Nomadic hunters inhabited the area during prehistory. Antonio de Espejo traveled in the area in 1583, and crossed the Pecos River. Immigrants used a ford, later named Pope's Crossing, for travel in the 1840s. John Pope surveyed the area in 1854, for the building of a transcontinental railroad. He created a camp in 1855, and conducted three drilling attempts, but only found water once and was unable to access it. Andrew A. Humphreys ordered Pope to end his drilling and abandon the camp on July 10, 1858. Soldiers were stationed at the camp created by Pope from 1858 to 1861. The route of the Butterfield Overland Mail went through the area.[6][7][8]
Oliver Loving, after whom the county was named, and Charles Goodnight drove cattle through the area in 1866, creating the Goodnight–Loving Trail. Loving was shot by a Comanche native in 1867, and died from gangrene. The area was a part of Bexar County from 1837 to 1874, when it became a part of Tom Green County. Eleven people in the area, including Clay Allison, petitioned to the 19th session of the Texas Legislature to become a part of Reeves County. Loving County was created in 1887, by House Bill No. 113, although it was to be attached to Reeves County for certain purposes, including judicial and surveying.[9][6][8]
Six men from Denver came to the county in 1893, and founded the Loving Canal and Irrigation Company and Mentone, which was named by a French surveyor for his home of Menton, France. On June 13, the men filed a petition with 150 signatures to the Reeves County Commissioners Court requesting the organization of the county and it was accepted. The county organization was approved by an election held on July 8, with 83 voters participating, and Mentone became the county seat. Another election was held in 1894, and both elections held in the county are believed to have been fraudulent. The county commission issued bonds worth $6,000 to construct a courthouse in Mentone, but the project was not completed as a flood in August destroyed the work that was done on the irrigation project. Accusations of illegal county organization arose, which were investigated by H. C. Withers and A. H. Randolph. They were informed by W. A. Hunter, the sheriff and tax collector, that R. G. Munn, the county clerk, had taken the tax records to Denver. All of the county officials had left the county by 1897, and the county was dissolved on May 12, 1897, and returned to Reeves County.[6][8]
In December 1896, Hunter traveled to Pecos, Texas, but went missing with his horses either dying from starvation or being unaccounted for. His sister, Jennie M. Mettler, attempted to receive the $15,000 in life insurance that Hunter took out in November, but the insurance company refused to pay, as Hunter's body was not discovered. She filed a lawsuit and won in the first case and in the appeal made by the company to the Supreme Court of the United States. Hunter was found living in Birmingham, Alabama, under the name of Al Hunt in 1902. He had abandoned one of his horses, while riding the other one, to take a train from Barstow, Texas. He was sentenced to serve five years in prison, but his conviction was overturned on appeal.[6][8]
The county has no cemetery, and the only grave in the area is for Shady Davis, a 21-year-old cowboy who was killed by his horse and buried 12 miles from Mentone in the 1920s.[10][11] The population in the area increased following the discovery of oil, and led to the creation of the town of Ramsey. Loving County was reorganized in 1931, becoming the only county in Texas to be organized twice, and Ramsey was later renamed as Mentone.[8]
On November 17, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Loving County was the last county in the contiguous United States to confirm at least one case of COVID-19, with three cases confirmed in the area. Earlier in August, a nonresident male at a man camp was confirmed to have contracted it. Additionally, at least two residents who had contracted it elsewhere returned to Loving County and quarantined, but those cases were not counted in the county's totals.[12]
The county is three-fifths the size of Rhode Island.[13] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 677 square miles (1,750km2), of which 7.8 square miles (20km2) (1.1%) are covered by water.[14]
Water in the area has to be imported from Kermit or Pecos, Texas, due to the groundwater in the area containing gypsum; the Pecos River was previously used for water before its salinity became too high.[13][11] The Pecos River is the county's western boundary, forming the Red Bluff Reservoir along its northwestern border with Reeves County and Eddy County, New Mexico. The terrain of Loving County is described as flat desert, with a few low hills. Desert shrubs, range grasses, and cacti abound, with salt cedars along the river. Elevations vary from 2,686 to 3,311 feet (819 to 1,009m) above sea level.
Loving is the smallest county by area in the Permian Basin region.
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 2020 United States census, 64 people, 30 households, and 20 families resided in the county, down from 67 people, 31 households, and 19 families living in the county in 2000.
