Sutton County
County
The Sutton County Courthouse in Sonora
The Sutton County Courthouse in Sonora
Map of Texas highlighting Sutton County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°30′N 100°32′W / 30.5°N 100.54°W / 30.5; -100.54
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1890
Named forJohn S. Sutton
SeatSonora
Largest citySonora
Area
 • Total1,454 sq mi (3,770 km2)
 • Land1,454 sq mi (3,770 km2)
 • Water0.5 sq mi (1 km2)  0.03%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total3,372
 • Density2.3/sq mi (0.90/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district23rd
Websitewww.co.sutton.tx.us
Mercantile Garden, located at the foot of the hill containing the Sutton County Courthouse
The Sutton County Library in Sonora
Veterans & Pioneer Ranch Women Museum in Sonora

Sutton County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,372.[1] Its county seat is Sonora.[2] The county was created in 1887 and organized in 1890.[3] Sutton County is named for John S. Sutton, an officer in the Confederate Army.

History

  • 9500 BC – c. 1860s AD Paleo-Indians in the county leave behind archaeological remains of a burned-rock midden with mortar and pestle, as well as other tools. Later native inhabitants include Tonkawa, Comanche and Lipan Apache.[4]
  • 1736 Lt. Miguel de la Garza Falcón leads 100 soldiers along the Devils River[5][6]
  • 1852, February 2 - Camp Terrett, later known as Fort Terrett, established to protect settlers from Comanches. Founded by Lt. Col. Henry Bainbridge and named for Lt. John Terrett, who was killed in the Battle of Monterrey in 1846.[7]
  • 1881 Wall's Well discovered by Tim Birtrong and Ed Wall. Town of Wentworth discovered. Birtrong Ranch is the area's only ranch.[8]
  • 1885 Charles G. Adams, a merchant and sometime rancher from Fort McKavett, founds Sonora, Texas, named after a family servant from Sonora, Mexico.[9]
  • 1887 The Texas legislature establishes Sutton County, carved out of eastern Crockett County named for Confederate officer John Schuyler Sutton.[4]
  • 1890 Sonora becomes the county seat.[4]
  • 1915 Texas Sheep & Goat Raisers’ Association organized.[10]
  • 1928 The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway acquires Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway to connect Sonora with San Angelo, Del Rio, and the outside world by rail.[4]
  • 1930 Sonora Wool and Mohair Company established.[4]
  • 1936 WPA projects help local economy.[4]
  • 1958, August 1 – Sonora Municipal Airport activated.[11]
  • 1960, July 16 – Caverns of Sonora open to the public.[12]
  • 1965 Caverns of Sonora designated National Natural Landmark.[13]
  • 1975 Fort Terrett Ranch is purchased by the Texas oil industrialist Bill Noël and used in part for the growing of pecans.[14]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,454 square miles (3,770 km2), of which 1,454 square miles (3,770 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) (0.03%) is water.[15]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1890658—
19001,727162.5%
19101,569−9.1%
19201,5981.8%
19302,80775.7%
19403,97741.7%
19503,746−5.8%
19603,738−0.2%
19703,175−15.1%
19805,13061.6%
19904,135−19.4%
20004,077−1.4%
20104,1281.3%
20203,372−18.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[16]
1850–2010[17] 2010[18] 2020[19]
Sutton County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[18] Pop 2020[19] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 1,639 1,200 39.70% 35.59%
Black or African American alone (NH) 6 6 0.15% 0.18%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 2 5 0.05% 0.15%
Asian alone (NH) 5 6 0.12% 0.18%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 7 14 0.17% 0.42%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 10 48 0.24% 1.42%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2,459 2,093 59.57% 62.07%
Total 4,128 3,372 100.00% 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[20] of 2000, there were 4,077 people, 1,515 households, and 1,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile (1.2 people/km2). There were 1,998 housing units at an average density of 1 units per square mile (0.39 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 45.28% White, 0.25% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 2.27% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. 49.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,515 households, out of which 38.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.60% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.40% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.80% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,385, and the median income for a family was $38,143. Males had a median income of $31,193 versus $18,587 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,105. About 14.10% of families and 18.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.20% of those under age 18 and 16.10% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Sutton County is served by the Sonora Independent School District based in Sonora.

