Lander County, Nevada
Encyclopedia
Lander County is a county
located in the U.S. state
of Nevada
. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,794. Its county seat
is Battle Mountain
.
; chief engineer of a federal wagon route through the area in 1857. He later served as Special Indian Agent in the area, and died during the Civil War
in Virginia
in 1862 at the rank of brigadier general. Created in 1861, Lander County sprang forth as the result of a mining boom on the Reese River
, along the old pony express
line; taking a considerable portion of Churchill
and Humboldt
counties with it. Eventually, Lander County would be known as the "mother of counties" since three other counties in Nevada were formed from it: Elko, White Pine, and Eureka. Its first county seat was Jacobsville in 1862 which was soon after moved to Austin
in 1863 and finally Battle Mountain in 1979.
, the county has a total area of 5519 square miles (14,294.1 km²), of which 5494 square miles (14,229.4 km²) is land and 26 square miles (67.3 km²) (0.47%) is water.
of 2000, there were 5,794 people, 2,093 households, and 1,523 families residing in the county. The population density
was 1 people per square mile (0/km²). There were 2,780 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.41% White
, 0.21% Black
or African American
, 3.99% Native American
, 0.35% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 8.66% from other races
, and 2.35% from two or more races. 18.52% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 2,093 households out of which 39.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% were married couples
living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the county the population was spread out with 32.20% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 7.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 105.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,067, and the median income for a family was $51,538. Males had a median income of $45,375 versus $22,197 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $16,998. About 8.60% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.50% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
located in the U.S. state
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 Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,794. 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 Battle Mountain
Battle Mountain, Nevada
Battle Mountain is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lander County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,871 at the 2000 census. Though it has no legal status as a municipality, it still functions as the county seat of Lander County...
.
History
Lander County was one of the original nine counties created in 1861. Named for Frederick W. LanderFrederick W. Lander
Frederick West Lander was a transcontinental United States explorer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and a prolific poet.-Birth and early years:...
; chief engineer of a federal wagon route through the area in 1857. He later served as Special Indian Agent in the area, and died during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in 1862 at the rank of brigadier general. Created in 1861, Lander County sprang forth as the result of a mining boom on the Reese River
Reese River
The Reese River is a tributary of the Humboldt River, located in central Nevada in the western United States. It rises in the southern section of the Toiyabe Range, on the flanks of Arc Dome...
, along the old pony express
Pony Express
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
line; taking a considerable portion of Churchill
Churchill County, Nevada
Churchill County is a county located in the western U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 23,982. As of July 1, 2007, the population of Churchill County was estimated at 27,190. The county, named after Mexican-American War hero brevet Brigadier General Sylvester Churchill,...
and Humboldt
Humboldt County, Nevada
Humboldt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2007, the population was estimated to be 18,052. Its county seat is Winnemucca.The county was the site of an arrest in 2000 that led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision Hiibel v...
counties with it. Eventually, Lander County would be known as the "mother of counties" since three other counties in Nevada were formed from it: Elko, White Pine, and Eureka. Its first county seat was Jacobsville in 1862 which was soon after moved to Austin
Austin, Nevada
Austin is a small, unincorporated community located in Lander County, Nevada, in the United States. As of 2004, its population is approximately 340. It is located on the western slopes of the Toiyabe Range at an elevation of . U.S...
in 1863 and finally Battle Mountain in 1979.
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 5519 square miles (14,294.1 km²), of which 5494 square miles (14,229.4 km²) is land and 26 square miles (67.3 km²) (0.47%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Elko County, NevadaElko County, Nevada-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 45,291 people, 15,638 households, and 11,493 families residing in the county. The population density was 3/sq mi . There were 18,456 housing units at an average density of 1/sq mi...
- north - Eureka County, NevadaEureka County, NevadaEureka County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,651. Its county seat is Eureka.Eureka County is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- east - Nye County, NevadaNye County, Nevada-National protected areas:* Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Death Valley National Park * Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest * Spring Mountains National Recreation Area -Demographics:...
- south - Churchill County, NevadaChurchill County, NevadaChurchill County is a county located in the western U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 23,982. As of July 1, 2007, the population of Churchill County was estimated at 27,190. The county, named after Mexican-American War hero brevet Brigadier General Sylvester Churchill,...
- west - Pershing County, NevadaPershing County, NevadaPershing County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 6,693. Its county seat is Lovelock. The county was named after army general John J. Pershing . It was formed from Humboldt County in 1919, and the last county to be established in...
- west - Humboldt County, NevadaHumboldt County, NevadaHumboldt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2007, the population was estimated to be 18,052. Its county seat is Winnemucca.The county was the site of an arrest in 2000 that led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision Hiibel v...
- 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 5,794 people, 2,093 households, and 1,523 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 1 people per square mile (0/km²). There were 2,780 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.41% 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...
, 0.21% 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...
, 3.99% 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...
, 0.35% 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...
, 8.66% 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 2.35% from two or more races. 18.52% 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 2,093 households out of which 39.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% 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, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the county the population was spread out with 32.20% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 7.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 105.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,067, and the median income for a family was $51,538. Males had a median income of $45,375 versus $22,197 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 $16,998. About 8.60% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.50% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.
Unincorporated communities
- AustinAustin, NevadaAustin is a small, unincorporated community located in Lander County, Nevada, in the United States. As of 2004, its population is approximately 340. It is located on the western slopes of the Toiyabe Range at an elevation of . U.S...
2004 population 340. - Battle MountainBattle Mountain, NevadaBattle Mountain is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lander County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,871 at the 2000 census. Though it has no legal status as a municipality, it still functions as the county seat of Lander County...
2006 population 3,779. - GalenaGalena, NevadaGalena is the name of 2 locations in Nevada:*In Washoe County, Nevada, south of Reno. The portion of Reno just south of Mount Rose Highway and west of Steamboat Springs is also known as Galena....
Population 10. - KingstonKingston, NevadaKingston is a small town in Lander County, Nevada. As of 2005, the estimated population of Kingston is 288.-References:...
2005 population 288. - PittsburgPittsburg, NevadaPittsburg, Nevada is a town in Lander County, Nevada. It was named for the industrial heritage of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is located at an elevation of .-External links:...
- RixieRixie, NevadaRixie is an unincorporated community in Lander County, Nevada, United States. It is surrounded by 14 mountain peaks....
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lander County, Nevada
Further reading
- Theodore, T.G. and G.M. Jones. (1992). Geochemistry and geology of gold in jasperoid, Elephant Head area, Lander County, Nevada [U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2009]. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.