 46.0 (7.8) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.68 (17) | 0.49 (12) | 0.40 (10) | 0.50 (13) | 1.63 (41) | 2.49 (63) | 3.82 (97) | 3.69 (94) | 2.95 (75) | 1.61 (41) | 0.61 (15) | 0.60 (15) | 19.47 (493) |
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute [27] |
Climate data for Valentine, Texas (June 1, 1978–March 31, 2013) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 60.3 (15.7) | 65.0 (18.3) | 72.0 (22.2) | 80.0 (26.7) | 87.7 (30.9) | 93.8 (34.3) | 92.1 (33.4) | 90.3 (32.4) | 86.0 (30.0) | 78.9 (26.1) | 68.3 (20.2) | 60.6 (15.9) | 77.9 (25.5) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 27.0 (−2.8) | 30.5 (−0.8) | 36.0 (2.2) | 43.3 (6.3) | 52.2 (11.2) | 60.9 (16.1) | 62.9 (17.2) | 61.6 (16.4) | 56.3 (13.5) | 46.6 (8.1) | 35.1 (1.7) | 27.7 (−2.4) | 45.0 (7.2) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.42 (11) | 0.46 (12) | 0.24 (6.1) | 0.42 (11) | 0.77 (20) | 1.99 (51) | 2.46 (62) | 2.22 (56) | 2.11 (54) | 1.33 (34) | 0.50 (13) | 0.53 (13) | 13.45 (343.1) |
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute [28] |
As of 2021, Jeff Davis County, with a median age of 60, is one of six counties in the United States with a median age greater than or equal to 60. [29]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1890 | 1,394 | — | |
1900 | 1,150 | −17.5% | |
1910 | 1,678 | 45.9% | |
1920 | 1,445 | −13.9% | |
1930 | 1,800 | 24.6% | |
1940 | 2,375 | 31.9% | |
1950 | 2,090 | −12.0% | |
1960 | 1,582 | −24.3% | |
1970 | 1,527 | −3.5% | |
1980 | 1,647 | 7.9% | |
1990 | 1,946 | 18.2% | |
2000 | 2,207 | 13.4% | |
2010 | 2,342 | 6.1% | |
2020 | 1,996 | −14.8% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [30] 1850–2010 [31] 2010–2014 [32] 2020 [33] |
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 [34] | Pop 2010 [35] | Pop 2020 [33] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 1,376 | 1,490 | 1,282 | 62.35% | 63.62% | 64.23% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 16 | 10 | 0 | 0.72% | 0.43% | 0.00% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 6 | 8 | 6 | 0.27% | 0.34% | 0.30% |
Asian alone (NH) | 2 | 7 | 14 | 0.09% | 0.30% | 0.70% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.04% | 0.00% |
Other race alone (NH) | 1 | 1 | 15 | 0.05% | 0.04% | 0.75% |
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 23 | 35 | 66 | 1.04% | 1.49% | 3.31% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 783 | 790 | 613 | 35.48% | 33.73% | 30.71% |
Total | 2,207 | 2,342 | 1,996 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2010 United States Census, 2,342 people were living in the county; 90.2% were White, 1.0% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 5.8% of some other race, and 2.0% of two or more races. About 33.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).
As of the census [36] of 2000, 2,207 people, 896 households, and 632 families were living in the county. The population density was less than 1/km2 (2.6/sq mi). The 1,420 housing units averaged less than 1/km2 (2.6/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 90.53% White, 0.91% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 5.17% from other races, and 2.99% from two or more races. About 35.48% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 896 households, 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.80% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were not families. About 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the age distribution was 24.40% under 18, 5.30% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 30.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who were 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,212, and for a family was $39,083. Males had a median income of $27,011 versus $21,384 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,846. About 14.10% of families and 15.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.10% of those under age 18 and 19.60% of those age 65 or over.
