Editing Montague County, Texas

{{Short description|County in Texas, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county      = Montague County
 | state                = Texas
 | type                 = County
 | founded              = 1858
 | seat wl            = Montague
 | largest city wl      = Bowie
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 938
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 931
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 7.4
 | area percentage      = 0.8
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 19965
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2021
 | population_est       = 20409 {{gain}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | ex image             = Montague county courthouse.jpg
 | ex image size        = 250
 | ex image cap         = The Montague County Courthouse in Montague
 | web   = www.co.montague.tx.us
 | time zone           = Central
 | district             = 13th
|named for=[[Daniel Montague (land surveyor)|Daniel Montague]] }}

'''Montague County''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɒ|n|t|eɪ|ɡ}} {{respell|MON|tayg}})<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texastripper.com/pronounce/locations-m.html|title=How to Pronounce: M Cities|date=September 23, 2014|access-date=May 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/TownPronunciationGuide.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/TownPronunciationGuide.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Texas Almanac Town Pronunciation Guide}}</ref> is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Texas]], established in 1857. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], its population was 19,965.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Montague County, Texas|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/montaguecountytexas|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=February 23, 2021}}</ref> The [[county seat]] is [[Montague, Texas|Montague]].<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}}</ref> The county was created in 1857 and organized the next year.<ref>{{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 25, 2015}}</ref> It is named for [[Daniel Montague (land surveyor)|Daniel Montague]], a surveyor and soldier in the [[Mexican–American War]].

==History==
In the mid- to late 19th century, the county was the site of the trading post known as [[Red River Station, Texas|Red River Station]], established near the river of the same name by [[Jesse Chisholm]], a [[Cherokee]] merchant who also served as an important interpreter for the Republic of Texas and the United States. Together with [[Black Bear (guide)|Black Bear]], a [[Lenape]] guide, he had scouted and developed what became known as the [[Chisholm Trail]] north through [[Indian Territory]], where he had more trading posts, and into Kansas.

In the post-Civil War period, ranchers suffered from low prices for their beef cattle, as overproduction had occurred during the war, when their regular markets were cut off. Learning about high prices and demand in the East, they began to have their cattle driven to railheads in Kansas for shipment to the east. Red River Station became the southern terminus for the Chisholm Trail, and the gathering place for thousands of [[Texas Longhorn]]s during annual [[cattle drives]] to railheads in Kansas. Over the years, an estimated five million cattle were driven north to Kansas. The cattle were gathered by cowboys from ranches in [[East Texas|East]] and [[West Texas]]; the cattle were then driven overland north to Kansas. They were shipped east, where they could command much higher prices. After railroads were constructed into Texas, the cattle drives to Kansas ended.

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|938|sqmi|abbr=on}}, of which {{convert|931|sqmi|abbr=on}} are land and {{convert|7.4|sqmi|abbr=on}} (0.8%) 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=May 4, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Jefferson County, Oklahoma]] (north)
* [[Love County, Oklahoma]] (northeast)
* [[Cooke County, Texas|Cooke County]] (east)
* [[Wise County, Texas|Wise County]] (south)
* [[Jack County, Texas|Jack County]] (southwest)
* [[Clay County, Texas|Clay County]] (west)

