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Texas State...
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Texas Counties |
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Texas Counties
Texas is divided into 254 counties, more than any other U.S. state Texas was originally divided
into municipalities, a unit of local government under Spanish and Mexican rule. When the Republic of Texas
gained its independence in 1836, there were 23 municipalities, which became the original Texas counties. Many of
these would later be divided into new counties. The most recent county to be created was Kenedy County in 1921.
The most recent county to be organized was Loving County in 1931 |
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Brewster County, Texas
Brewster County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Alpine
Year Organized: 1887
Square Miles: 6,193 |
Court House: P.O. Box 1630
County Courthouse
Alpine, TX 79831-1630 |
Etymology - Origin of County Name
Henry Percy Brewster, a secretary of war for the Republic of Texas and soldier in the Civil War (his
middle name has also been given as "Persy")
Demographics:
County QuickFacts:
Census Bureau Quick Facts
History
Brewster County is a county located in western part of the U.S. state of Texas, along the border with Mexico. Its
county seat and only city is Alpine
U.S. Highway 90 crosses the county in the north; U.S. Highway 385 enters Brewster County from the northeast and proceeds
south to the county's main attraction, Big Bend National Park, part of the Big Bend. The Southern Pacific Railroad
crosses northern parts of the county.
Brewster is named for Henry Percy Brewster, a secretary of war for the Republic of Texas. The county is the largest in
the state.
These two quickly became shipping points and important supply centers for the booming cattle industry. Five years
after the coming of the railroad, in 1887, Brewster County was marked off from Presidio County, as were Jeff Davis,
Buchel, and Foley counties. Brewster County was named for Henry P. Brewster,qv
secretary of war under David G. Burnet.qv Buchel and Foley countiesqqv
were not organized and were attached to Brewster County for judicial purposes. The first Brewster County elections
were held on February 4, 1887, when Murphyville was selected as county seat; on March 14 of that year a contract was
let for the construction of the Brewster County courthouse and jail. In 1890 Brewster County had just 710 residents,
while Buchel and Foley counties had only 298 and 25 residents respectively. By 1897 Buchel and Foley counties had
still not been organized, and in that year their territory was officially added to that of Brewster County, making
the latter the largest county in Texas.
More at Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. ","
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/BB/hcb14.html (accessed November 4, 2008).
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 6,193 square miles (16,039 kmē), none of
which is covered in water.
The county's area is larger than the area of Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island individually, and larger than
the combined area of Delaware and Rhode Island.
Neighboring Counties:
- Pecos County (north)
- Terrell County (northeast)
- Presidio County (west)
- Jeff Davis County (northwest)
- Manuel Benavides, Chihuahua, Mexico (southwest)
- Acuņa, Coahuila, Mexico (southeast)
- Ocampo, Coahuila, Mexico (south)
Cities and Towns:
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- Alpine
(County Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
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County Resource Guide
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The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.
Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally,
act locally." |
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