McLennan County, Texas

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McLennan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 260,579.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat and largest city is Waco.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The U.S. census 2024 county population estimate is 270,358.<ref>Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties in Texas: April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2024 (CO-EST2024-POP-48) Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division Release Date: March 2024</ref> The county is named for Neil McLennan,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> an early Scottish settler in frontier Texas. McLennan County is included in the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

McLennan County was created by the Texas Legislature in 1850 out of Milam County. The county seat, Waco, had been founded as an outpost of the Texas Rangers. It was laid out by George B. Erath, and was known by 1850 as Waco Village.

In the 1880s, pharmacist Charles Alderton developed the carbonated beverage that became known as Dr Pepper. The Dr Pepper business was headquartered in Waco, until it moved to Dallas, Texas. Waco is also home to the Dr Pepper Museum, housed in the 1906 building that was the first stand-alone facility used to bottle Dr Pepper.

According to local lore, the first sustained flight did not occur in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, but just outside Tokio (a small community in McLennan County) by a man flying a gyrocopter. During World War I, McLennan County was home to at least one military airfield, Rich Field. In the aftermath of World War I, when social tensions were high as veterans returned, white racial violence broke out against blacks. The county had 15 lynchings, the second-highest number of any county in the state.

McLennan County's contributions to World War II include the reopening of Rich Field for use by the Air Force, and the opening of James Connally Air Force Base. The latter is now used as the TSTC Waco Airport and Texas State Technical College. County resident Doris Miller was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism at Pearl Harbor; he was the first African American to earn such distinction. Local man James Connally became known as a World War II fighter pilot.

County Courthouse

The current County Courthouse, the fourth to be built, is located in Waco. Completed in 1902 in the Beaux-Arts style, it is the next-to-last example of architect James Riely Gordon's Texas courthouses. Of the eighteen he designed, thirteen remain standing. The first county courthouse was completed in 1851 for $500, and was a two-story log cabin that was 30' x 30'. McLennan's second courthouse was a two-story brick building completed in 1857 for $11,000. The third courthouse was styled after Second Empire by architect W.C. Dodson, and completed in 1877 at a cost of $24,894.50. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Institutions of higher education

In 1886, Baylor University relocated from Independence, Texas, to Waco and absorbed Waco University. During the early 20th century, McLennan County was home to as many as five colleges. In addition to Baylor, the other colleges included the predecessor to what is now known as Texas Christian University (now in Fort Worth), Paul Quinn College (relocated since to Dallas), and two other short-lived colleges.

In the 1960s, the Texas Legislature authorized McLennan Community College, the first community college to use those words in the name. Around the same time, what is now the flagship institution of Texas State Technical College was founded as James Connally Technical Institute, as a member of the Texas A&M University System. Today, Baylor, McLennan Community College, and Texas State Technical College continue to operate in McLennan County. They educate a large portion of the college-bound high-school graduates from the county and the surrounding areas. McLennan Community College has also partnered with Tarleton State University, Texas Tech University, University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and Midwestern State University to offer more than 50 bachelor's or master's degrees.

1896 Crash at Crush

Crush, Texas, was a temporary "city" in McLennan County, about Template:Convert north of Waco. It was established to stage a publicity stunt concocted by William George Crush and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. The stunt involved the collision of two 35-ton steam locomotives in front of spectators, whom the railway transported to the event for $2 each. After strong promotion, on September 15, 1896, the event was delayed by an hour as the police maneuvered the crowd of more than 40,000 back to what was thought to be a safe distance.<ref name="crash"/>

The crews of the two engines tied the throttles open and jumped off. The two engines, pulling wagons filled with railroad ties, traveled a Template:Convert track and thunderously crashed into each other at a combined speed up to Template:Convert. The boilers exploded and sent steam and flying debris into the crowd. Three people were killed and about six were injured, including event photographer Jarvis "Joe" Deane, who lost an eye because of a flying bolt.<ref name="crash">Template:Cite web</ref>

Ragtime composer Scott Joplin commemorated the event with "The Great Crush Collision March"; Joplin dedicated the composition to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway.<ref>Scott Joplin, "The Great Crush Collision" sheet music (Temple, TX: John R. Fuller, 1896). See Bill Edwards, Rags and Pieces by Scott Joplin. Template:Webarchive</ref> Texas composer and singer Brian Burns wrote and recorded a song about the collision, "The Crash at Crush" (2001).

West fertilizer plant explosion

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Waco siege

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Twin Peaks biker shootout

Template:Main On May 17, 2015, motorcycle clubs gathered at the Twin Peaks Restaurant in Waco for a Confederation of Clubs meeting. Upon arrival of a large contingent of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, mass violence erupted in the parking lot of Twin Peaks between members of the Bandidos and members of the Cossasks Motorcycle Club. This resulted in nine dead and 18 wounded in the melee between the rival outlaw motorcycle gangs. In 2019, all remaining charges were dropped by the new District Attorney, Barry Johnson.

