Caldwell County, Texas
Encyclopedia
Caldwell County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Texas
. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. In 2000, the population was 32,194. Its county seat
is Lockhart
. Caldwell County was founded in 1848, and was named after Mathew Caldwell
, a ranger captain who fought in the Battle of Plum Creek
against the Comanche
s and against Santa Anna's
armies during the Texas Revolution
. Caldwell was also a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
.
, the county has a total area of 547 square miles (1,416.7 km²), of which 545 square miles (1,411.5 km²) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km²) (0.31%) is water.
of 2000, there were 32,194 people, 10,816 households, and 8,079 families residing in the county. The population density
was 59 people per square mile (23/km²). There were 11,901 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 70.13% White
, 8.50% Black
or African American
, 0.61% Native American
, 0.34% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 17.66% from other races
, and 2.74% from two or more races. 40.44% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 10,816 households out of which 37.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples
living together, 13.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.30% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the county, the population was spread out with 28.30% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,573, and the median income for a family was $41,300. Males had a median income of $29,295 versus $21,595 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $15,099. About 10.40% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.10% of those under age 18 and 15.40% of those age 65 or over.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. In 2000, the population was 32,194. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Lockhart
Lockhart, Texas
-External links:* *...
. Caldwell County was founded in 1848, and was named after Mathew Caldwell
Mathew Caldwell
Mathew Caldwell, , also spelled Matthew Caldwell was a 19th century Texas settler, military figure, Captain of the Gonzales - Seguin Rangers and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence...
, a ranger captain who fought in the Battle of Plum Creek
Battle of Plum Creek
The Battle of Plum Creek was a clash between militia and Rangers of the Republic of Texas and a huge Comanche war party under Chief Buffalo Hump, which took place near Lockhart, Texas, on August 12, 1840, following the Great Raid of 1840 as the Comanche war party returned to West...
against the Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
s and against Santa Anna's
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
armies during the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
. Caldwell was also a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
.
History Timeline
- 8000 b.c. Paleo-Indians Hunter-gatherers, and later TonkawaTonkawaThe Tickanwa•tic Tribe , better known as the Tonkawa , are a Native American people indigenous to present-day Oklahoma and Texas. They once spoke the now-extinct Tonkawa language believed to have been a language isolate not related to any other indigenous tongues...
, KarankawaKarankawaKarankawa were a group of Native American peoples, now extinct as a tribal group, who played a pivotal part in early Texas history....
.and ComancheComancheThe Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
, first inhabitants. - 1825 Caldwell County is part of Green DeWitt'sGreen DeWittGreen DeWitt was an empresario in Mexican Texas. He founded the DeWitt Colony, one of the most successful.-Early years:...
petition for a land grant to establish a colony in Texas is approved by the Mexican government. - 1839 Edmund Bellinger becomes the first settler of Prairie LeaPrairie Lea, TexasPrairie Lea is an unincorporated community in Caldwell County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 255 in 2000. It is part of the Austin–Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, the county’s oldest town. Sam HoustonSam HoustonSamuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
names the town for his future wife Margaret Moffette LeaMargaret Moffette LeaMargaret Moffette Lea was the daughter of Alabama planters Temple Lea and Nancy Moffette. In 1840 she became the third wife of the politician Sam Houston, then representative to the Texas legislature and between terms as the President of the Republic of Texas...
. - 1848 March - The legislature forms Caldwell County from BastropBastrop County, TexasBastrop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2006, the population was 71,700. Its county seat is Bastrop. Bastrop County is named for Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop , an early Dutch settler who assisted Stephen F...
and GonzalesGonzales County, TexasGonzales County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 18,628. It is named for its seat, the city of Gonzales.-History Timeline:* Paleo-Indians Hunter-gatherers, and later Coahuiltecan, Tonkawa, Karankawa...
counties. The county seat is called Lockhart. - 1860 County population is 2,871. There are 1,610 slaves. Community of Fentress is established, originally as Riverside, later changed to Fentress to honor the town’s first physician James Fentress.
- 1861 County votes 434-188 in favor of secession from the Union. Several hundred men from Caldwell County serve in the Confederate States ArmyConfederate States ArmyThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
. - 1870’s St. John Colony established by former slaves.
- 1874 Town of LulingLuling, TexasLuling is a city in Caldwell County, Texas, United States, along the San Marcos River. The population was 5,080 at the 2000 census. There is some debate as to how Luling got its name. Some say it was named for a Chinese railroad worker, others for a judge named Luling, or that it was the maiden...
is established. John and James Merriwether and Leonidas Hardeman build a gristmill and a sawmill, later to be known as Zedler’s Mills. - 1887 The Missouri, Kansas and Texas completes its track between Lockhart and San MarcosSan Marcos, TexasSan Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
. - 1889 The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway connects Lockhart and Luling to ShinerShiner, TexasShiner is a city in Lavaca County, Texas, United States. The town was named after Henry B. Shiner who donated for railroad right of way. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 2,070....