The Texas Constitution requires that Jeff Davis and all other Texas counties, regardless of area or population, be governed by an elected five-member commissioners court. It exercises power and jurisdiction over all county business. The court is composed of the county judge as presiding officer, and four county commissioners elected to four-year terms from single-member precincts. [37]
The county judge under the state's constitution is elected to a four-year term and is designated as a conservator of the peace. The judge need not be an attorney, but is constitutionally required to be well informed in the law of the state. [38] The judge serves as the budget officer for the commissioners court, and with the assistance of the county clerk, prepares the annual budget proposal. [39] [40] In addition to presiding over meetings of the Commissioners Court, the County Judge officiates the County Court. [41] The County Judge has jurisdiction over misdemeanor offenses in which the fine may exceed $500 [42] or in which confinement or imprisonment may be imposed. [43]
The current Jeff Davis county judge is Curtis Evans, a Republican. [44]
The state constitution calls for the election of justices of the peace and constables from individual precincts. Because Jeff Davis County has a population of fewer than 18,000 persons, it is permitted to have a single county-wide precinct for the election of these offices. [37] The justice court in criminal cases has original jurisdiction in matters punishable by a fine only. In civil matters, the court has exclusive jurisdiction in all disputes involving $200 or less. [45]
The constable executes and returns processes, warrants, and precepts as directed, including eviction notices, and is expressly authorized to perform acts and services including the serving civil or criminal processes, citations, notices, warrants, subpoenas, and writs, and may do so anywhere within the county. Additionally, the constable may serve civil processes in all contiguous counties. The constable is also expected to attend sessions of the justice court. [46]
The sheriff is elected to a four-year term. [47] Because the county has a population of fewer than 10,000, the sheriff also serves as the assessor-collector of taxes. [48] The county is served by Sheriff Rick McIvor, a Democrat first elected in 2008, and now serving his second term. [49] [50]
The county clerk holds a four-year elected term and serves as clerk to both commissioners court and county court, and acts as recorder for the county. Because Jeff Davis County has fewer than 8,000 residents, the county clerk also serves as the district clerk. [51]
Jeff Davis County is within the 23rd congressional district; it is represented in the U.S. Congress by Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican.
The county is represented in the Texas Legislature by state Senator Cesar Blanco, a Democrat of the 29th senatorial district, and State Representative Eddie Morales, a Democrat of the 74th legislative district.
Martha M. Dominguez, a Democrat, represents the county from District 1 on the State Board of Education. [52]
Sparsely populated and having a significant Latino minority, Jeff Davis leans conservative, and has joined the state in voting Republican after 1976.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2024 | 699 | 59.79% | 450 | 38.49% | 20 | 1.71% |
2020 | 784 | 60.08% | 501 | 38.39% | 20 | 1.53% |
2016 | 695 | 58.35% | 422 | 35.43% | 74 | 6.21% |
2012 | 719 | 60.32% | 440 | 36.91% | 33 | 2.77% |
2008 | 749 | 60.60% | 468 | 37.86% | 19 | 1.54% |
2004 | 764 | 65.47% | 378 | 32.39% | 25 | 2.14% |
2000 | 708 | 66.79% | 283 | 26.70% | 69 | 6.51% |
1996 | 482 | 50.05% | 370 | 38.42% | 111 | 11.53% |
1992 | 360 | 41.10% | 321 | 36.64% | 195 | 22.26% |
1988 | 524 | 60.23% | 325 | 37.36% | 21 | 2.41% |
1984 | 511 | 62.70% | 299 | 36.69% | 5 | 0.61% |
1980 | 409 | 56.10% | 300 | 41.15% | 20 | 2.74% |
1976 | 288 | 47.45% | 309 | 50.91% | 10 | 1.65% |
1972 | 382 | 64.20% | 202 | 33.95% | 11 | 1.85% |
1968 | 191 | 38.51% | 239 | 48.19% | 66 | 13.31% |
1964 | 174 | 36.33% | 304 | 63.47% | 1 | 0.21% |
1960 | 182 | 47.77% | 195 | 51.18% | 4 | 1.05% |
1956 | 239 | 58.72% | 165 | 40.54% | 3 | 0.74% |
1952 | 306 | 62.58% | 183 | 37.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 75 | 18.66% | 309 | 76.87% | 18 | 4.48% |
1944 | 51 | 12.23% | 331 | 79.38% | 35 | 8.39% |
1940 | 50 | 11.79% | 374 | 88.21% | 0 | 0.00% |
1936 | 33 | 10.15% | 291 | 89.54% | 1 | 0.31% |
1932 | 46 | 15.23% | 252 | 83.44% | 4 | 1.32% |
1928 | 157 | 58.15% | 112 | 41.48% | 1 | 0.37% |
1924 | 49 | 26.63% | 117 | 63.59% | 18 | 9.78% |
1920 | 41 | 31.06% | 91 | 68.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
1916 | 74 | 23.79% | 234 | 75.24% | 3 | 0.96% |
1912 | 62 | 30.24% | 129 | 62.93% | 14 | 6.83% |
Western Jeff Davis County is served by the Valentine Independent School District, while central and eastern Jeff Davis County are served by the Fort Davis Independent School District. [54]
All of Jeff Davis County is zoned to Odessa College. [55]
The Mountain Goats recorded a song called "Jeff Davis County Blues" on the 2002 album All Hail West Texas . [56]
Terrell County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 760, making it the seventh-least populous county in Texas, and the 37th-least populous county in the nation. Its county seat is the census-designated place of Sanderson; no incorporated municipalities are in the county. The county was named for Alexander W. Terrell, a Texas state senator. Terrell County is one of the nine counties in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. It is the setting for Cormac McCarthy's novel No Country for Old Men, and the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of the same name.