The majority of the population since 2000 has been non-Hispanic white, though six identified as "some other race" and one person identified as multiracial. Additionally, in the 2000 census, seven people identified as being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin of any race. Loving is one of only a few counties in the U.S. outside of the Northeast where the largest self-identified ancestry group is Irish-American.
Five of the 31 households in 2000 had children under 18, 17 were married couples living together, two had a female householder with no husband present, and 11 were not families. Ten households were made up of individuals, and two consisted of someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.16, while the average family size was 2.65. In 2020, there were 25 households and 13 were married couples living together.[21]
In 2000, the population included 13 people under 18, one between 18 and 24, 18 from 25 to 44, 24 from 45 to 64, and 11 who were 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 10 females, there were 11.61 males. For every 10 females 18 and over, there were 12.50 males. By 2020, 21.4% of the population were under 5, 74.5% were 18 and older, including 25.5% who were 65 and older; the median age increased to 55.2 years, up from the state's median age of 35.1.[22]
Three people were living in the county, all males in the same house, according to the 1890 United States census.[6] Following the disestablishment of Mentone in 1897, no settlements were in the county until the creation of Juanita in 1910, which was renamed to Porterville.[6][8] The 1970 United States census recorded the county as the least-populated county in the United States.[11]
Politics and government
United States presidential election results for Loving County, Texas[8][29]
Since the 1988 election, early voting has accounted for at least 13.11% of votes in the county, with early voting accounting for a majority of the votes in the 1994 election with 53.54%, 1998 election with 50%, 2000 election with 74.36%, 2006 election with 58.89%, and 2020 election with 68.18%. The lowest voter turnout since the 1988 election was in the 2018 election with 49% and the highest in the 1990 election with 85.71%.[30] The county had the highest voter turnout in Texas in the 1986 election.[10] At some points in the county's history, the county had more registered voters than residents and precincts closed early to deny people the ability to vote.[31]
J. J. Combs was appointed as county judge by the county commission on September 6, 1893.[8]Edna Reed Clayton DeWees served as sheriff in the county from 1946 to 1948, making her the first woman to be elected as sheriff in both the county and the state.[31]
The county judge is the highest elected official in the county and the position has been held by Skeet Jones since 2007. The Creager family once had family members who served as county judge, postmaster, sheriff, tax assessor, and county commission member. The Joneses are a political family in the county with members of the family controlling the positions of judge, clerk, attorney, and constable. The Jones family is a ranching family who moved to the county when Elgin "Punk" Jones and Mary Belle Jones built their ranch in 1953. Punk served as the sheriff for 28 years and Mary Belle served as the chief appraiser.[31] The top elected official of Loving County, Judge Skeet Jones, and three other individuals were arrested in 2022 for stealing livestock.[32]
In 2022, Sheriff Chris Busse reported that a ranch with 11 registered voters, including county commissioner Ysidro Renteria, had no inhabitants since 2008.[33]
Loving was one of only four counties in Texas to give a plurality of the vote to independent presidential candidate Ross Perot in 1992.[34]
Economy
Three cattle businesses were in the county in 1887, with 12,100 cattle worth $96,800, and the county had a livestock value of $568,406 in 1900. Taxes were not collected in the area from 1893 to 1896. The Toyah-Bell Oil Company, created in 1921, became the first oil producer in the county later that year. Oil production in the area reached its height in 1931, with 1,233,801 barrels.[6][8]
The county accounted for 0.057% of the wealth in Texas in 1970, and had no unemployment or any residents on welfare.[11] The county had the sixth-highest unemployment rate in the country in 1986, with 29.7% unemployment.[35] The Texas Almanac listed 15 ranches in the county in 1986–1987, with the average size being above 23,000 acres and being worth above an average of $4 million. The county has one of the highest per capita incomes in the United States due to oil revenue, with its residents having a per capita income of $32,505 in 1983, compared to the national average of $9,496. In 1986, taxes on oil and gas companies accounted for 99% of tax revenue in the county.[13]
Loving County's economy is based almost entirely upon oil and gas production, ranching, and county services.[36]
Education
No federal funding was ever given to schools in the county as of 1970, and its school was still racially segregated. In 1970, the elementary school had 30 students and three teachers, while the 17 high school students were educated in Winkler County.[11] The elementary school in Mentone was closed in 1978, as the school only had two students and two teachers left and the county voted to consolidate into the Wink-Loving Independent School District.[37][10] The county is zoned to Wink-Loving Independent School District and Odessa College.[38][39]
In popular culture
"Loving County" is the name of a song written and performed by Charlie Robison. It appears on his 1998 album Life of the Party.[40] In the novel Echo Burning by Lee Child, Jack Reacher passes through Loving County.
