Sutton County, Texas

File:Mercantile Garden, Sonora, TX IMG 1365.JPG

Mercantile Garden, located at the foot of the hill containing the Sutton County Courthouse

File:Sutton County, TX, Public Library IMG 1372.JPG

The Sutton County Library in Sonora

File:Veterans and Pioneer Ranch Women Museum, Sonora, TX IMG 1377.JPG

Veterans & Pioneer Ranch Women Museum in Sonora

Sutton County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,372.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Sonora.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was created in 1887 and organized in 1890.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sutton County is named for John S. Sutton, an officer in the Confederate Army.

History

• 9500 BC – c. 1860s AD Paleo-Indians in the county leave behind archaeological remains of a burned-rock midden with mortar and pestle, as well as other tools. Later native inhabitants include Tonkawa, Comanche and Lipan Apache.<ref name="Sutton County, Texas">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1736 Lt. Miguel de la Garza Falcón leads 100 soldiers along the Devils River<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1852, February 2 - Camp Terrett, later known as Fort Terrett, established to protect settlers from Comanches. Founded by Lt. Col. Henry Bainbridge and named for Lt. John Terrett, who was killed in the Battle of Monterrey in 1846.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1881 Wall's Well discovered by Tim Birtrong and Ed Wall. Town of Wentworth discovered. Birtrong Ranch is the area's only ranch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1885 Charles G. Adams, a merchant and sometime rancher from Fort McKavett, founds Sonora, Texas, named after a family servant from Sonora, Mexico.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1887 The Texas legislature establishes Sutton County, carved out of eastern Crockett County named for Confederate officer John Schuyler Sutton.<ref name="Sutton County, Texas"/>
• 1890 Sonora becomes the county seat.<ref name="Sutton County, Texas"/>
• 1915 Texas Sheep & Goat Raisers’ Association organized.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1928 The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway acquires Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway to connect Sonora with San Angelo, Del Rio, and the outside world by rail.<ref name="Sutton County, Texas"/>
• 1930 Sonora Wool and Mohair Company established.<ref name="Sutton County, Texas"/>
• 1936 WPA projects help local economy.<ref name="Sutton County, Texas"/>
• 1958, August 1 – Sonora Municipal Airport activated.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1960, July 16 – Caverns of Sonora open to the public.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1965 Caverns of Sonora designated National Natural Landmark.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1975 Fort Terrett Ranch is purchased by the Texas oil industrialist Bill Noël and used in part for the growing of pecans.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.03%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

• File:I-10 (TX).svg Interstate 10
• File:US 277.svg U.S. Highway 277

Adjacent counties

• Schleicher County (north)
• Kimble County (east)
• Edwards County (south)
• Val Verde County (southwest)
• Crockett County (west)
• Menard County (northeast)

Demographics

Sutton County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	1,934	1,639	1,200	47.44%	39.70%	35.59%
Black or African American alone (NH)	7	6	6	0.17%	0.15%	0.18%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	11	2	5	0.27%	0.05%	0.15%
Asian alone (NH)	7	5	6	0.17%	0.12%	0.18%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	0	0	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Other race alone (NH)	0	7	14	0.00%	0.17%	0.42%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	12	10	48	0.29%	0.24%	1.42%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2,106	2,459	2,093	51.66%	59.57%	62.07%
Total	4,077	4,128	3,372	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 4,077 people, 1,515 households, and 1,145 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,998 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 45.28% White, 0.25% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 2.27% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. 49.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,515 households, out of which 38.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.60% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.40% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.80% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,385, and the median income for a family was $38,143. Males had a median income of $31,193 versus $18,587 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,105. About 14.10% of families and 18.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.20% of those under age 18 and 16.10% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Sutton County is served by the Sonora Independent School District based in Sonora.

Communities

City

• Sonora (county seat)

Ghost towns

• Fort Terrett
• Owenville

Politics

Sutton County is very conservative in national politics. In 2016, it gave 76% of its vote to Republican candidate Donald Trump. It last supported a Democrat in 1964, when Texan Lyndon B. Johnson was the Democratic candidate. However, this was not always the case. In fact, in 1916, the Democratic candidate received 10 times as many votes as the Republican. It hasn't supported a Democrat in Texas gubernatorial elections since 1974, when Dolph Briscoe, the Democrat, carried all but five counties in the state. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot

See also

• List of museums in Central Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Sutton County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Sutton County

External links

• Sutton County government's website
• Template:Handbook of Texas
• Sutton County Profile from the Texas Association of Counties