McLennan County, Texas

McLennan County
County
The McLennan County Courthouse in Waco
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°33′N97°12′W / 31.55°N 97.2°W / 31.55; -97.2
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1850
Named for	Neil McLennan
Seat	Waco
Largest city	Waco
Area
• Total	1,060 sq mi (2,700 km2)
• Land	1,037 sq mi (2,690 km2)
• Water	23 sq mi (60 km2)  2.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	260,579
• Estimate  (2023)	268,583
• Density	250/sq mi (95/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	17th
Website	www.co.mclennan.tx.us

McLennan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 260,579. ^[1] Its county seat and largest city is Waco. ^[2] The U.S. census 2023 county population estimate is 268,583. ^[3] The county is named for Neil McLennan, ^[4] an early Scottish settler who worked to evict the Native Americans in frontier Texas. McLennan County is included in the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

McLennan County was created by the Texas Legislature in 1850 out of Milam County. The county seat, Waco, had been founded as an outpost of the Texas Rangers. It was laid out by George B. Erath, and was known by 1850 as Waco Village.

In the 1880s, pharmacist Charles Alderton developed the carbonated beverage that became known as Dr Pepper. The Dr Pepper business was headquartered in Waco, until it moved to Dallas, Texas. Waco is also home to the Dr Pepper Museum, housed in the 1906 building that was the first stand-alone facility used to bottle Dr Pepper.

According to local lore, the first sustained flight did not occur in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, but just outside Tokio (a small community in McLennan County) by a man flying a gyrocopter. During World War I, McLennan County was home to at least one military airfield, Rich Field. In the aftermath of World War I, when social tensions were high as veterans returned, white racial violence broke out against blacks. The county had 15 lynchings, the second-highest number of any county in the state.

McLennan County's contributions to World War II include the reopening of Rich Field for use by the Air Force, and the opening of James Connally Air Force Base. The latter is now used as the TSTC Waco Airport and Texas State Technical College. County resident Doris Miller was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism at Pearl Harbor; he was the first African American to earn such distinction. Local man James Connally became known as a World War II fighter pilot.

County Courthouse

The current County Courthouse is located in the county seat, Waco, Texas, and is the county's fourth courthouse. Completed in 1902 in the Beaux Arts Style, it is the next-to-last example of Architect James Riely Gordon's Texas courthouses. Of the eighteen he designed, thirteen remain standing. The first county courthouse was completed in 1851 for $500, and was a two-story log cabin that was 30' x 30'. McLennan's second courthouse was a two-story brick building completed in 1857 for $11,000. The third courthouse was styled after Second Empire by architect W.C. Dodson, and completed in 1877 at a cost of $24,894.50. ^[5]

Institutions of higher education

In 1886, Baylor University relocated from Independence, Texas, to Waco and absorbed Waco University. During the early 20th century, McLennan County was home to as many as five colleges. In addition to Baylor, the other colleges included the predecessor to what is now known as Texas Christian University (now in Fort Worth), Paul Quinn College (relocated since to Dallas), and two other short-lived colleges.

In the 1960s, the Texas Legislature authorized McLennan Community College, the first community college to use those words in the name. Around the same time, what is now the flagship institution of Texas State Technical College was founded as James Connally Technical Institute, as a member of the Texas A&M University System. Today, Baylor, McLennan Community College, and Texas State Technical College continue to operate in McLennan County. They educate a large portion of the college-bound high-school graduates from the county and the surrounding areas. McLennan Community College has also partnered with Tarleton State University, Texas Tech University, University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and Midwestern State University to offer more than 50 bachelor's or master's degrees.

1896 Crash at Crush

Crush, Texas, was a temporary "city" in McLennan County, about 15 miles (24 km) north of Waco. It was established to stage a publicity stunt concocted by William George Crush and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. The stunt involved the collision of two 35-ton steam locomotives in front of spectators, whom the railway transported to the event for $2 each. After strong promotion, on September 15, 1896, the event was delayed by an hour as the police maneuvered the crowd of more than 40,000 back to what was thought to be a safe distance. ^[6]

The crews of the two engines tied the throttles open and jumped off. The two engines, pulling wagons filled with railroad ties, traveled a 4-mile (6.4 km) track and thunderously crashed into each other at a combined speed up to 120 mph (190 km/h). The boilers exploded and sent steam and flying debris into the crowd. Three people were killed and about six were injured, including event photographer Jarvis "Joe" Deane, who lost an eye because of a flying bolt. ^[6]

Ragtime composer Scott Joplin commemorated the event with "The Great Crush Collision March"; Joplin dedicated the composition to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway. ^[7] Texas composer and singer Brian Burns wrote and recorded a song about the collision, "The Crash at Crush" (2001).