Ward County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,644. The county seat is Monahans. The county was created in 1887 and organized in 1892. It is named for Thomas W. Ward, a soldier in the Texas Revolution.
Upton County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,308. Its county seat is Rankin. The county was created in 1887 and later organized in 1910. It is named for two brothers: John C. and William F. Upton, both colonels in the Confederate Army.
Roberts County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 827, making it the eighth-least populous county in Texas. Its county seat is Miami, which is also the county's only incorporated community. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1889. It is named for Oran Milo Roberts, a governor of Texas. Roberts County is one of four prohibition counties in the state of Texas.
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.
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.
Parker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 148,222. The county seat is Weatherford. The county was created in 1855 and organized the following year. It is named for Isaac Parker, a state legislator who introduced the bill that established the county in 1855. Parker later fought in the Texas Brigade.
Midland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, the population was 169,983. The county seat is Midland. The county is so named for being halfway (midway) between Fort Worth and El Paso on the Texas and Pacific Railway. Midland County is included in the Midland, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Midland–Odessa Combined Statistical Area.
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 17,478. Its county seat is Giddings. The county was founded in 1874 and is named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The county has many Confederate memorials and monuments to the Confederate States of America.
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 265 at the 2020 census, making it the second-least populated county in Texas and the third-least populated county in the United States. King County has no incorporated communities. Its county seat is the census-designated place (CDP) of Guthrie. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1891. It is named for William Philip King, who died at the Battle of the Alamo.
Jim Wells County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 38,891. The county was founded in 1911 and is named for James B. Wells Jr. (1850–1923), for three decades a judge and Democratic Party political boss in South Texas.
Glasscock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,169. Its county seat is Garden City. The county was created in 1827 and later organized in 1869. It is named for George Washington Glasscock, an early settler of the Austin, Texas area and the namesake of Georgetown, Texas.
Foard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,095. Its county seat is Crowell, which is also the county's only incorporated community. The county is named for Robert Levi Foard, an attorney who served as a major with the Confederate Army, in the American Civil War.
El Paso County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 865,657, making it the ninth-most populous county in the state of Texas. Its seat is the city of El Paso, the sixth-most populous city in Texas and the 22nd-most populous city in the United States. The county was created in 1850 and later organized in 1871.
Crockett County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,098. The county seat is Ozona. The county was founded in 1875 and later organized in 1891. It is named in honor of Davy Crockett, the legendary frontiersman who died at the Battle of the Alamo.
Cottle County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,380. Its county seat is Paducah. The county was founded in 1876 and later organized in 1892. It is named for George Washington Cottle, who died defending the Alamo. Cottle County was formerly one of 46 prohibition, or entirely dry counties in the state of Texas. It now allows beer and wine sales.
Cooke County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. At the 2020 census, its population was 41,668. The county seat is Gainesville. The county was founded in 1848 and organized the next year. It is named for William Gordon Cooke, a soldier during the Texas Revolution. It is a part of the Texoma region.
Cochran County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,547. The county seat is Morton. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1924. It is named for Robert E. Cochran, a defender of the Alamo.
Archer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 8,560. Its county seat is Archer City. It is part of the Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area.
Eddy County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 62,314. Its county seat and largest city is Carlsbad. The county was created in 1891 and later organized in 1892. It is north of the Texas state line.
Mentone is an unincorporated town in, and the county seat of, Loving County, Texas, United States. As of 2020, the population was 22, up from a population of 19 in 2010, almost one-quarter of the county's 82 people at the time.
Mentone from MyWestTexas.com Brief but detailed report on life in Mentone and Loving County. Includes several videos of Mentone and interviews with the local sheriff and judge.
Loving County at Davickservices.com Numerous photos and stories about Loving County and Mentone. A small picture of the "wanted" poster for Mssrs. Pendarvis, Emory and Duncan may also be seen here
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United States
Texas 