Communities

City

Ghost towns

Politics

Sutton County is very conservative in national politics. In 2016, it gave 76% of its vote to Republican candidate Donald Trump. It last supported a Democrat in 1964, when Texan Lyndon B. Johnson was the Democratic candidate. However, this was not always the case. In fact, in 1916, the Democratic candidate received 10 times as many votes as the Republican. It hasn't supported a Democrat in Texas gubernatorial elections since 1974, when Dolph Briscoe, the Democrat, carried all but five counties in the state.

United States presidential election results for Sutton County, Texas[21]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 1,222 78.48% 322 20.68% 13 0.83%
2016 1,075 75.92% 313 22.10% 28 1.98%
2012 1,110 74.45% 369 24.75% 12 0.80%
2008 1,189 75.35% 381 24.14% 8 0.51%
2004 1,173 80.73% 280 19.27% 0 0.00%
2000 1,063 69.03% 468 30.39% 9 0.58%
1996 688 52.84% 508 39.02% 106 8.14%
1992 687 42.99% 524 32.79% 387 24.22%
1988 996 63.44% 571 36.37% 3 0.19%
1984 1,251 72.69% 465 27.02% 5 0.29%
1980 1,000 66.18% 485 32.10% 26 1.72%
1976 831 51.65% 768 47.73% 10 0.62%
1972 705 73.67% 245 25.60% 7 0.73%
1968 412 45.27% 351 38.57% 147 16.15%
1964 357 33.97% 694 66.03% 0 0.00%
1960 437 47.97% 474 52.03% 0 0.00%
1956 546 65.16% 290 34.61% 2 0.24%
1952 581 62.34% 351 37.66% 0 0.00%
1948 131 21.06% 433 69.61% 58 9.32%
1944 118 18.55% 449 70.60% 69 10.85%
1940 84 12.79% 571 86.91% 2 0.30%
1936 64 13.85% 398 86.15% 0 0.00%
1932 113 23.30% 372 76.70% 0 0.00%
1928 290 75.92% 92 24.08% 0 0.00%
1924 124 46.10% 143 53.16% 2 0.74%
1920 104 34.10% 190 62.30% 11 3.61%
1916 13 9.09% 130 90.91% 0 0.00%
1912 12 13.04% 62 67.39% 18 19.57%

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sutton 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hosmer, Brian C. "Sutton County, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  5. ↑ Smith, Julia Cauble. "Devils River". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  6. ↑ Skiles, Jack; Kelton, Elmer (1996). Judge Roy Bean Country. Texas Tech University Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-89672-369-6.
  7. ↑ Uglow, Loyd and Loyd M (2001). Standing in the Gap: Army Outposts, Picket Stations, and the Pacification of the Texas Frontier, 1866-1886. Texas Christian University. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-87565-246-7.
  8. ↑ "Wentworth - Sonora, Sutton County, Texas". Texas Historical Markers. William Nienke, Sam Morrow. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Sonora, Texas". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  10. ↑ Lackey, Jerry (December 21, 2009). "HOMESTEAD: 'Stockman's Paradise' true to the past". San Angelo Standard Times.
  11. ↑ "Sonora Municipal Airport". AirNav. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  12. ↑ "History Caverns of Sonora". Caverns of Sonora. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  13. ↑ "NPS Caverns of Sonora". National Park Service. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  14. ↑ "William Douglas Noël". The Handbook of Texas. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
  15. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Decennial Census by Decade". US Census Bureau.
  17. ↑ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  18. 1 2 "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Sutton County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  19. 1 2 "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Sutton County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  20. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  21. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 11, 2018.

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