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Reagan County is a county on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,385. The
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is Big Lake. The county is named after John Henninger Reagan (1818–1905), who was the postmaster general of the Confederate States and also a U.S. senator, U.S. representative, and first chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas.


History

The region was first inhabited by Paleo-Indian, Suma-Jumano, Kiowa and Comanche peoples. Captains Hernán Martín and Diego del Castillo explored the region in 1650. In 1684, Juan Domínguez de Mendoza and Nicolás López reported on local indigenous groups. Butterfield Overland Mail, which operated from 1858 to 1861, crossed through the center of the county. In 1878, Camp Grierson's Spring was established as a subpost of Fort Concho and named in honor of Col. Benjamin H. Grierson. In 1903, Reagan County was carved from Tom Green County and named for United States Senator John Henninger Reagan. Stiles, named after local rancher William G. Stiles, became the first county seat. The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient of Texas Railway was completed in 1911. In 1923, oil was discovered at the Big Lake Oilfield in the Permian Basin. Big Lake Oilfield, located on University of Texas System land, opened the Permian Basin to oil production and endowed the Permanent University Fund. The rig was named Santa Rita #1 for The Patron Saint of the Impossible. Big Lake was incorporated as a city. In 1924, shortly after the oil boom, the town community of Best plunged into vice and violence, necessitating the intervention of the Texas Rangers. The Rangers destroyed buildings that were being used as brothels, gambling houses, and saloons. In 1925, the county seat was moved to Big Lake by a vote. The following year, the Big Lake Oil Company established Texon for its employees and their families, with a devotion to family life. In 1951, there was a renewed oil boom from production in the Spraberry Trend.


Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (0.06%) is covered by water. The Spraberry Trend, the third-largest oil field in the United States by remaining reserves, underlies much of the county.Top 100 Oil and Gas Fields


Major highways

* U.S. Highway 67 * State Highway 137 * Ranch to Market Road 33


Adjacent counties

* Glasscock County (north) * Sterling County (northeast) * Tom Green County (east) * Irion County (east) * Crockett County (south) * Upton County (west) * Midland County (northwest)


Demographics

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, 3,326 people, 1,107 households, and 872 families were residing in the county. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was . The 1,452 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 64.64% White, 3.01% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 29.56% from other races, and 1.98% from two or more races. About 49.49% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. Of the 1,107 households, 46.8% had children under 18 living with them, 68.1% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were not families. About 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.96, and the average family size was 3.42. In the county, the age distribution was 34.2% under 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.50 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 100.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $33,231, and for a family was $36,806. Males had a median income of $31,228 versus $18,750 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the county was $13,174. About 9.3% of families and 11.8% 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 ...
, including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 23.6% of those age 65 or over.


Communities


City

* Big Lake (county seat)


Unincorporated communities

* Best * Texon


Ghost town

* Stiles


Politics


See also

* List of Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Reagan County * National Register of Historic Places listings in Reagan County, Texas


References


External links

*
"Reagan County Profile" from the "Texas Association of Counties"
{{coord, 31.36, -101.52, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990 1903 establishments in Texas Populated places established in 1903 Majority-minority counties in Texas