Bell County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. It is in Central Texas and its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Belton. As of the 2020 census, its population was 370,647. Bell County is part of the Killeen–

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

, Texas,

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. The county was founded in 1850 and is named for

Peter Hansborough Bell Peter Hansborough Bell (May 11, 1810Various sources give multiple dates in May 1810 and May 1812 for Bell's birth. Bell's gravestone uses a May 1812 date.March 8, 1898) was an American military officer and politician who served as the third Gove ...

, the third governor of Texas. In 2010, the center of population of Texas was located in Bell County, near the town of

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

History

In 1834–1835, Little River became part of

Robertson's Colony Robertson's Colony was an empresario colonization effort during the Mexican Texas period. It is named after Sterling C. Robertson, but had previously been known by other names. It has also been referred to as the Nashville Colony, after the Tenn ...

, made up of settlers from

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, led by Sterling C. Robertson; they were the families of Captain Goldsby Childers, Robert Davison, John Fulcher, Moses Griffin, John Needham, Michael Reed and his son William Whitaker Reed, William Taylor, and Judge Orville T. Tyler. This area became known as the Tennessee Valley. Soon after (1836) the settlements were deserted during the Runaway Scrape, reoccupied, deserted again after the Elmwood Creek Blood Scrape, and reoccupied. Texas Ranger George Erath established a fort on Little River. During 1843–44, settlers began returning. The next year, the Republic of Texas founded Baylor Female College (since developed as

University of Mary Hardin–Baylor The University of Mary Hardin–Baylor (UMHB) is a private Christian university in Belton, Texas. UMHB was chartered by the Republic of Texas in 1845 as Baylor Female College, the female department of what is now Baylor University. It has since ...

). In 1850, Bell County was organized and named for Texas Governor

. The population then was 600 whites and 60 black slaves. Belton was designated as the county seat in 1851. The last serious Indian raid in the area occurred in 1859. Bell County assumed its present boundaries with the 1860 resurvey of the line between Bell and Milam Counties. In 1861, the county voted for

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

from the Union. Residents were divided, as many yeomen farmers did not support the war. From 1862 to 1865, Union sympathizers and Confederate deserters holed up in "Camp Safety". Following the war, new social movements developed. In 1867, the Belton Women's Commonwealth, the first women's movement in Central Texas, was formed by

Martha McWhirter Martha White McWhirter (17 May 1827 21 April 1904) was an American religious leader and advocate for women. She was the founder and leader of Woman's Commonwealth in Belton, Texas. Early life McWhirter was born in Gainesboro, Jackson County ...

. The group provided shelter to women in abusive relationships. During the early years of the Reconstruction era (1865–1877), so much violence occurred in the county, the government stationed federal troops in Belton. Some racist whites attacked blacks and their white supporters. Corruption, lawlessness, and racial divides were severe. As in many areas, a local version of white paramilitary insurgents developed who were similar to the KKK; they worked to suppress black and Republican voting. The coming of railroads in the late 19th century stimulated growth across the state. In 1881, the

Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. From its starting point in Galveston, Texas, the railroad eventually extended northwestwards across the state to Sweetwater and northwards via ...

, the first railroad to be built in Bell County, established

as its headquarters. Reflecting growth in the county, in 1884, the Bell County Courthouse was built. It is still used. The ambitious

Renaissance Revival Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...

design was by architect Jasper N. Preston and Sons. As another improvement, in 1905, the Belton and Temple Interurban electric railway was completed, providing service between the cities. During the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan underwent a revival in Bell County. In many areas, it was concentrated on nativist issues, opposing Catholic and Jewish immigration from eastern and southern Europe. After a scandal involving the leader of the KKK, the group's influence declined markedly by the end of the decade. In 1925,

Miriam A. Ferguson Miriam Amanda Wallace "Ma" Ferguson (June 13, 1875 – June 25, 1961) was an American politician who served two non-consecutive terms as the governor of Texas: from 1925 to 1927, and from 1933 to 1935. She was the first female governor of Texas, ...

