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Brewster County, Texas

Coordinates: 29°48′43″N 103°15′06″W / 29.81185°N 103.2517°W / 29.81185; -103.2517
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brewster County
County
The Brewster County Courthouse in Alpine
The Brewster County Courthouse in Alpine
Map of Texas highlighting Brewster County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°48′43″N 103°15′06″W / 29.81185°N 103.2517°W / 29.81185; -103.2517
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1887
Named forHenry Percy Brewster
SeatAlpine
Largest cityAlpine
Area
 • Total
6,192 sq mi (16,040 km2)
 • Land6,184 sq mi (16,020 km2)
 • Water8.5 sq mi (22 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
9,546
 • Density1.5/sq mi (0.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district23rd
Websitewww.brewstercountytx.com

Brewster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in West Texas and its county seat (and only city) is Alpine.[1] It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region, and borders Mexico. Brewster County is the largest county by area in the state - at 6,192 square miles (16,040 km2) it is over three times the size of the state of Delaware, and more than 500 square miles (1,300 km2) bigger than Connecticut.[2]

As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,546.[3]

The county is named for Colonel Henry Percy Brewster, a Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas.

History

[edit]

Native Americans

[edit]

Paleo-Indian hunter-gatherers existed in the region at least 9000 years ago. Mescalaro Apaches emerged later and conducted raids that discouraged settlers. Between 1779 and 1787, Col. Juan de Ugalde drove the Mescalaros back north across the Rio Grande and into the Chisos Mountains. The three leading Mescalero chiefs, Patula Grande, Quemado, and Zapato Tuerto, agreed in March 1789 to submit to Spanish rule.[4] Comanche raiding parties continued through much of the 19th century.[5]

Early explorations

[edit]
Chihuahuan Desert landscape in Brewster County

Spanish explorers Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1535 and Antonio de Espejo in 1583 crossed Brewster County on their way to La Junta de los Ríos, the junction of the Rio Grande and the Rio Conchos.[6]

In 1684, Juan Domínguez de Mendoza camped at Kokernot Spring and wrote the earliest recorded description of it.[7]

Pedro de Rábago y Terán, Governor of Coahuila in the 1740s, led an expedition to La Junta de los Ríos.[8]

Northern Mexican military governor Lt. Col. Hugo Oconór led a 1772 expedition to locate sites for forts on the Comanche Trail along the Rio Grande.[9][10]

In October 1851, Danish-born Col. Edvard Emil Langberg, Mexican commandant of Chihuahua, visited southern Brewster County.[11]

Surveyor William H. Emory in 1852 sent M. T. W. Chandler to survey what is now the heart of Big Bend National Park. Chandler explored Santa Elena Canyon, the Chisos Mountains Mariscal Canyon, and Boquillas Canyon.[12]

An 1859 expedition of the U.S. Camel Corps under 2d Lt. Edward L. Hartz explored the Comanche Trail through Persimmon Gap and down Tornillo Creek to the Rio Grande. A year later, a second camel expedition under 2d Lt. William Echols also explored along the Rio Grande.[5]

County established and growth

[edit]
Map of Presidio County, Texas and the counties of Brewster, Buchel, Foley, and Jeff Davis created from Presidio in 1887: Buchel and Foley were abolished and joined to Brewster in 1897.

Brewster County was marked off in 1887 from Presidio County and named for Henry Percy Brewster. Murphyville, later renamed Alpine, was selected as county seat.[13]

In response to threats of ongoing Indian attacks, Camp Peña Colorado was established in 1879 a few miles south of the future site of Marathon.[14]

Word of mouth about the open rangeland in the area was spread by freighters John W Burgess and August Santleben, leading the way for settlers.[15]

The Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway built through the area in 1882, opening up opportunity for entrepreneurs who came on railroad-related business and stayed.[16]

Alfred S. Gage moved to the area in 1882 to help his brother's ranching operation, founding the A. S. Gage Ranch, one of the largest ranching operations in Texas, in 1883. In 1927, he built the Gage Hotel in Marathon.[17][18][19]

