Editing Armstrong County, Texas

{{Short description|County in Texas, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Armstrong County
 | state                = Texas
 | seal                 = 
 | founded year         = 1890
 | founded date         = 
 | seat wl              = Claude
 | largest city wl      = Claude
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 914
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 909
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 4.7
 | area percentage      = 0.5
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 1848
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | time zone            = Central
 | footnotes            = 
 | web                  = http://www.co.armstrong.tx.us/
 | named for            = 
 | ex image             = Armstrong County Courthouse, Claude, TX.jpg
 | ex image size        = 250
 | ex image cap         = The Armstrong County Courthouse in Claude
 | district             = 13th
}}

'''Armstrong County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Texas]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population of Armstrong County was 1,848. It is in the [[Texas Panhandle]] and its [[county seat]] is [[Claude, Texas|Claude]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref>

As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], its population was 1,848.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Armstrong County, Texas|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/armstrongcountytexas/PST120221|access-date=January 31, 2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Armstrong County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US48011|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 30, 2022}}</ref> Armstrong County is included in the [[Amarillo metropolitan area]].

The county was formed in 1876 and later organized in 1890.<ref name="publications.newberry.org">{{cite web|url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/TX_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|title=Texas: Individual County Chronologies|work=Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries|publisher=[[Newberry Library|The Newberry Library]]|date=2008|access-date=May 20, 2015|archive-date=May 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513024355/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/TX_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was named for one of several [[Texas]] pioneer families named Armstrong.

==History==

===Native Americans===

[[Paleo-Indians]] first inhabitants as far back as 10,000 BC. [[Apache]]an cultures roamed the county until [[Comanche]] dominated around 1700. The Comanches were defeated by the [[United States Army]] in the [[Red River War]] of 1874. Later tribes include [[Kiowa]] and [[Cheyenne]].<ref name="Armstrong County">{{cite web|last=Abbe|first=Donald R|title=Armstrong County|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hca06|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=December 13, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101221154826/http://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hca06| archive-date= December 21, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>

===County established and growth===
In 1876, the [[Texas Legislature]] established Armstrong County from portions of [[Bexar County, Texas|Bexar County]], and it organized in 1890 with Claude as the county seat.<ref name="Armstrong County"/><ref name="publications.newberry.org"/>

In 1876, [[Charles Goodnight]] brought a herd of 1,600 cattle into the Palo Duro Canyon, and he and [[John George Adair]] established ranching in the county. The JA Ranch encompassed over a million acres (4,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), spread over Armstrong County and five adjoining counties. The county land use was primarily ranch-related, even after the trickling in of homesteaders, for the remainder of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hagen|first=William Thomas|title=Charles Goodnight: Father of the Texas Panhandle|year=2007|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3827-5|pages=45–60|chapter=Launching the JA Ranch 1877-1880}}</ref>

In 1887, the JA Ranch split up, giving way to a terminus for the [[Fort Worth and Denver Railway|Fort Worth and Denver City Railway]]. The first town from the ranch was [[Goodnight, Armstrong County, Texas|Goodnight]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Goodnight, Texas and Charles Goodnight|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasPanhandleTowns/Goodnight-Texas.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=December 13, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101221020600/http://texasescapes.com/TexasPanhandleTowns/Goodnight-Texas.htm| archive-date= December 21, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> Landowner Robert E. Montgomery platted the town of Washburn, named after railroad executive D.W. Washburn.<ref>{{cite web|title=Washburn, Texas|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasPanhandleTowns/Washburn-Texas.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=December 13, 2010}}</ref>

The next year, railroad lines turned Washburn into a boom town. In the same year, Armstrong City was renamed [[Claude, Texas|Claude]] in honor of railroad engineer Claude Ayers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Claude, Texas|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasPanhandleTowns/Claude-Texas.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=December 13, 2010}}</ref> In 1890, the two towns competed for the county seat, with Claude winning.

At the beginning of the 20th century, ranching began to share the land with cotton and wheat crops, although ranching remained the leading industry. The [[Great Depression]] had a severe effect on the county's economy, and recovery took years. Ranches still occupied about 68% of the land in the county in 2005.<ref name="Armstrong County"/>

Many scenes of the 1963 [[Paul Newman]] film ''[[Hud (1963 film)|Hud]]'' were filmed at Goodnight and Claude.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Dingus|first=Anne|title=Texas Movies|journal=Texas Monthly|date=July 1991|page=92}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Baker|first=T. Lindsay|title=More Ghost Towns of Texas |year=2005|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3724-7|pages=68–69}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Jackson|first=Carlton|title=Picking Up the Tab: The Life and Movies of Martin Ritt|year=1994|publisher=Popular Press 1|isbn=978-0-87972-672-0|page=70}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|914|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|4.7|sqmi|abbr=on}} (0.5%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 18, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref>