, a native of the county, was inaugurated as the first woman governor of the state. She won re-election in 1932 for a nonconsecutive second term. The county and state supported founding Temple Junior College in 1926. The entry of the United States in World War II stimulated war spending across the country. In 1942,

Fort Hood Fort Hood is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. Named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarter ...

was opened as a military training base. It drew recruits from across the country. The postwar period was one of suburbanization in many areas. In 1956, the Killeen school board voted to integrate the local high school. This followed the ''

Brown v. Board of Education ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segrega ...

'' (1954) ruling by the US Supreme Court that racial segregation in public schools, supported by all the taxpayers, was unconstitutional. The state founded

Central Texas College Central Texas College (CTC) is a community college in Killeen, Texas. Founded in 1965, it has branch campuses in Europe and on military installations across the U.S. History Central Texas College was established by a vote of the citizens of C ...

in 1965 in Killeen. Since the late 20th century, new retail development has taken the form of large malls. In 1976,

Temple Mall Temple Mall is a regional shopping mall and trade area located in Temple, Texas. It contains four major department store anchors, and a total of 57 tenants comprising a total of approximately 555,400 square feet

opened.Urban Retail Properties: Temple Mall
Center Information. Retrieved December 31, 2011. By 1980, Killeen had become the largest city in Bell County. The next year, the

Killeen Mall Killeen Mall is a shopping mall located in Killeen, Texas located on . It is owned and managed by Jones Lang Lasalle. The mall opened in 1981 and has 100 stores. The original anchors were Bealls, Sears, and O. G. Wilson Catalog Showroom, owned ...

opened, adding to retail choices in the area. In another type of development, in 1987, the Bell County Expo Center opened. Since the late 20th century, the county has been the site of several

mass shooting There is a lack of consensus on how to define a mass shooting. Most terms define a minimum of three or four victims of gun violence (not including the shooter or in an inner city) in a short period of time, although an Australian study from 20 ...

s. On October 16, 1991, in the Luby's shooting, George Hennard killed 23 people and wounded 20 others before killing himself. It was the deadliest mass shooting in the United States at the time. On November 5, in the

2009 Fort Hood shooting On November 5, 2009, a mass shooting took place at Fort Hood, near Killeen, Texas. Nidal Hasan, a U.S. Army major and psychiatrist, fatally shot 13 people and injured more than 30 others. It was the deadliest mass shooting on an American m ...

, Army Major

Nidal Hasan Nidal (in Arabic نضال meaning warrior in Arabic) is a given name in Arabic. It may refer to: * Mohammad Nidal al-Shaar (born 1956), Syrian politician and government minister * Abou Nidal, Côte d'Ivoirian singer * Umm Nidal (1948–2013), Pales ...

killed 13 people and wounded 30 others before being paralyzed in return fire. On April 2, in the

2014 Fort Hood shooting Fourteen or 14 may refer to: * 14 (number), the natural number following 13 and preceding 15 * one of the years 14 BC, AD 14, 1914, 2014 Music * 14th (band), a British electronic music duo * ''14'' (David Garrett album), 2013 *''14'', an unrel ...

, Army Specialist Ivan Lopez killed three people and wounded 16 others.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (3.4%) are covered by water.

Adjacent counties

McLennan County McLennan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 260,579 . Its county seat and largest city is Waco. The U.S. census 2021 county population estimate is 263,115. The county i ...

(north) * Falls County (northeast) *

Milam County Milam County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 24,754. The county seat is Cameron. The county was created in 1834 as a municipality in Mexico and organized as a county in 1837. Milam Coun ...

