Potter County
County
Potter County District Courts Building in downtown Amarillo
Potter County District Courts Building in downtown Amarillo
Official seal of Potter County
Seal
Map of Texas highlighting Potter County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°24′N 101°53′W / 35.4°N 101.89°W / 35.4; -101.89
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1887
Named forRobert Potter
SeatAmarillo
Largest cityAmarillo
Area
 • Total922 sq mi (2,390 km2)
 • Land908 sq mi (2,350 km2)
 • Water14 sq mi (40 km2)  1.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total118,525 Decrease
 • Density130/sq mi (50/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district13th
Websitewww.mypottercounty.com

Potter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 118,525.[1] Its county seat is Amarillo.[2] The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1887.[3] It is named for Robert Potter, a politician, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, and the Texas Secretary of the Navy. Potter County is included in the Amarillo metropolitan area.

History

LX Ranch

The LX Ranch was established in the county by W.H. "Deacon" Bates and David T. Beals by 1877. In July 1876, Bates, along with some cowboys that included Charlie Siringo, established a herd of steers and ranch headquarters along Ranch Creek on the north bank of the Canadian River. The headquarters eventually included a bunkhouse, kitchen, storeroom, stables, corrals, blacksmith shop, wagon sheds, and a post office named Wheeler. The LX also established the county's first cemetery. The ranch eventually extended from Dumas to the Palo Duro Canyon and 35 miles east to west. By 1884, the ranch encompassed 187,000 acres, 45,000 cattle, and 1000 horses, when the operation was sold to the American Pastoral Company. In 1902, the ranch headquarters were moved to Bonita Creek, on the south bank of the Canadian River. On 6 October 1910, that company sold 30,354 acres south of the river to Lee Bivins, and on 1 June 1911, R.B. "Ben" Masterson acquired 89,139 acres on the north side. On 19 May 1915, Bivins bought an additional 53,329 LX acres, which included the LX brand.[4][5][6][7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 922 square miles (2,390 km2), of which 14 square miles (36 km2) (1.5%) are covered by water.[8]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
188028—
18908492,932.1%
19001,820114.4%
191012,424582.6%
192016,71034.5%
193046,080175.8%
194054,26517.8%
195073,36635.2%
1960115,58057.5%
197090,511−21.7%
198098,6379.0%
199097,874−0.8%
2000113,54616.0%
2010121,0736.6%
2020118,525−2.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1850–2010[10] 2010[11] 2020[12]
Potter County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[11] Pop 2020[12] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 59,322 50,153 49.00% 42.31%
Black or African American alone (NH) 11,823 11,999 9.77% 10.12%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 602 636 0.50% 0.54%
Asian alone (NH) 4,675 6,036 3.86% 5.09%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 43 20 0.04% 0.02%
Some other race alone (NH) 155 613 0.13% 0.52%
Mixed/multiracial (NH) 1,761 3,875 1.45% 3.27%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 42,692 45,193 32.56% 38.13%
Total 121,073 118,525 100.00% 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 census[13] of 2000, 113,546 people, 40,760 households, and 27,472 families were residing in the county. The population density was 125 people per square mile (48 people/km2). The 44,598 housing units had an average density of 49 units per square mile (19 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 68.60% White, 9.96% African American, 0.87% Native American, 2.49% Asian, 15.48% from other races, and 2.60% from two or more races. About 28.11% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 40,760 households, 34.7% had children under 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were not families. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.61, and the average family size was 3.21.

