McLennan County
County
The McLennan County Courthouse in Waco
The McLennan County Courthouse in Waco
Flag of McLennan County
Flag
Map of Texas highlighting McLennan County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°33′N 97°12′W / 31.55°N 97.2°W / 31.55; -97.2
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1850
Named forNeil McLennan
SeatWaco
Largest cityWaco
Area
 • Total1,060 sq mi (2,700 km2)
 • Land1,037 sq mi (2,690 km2)
 • Water23 sq mi (60 km2)  2.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total260,579
 • Estimate 
(2022)
266,836 Increase
 • Density250/sq mi (95/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district17th
Websitewww.co.mclennan.tx.us

McLennan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 260,579.[1] Its county seat and largest city is Waco.[2] The U.S. census 2022 county population estimate is 266,836.[3] The county is named for Neil McLennan,[4] an early Scottish settler who worked to evict the Indians 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 is located in the county seat, Waco, Texas, and is the county's fourth courthouse. 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. [5]

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 15 miles (24 km) 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.[6]

The crews of the two engines tied the throttles open and jumped off. The two engines, pulling wagons filled with railroad ties, traveled a 4-mile (6.4 km) track and thunderously crashed into each other at a combined speed up to 120 mph (190 km/h). 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.[6]

Ragtime composer Scott Joplin commemorated the event with "The Great Crush Collision March"; Joplin dedicated the composition to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway.[7] Texas composer and singer Brian Burns wrote and recorded a song about the collision, "The Crash at Crush" (2001).

West fertilizer plant explosion

Waco siege

Twin Peaks biker shootout

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 1,060 square miles (2,700 km2), of which 1,037 square miles (2,690 km2) are land and 23 square miles (60 km2) (2.2%) are covered by water.[8]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18606,206—
187013,500117.5%
188026,93499.5%
189039,20445.6%
190059,77252.5%
191073,25022.5%
192082,92113.2%
193098,68219.0%
1940101,8983.3%
1950130,19427.8%
1960150,09115.3%
1970147,553−1.7%
1980170,75515.7%
1990189,12310.8%
2000213,51712.9%
2010234,90610.0%
2020260,57910.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1850–2010[10] 2020[11]
McLennan County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[12] Pop 2020[11] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 138,295 139,693 58.87% 53.61%
Black or African American alone (NH) 33,892 36,130 14.43% 13.87%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 704 901 0.30% 0.35%
Asian alone (NH) 3,128 4,873 1.33% 1.87%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 84 146 0.04% 0.06%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 235 1,065 0.10% 0.41%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 3,097 9,184 1.32% 3.52%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 55,471 68,587 23.61% 26.32%
Total 234,906 260,579 100.00% 100.00%

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 can be of any race.

As of the 2020 US Census,[13] 260,579 people, 94,194 households resided in the county. The population density was 205 people per square mile (79 people/km2). 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.

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)

Cities

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Economy

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:[14][15]

# 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[16]
County Commissioner Pct 1 Jim Smith 2021 – Present[17]
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[18]
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[19]
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[20]
Tenth court of Appeals, Place 3 Steve Smith 2021 – Present, 1998 - 2021 Judge 361ST District Court[21]
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[22]
County Court at Law Judge, Court 1 Vikram 'Vik' Deivanayagam 2018 – Present
County Court at Law Judge, Court 2 Brad Cates 2011 – Present[23]
County Court at Law Judge, Court 3 Ryan Luna 2021 – Present[24]

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).

United States presidential election results for McLennan County, Texas[25]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 59,543 60.84% 36,688 37.49% 1,641 1.68%
2016 48,260 61.03% 27,063 34.22% 3,752 4.74%
2012 47,903 64.26% 25,694 34.47% 944 1.27%
2008 49,044 61.56% 29,998 37.65% 632 0.79%
2004 52,090 65.73% 26,760 33.76% 404 0.51%
2000 43,955 63.90% 23,462 34.11% 1,372 1.99%
1996 30,666 48.61% 27,050 42.88% 5,367 8.51%
1992 28,473 40.67% 25,903 37.00% 15,640 22.34%
1988 38,606 58.12% 27,545 41.47% 272 0.41%
1984 42,232 64.40% 23,206 35.39% 140 0.21%
1980 31,968 53.71% 26,305 44.20% 1,242 2.09%
1976 25,370 45.33% 30,091 53.76% 509 0.91%
1972 33,377 67.45% 15,947 32.23% 161 0.33%
1968 15,958 34.22% 22,388 48.00% 8,293 17.78%
1964 10,892 27.68% 28,429 72.25% 25 0.06%
1960 14,926 42.46% 20,100 57.17% 130 0.37%
1956 15,561 48.85% 16,181 50.80% 111 0.35%
1952 14,974 46.39% 17,251 53.45% 53 0.16%
1948 3,088 15.32% 16,034 79.55% 1,035 5.13%
1944 1,668 8.95% 15,336 82.31% 1,627 8.73%
1940 2,178 11.99% 15,952 87.82% 35 0.19%
1936 1,116 8.11% 12,489 90.77% 154 1.12%
1932 1,108 8.40% 11,972 90.80% 105 0.80%
1928 5,744 51.81% 5,330 48.07% 13 0.12%
1924 2,384 22.24% 7,882 73.52% 455 4.24%
1920 1,655 21.19% 4,975 63.71% 1,179 15.10%
1916 940 15.53% 4,979 82.26% 134 2.21%
1912 295 6.38% 3,829 82.79% 501 10.83%

Education

Colleges

Public school districts

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ "McLennan County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
    2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
    3. ↑ Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties in Texas: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022 (CO-EST2022-POP-48) Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division Release Date: March 2023
    4. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 194.
    5. ↑ "McLennan County Courthouse".
    6. 1 2 "The Crash at the Crush". Texas Historical Commission. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
    7. ↑ Scott Joplin, "The Great Crush Collision" sheet music (Temple, TX: John R. Fuller, 1896). See Bill Edwards, Rags and Pieces by Scott Joplin. Archived June 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
    8. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
    9. ↑ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
    10. ↑ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
    11. 1 2 "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - McLennan County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
    12. ↑ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - McLennan County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
    13. ↑ "QuickFacts: McLennan County, Texas". Census Bureau.
    14. ↑ "Customized Report". Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce.
    15. ↑ "Top 2023 Waco Employers". January 7, 2022.
    16. ↑ "Felton Appointed McLennan County Judge". September 30, 2012.
    17. ↑ "2020 Election Results". November 3, 2020.
    18. ↑ "McLennan County 2014 Election Results". November 4, 2014.
    19. ↑ "Commissioners name new county judge, treasurer". September 18, 2012.
    20. ↑ "TJB | 10th COA | About the Court | Justices | Justice Matt Johnson".
    21. ↑ "TJB | 10th COA | About the Court | Justices | Justice Steven Lee Smith". www.txcourts.gov. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
    22. ↑ "Governor Abbott Appoints Bennett To 474th District Court". gov.texas.gov. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
    23. ↑ "Cates Elected Judge". June 21, 2010.
    24. ↑ "Luna appointed judge of new McLennan County court-at-law". June 29, 2021.
    25. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
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