Taylor County, Texas

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File:1915 Taylor County Courthouse in 2015.jpg

The Old Taylor County Courthouse has limited use.

Taylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 143,208.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Abilene.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1878.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is named for Edward Taylor, George Taylor, and James Taylor, three brothers who died at the Battle of the Alamo.

Taylor County is included in the Abilene, TX metropolitan statistical area, and is considered part of West Texas.

History

Among first inhabitants of the area were the Penteka.<ref name="Taylor County, Texas">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1849, Capt. Randolph Marcy, a U. S. Army engineer, passed through, scouting out West Texas-to-California routes.<ref name="Spirits of the Border V: The History and Mystery of the Lone Star State">Template:Cite book</ref> The Texas legislature established Taylor County in 1858 from Bexar and Travis Counties. The county is named for Alamo defenders Edward, James, and George Taylor. The Butterfield Overland Mail established the Mountain Pass Station at Merkel; it was in continual use until 1861.<ref name="Taylor County, Texas"/>

By 1872, the first cattlemen had ventured into present Taylor County.<ref name="Taylor County, Texas"/> Six years later, Taylor County was organized. Buffalo Gap was named county seat.<ref name="Taylor County, Texas"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1880, the Texas & Pacific Railroad signed an agreement to run tracks through the future city of Abilene.<ref name="Spirits of the Border V: The History and Mystery of the Lone Star State"/> Abilene was established in 1882, and named after Abilene, Kansas.<ref name="Abilene, Texas">Template:Cite web</ref> Abilene became the county seat in 1883.<ref name="Abilene, Texas"/> A wagon train of 10 Baptist families arrived in the county that year.<ref name="Taylor County, Texas"/>

The Abilene Board of Trade was organized in 1890, when 587 farms and ranches were in the county.<ref name="Taylor County, Texas"/> The next year, Hardin-Simmons University was established as Abilene Baptist College by the Sweetwater Baptist Association.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Lytle Lake was created in 1897.<ref name="Taylor County, Texas"/>

The State Epileptic Colony opened in Abilene in 1904.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In 1906, Abilene Christian University opened its doors as Childers Classical Institute.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In the 1920s, Hendricks Medical Center opened in Abilene as West Texas Baptist Sanitarium (1924) and the West Texas Historical Association was chartered in Abilene.<ref name="Taylor County, Texas"/> The first senior class of McMurry University graduated (1926).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Oil was discovered in the county a few years later (1929).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1933, Abilene donated land for use by the Civilian Conservation Corps.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Dyess Air Force Base was established as Abilene AFB in 1942; it is named in honor of Texas native and Bataan Death March survivor Lieutenant Colonel William Dyess.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra was created, with Jay Dietzer as the first conductor, in 1950.<ref name="Taylor County, Texas"/> The Buffalo Gap Historic Village opened in 1956.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert are land and Template:Convert (0.4%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Jones County (north)
Shackelford County (northeast)
Callahan County (east)
Coleman County (southeast)
Runnels County (south)
Nolan County (west)
Fisher County (northwest)

Demographics

Template:US Census population

**Taylor 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)	91,999	88,121	87,316	72.69%	67.01%	60.97%
Black or African American alone (NH)	8,243	9,122	10,980	6.51%	6.94%	7.67%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	494	532	589	0.39%	0.40%	0.41%
Asian alone (NH)	1,523	1,978	2,815	1.20%	1.50%	1.97%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	67	105	161	0.05%	0.08%	0.11%
Other Race alone (NH)	104	133	468	0.08%	0.10%	0.33%
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH)	1,797	2,441	6,123	1.42%	1.86%	4.28%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	22,328	29,074	34,756	17.64%	22.11%	24.27%
Total	126,555	131,506	143,208	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, 126,555 people, 47,274 households, and 32,524 families resided in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The 52,056 housing units averaged Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 80.61% White, 6.73% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.35% from other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. About 17.64% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 47,274 households, 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were not families. About 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the age distribution was as 26.60% under 18, 13.80% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 19.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,035, and for a family was $40,859. Males had a median income of $28,964 versus $21,021 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,176. About 10.40% of families and 14.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Abilene (county seat) (small part in Jones County)
Tuscola
Tye
Merkel

Towns

Census-designated place

Potosi

Unincorporated communities

Military base

Dyess AFB

Politics

Education

School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

The Texas Legislature designated the county as being in the Cisco Junior College District.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

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