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Texas County, Missouri

Texas County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,487.[2] Its county seat is Houston.[3] The county was organized in 1843 as Ashley County. Its name was changed in 1845 to Texas County, after the Republic of Texas. The 2010 U.S. Census indicates that the county was the center of population for the United States.[4]

Texas County
County
Texas County Administrative Center
Texas County Administrative Center
Map of Missouri highlighting Texas County
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Map of the United States highlighting Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°19′N 91°58′W / 37.32°N 91.96°W / 37.32; -91.96
Country United States
State Missouri
FoundedFebruary 14, 1845[1]
Named forRepublic of Texas
SeatHouston
Largest cityLicking
Area
 • Total
1,179 sq mi (3,050 km2)
 • Land1,177 sq mi (3,050 km2)
 • Water2.0 sq mi (5 km2)  0.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
24,487
 • Density21/sq mi (8.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitewww.texascountymissouri.gov
The Texas County Justice Center was completed in 2008.

History

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Texas County was created in 1843 and named for William H. Ashley, the first lieutenant governor of Missouri. It was later organized on February 14, 1845, when it was also renamed for the Republic of Texas.[1][5]

A seat of justice for the county was laid out in 1846 near the center of the county on Brushy Creek and named Houston for the first president of the Texas Republic. The historic Texas County Courthouse, built in 1932, was the county's sixth and now serves as the county administrative center. It was remodeled in 1977 and again in 2007. A new justice center was completed in 2008.

Rugged hills, springs, creeks, rivers and caves abound in Texas County. There have been many Native American mounds found in the county. Their paintings remain upon various bluffs over ancient campsites. The area was part of the 1808 Osage Native American land cession.

Pioneers came to Texas County in the 1820s from Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas and set up sawmills along the Big Piney River. Pioneers made a nice income rafting the timber down the Piney River toward St. Louis. Some 48,000 acres (190 km2) in the north and northwest part of the county is now part of the Mark Twain National Forest. Several acres in the southeast part of the county are part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways Park. Small family farms are still a major part of the landscape of the county. The population of the first Federal Census of Texas County in 1850 was 2,312 citizens.

The American Civil War period was a time of turmoil in Texas County. The populace was predominantly Southern. The courthouse was occupied during the war by the Union Army as headquarters. Houston was an important point on the route from federal headquarters in Springfield to headquarters in Rolla. Some skirmishes were fought here. Confederate soldiers stormed the town, burning every building.

On February 26, 2015, a gunman shot and killed seven people in several locations across the town of Tyrone. The suspect was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It was the worst mass murder in Texas County's history. Prior to the mass shooting, the county had an average of one homicide per year.[6]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,179 square miles (3,050 km2), of which 1,177 square miles (3,050 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.2%) is water.[7] It is the largest county in Missouri by area.

Adjacent counties

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Major highways

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National protected areas

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18502,812—
18606,067115.8%
18709,61858.5%
188012,20626.9%
189019,40659.0%
190022,19214.4%
191021,458−3.3%
192020,548−4.2%
193018,580−9.6%
194019,8136.6%
195018,992−4.1%
196017,758−6.5%
197018,3203.2%
198021,07015.0%
199021,4761.9%
200023,0037.1%
201026,00813.1%
202024,487−5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2015[12]

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,378 households, and 6,647 families residing in the county. The population density was 21 people per square mile (8.1 people/km2). There were 9,378 housing units at an average density of 9 units per square mile (3.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.47% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 0.96% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races. Approximately 0.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,378 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.89.

Age spread: 24.90% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 24.90% from 25 to 44, 25.30% from 45 to 64, and 17.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,260, and the median income for a family was $34,503. Males had a median income of $25,071 versus $17,126 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,568. About 16.50% of families and 21.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.10% of those under age 18 and 17.20% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

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According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), Texas County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Texas County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists (77.46%), Christian Churches & Churches of Christ (20.65%), and National Association of Free Will Baptists (12.92%).