Reeves County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,748. Its county seat and most populous city is Pecos. The county was created in 1883 and organized the next year. It is named for George R. Reeves, a Texas state legislator and colonel in the Confederate Army. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. Reeves County comprises the Pecos micropolitan statistical area.
Presidio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,131. Its county seat is Marfa. The county was created in 1850 and later organized in 1875. Presidio County is in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas and is named for the border settlement of Presidio del Norte. It is on the Rio Grande, which forms the Mexican border.
Pecos County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 15,193. The county seat is Fort Stockton. The county was created in 1871 and organized in 1875. It is named for the Pecos River. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas.
Palo Pinto County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 28,409. The county seat is Palo Pinto. The county was created in 1856 and organized the following year.
Mason County is a rural county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. At the 2020 census, its population was 3,953. Its county seat is Mason. The county is named for Fort Mason, which was located in the county.
Kinney County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,129. Its county seat is Brackettville. The county was created in 1850 and later organized in 1874. It is named for Henry Lawrence Kinney, an early settler.
Hudspeth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,432. Its county seat is Sierra Blanca, and the largest community is Fort Hancock. The county is named for Claude Benton Hudspeth, a state senator and United States Representative from El Paso. It is northeast of the Mexico–U.S. border.
Freestone County is a county in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 19,435. Its county seat is Fairfield. The county was created in 1850 and organized the next year.
Culberson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,188. The county seat is Van Horn. Culberson County was founded in 1911 and organized the next year. It is named for David B. Culberson, a Confederate soldier and U.S. representative.
Coryell County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 83,093. The county seat is Gatesville. The county is named for James Coryell, a frontiersman and Texas Ranger who was killed by Caddo Indians.
Cass County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 28,454. The county seat is Linden. The county was named for United States Senator Lewis Cass (D-Michigan), who favored the U.S. annexation of Texas in the mid-19th century.
Burnet County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 49,130. Its county seat is Burnet. The county was founded in 1852 and later organized in 1854. It is named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first (provisional) president of the Republic of Texas. The name of the county is pronounced with the emphasis or accent on the first syllable, just as is the case with its namesake.
Brewster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in West Texas and its county seat is Alpine. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region, and borders Mexico. Brewster County is the largest county by area in the state - at 6,192 square miles (16,040 km2) it is over three times the size of the state of Delaware, and more than 500 square miles (1,300 km2) bigger than Connecticut.
Andrews County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in West Texas and its county seat is Andrews.
Alpine is a city in and the county seat of Brewster County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,035 at the 2020 census. The town has an elevation of 4,462 feet (1,360 m), and the surrounding mountain peaks are over 1 mile (1.6 km) above sea level. A university, hospital, library, and retail make Alpine the center of the sprawling 12,000 square miles (3,108,000 ha) but wide open Big Bend area including Brewster, Presidio, and Jeff Davis counties.
Van Horn is a town in and the seat of Culberson County, Texas, United States. According to the 2010 census, Van Horn had a population of 2,063, down from 2,435 at the 2000 census. The 2020 census results detailed a decline in population to 1,941. Van Horn's official newspaper is The Van Horn Advocate. The town is the westernmost incorporated community in the United States that uses the Central Time Zone, located on the same line of longitude as Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Its earliest sunset in the beginning of December is the latest among incorporated towns in the United States, occurring no earlier than 5:56 pm.
Fort Davis is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,201 at the 2010 census, up from 1,050 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Jeff Davis County.
Valentine is a town in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 134 at the 2010 census, down from 187 at the 2000 census.
Ferris is a city in Dallas and Ellis counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is 20 miles (32 km) south of downtown Dallas. The population was 2,788 in 2020.