. - 1892 The Missouri, Kansas and Texas lays track from Lockhart east to SmithvilleSmithville, TexasSmithville is a city in Bastrop County, Texas, United States, near the Colorado River. The population was 3,901 at the 2000 census. The population grew to an estimated 4,339 for 2004.-History:...
. - 1880-1900 Tenant farmingTenant farmerA tenant farmer is one who resides on and farms land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management; while tenant farmers contribute their labor along with at times varying...
accounts for nearly half of all the county's farming and as much as 75 percent of the 3,149 farms. - 1902 The Southwest Texas Sacred Harp Singing ConventionSouthwest Texas Sacred Harp Singing ConventionThe Southwest Texas Sacred Harp Singing Convention is an annual gathering of shape note singers. Songs are sung a cappella from the Sacred Harp tune book. The Convention was organized on April 28, 1900 at the Round Top School House, in Caldwell County, Texas, as the South Union Singing Convention....
is established in McMahan. - 1922, August 9 – Edgar B. Davis discovers the Luling Oilfield.
- 1927 The Luling Foundation is established by Edgar B. Davis to teach diversity in agriculture and improve the lives of farm and ranch families.
- 1948 Lockhart State Park opens to the public.
- 1953 Luling establishes its annual Watermelon Thump celebration.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 547 square miles (1,416.7 km²), of which 545 square miles (1,411.5 km²) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km²) (0.31%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 10
U.S. Highway 90
U.S. Highway 183
State Highway 80
Adjacent counties
- Travis CountyTravis County, TexasAs of 2009, the U.S. census estimates there were 1,026,158 people, 320,766 households, and 183,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 821 people per square mile . There were 335,881 housing units at an average density of 340 per square mile...
(north) - Bastrop CountyBastrop County, TexasBastrop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2006, the population was 71,700. Its county seat is Bastrop. Bastrop County is named for Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop , an early Dutch settler who assisted Stephen F...
(northeast) - Fayette CountyFayette County, TexasFayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 21,804. Its county seat is La Grange. Fayette is named for the Marquis de la Fayette, a French nobleman who became an American Revolutionary War hero...
(southeast) - Gonzales CountyGonzales County, TexasGonzales County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 18,628. It is named for its seat, the city of Gonzales.-History Timeline:* Paleo-Indians Hunter-gatherers, and later Coahuiltecan, Tonkawa, Karankawa...
(south) - Guadalupe CountyGuadalupe County, TexasGuadalupe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 89,023. It is named for the Guadalupe River. The seat of the county is Seguin. It was founded in 1846....
(southwest) - Hays CountyHays County, TexasHays County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its official population had reached 157,107. It is named for John Coffee Hays, a Texas Ranger and Mexican-American War officer. The seat of the county is San Marcos....
(northwest)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 32,194 people, 10,816 households, and 8,079 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 59 people per square mile (23/km²). There were 11,901 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 70.13% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 8.50% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.61% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.34% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 17.66% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.74% from two or more races. 40.44% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 10,816 households out of which 37.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.30% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the county, the population was spread out with 28.30% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,573, and the median income for a family was $41,300. Males had a median income of $29,295 versus $21,595 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $15,099. About 10.40% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.10% of those under age 18 and 15.40% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- LockhartLockhart, Texas-External links:* *...
- LulingLuling, TexasLuling is a city in Caldwell County, Texas, United States, along the San Marcos River. The population was 5,080 at the 2000 census. There is some debate as to how Luling got its name. Some say it was named for a Chinese railroad worker, others for a judge named Luling, or that it was the maiden...
- MartindaleMartindale, TexasMartindale is a city in Caldwell County, Texas, United States. The population was 953 at the 2000 census.The city hosts an egg hunt each Easter...
- Mustang RidgeMustang Ridge, TexasMustang Ridge is a city in Caldwell, and Travis Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 785 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mustang Ridge is located at ....
- NiederwaldNiederwald, TexasNiederwald is a city in Caldwell and Hays Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 584 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Niederwald is located at...
- San MarcosSan Marcos, TexasSan Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
- UhlandUhland, TexasUhland is a city in Caldwell and Hays Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 386 at the 2000 census. Uhland is named after the german poet Ludwig Uhland.-Geography:Uhland is located at ....
Unincorporated areas
- DaleDale, TexasDale is an unincorporated community in northeastern Caldwell County, Texas, United States.The Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad arrived in 1880 and the town's post office was granted that same year. Within five years, Dale had a population of 75. The town had three stores, a gristmill and cotton...
- MaxwellMaxwell, TexasMaxwell is an unincorporated community in Caldwell County, Texas, United States.-External links:...
- Prairie LeaPrairie Lea, TexasPrairie Lea is an unincorporated community in Caldwell County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 255 in 2000. It is part of the Austin–Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area....
- St. John Colony
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Caldwell County, Texas
External links
- County of Caldwell
- Caldwell County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of TexasUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
.