(southeast) * Williamson County (south) * Burnet County (southwest) * Lampasas County (west) * Coryell County (northwest)

Demographics

''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

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, 310,235 people, 114,035 households, and 80,449 families resided in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 295.2 people per square mile (87/km²). The 125,470 housing units averaged 88 per square mile (34/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 61.4% White, 21.5% Black, 0.8% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, and 5.0% from two or more races. About 21.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race; 14.9% were of Mexican, 3.6% were of Puerto Rican, 0.2% Cuban, and 0.2% were of Dominican descent. Of the 85,507 households, 40.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples living together, 12.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were not families. About 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.14. As of the 2010 census, about 3.6

same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

per 1,000 households were in the county. In the county, the population was distributed as 28.90% under the age of 18, 13.40% from 18 to 24, 31.90% from 25 to 44, 17.00% from 45 to 64, and 8.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,872, and for a family was $41,455. Males had a median income of $28,031 versus $22,364 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $17,219. About 9.70% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 16.30% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Bell County is served by several school districts: *

Academy Independent School District Academy Independent School District is a school district based in Little River-Academy, Texas (USA). In addition to Little River-Academy, the district also serves the community of Heidenheimer. Finances As of the 2010-2011 school year, the ap ...

* Bartlett Independent School District (partial) *

Belton Independent School District Belton Independent School District is a public school district based in Belton, Texas ( USA). Finances As of the 2010–2011 school year, the appraised valuation of property in the district was $1,975,956,000. The maintenance tax rate was $0.1 ...

* Bruceville-Eddy Independent School District (partial) *

Copperas Cove Independent School District Copperas Cove Independent School District is a public school district based in Copperas Cove, Texas ( USA). Located in Coryell County, a small portion of the district extends into Bell County. In 2009, the school district was rated " recogniz ...

(partial) *

Florence Independent School District Florence Independent School District is a public school district based in Florence, Texas ( USA). Located in Williamson County, a small portion of the district extends into Bell County. In 2009, the school district was rated " recognized" by t ...

(partial) * Gatesville Independent School District (partial) * Holland Independent School District (partial) *

Killeen Independent School District Killeen Independent School District is a public school district based in Killeen, Texas ( USA). In addition to Killeen, the district serves the cities of Harker Heights and Nolanville as well as all students residing at Fort Hood. The district ...

(partial) *

Lampasas Independent School District Lampasas Independent School District is a public school district based in Lampasas, Texas (USA) that serves about 3,350 students. In addition to Lampasas, the district also serves the city of Kempner and part of the Bend community. Located mos ...

(partial) *

Moody Independent School District Moody Independent School District is a public school district based in Moody, Texas, Moody, Texas (United States, USA). Located in McLennan County, Texas, McLennan County, the district extends into portions of Coryell County, Texas, Coryell and B ...

(partial) *

Rogers Independent School District Rogers Independent School District is a public school district based in Rogers, Texas ( USA). Located in Bell County, a small portion of the district extends into Milam County. In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by ...

(partial) *

Rosebud-Lott Independent School District Rosebud-Lott Independent School District is a consolidated public school district based in Lott, Texas, USA. The school mascot is the Cougar. The district also serves the cities of Rosebud, Lott and Westphalia. Located in Falls County, small ...

(partial) *

Salado Independent School District Salado Independent School District is a public school district based in Salado, Texas, Salado, Texas (United States, USA). It is located in Bell County, Texas, Bell County midway between Austin, Texas, Austin and Waco, Texas, Waco on Interstate 35 ...

Temple Independent School District Temple Independent School District is a public school district based in Temple, Texas, United States. Temple schools began instruction June 12, 1883. It is the largest employer in Temple, with 1300 employees. District Leadership *Superintendent ...

* Troy Independent School District

Transportation

Major highways

These major highways run through Bell County: *

Interstate 14 Interstate 14 (I-14), also known as the "14th Amendment Highway", the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway, and the Central Texas Corridor, is an Interstate Highway that is located entirely in Central Texas, following U.S. Route 190 (U ...

U.S. Highway 190 U.S. Route 190 (US 190) is an east–west United States Highway in Louisiana and Texas. Segments of US 190 will be upgraded to Interstate 14 (I-14); the first segment was opened on January 26, 2017. Route description , - , TX , , - , ...

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

* State Highway 36 *

State Highway 53 The following highways are numbered 53: Cambodia * National Road 53 (Cambodia) Canada * Alberta Highway 53 India * National Highway 53 (India) Ireland * N53 road (Ireland) Italy * Autostrada A53 (Italy), Autostrada A53 Japan * Japan Natio ...

