Duval County, Texas

History

Duval County's development began during the Viceroyalty of New Spain (1521–1821). In 1804, six years before Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla launched Mexico's successful independence movement from Spain, Jose Faustino Contreras, surveyor general of San Luis Potosi, charted the county's landscape, which attracted colonists from Mier, Tamaulipas.

On February 1, 1858, the Texas Legislature established Duval County. The Texas Almanac of 1867 reported that Duval and nearby Dimmit County had only four stock raisers and their population was unlikely to grow much, absent the discovery of mineral wealth. Not long after, a wave of Anglo immigrants entered the county to raise sheep. Englishmen, Frenchmen, Germans, Irishmen, and Scots came. During this boom, the county seat enjoyed formal balls and haute cuisine. The Hotel Martinet's Sunday feast drew patrons from Corpus Christi, 50 mi to the East.

The death rate rivaled Tombstone, Arizona's. Although some died under the code duello, most of Duval County's deaths were murders that primarily victimized the legacy Spanish-speaking population. When a great pile of cowhides presumed to have come from stolen animals was discovered near the county line, a vigilante group from Duval and McMullen County lynched 15 Spanish-speaking Texans there.

In April of 1878, a large Indian raid carried out by the Kickapoo, Seminole, and Lipan Apache ended up in the deaths of more than 10 people.

Prosperity in the 1880s placated Anglo animosity. When the Texas Mexican Railway began operating in 1881, its San Diego station served as an important hub for trading hides, wool and cotton, but the boom evaporated when sheep began dying during the Winter of 1886–1887, triggering the Sheep Wars that once again primarily victimized the legacy Spanish-speaking population.

During the twentieth century, the Parr family established a political machine that dominated politics in Duval and nearby Jim Wells counties. The family was instrumental in the 1948 election of Lyndon B. Johnson to the US Senate, and influenced the outcome of the 1960 presidential election which threw Texas to John F. Kennedy.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1796 sqmi, of which 1793 sqmi is land and 2.1 sqmi (0.1%) is water. The county overlies the Piedras Pintas salt dome, scheduled for at hydrogen storage.

Major highways

• [[File:US 59.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 59
  • [[File:I-69W (TX).svg|25px]] Interstate 69W is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 59 in most places.
• [[File:Texas 16.svg|20px]] State Highway 16
• [[File:Texas 44.svg|20px]] State Highway 44
• [[File:Texas 285.svg|20px]] State Highway 285
• [[File:Texas 339.svg|20px]] State Highway 339
• [[File:Texas 359.svg|20px]] State Highway 359
• [[File:Texas FM 716.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 716
• [[File:Texas FM 1329.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 1329
• [[File:Texas FM 2295.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 2295
• [[File:Texas FM 3196.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 3196

Adjacent counties

• McMullen County (north)
• Live Oak County (northeast)
• Jim Wells County (east)
• Brooks County (southeast)
• Jim Hogg County (south)
• Webb County (west)
• La Salle County (northwest)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–2010 2010 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 9,831. The median age was 39.3 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 108.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 109.5 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 50.8% White, 1.6% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian,

There were 3,507 households in the county, of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.5% were married-couple households, 21.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 4,396 housing units, of which 20.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.8% were owner-occupied and 25.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 15.7%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 11,782 people living in the county. 87.0% were White, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 9.8% of some other race and 1.7% of two or more races. 88.5% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 13,120 people, 4,350 households, and 3,266 families living in the county. The population density was 7 /mi2. There were 5,543 housing units at an average density of 3 /mi2.

The racial makeup of the county was 80.22% White, 0.54% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 15.46% from other races, and 3.11% from two or more races. 87.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,350 households, out of which 36.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.20% were married couples living together, 16.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.90% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.40.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.50% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,416, and the median income for a family was $26,014. Males had a median income of $25,601 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,324. About 23.00% of families and 27.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.90% of those under age 18 and 25.30% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Duval County was a longtime Democratic stronghold, like most of heavily Hispanic South Texas. In the 1964,{{cite web

After the initial election returns in the 1948 Democrat runoff primary election for U.S. Senate, Duval County added 425 votes for Lyndon B. Johnson over Coke R. Stevenson. (George Parr simultaneously arranged the more famous electoral fraud for Johnson in Alice, Texas.){{cite news |access-date=April 13, 2013

Duval County is notorious for corrupt politics, particularly during the early and mid-20th century, when it was largely controlled by the political machine of Texas State Senator Archie Parr and his son George Parr, each in his turn called El Patrón or the "Duke of Duval".{{cite news |access-date=April 13, 2013}} Givens Parr had been county judge before his younger brother George. George was later elected sheriff. Archer Parr III, George's nephew and adopted brother, later held both those offices.{{cite book Meanwhile, then Texas Attorney General John Ben Shepperd brought some 300 state indictments against county and school officials.

Communities

Cities

• Benavides
• Freer
• San Diego (county seat) (small part in Jim Wells County)

Census-designated places

• Concepcion
• Realitos

Unincorporated communities

• Ramirez
• Rios
• Sejita
• Seven Sisters

Ghost towns

• Crestonio
• Pila Blanca
• Sweden

Education

School districts for the county include:

• Benavides Independent School District
• Freer Independent School District
• Premont Independent School District
• Ramirez Common School District
• San Diego Independent School District

Coastal Bend College (formerly Bee County College) is the designated community college for the county.

References

References

1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Duval County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
2. "Duval County, Texas".
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. (2008). "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". [[Newberry Library.
5. Lynch, Dudley M. (January 1, 1976). The Duke of Duval: The Life and Times of George B. Parr. Waco: Texian Press. pp 8-10. {{ISBN. 978-0-87244-044-9. LCCN 76-54438. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
6. Caro, Robert. (1990). "[[The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Means of Ascent]]". [[Alfred A. Knopf]].
7. Caro, Robert. (2012). "[[The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Passage of Power]]". [[Alfred A. Knopf]].
8. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
9. "Piedras Pintas, Duval Co., Texas, USA".
10. (1925). "The Salt Domes of South Texas". GeoScienceWorld.
11. (March 3, 2022). "World's largest green hydrogen project unveiled in Texas, with plan to produce clean rocket fuel for Elon Musk {{!}} Recharge".
12. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". [[US Census Bureau]].
13. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010". Texas Almanac.
14. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Duval County, Texas".
15. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Duval County, Texas".
16. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Duval County, Texas".
17. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
18. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
19. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
20. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
21. Goldmacher, Shane. (May 25, 2025). "How Donald Trump Has Remade America's Political Landscape". The New York Times.
22. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
23. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".
24. [https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code Sec. 130.167. BEE COUNTY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.] The legislation calls it "Bee County College".