West fertilizer plant explosion

Main article: West Fertilizer Company explosion

Waco siege

Main article: Waco siege

Twin Peaks biker shootout

Main article: 2015 Waco shootout

On May 17, 2015, motorcycle clubs gathered at the Twin Peaks Restaurant in Waco for a Confederation of Clubs meeting. Upon arrival of a large contingent of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, mass violence erupted in the parking lot of Twin Peaks between members of the Bandidos and members of the Cossasks Motorcycle Club. This resulted in nine dead and 18 wounded in the melee between the rival outlaw motorcycle gangs. In 2019, all remaining charges were dropped by the new District Attorney, Barry Johnson.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,060 square miles (2,700 km²), of which 1,037 square miles (2,690 km²) are land and 23 square miles (60 km²) (2.2%) are covered by water. ^[8]

Major highways

• Interstate 35
• U.S. Highway 77
• U.S. Highway 84
• State Highway 6
• State Highway 31
• State Highway 164
• State Highway 317

Adjacent counties

• Hill County (north)
• Limestone County (east)
• Falls County (southeast)
• Bell County (south)
• Coryell County (southwest)
• Bosque County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	6,206		—
1870	13,500		117.5%
1880	26,934		99.5%
1890	39,204		45.6%
1900	59,772		52.5%
1910	73,250		22.5%
1920	82,921		13.2%
1930	98,682		19.0%
1940	101,898		3.3%
1950	130,194		27.8%
1960	150,091		15.3%
1970	147,553		−1.7%
1980	170,755		15.7%
1990	189,123		10.8%
2000	213,517		12.9%
2010	234,906		10.0%
2020	260,579		10.9%
2023 (est.)	268,583		3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [9] 1850–2010 [10] 2020 [11]

McLennan 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 [12]	Pop 2010 [13]	Pop 2020 [11]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	138,008	138,295	139,693	64.64%	58.87%	53.61%
Black or African American alone (NH)	32,065	33,892	36,130	15.02%	14.43%	13.87%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	666	704	901	0.31%	0.30%	0.35%
Asian alone (NH)	2,236	3,128	4,873	1.05%	1.33%	1.87%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	77	84	146	0.04%	0.04%	0.06%
Other race alone (NH)	147	235	1,065	0.07%	0.10%	0.41%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	2,085	3,097	9,184	0.98%	1.32%	3.52%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	38,233	55,471	68,587	17.91%	23.61%	26.32%
Total	213,517	234,906	260,579	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 US Census, ^[14] 260,579 people, 94,194 households resided in the county. The population density was 205 people per square mile (79 people/km²). The county now has 107,229 housing units, that are 59.2% owner-occupied with a median value of $165,400. The racial makeup of the county was 79.7% White, 14.9% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 2.3% from two or more races. About 27.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race; 12.8% were of German, 11.0% American, 8.0% English, and 6.9% Irish ancestry.

The 2020 census showed on a heat map that McLennan County displayed an estimated 1.3% of partnered households are in same-sex relationships, though may be undercounted. ^[15]

In the county, the population was distributed as 24.4% under the age of 18, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The county is composed of 51% female and 49% male residents.

The median income for a household in the county was $53,723. The per capita income for the county in 2010 was $17,174, and in 2020 was $28,421. Approximately 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line.