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 (2.2%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Hill County (north)
Limestone County (east)
Falls County (southeast)
Bell County (south)
Coryell County (southwest)
Bosque County (northwest)

Demographics

Template:US Census population

**McLennan County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
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Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name="2020CensusP2">Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	138,008	138,295	139,693	64.64%	58.87%	53.61%
Black or African American alone (NH)	32,065	33,892	36,130	15.02%	14.43%	13.87%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	666	704	901	0.31%	0.30%	0.35%
Asian alone (NH)	2,236	3,128	4,873	1.05%	1.33%	1.87%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	77	84	146	0.04%	0.04%	0.06%
Other race alone (NH)	147	235	1,065	0.07%	0.10%	0.41%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	2,085	3,097	9,184	0.98%	1.32%	3.52%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	38,233	55,471	68,587	17.91%	23.61%	26.32%
Total	213,517	234,906	260,579	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 US Census,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 260,579 people, 94,194 households resided in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The county now has 107,229 housing units, that are 59.2% owner-occupied with a median value of $165,400. The racial makeup of the county was 79.7% White, 14.9% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 2.3% from two or more races. About 27.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race; 12.8% were of German, 11.0% American, 8.0% English, and 6.9% Irish ancestry.

The 2020 census showed on a heat map that McLennan County displayed an estimated 1.3% of partnered households are in same-sex relationships, though may be undercounted.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the county, the population was distributed as 24.4% under the age of 18, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The county is composed of 51% female and 49% male residents.

The median income for a household in the county was $53,723. The per capita income for the county in 2010 was $17,174, and in 2020 was $28,421. Approximately 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line.

Communities

Cities (multiple counties)

Bruceville-Eddy (small part in Falls County)
Golinda (mostly in Falls County)
Mart (small part in Limestone County)
McGregor (small part in Coryell County)
Valley Mills (mostly in Bosque County)

Cities

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Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Economy

File:Aerial view of Downtown Waco 2009 Looking East.jpg

Aerial view of downtown Waco in 2009; Brazos River to the left and campus of Baylor University in the upper right

According to the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, the top employers in McLennan County are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

#	Employer	Employees 2015	Employees 2023
1	Baylor University	2,675	3,253
2	Waco Independent School District	2,500	2,373
3	Ascension Providence	2,397	2,300
4	HEB	1,500	2,000
5	Baylor Scott & White Health (Hillcrest)	1,800	1,736
6	TSTC		1,706
7	Veterans Affairs		1,682
8	City of Waco	1,506	1,518
9	Sanderson Farms, Inc.	1,041	1,200
10	Walmart	1,656	1,174
11	McLennan County		1,157
12	Midway Independent School District	1,067	1,081
13	AbbVie		785
14	L3 Technologies	2,300	774
14	McLennan Community College		719
15	Mars Wrigley		700
16	Aramark		696
17	American Income Life Insurance		693
18	Magnolia Network		675
19	Texas Materials		672
20	Cargill Value Added Meats		646
21	Tractor Supply		640
22	SpaceX		590

Elected leadership

Legislative representation	Name	Service
United States Congress, District 17	Pete Sessions	2019 – Present
State Senator, District 22	Brian Birdwell	2010 – Present
State Representative, District 56	Charles Doc Anderson	2005 – Present
State Representative, District 13	Angelia Orr	2023 – Present

County Elected Leadership	Name	Service
County Judge	Scott Felton	2012 – Present<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
County Commissioner Pct 1	Jim Smith	2021 – Present<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
County Commissioner Pct 2	Pat Chisolm-Miller	2019 – Present
County Commissioner Pct 3	Will Jones	2013 – Present
County Commissioner Pct 4	Ben Perry	2011 – Present
District Attorney	Josh Tetens	2023 – Present
District Clerk	Jon Gimble	2015 – Present<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
County Clerk	Andy Harwell	1995 – Present
County Sheriff	Parnell McNamara	2013 – Present
County Tax Assessor-Collector	Randy Riggs	2012 – Present
County Treasurer	Bill Helton	2012 – Present, 1991 - 2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Local Judiciary	Name	Service
Tenth Court of Appeals, Chief	Tom Gray	2003 – Present, 1999 - 2003 Associate Justice
Tenth court of Appeals, Place 2	Matt Johnson	2021 – Present, 2007 - 2020 Judge 54TH District Court<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Tenth court of Appeals, Place 3	Steve Smith	2021 – Present, 1998 - 2021 Judge 361ST District Court<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
State District Judge, 19TH Court	Thomas West	2021 – Present
State District Judge, 54TH Court	Susan Kelly	2021 – Present
State District Judge, 74TH Court	Gary Coley, Jr.	2009 – Present, Local Administrative Judge
State District Judge, 170TH Court	Jim Meyer	2003 – Present
State District Judge, 414TH Court	Vicki Menard	2006 – December 1, 2023,
State District Judge, 474TH Court	Alan Bennett	2023 – Present, appointed by Gov Abbott<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
County Court at Law Judge, Court 1	Vikram 'Vik' Deivanayagam	2018 – Present
County Court at Law Judge, Court 2	Brad Cates	2011 – Present<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
County Court at Law Judge, Court 3	Ryan Luna	2021 – Present<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Politics

Similar to other counties in the Texas Triangle with mid-sized cities, the county has been reliably Republican for the last half-century, having last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 1976 when it was won by Jimmy Carter.

Several governors of Texas hailed from McLennan County: Ann Richards (1991–1995), the state's second female governor; Pat Morris Neff (1921–1925), who also served as president of Baylor University; Lawrence Sullivan Ross (1887–1891), whose family helped found Waco and who also served as the fourth president of Texas A&M University; and Richard Coke (1874–1876).

Education

Colleges

Public school districts