===National protected area===
* [[Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland]] (part)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 849
|1870= 890
|1880= 11257
|1890= 18863
|1900= 24800
|1910= 25123
|1920= 22200
|1930= 19159
|1940= 20442
|1950= 17070
|1960= 14893
|1970= 15326
|1980= 17410
|1990= 17274
|2000= 19117
|2010= 19719
|2020= 19965
|estyear= 2021
|estimate= 20409
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|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=May 4, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Montague 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 – Montague County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=0500000US48337&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) – Montague County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48337&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) – Montague County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48337&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|17,717
|17,347
|style='background: #ffffe6; |16,342
|92.68%
|87.97%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |81.85%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|28
|38
|style='background: #ffffe6; |73
|0.15%
|0.19%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.37%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|123
|137
|style='background: #ffffe6; |155
|0.64%
|0.69%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.78%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|49
|59
|style='background: #ffffe6; |84
|0.26%
|0.30%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.42%
|-
|[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|3
|3
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4
|0.02%
|0.02%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other Race]] alone (NH)
|2
|3
|style='background: #ffffe6; |34
|0.01%
|0.02%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.17%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|160
|202
|style='background: #ffffe6; |912
|0.84%
|1.02%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.57%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|1,035
|1,930
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,361
|5.41%
|9.79%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |11.83%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''19,117'''
|'''19,719'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''19,965'''
|'''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, 19,117 people, 7,770 households, and 5,485 families were residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|20|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people|people|abbr=on}}. The 9,862 housing units averaged {{convert|11|/mi2|/km2}}. The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the county was 95.95% White, 0.18% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 1.67% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. About 5.41% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 7,770 households, 28.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were not families. About 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41, and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, the age distribution was 24.00% under 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 19.80% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,048, and for a family was $38,226. Males had a median income of $31,585 versus $19,589 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $17,115. About 10.00% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
These school districts serve Montague County:
* [[Alvord Independent School District|Alvord ISD]] (mostly in Wise County)
* [[Bowie Independent School District|Bowie ISD]] (small portion in Clay, Jack Counties)
* [[Forestburg Independent School District|Forestburg ISD]]
* [[Gold-Burg Independent School District|Gold-Burg ISD]] (small portion in Clay County)
* [[Montague Independent School District|Montague ISD]]
* [[Nocona Independent School District|Nocona ISD]]
* [[Prairie Valley Independent School District|Prairie Valley ISD]]
* [[Saint Jo Independent School District|Saint Jo ISD]] (small portion in Cooke County)
* [[Slidell Independent School District|Slidell ISD]] (partly in Wise, Denton counties; small portion in Cooke County)

In addition, a branch of [[North Central Texas College]] operates in Bowie.

==Transportation==
===Major highways===
* [[File:US 81.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 81 in Texas|U.S. Highway 81]]
* [[File:US 82.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 82 in Texas|U.S. Highway 82]]
* [[File:US 287.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Route 287 in Texas|U.S. Highway 287]]
* [[File:Texas 59.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 59|State Highway 59]]
* [[File:Texas 101.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 101|State Highway 101]]
* [[File:Texas 175.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 175|State Highway 175]]

===Farm to Market Roads===
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
* [[File:Texas FM 103.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 103|FM 103]]
* [[File:Texas FM 174.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 174|FM 174]]
* [[File:Texas FM 455.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 455|FM 455]]
* [[File:Texas FM 677.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 677|FM 677]]
* [[File:Texas FM 730.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 730|FM 730]]
* [[File:Texas FM 922.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 922|FM 922]]
* [[File:Texas FM 1106.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 1106|FM 1106]]
* [[File:Texas FM 1125.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 1125|FM 1125]]
* [[File:Texas FM 1630.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 1630|FM 1630]]
* [[File:Texas FM 1655.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 1655|FM 1655]]
* [[File:Texas FM 1749.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 1749|FM 1749]]
* [[File:Texas FM 1758.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 1758|FM 1758]]
* [[File:Texas FM 1759.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 1759|FM 1759]]
* [[File:Texas FM 1806.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 1806|FM 1806]]
* [[File:Texas FM 1815.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 1815|FM 1815]]
* [[File:Texas FM 1816.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 1816|FM 1816]]
* [[File:Texas FM 1956.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 1956|FM 1956]]
* [[File:Texas FM 2382.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 2382|FM 2382]]
* [[File:Texas FM 2634.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 2634|FM 2634]]
* [[File:Texas FM 2849.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 2849|FM 2849]]
* [[File:Texas FM 2953.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 2953|FM 2953]]
* [[File:Texas FM 3043.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 3043|FM 3043]]
* [[File:Texas FM 3301.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 3301|FM 3301]]
* [[File:Texas FM 3394.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 3394|FM 3394]]
* [[File:Texas FM 3428.svg|20px]] [[Farm to Market Road 3428|FM 3428]]
{{div col end}}

==Communities==
===Cities===
* [[Bowie, Texas|Bowie]]
* [[Nocona, Texas|Nocona]]
* [[St. Jo, Texas|St. Jo]]