2020 Census

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Texas County Racial Composition[14]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 21,992 89.81%
Black or African American (NH) 780 3.2%
Native American (NH) 142 0.58%
Asian (NH) 65 0.26%
Pacific Islander (NH) 6 0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH) 987 4.03%
Hispanic or Latino 515 2.1%

Politics

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Local

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Texas County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor Debbie James Republican
Circuit Clerk Marci Mosley Republican
County Clerk Laura Crowley Republican
Commissioner
(Presiding)		 Scott Lang Republican
Commissioner
(District 1)		 John Casey Republican
Commissioner
(District 2)		 Doyle Heiney Republican
Coroner Marie Lasater Republican
Prosecuting Attorney Parke Stevens Republican
Public Administrator Connie Thompson Republican
Recorder Lindsay Koch Republican
Sheriff Scott Lindsey Republican
Surveyor Chuck Manier Republican
Treasurer/Collector Tammy Cantrell Democratic

The Republican Party mostly controls politics at the local level in Texas County. Republicans hold all but one of the elected positions in the county.

State

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All of Texas County is in the 142nd district in the Missouri House of Representatives, which is currently represented by Robert Ross (R-Yukon).

Missouri House of Representatives — District 142 — Texas County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Robert Ross 8,786 82.27% −17.73
Democratic Bobby Johnston, Jr. 1,894 17.73% +17.73
Missouri House of Representatives — District 142 — Texas County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Robert Ross 4,541 100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 142 — Texas County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Robert Ross 9,145 100.00%

All of Texas County is a part of Missouri's 33rd District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Mike Cunningham (R-Rogersville).

Missouri Senate — District 33 — Texas County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mike Cunningham 9,605 100.00%
Missouri Senate — District 33 — Texas County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mike Cunningham 8,997 100.00%
Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 81.94% 9,239 15.92% 1,795 2.15% 242
2016 69.86% 7,659 26.61% 2,918 3.53% 387
2012 54.06% 5,831 42.97% 4,635 2.98% 321
2008 43.40% 4,688 54.14% 5,848 2.46% 265
2004 60.32% 6,644 37.92% 4,177 1.76% 193
2000 50.73% 5,030 47.49% 4,709 1.78% 176
1996 48.50% 4,558 48.19% 4,528 3.31% 311
1992 45.96% 4,544 54.04% 5,343 0.00% 0
1988 65.59% 5,644 33.47% 2,880 0.94% 81
1984 63.38% 5,866 36.62% 3,390 0.00% 0
1980 52.96% 4,932 46.91% 4,369 0.13% 12
1976 47.71% 3,804 52.21% 4,163 0.09% 7

Federal

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U.S. Senate — Missouri — Texas County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Roy Blunt 7,619 69.68% +19.77
Democratic Jason Kander 2,829 25.87% −16.60
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 262 2.40% −5.22
Green Johnathan McFarland 96 0.88% +0.88
Constitution Fred Ryman 129 1.18% +1.18
U.S. Senate — Missouri — Texas County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Akin 5,340 49.91%
Democratic Claire McCaskill 4,544 42.47%
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 816 7.62%

Texas County is included in Missouri's 8th Congressional District and is currently represented by Jason T. Smith (R-Salem) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Smith won a special election on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, to finish out the remaining term of U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau). Emerson announced her resignation a month after being reelected with over 70 percent of the vote in the district. She resigned to become CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative.

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Texas County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jason T. Smith 8,826 81.68% +7.92
Democratic Dave Cowell 1,696 15.70% −3.27
Libertarian Jonathan Shell 283 2.62% +0.77
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Texas County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jason T. Smith 3,877 73.76% +2.45
Democratic Barbara Stocker 997 18.97% −3.10
Libertarian Rick Vandeven 97 1.85% −0.10
Constitution Doug Enyart 89 1.69% −2.98
Independent Terry Hampton 196 3.73% +3.73
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Special Election — Texas County (2013)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jason T. Smith 1,648 71.31% −4.74
Democratic Steven Hodges 510 22.07% +2.79
Libertarian Bill Slantz 45 1.95% −2.72
Constitution Doug Enyart 108 4.67% +4.67
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Texas County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jo Ann Emerson 8,080 76.05%
Democratic Jack Rushin 2,048 19.28%
Libertarian Rick Vandeven 496 4.67%