Communities

Cities (multiple counties)

• Bruceville-Eddy (small part in Falls County)
• Golinda (mostly in Falls County)
• Mart (small part in Limestone County)
• McGregor (small part in Coryell County)
• Valley Mills (mostly in Bosque County)

Cities

• Bellmead
• Beverly Hills
• Crawford
• Gholson
• Hallsburg
• Hewitt
• Lacy Lakeview
• Leroy
• Lorena
• Moody
• Riesel
• Robinson
• Ross
• Waco (county seat)
• West
• Woodway

Census-designated place

• China Spring

Unincorporated communities

• Axtell
• Elm Mott
• Ocee
• Speegleville

Economy

Aerial view of downtown Waco in 2009; Brazos River to the left and campus of Baylor University in the upper right

According to the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, the top employers in McLennan County are: ^{[16] [17]}

#	Employer	Employees 2015	Employees 2023
1	Baylor University	2,675	3,253
2	Waco Independent School District	2,500	2,373
3	Ascension Providence	2,397	2,300
4	HEB	1,500	2,000
5	Baylor Scott & White Health (Hillcrest)	1,800	1,736
6	TSTC		1,706
7	Veterans Affairs		1,682
8	City of Waco	1,506	1,518
9	Sanderson Farms, Inc.	1,041	1,200
10	Walmart	1,656	1,174
11	McLennan County		1,157
12	Midway Independent School District	1,067	1,081
13	AbbVie		785
14	L3 Technologies	2,300	774
14	McLennan Community College		719
15	Mars Wrigley		700
16	Aramark		696
17	American Income Life Insurance		693
18	Magnolia Network		675
19	Texas Materials		672
20	Cargill Value Added Meats		646
21	Tractor Supply		640
22	SpaceX		590

Elected leadership

Legislative representation	Name	Service
United States Congress, District 17	Pete Sessions	2019 – Present
State Senator, District 22	Brian Birdwell	2010 – Present
State Representative, District 56	Charles Doc Anderson	2005 – Present
State Representative, District 13	Angelia Orr	2023 – Present

County Elected Leadership	Name	Service
County Judge	Scott Felton	2012 – Present [18]
County Commissioner Pct 1	Jim Smith	2021 – Present [19]
County Commissioner Pct 2	Pat Chisolm-Miller	2019 – Present
County Commissioner Pct 3	Will Jones	2013 – Present
County Commissioner Pct 4	Ben Perry	2011 – Present
District Attorney	Josh Tetens	2023 – Present
District Clerk	Jon Gimble	2015 – Present [20]
County Clerk	Andy Harwell	1995 – Present
County Sheriff	Parnell McNamara	2013 – Present
County Tax Assessor-Collector	Randy Riggs	2012 – Present
County Treasurer	Bill Helton	2012 – Present, 1991 - 2010 [21]

Local Judiciary	Name	Service
Tenth Court of Appeals, Chief	Tom Gray	2003 – Present, 1999 - 2003 Associate Justice
Tenth court of Appeals, Place 2	Matt Johnson	2021 – Present, 2007 - 2020 Judge 54TH District Court [22]
Tenth court of Appeals, Place 3	Steve Smith	2021 – Present, 1998 - 2021 Judge 361ST District Court [23]
State District Judge, 19TH Court	Thomas West	2021 – Present
State District Judge, 54TH Court	Susan Kelly	2021 – Present
State District Judge, 74TH Court	Gary Coley, Jr.	2009 – Present, Local Administrative Judge
State District Judge, 170TH Court	Jim Meyer	2003 – Present
State District Judge, 414TH Court	Vicki Menard	2006 – December 1, 2023,
State District Judge, 474TH Court	Alan Bennett	2023 – Present, appointed by Gov Abbott [24]
County Court at Law Judge, Court 1	Vikram 'Vik' Deivanayagam	2018 – Present
County Court at Law Judge, Court 2	Brad Cates	2011 – Present [25]
County Court at Law Judge, Court 3	Ryan Luna	2021 – Present [26]

Politics

Similar to other counties in the Texas Triangle with mid-sized cities, the county has been reliably Republican for the last half-century, having last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 1976 when it was won by Jimmy Carter.

Several governors of Texas hailed from McLennan County: Ann Richards (1991–1995), the state's second female governor; Pat Morris Neff (1921–1925), who also served as president of Baylor University; Lawrence Sullivan Ross (1887–1891), whose family helped found Waco and who also served as the fourth president of Texas A&M University; and Richard Coke (1874–1876).