===Major highways===
* [[File:US 287.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Route 287 in Texas|U.S. Highway 287]]
* [[File:Texas 207.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 207|State Highway 207]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Carson County, Texas|Carson County]] (north)
* [[Gray County, Texas|Gray County]] (northeast)
* [[Donley County, Texas|Donley County]] (east)
* [[Briscoe County, Texas|Briscoe County]] (south)
* [[Swisher County, Texas|Swisher County]] (southwest)
* [[Randall County, Texas|Randall County]] (west)
* [[Potter County, Texas|Potter County]] (northwest)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 31
|1890= 944
|1900= 1205
|1910= 2682
|1920= 2816
|1930= 3329
|1940= 2495
|1950= 2215
|1960= 1966
|1970= 1895
|1980= 1994
|1990= 2021
|2000= 2148
|2010= 1901
|2020= 1848
|align-fn=center
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br />1850–2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010|publisher=Texas Almanac|access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Armstrong County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Armstrong County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=0500000US48011&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Armstrong County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48011&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Armstrong County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48011&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|2,008
|1,725
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,593
|93.48%
|90.74%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |86.20%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|4
|11
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6
|0.19%
|0.58%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.32%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|7
|13
|style='background: #ffffe6; |17
|0.33%
|0.68%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.92%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|0
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |10
|0.00%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.54%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|0
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|1
|11
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2
|0.05%
|0.58%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.11%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|12
|17
|style='background: #ffffe6; |76
|0.56%
|0.89%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.11%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|116
|124
|style='background: #ffffe6; |144
|5.40%
|6.52%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.79%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''2,148'''
|'''1,901'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''1,848'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR8">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, 2,148 people, 802 households, and 612 families resided in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. The 920 housing units averaged {{convert|1|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units&nbsp;}}. The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the county was 95.44% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 0.65% Native American, 2.79% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. About 5.40% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 802 households, 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.20% were married couples living together, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.60% were non-families. About 21.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was distributed as 26.00% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 19.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,194, and for a family was $43,894. Males had a median income of $30,114 versus $21,786 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $17,151. About 7.90% of families and 10.60% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 15.80% of those under age 18 and 11.60% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
The [[Claude Independent School District]] serves almost all of Armstrong County.

Three school districts headquartered in surrounding counties, [[Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District]], [[Groom Independent School District]], and [[Happy Independent School District]], include small unincorporated portions of Armstrong County.

==Communities==

===City===
* [[Claude, Texas|Claude]] (county seat)
* [[Washburn, Texas|Washburn]]

===Unincorporated communities===
* [[Fairview, Armstrong County, Texas|Fairview]]
* [[Goodnight, Texas|Goodnight]]
* [[Malden, Texas|Malden]]
* [[Paloduro, Texas|Paloduro]]
* [[Wayside, Armstrong County, Texas|Wayside]]

==Government==
===Law enforcement===
The current [[sheriff]] of Armstrong County is Melissa Anderson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.co.armstrong.tx.us/ips/cms/countyoffices/sheriff.html |title=Armstrong County - Sheriff |accessdate=June 26, 2010 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514143422/http://www.co.armstrong.tx.us/ips/cms/countyoffices/sheriff.html |archivedate=May 14, 2011 }}</ref>  She is assisted by three full time deputies. The Armstrong Sheriff's Office no longer operates a county jail, as it was closed in April 2022. 

The old Armstrong County Jail, located in [[Claude, Texas]] was erected in 1953 with the designs of Lawrence A. Kerr and Clayton B. Shiver. It was built with [[Rock (geology)|stone]] quarried 14 miles to the south of Claude in [[Palo Duro Canyon]] that was recycled from the demolition of the former jail built in 1893. The jail housed inmates on the second floor and the first floor formerly served as the home of the Sheriff, though it was converted in to office space. The jail was also the location of the county's [[public-safety answering point]] (PSAP) and dispatch center.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

==Politics==
{{PresHead|place=Armstrong County, Texas|whig=no|source1=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=July 19, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|1,029|77|3|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|1,035|75|2|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|924|70|27|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|828|98|9|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|856|128|6|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|830|170|4|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|772|150|16|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|582|272|82|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|561|278|189|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|720|314|6|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|791|238|5|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|709|333|23|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|506|513|8|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|768|177|6|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|434|301|206|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|365|544|0|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|488|365|7|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|372|422|4|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|562|425|9|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|97|686|33|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|132|623|45|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|82|891|1|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|33|897|3|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|63|813|1|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|316|373|1|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|106|426|24|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|87|405|5|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|43|353|11|Texas}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|32|274|35|Texas}}
{{U.S. SenHead|place=Armstrong County, Texas|Seat=1|source=<ref>{{cite news |title=2024 Senate Election (Official Returns) |website=Commonwealth of Texas by county |date=November 5, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/texas-senate-results}}</ref>}}
<!-- U.S. SenRow should be {{U.S. SenRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{U.S. SenRow|2024|Republican|1,001|97|14|Texas}}
{{U.S. SenFoot}}

== See also ==
* [[List of museums in the Texas Panhandle]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Armstrong County, Texas]]
* [[List of Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks#Armstrong County|Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Armstrong County]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.co.armstrong.tx.us/ Armstrong County]
* {{Handbook of Texas|id=hca06|name=}}
* [http://www.texasalmanac.com/topics/government/armstrong-county Armstrong County] from the [[Texas Almanac]]
* [http://www.txarmstrong.com/ Armstrong County] from the TXGenWeb Project
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130801103051/http://www.txcip.org/tac/census/profile.php?FIPS=48011 Armstrong County Profile from the Texas Association of Counties]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050331023558/http://www.yellowmaps.com/maps/texas_state_map.htm Interactive Texas Map]
* [http://www.texas-map.info/texas-maps/texas-map.htm Texas Map Collection] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514143045/http://www.texas-map.info/texas-maps/texas-map.htm |date=May 14, 2011 }}

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Armstrong County, Texas
|North     = [[Carson County, Texas|Carson County]]
|Northeast = [[Gray County, Texas|Gray County]]
|East      = [[Donley County, Texas|Donley County]]
|Southeast =
|South     = [[Briscoe County, Texas|Briscoe County]]
|Southwest = [[Swisher County, Texas|Swisher County]]
|West      = [[Randall County, Texas|Randall County]]
|Northwest = [[Potter County, Texas|Potter County]]
}}

{{Armstrong County, Texas}}
{{Texas counties}}
{{Texas}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|34.97|-101.35|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Armstrong County, Texas| ]]
[[Category:1890 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1890]]
[[Category:Texas Panhandle]]