In the county, the age distribution was 28.0% under 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.90 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 100.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,492, and for a family was $35,321. Males had a median income of $26,123 versus $20,275 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,947. About 15.2% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.3% of those under 18 and 12.3% of those 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice Clements Unit and Neal Unit are located in unincorporated Potter County, east of the City of Amarillo.[14]

Politics

Potter County has supported Republican presidential candidates in every election since 1968, usually by lopsided margins. However, as the county's population has increased, the percentage of Democratic voters has also. According to the 2020 Election, it is the most liberal county in the Texas Panhandle.[15] In 2004, George W. Bush received 21,401 votes (74% of the total) in the county to just 7,489 votes (25%) for his opponent, John Kerry. In 2020, Donald J. Trump received 22,820 votes (69%) in the county as opposed to Joseph R. Biden, who received 9,921 votes (30% of the total).

United States presidential election results for Potter County, Texas[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 22,820 68.45% 9,921 29.76% 596 1.79%
2016 19,630 68.09% 7,657 26.56% 1,544 5.36%
2012 18,918 71.52% 7,126 26.94% 406 1.53%
2008 20,761 69.17% 8,939 29.78% 313 1.04%
2004 21,401 73.65% 7,489 25.77% 166 0.57%
2000 17,629 69.47% 7,242 28.54% 505 1.99%
1996 14,995 57.13% 9,273 35.33% 1,977 7.53%
1992 13,510 48.64% 9,527 34.30% 4,738 17.06%
1988 16,400 62.76% 9,563 36.60% 168 0.64%
1984 20,396 70.57% 8,365 28.94% 141 0.49%
1980 16,327 60.85% 9,633 35.90% 871 3.25%
1976 13,819 53.08% 11,917 45.77% 300 1.15%
1972 18,891 74.56% 6,264 24.72% 180 0.71%
1968 13,338 49.27% 8,238 30.43% 5,496 20.30%
1964 11,505 47.11% 12,850 52.62% 64 0.26%
1960 14,202 61.14% 8,989 38.70% 38 0.16%
1956 11,943 57.66% 8,720 42.10% 49 0.24%
1952 14,931 61.62% 9,259 38.21% 42 0.17%
1948 4,110 28.90% 9,622 67.66% 490 3.45%
1944 2,759 27.36% 6,519 64.65% 806 7.99%
1940 2,285 24.02% 7,203 75.71% 26 0.27%
1936 1,018 13.32% 6,496 84.99% 129 1.69%
1932 1,233 16.13% 6,366 83.29% 44 0.58%
1928 3,627 57.90% 2,637 42.10% 0 0.00%
1924 831 21.81% 2,394 62.82% 586 15.38%
1920 358 20.21% 1,374 77.58% 39 2.20%
1916 166 10.65% 1,288 82.62% 105 6.74%
1912 41 3.86% 801 75.42% 220 20.72%

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Historical communities

Education

School districts include:[17]

All of the county is in the service area of Amarillo College.[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Potter County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  4. ↑ Archer, Jeanne; Taras, Stephanie (2009). Touching Lives: The Lasting Legacy of the Bivins Family. Tell Studios Inc. pp. 45–57. ISBN 9780974914862.
  5. ↑ Pingenot, Ben (1989). Siringo. College Station: Texas A&M University Press. pp. 3–13, 56–58, 121. ISBN 0890963819.
  6. ↑ Siringo, Charles (1885). A Texas Cowboy, Or, Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony. Pantianos Classics. pp. 75, 84–86, 96, 101–103, 107, 120, 128. ISBN 9781540575937.
  7. ↑ Siringo, Charles (1912). A Cowboy Detective. Arcadia Press. pp. 98–00. ISBN 9781545001882.
  8. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 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 6, 2015.
  11. 1 2 "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Potter County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  12. 1 2 "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Potter County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Clements (BC)." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on June 23, 2013. "Unit Address and Phone Number: 9601 Spur 591, Amarillo, TX 79107-9606"
  15. ↑ Texas Secretary of State (November 3, 2020). "Official Canvass Report - 2020 November 3rd General Election" (PDF).
  16. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  17. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Potter County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022. - list
  18. ↑ Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.164. AMARILLO COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA..

35°24′N 101°53′W / 35.40°N 101.89°W / 35.40; -101.89

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