Political culture

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United States presidential election results for Texas County, Missouri[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 9,478 83.76% 1,716 15.17% 121 1.07%
2016 8,875 81.01% 1,728 15.77% 353 3.22%
2012 7,618 70.77% 2,871 26.67% 275 2.55%
2008 7,215 66.49% 3,410 31.43% 226 2.08%
2004 7,234 65.66% 3,664 33.25% 120 1.09%
2000 6,136 61.78% 3,486 35.10% 310 3.12%
1996 4,065 43.06% 3,897 41.28% 1,478 15.66%
1992 3,470 34.70% 4,597 45.97% 1,934 19.34%
1988 4,584 53.91% 3,887 45.71% 32 0.38%
1984 5,591 60.42% 3,662 39.58% 0 0.00%
1980 4,879 52.41% 4,261 45.77% 169 1.82%
1976 3,338 41.63% 4,638 57.84% 42 0.52%
1972 5,104 65.09% 2,737 34.91% 0 0.00%
1968 4,022 49.53% 3,117 38.39% 981 12.08%
1964 2,902 37.03% 4,934 62.97% 0 0.00%
1960 5,258 59.32% 3,606 40.68% 0 0.00%
1956 4,352 49.13% 4,506 50.87% 0 0.00%
1952 4,824 52.29% 4,372 47.39% 29 0.31%
1948 3,320 41.53% 4,664 58.34% 10 0.13%
1944 3,916 49.33% 4,011 50.53% 11 0.14%
1940 4,730 51.20% 4,497 48.67% 12 0.13%
1936 4,132 46.51% 4,718 53.11% 34 0.38%
1932 2,621 34.15% 4,996 65.09% 58 0.76%
1928 4,050 56.78% 3,067 43.00% 16 0.22%
1924 2,787 43.55% 3,421 53.45% 192 3.00%
1920 3,552 53.94% 2,965 45.03% 68 1.03%
1916 1,809 42.92% 2,291 54.35% 115 2.73%
1912 1,232 30.58% 2,067 51.30% 730 18.12%
1908 1,954 44.61% 2,328 53.15% 98 2.24%
1904 1,801 44.77% 2,118 52.65% 104 2.59%
1900 1,713 43.02% 2,218 55.70% 51 1.28%
1896 1,785 39.86% 2,672 59.67% 21 0.47%
1892 1,294 36.48% 1,878 52.95% 375 10.57%
1888 1,161 35.13% 1,797 54.37% 347 10.50%

At the presidential level, Texas County is Republican-leaning. George W. Bush carried Texas County by two-to-one margins in 2000 and 2004. Bill Clinton was the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Texas County, in 1992, and like many of the rural counties throughout Missouri, Texas County strongly favored John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008.

Like most rural areas throughout Southeast Missouri, voters in Texas County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles which tend to influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Texas County with 85.63 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban same-sex marriage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Texas County with 61.13 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research. Despite Texas County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes like increasing the minimum wage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Texas County with 72.03 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.

Education

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Of adults 25 years of age and older in Texas County, 71.4% possesses a high school diploma or higher while 10.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.

Public schools

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  • Cabool R-IV School District – Cabool
    • Cabool Elementary School (PK–4)
    • Cabool Middle School (5–8)
    • Cabool High School (9–12)
  • Houston R-I School District – Houston
    • Houston Elementary School (PK–5)
    • Houston Middle School (6–8)
    • Houston High School (9–12)
  • Licking R-VIII School District – Licking
    • Licking Elementary School (PK–6)
    • Licking High School (7–12)
  • Plato R-V School District – Plato
    • Plato Elementary School (PK–5)
    • Plato High School (6–12)
  • Raymondville R-VII School District – Raymondville
    • Raymondville Elementary School (PK–8)
  • Success R-VI School District – Success
    • Success Elementary School (K–8)
  • Summersville R-II School District – Summersville
    • Summersville Elementary School (K–6)
    • Summersville High School (7–12)

Private schools

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Alternative and vocational schools

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  • Exceptional Child Cooperative – Houston – (K–12) – Special Education
  • Gentry Residential Treatment Facility – Cabool (6–12) – Alternative

Public libraries

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  • Texas County Library[16]

Communities

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Cities

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Villages

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Unincorporated communities

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Townships

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The original townships have been used for census purposes.

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Eaton, David Wolfe (1917). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. p. 69.
  2. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "Mean Center of Population for the United States: 1790 to 2010" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  5. ^ "County History". Texas County. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  6. ^
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  10. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  12. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  13. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  14. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Texas County, Missouri".
  15. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  16. ^ Breeding, Marshall. "Texas County Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  17. ^ Lynch Township, Texas County, Missouri, page 6 of 14. 1920 U.S. Federal Census. Accessed 16 January 2024.

Further reading

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  • History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, Pulaski, Phelps, and Dent counties, Missouri (1889) full text
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37°19′N 91°58′W / 37.32°N 91.96°W / 37.32; -91.96

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