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Texas Counties
 Click Image to Enlarge Texas CountiesTexas 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 |
Sterling County, TexasSterling County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
Etymology - Origin of County NameW. S. Sterling, an early rancher, buffalo hunter, and Native American fighter Demographics:County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts County HistorySterling County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Its county seat is Sterling City. The county is named for W. S. Sterling, an early settler in the area. When the county was established and organized in 1891 from Tom Green County, it already included eight or ten small communities, several of which had post offices and schools. A spirited contest between Sterling City and Commins (Cummins) for the county seat was fueled by the local newspapers, the Sterling Courier and the North Concho News. When the county's voters chose Sterling City as the county seat, Cummins did not survive. As the 1890s progressed populism became a contentious issue in county politics; according to one source, the population was almost evenly divided between Populists and Democrats. In spite of their divisions on other issues, however, the voters could agree on the necessity to prohibit the sale of liquor in the area; in 1898 the county was voted dry. By 1900 there were eighty-six farms and ranches, encompassing 425,655 acres, in Sterling County, and 1,127 people lived there. Though small areas in the county were beginning to be cultivated, stock ranching dominated the local economy. Only 3,129 acres in the county was classified as "improved" that year. Meanwhile, 17,000 cattle grazed on county pastures. Sheep, introduced to the area about 1890, numbered 1,400 by 1900. Initial farming efforts were limited to growing sorghums, oats, and cane for livestock feed; there was also a little truck farming to satisfy local needs. Cotton was first planted in 1889, and Sterling City opened its first gin in 1895; others were established later. By 1900, 136 acres was planted in cotton, and by 1910 production of the fiber had expanded to 1,626 acres. When the Santa Fe Railroad reached Sterling City from San Angelo in 1910, there were 135 farms and ranches in the county, and the area's population had increased to 1,403. Hopes that farming in the area might blossom into a cotton boom faded, however, as it became apparent that county lands were most suitable for grazing. The cotton gins eventually failed; by 1920 only 650 acres in Sterling County was planted in cotton. Hundreds of people left the area in the 1910s, so that by 1920 only 1,053 people remained. More at Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/hcs15.html (accessed November 9, 2008). GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 923 square miles (2,392 kmē), virtually all
of which is land. Neighboring Counties:
Cities and Towns:
County Resources:Enter County Resources and Information Here |
County Resources
The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define
the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local.
And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions,
reflects the "characteristic features of this 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." |
