Menard County, Texas


Menard County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,962. The county seat is Menard. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1871. It is named for Michel Branamour Menard, the founder of Galveston, Texas.
WWW co.menard.tx.us

History

Around 8000 BC, Native American inhabitants arrived. Later Native Americans included Comanche and Lipan Apache. In 1757, Father Alonso Giraldo de Terreros founded Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, as a support for Santa Cruz de San Sabá Mission, for the Apache Indians.
In the 1830s, James Bowie and Rezin P. Bowie scoured the San Saba valley seeking a silver mine that the Spanish had believed to be in the area. They were unsuccessful, but the legend of the Lost Bowie Mine, also known as the Lost San Saba Mine or the Los Almagres Mine, fed the imaginations of treasure-seekers for the next 150 years.
Camp San Saba was established in 1852 to protect settlers from Indian attacks. The state legislature formed Menard County from Bexar County in 1858. The county was named for Michel Branamour Menard, the founder of Galveston. Menardville, later known as Menard, became the county seat.
By 1870, the county population was 667: 295 were white, and 372 were black, possibly due to the Buffalo Soldiers at Fort McKavett.
The next year, county residents elected their own officials. The county had an immigrant influx from Mexico.
In 1911, the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad Company arrived.
Gas deposits were tapped in 1929, but plugged for lack of a market.
The local Parent-Teacher Association offered free lunches for needy children in 1931.
In 1934, the Texas Relief Cannery was in operation. The Drought Relief Program bought cattle and sheep from area ranchers. A gas well was redrilled in 1941, and produced about seven million cubic feet of gas. In 1946, a small oilfield was discovered northeast of Fort McKavett, but was abandoned the following year.
By the 1960s, oil and gas production had an average annual yield more than. In the 1980s, of the county's 40 oilfields, about 20 were still active, producing 132,000 to annually.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is covered by water.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,962, the median age was 53.2 years, 18.3% of residents were under the age of 18, and 30.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.0 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 77.0% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 9.9% from some other race, and 11.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 33.7% of the population.
There were 865 households in the county, of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.8% were married-couple households, 21.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 1,329 housing units, of which 34.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.5% were owner-occupied and 23.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.8%.
Less than 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, 2,360 people, 990 households, and 665 families resided in the county. The population density was. The 1,607 housing units averaged. The racial makeup of the county was 87.54% White, 0.51% African American, 0.64% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 9.79% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. About 31.69% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 990 households, 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.00% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.80% were not families. Around 30.40% of all households was made up of individuals, and 17.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was distributed as 24.20% under the age of 18, 5.30% from 18 to 24, 21.90% from 25 to 44, 26.60% from 45 to 64, and 21.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $24,762, and for a family was $30,872. Males had a median income of $21,953 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,987. About 20.00% of families and 25.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.90% of those under age 18 and 19.10% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Education

School districts include:
All of Menard County is in the service area of Howard County Junior College District.

In popular culture

The 1968 movie Journey to Shiloh features a group known as the "Concho County Comanches," and mentions Menard County.