* State Highway 95 * State Highway 195

Mass transit

The Hill Country Transit District operates a regularly scheduled fixed-route bus service within the urban areas of Killeen and Temple, as well as a

paratransit Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport ( UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. ...

service throughout the county.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

also has scheduled service to Temple.

Communities

Cities

* Bartlett (partly in Williamson County) * Belton (county seat) * Copperas Cove (mostly in Coryell County and a small part in Lampasas County) * Harker Heights * Killeen (largest city) * Little River-Academy * Morgan's Point Resort * Nolanville *

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...

Towns

Rogers Rogers may refer to: Places Canada *Rogers Pass (British Columbia) * Rogers Island (Nunavut) United States * Rogers, Arkansas, a city * Rogers, alternate name of Muroc, California, a former settlement * Rogers, Indiana, an unincorporated communit ...

Village

* Salado

Census-designated place

(partly in Coryell County) * Pendleton

Unincorporated communities

Airville Airville is a historic home located near Gloucester, Gloucester County, Virginia. It consists of two sections. The earliest section dates to the last half of the 18th century, and has a central-passage plan and gambrel roof. The second section ...

* Belfalls * Cedar Valley * Cyclone *

Ding Dong A Ding Dong is a chocolate cake produced and distributed in the United States by Hostess Brands and in Canada from Vachon Inc. under the name King Dons; in some U.S. markets, it was previously known as Big Wheels. The Ding Dong has been produce ...

Edgeworth Edgeworth may refer to: People * Edgeworth (surname) Places * Edgeworth, Gloucestershire, England * Edgeworth, New South Wales, Australia * Edgeworth, Pennsylvania, USA * Edgeworth Island, Nunavut, Canada * Edgeworthstown, County Longford, Repu ...

* Heidenheimer * Joe Lee * Leedale * Maxdale * Meeks *

Moffat Moffat ( gd, Mofad) is a burgh and parish in Dumfriesshire, now part of the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area in Scotland. It lies on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. It was a centre of the wool trade and a spa town. ...

* New Colony * Oenaville *

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

* Owl Creek * Prairie Dell * Ratibor *

Red Ranger This is a list of characters from the Power Rangers universe – including Rangers, villains and supporting characters. Minor characters (including Monsters, foot soldiers, cross-over characters, and spin-off characters) may not be listed. A * A ...

* Seaton * Sparks *

Stampede A stampede () is a situation in which a group of large animals suddenly start running in the same direction, especially because they are excited or frightened. Non-human species associated with stampede behavior include zebras, cattle, elephants ...

* Summers Mill * Union Grove * Vilas *

White Hall White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

* Youngsport * Zabcikville

Ghost towns

* Bland * Brookhaven *

Donahoe Donahoe is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Art Donahoe (born 1940), former lawyer and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada *Art Donahoe (born 1950), American wrestler and weightlifter; 3-time world medalist in Masters Weight ...

Ocker The term "ocker" is used both as a noun and adjective for an Australian who speaks and acts in a rough and uncultivated manner, using Strine, a broad Australian accent. Definition Richard Neville defined ockerism as being "about conviviality: ...

* Old Troy * Stringtown

Politics

Politically, Bell County tends to support Republican Party candidates for office. It has voted for the Republican presidential nominee every cycle beginning with Ronald Reagan in 1980.

References

External links

* *
Bell County
from the

Texas Almanac The Texas Almanac is a biennially published reference work providing information for the general public on the history of the US state of Texas and its people, government and politics, economics, natural resources, holidays, culture, education, rec ...

Bell County
from the TXGenWeb Project
Bell County Ex Confederate Association Ledger, From 1888 To 1920

Historic Bell County materials
hosted by th
Portal to Texas History.
{{coord, 31.04, -97.48, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990 Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan area Populated places established in 1850 1850 establishments in Texas Texas Hill Country Majority-minority counties in Texas

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Education

Transportation

Major highways

Mass transit

Communities

Cities

Towns

Village

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Politics

See also

References

External links