===Census-designated places===
* [[Montague, Texas|Montague]]
* [[Nocona Hills, Texas|Nocona Hills]]
* [[Ringgold, Texas|Ringgold]]
* [[Sunset, Montague County, Texas|Sunset]]

===Other unincorporated communities===
{{div col}}
*[[Belcherville, Texas|Belcherville]] 
*[[Bonita, Texas|Bonita]] 
*[[Dye, Texas|Dye]]
*[[Forestburg, Texas|Forestburg]]
*[[Fruitland, Texas|Fruitland]]
*[[Hardy, Texas|Hardy]]
*[[Illinois Bend, Texas|Illinois Bend]] 
*[[Mallard, Texas|Mallard]]
*[[New Harp, Texas|New Harp]]
*[[Spanish Fort, Texas|Spanish Fort]] 
*[[Stoneburg, Texas|Stoneburg]]
{{div col end}}

===Ghost towns===
*[[Capps Corner, Texas|Capps Corner]] 
*[[Corinth, Montague County, Texas|Corinth]]
*[[Gladys, Texas|Gladys]]
*[[Hynds City, Texas|Hynds City]]
*[[Red River Station, Texas|Red River Station]]
*[[Rowland, Texas|Rowland]]
*[[Salona, Texas|Salona]]

==Politics==
[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Drew Springer]], a businessman from [[Muenster, Texas|Muenster]] in [[Cooke County, Texas|Cooke County]], represents Montague County in the [[Texas House of Representatives]]. He carried the county in the 2012 Republican [[runoff election]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/adam-d-young/2013-07-16/state-rep-springer-announces-district-tour-july-30#.UefOvhUo45s|title=State Rep. Springer announces district tour July 30|work=[[Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]] |date=July 16, 2013|access-date=July 18, 2013}}</ref>

Prior to 1996, Montague County was strongly Democratic in presidential elections. The only Republican Party candidates who managed to win the county from 1912 to 1992 were [[Herbert Hoover]] in 1928 and [[Richard Nixon]] and [[Ronald Reagan]] in their 49-state landslides of 1972 and 1984, respectively. Since 1996, the county has swung hard to the supporting Republican Party, in similar fashion to almost all white-majority rural counties in the [[Solid South]].
{{PresHead|place=Montague County, Texas|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=May 20, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|9,825|1,208|90|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|8,615|1,097|120|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|7,526|885|193|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|6,549|1,116|86|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|6,245|1,597|108|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|5,910|1,946|41|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|4,951|2,256|123|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|3,029|2,718|879|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|2,304|2,885|2,337|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|3,475|3,689|22|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|4,406|2,602|22|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|3,143|3,233|96|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|2,182|4,087|25|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|3,463|1,286|19|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|1,736|2,555|914|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,106|3,746|4|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|2,101|2,346|18|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|2,003|2,358|11|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|2,367|3,012|4|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|475|2,872|210|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|429|2,900|381|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|530|3,352|6|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|324|2,789|15|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|262|3,090|29|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|1,519|1,452|0|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|586|2,236|447|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|474|1,714|207|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|245|1,803|247|Texas}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|151|1,531|464|Texas}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Texas}}
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Montague County, Texas]]
* [[List of Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks (Mason-Rusk)#Montague County|Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Montague County]]
* [[Buford T. Justice]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.co.montague.tx.us/ Montague County government's website]
* [https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcm16 Montague County in ''Handbook of Texas Online''] at the [[University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas]]
* [http://texashistory.unt.edu/search/?q=%22United+States+-+Texas+-+Montague+County%22&t=dc.coverage Historic Montague County materials], hosted by the [http://texashistory.unt.edu/ Portal to Texas History.]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110709025838/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48337.html Montague County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Montague County, Texas
|North     = [[Jefferson County, Oklahoma]]
|Northeast = [[Love County, Oklahoma]]
|East      = [[Cooke County, Texas|Cooke County]]
|Southeast =
|South     = [[Wise County, Texas|Wise County]]
|Southwest = [[Jack County, Texas|Jack County]]
|West      = [[Clay County, Texas|Clay County]]
|Northwest =
}}

{{Montague County, Texas}}
{{Texas counties}}
{{Texas}}

{{coord|33.67|-97.73|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Montague County, Texas| ]]
[[Category:1858 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1858]]