United States presidential election results for McLennan County, Texas ^[27]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	64,606	64.82%	33,863	33.97%	1,203	1.21%
2020	59,543	60.84%	36,688	37.49%	1,641	1.68%
2016	48,260	61.03%	27,063	34.22%	3,752	4.74%
2012	47,903	64.26%	25,694	34.47%	944	1.27%
2008	49,044	61.56%	29,998	37.65%	632	0.79%
2004	52,090	65.73%	26,760	33.76%	404	0.51%
2000	43,955	63.90%	23,462	34.11%	1,372	1.99%
1996	30,666	48.61%	27,050	42.88%	5,367	8.51%
1992	28,473	40.67%	25,903	37.00%	15,640	22.34%
1988	38,606	58.12%	27,545	41.47%	272	0.41%
1984	42,232	64.40%	23,206	35.39%	140	0.21%
1980	31,968	53.71%	26,305	44.20%	1,242	2.09%
1976	25,370	45.33%	30,091	53.76%	509	0.91%
1972	33,377	67.45%	15,947	32.23%	161	0.33%
1968	15,958	34.22%	22,388	48.00%	8,293	17.78%
1964	10,892	27.68%	28,429	72.25%	25	0.06%
1960	14,926	42.46%	20,100	57.17%	130	0.37%
1956	15,561	48.85%	16,181	50.80%	111	0.35%
1952	14,974	46.39%	17,251	53.45%	53	0.16%
1948	3,088	15.32%	16,034	79.55%	1,035	5.13%
1944	1,668	8.95%	15,336	82.31%	1,627	8.73%
1940	2,178	11.99%	15,952	87.82%	35	0.19%
1936	1,116	8.11%	12,489	90.77%	154	1.12%
1932	1,108	8.40%	11,972	90.80%	105	0.80%
1928	5,744	51.81%	5,330	48.07%	13	0.12%
1924	2,384	22.24%	7,882	73.52%	455	4.24%
1920	1,655	21.19%	4,975	63.71%	1,179	15.10%
1916	940	15.53%	4,979	82.26%	134	2.21%
1912	295	6.38%	3,829	82.79%	501	10.83%

Education

Colleges

• Baylor University
• McLennan Community College
• Texas State Technical College

Public school districts

• Axtell Independent School District
• Bosqueville Independent School District
• China Spring Independent School District
• Crawford Independent School District
• Connally Independent School District
• Gholson Independent School District
• Hallsburg Independent School District
• La Vega Independent School District
• Lorena Independent School District
• Mart Independent School District
• McGregor Independent School District
• Midway Independent School District
• Moody Independent School District
• Oglesby Independent School District
• Riesel Independent School District
• Robinson Independent School District
• Valley Mills Independent School District
• Waco Independent School District
• West Independent School District

See also

• Texas portal

• List of museums in Central Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in McLennan County Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in McLennan County
• Texas Triangle

References

1. "McLennan County, Texas". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties in Texas: April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2023 (CO-EST2023-POP-48) Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division Release Date: March 2023
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p.  194.
5. "McLennan County Courthouse".
6. "The Crash at the Crush". Texas Historical Commission. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
7. Scott Joplin, "The Great Crush Collision" sheet music (Temple, TX: John R. Fuller, 1896). See Bill Edwards, Rags and Pieces by Scott Joplin. Archived June 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
8. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
9. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
10. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
11. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – McLennan County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
12. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – McLennan County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
13. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – McLennan County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
14. "QuickFacts: McLennan County, Texas". Census Bureau.
15. "U.S. census and other surveys likely undercount the number of LGBTQ+ people living in Texas". data.census.gov. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
16. "Customized Report". Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce.
17. "Top 2023 Waco Employers". January 7, 2022.
18. "Felton Appointed McLennan County Judge". September 30, 2012.
19. "2020 Election Results". November 3, 2020.
20. "McLennan County 2014 Election Results". November 4, 2014.
21. "Commissioners name new county judge, treasurer". September 18, 2012.
22. "TJB | 10th COA | About the Court | Justices | Justice Matt Johnson".
23. "TJB | 10th COA | About the Court | Justices | Justice Steven Lee Smith". www.txcourts.gov. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
24. "Governor Abbott Appoints Bennett To 474th District Court". gov.texas.gov. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
25. "Cates Elected Judge". June 21, 2010.
26. "Luna appointed judge of new McLennan County court-at-law". June 29, 2021.
27. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 26, 2018.

^[1]

External links

• Official website
• McLennan County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas
• Read Neil McLennan's entry in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas hosted by the Portal to Texas History.

31°33′N97°12′W / 31.55°N 97.20°W / 31.55; -97.20

1. Bureau, US Census. "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2023". Census.gov. Retrieved April 30, 2024.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)