Legendary lawman and later Texas Rangers Hall of Fame member James B. Gillett served as sheriff of Brewster County, and operated a ranch in Alpine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He later retired to his Barrel Spring Ranch in Jeff Davis County.[20][21][22]

Joseph Daniel Jackson came to the area in 1882 as part of Company B of the Texas Rangers assigned to protect the railroad. By 1882, he had settled near Alpine and taken up ranching, branching out later to become a merchant and civic leader. Jackson is known locally as the father of Sul Ross University due to his efforts that helped lead to the establishment of the school.[23] Sul Ross University, named for Texas Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross, was created by an act of the 35th Legislature in 1917 as a state normal college to train teachers.[24]

Population boom

[edit]

The population grew from 710 in 1890 to 5,220 in 1910 due for the most part to industries that relied on natural resources.[5]

From the turn of the 20th century through World War II, the Terlingua Mining District, west of the Chisos Mountains, was a boom town due to the extraction of cinnabar, a mercury ore. Silver and lead from mines on the Mexican side of the river in the Boquillas area were shipped north, as were candelilla wax produced at factories at Glenn Spring and Mariscal, and the guayule rubber from a factory in Marathon.[25]

Pancho Villa and banditos

[edit]

Brewster County became targeted by incursions of bandits from Mexico, inspired at least in part by Pancho Villa. In June 1915, Governor James E. Ferguson asked President Woodrow Wilson to station troops in the Big Bend. The request was denied by Maj. Gen. Frederick Funston, who believed such security was a state issue. Although a number of events took place to effect policy change, the tipping point was the May 5, 1916, raid at Glenn Spring. Only nine soldiers had been stationed in the area for protection against the bandits. Estimates vary as to the number of Mexican raiders who attacked the soldiers, from 60 to several hundred. The raid caused a larger military presence in the area. President Wilson mobilized the National Guard to reinforce the Army, and by the end of 1916, an estimated 116,957 guardsmen were stationed along the border from California to Texas. As the mines and wax factories played out after World War I, raids from across the border abated.[26]

Big Bend

[edit]

The geographic region known as the Big Bend is a loosely defined section of the Trans-Pecos, although generally agreed to comprise its more southern portions. Characterized by an extremely rugged, arid Chihuahuan Desert landscape, the region takes its name from the sharp northeastward turn made by the Rio Grande nearby. Often noted for its stark beauty, the Big Bend was described by the historian Walter Prescott Webb as "the finest example of earth-wreckage in Texas".[27] It was for this reason that a national park was to be established in the region.

Big Bend National Park was established as a state park in 1933 by the state legislature, and expanded the same year by Governor Miriam A. Ferguson. In 1935, the United States Congress passed legislation founding it as a national park. Big Bend opened to the public in 1944.[28] At just over 800,000 acres, it is the fourteenth largest national park in the United States and is larger than the state of Rhode Island.[29]

Big Bend Ranch State Park (located partially in Presidio County) opened to the public in 1991; at 300,000 acres (1,200 km2), it is the largest state park in Texas.[30]

Terlingua Chili Cookoffs

[edit]

Terlingua produced 40% of the nation's quicksilver in 1920, but declining population has since qualified it as a ghost town. In 1962, The Dallas Morning News columnist Francis X. Tolbert published his ode to chili Bowl of Red and founded the Chili Appreciation Society. Fellow columnist Wick Fowler joined in the fun and became a charter member. The World Championship Chili Cookoff at Terlingua began as a tongue-in-cheek challenge between Fowler and humorist H. Allen Smith in 1967 and has become a November tradition, celebrated across the state and nation. On the first Saturday in November Terlingua now hosts two competing international chili championships: the Terlingua International Chili Championship, and the Original Terlingua International Chili Cookoff.[31]

Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 6,192 square miles (16,040 km2), of which 6,184 square miles (16,020 km2) are land and 8.5 square miles (22 km2) (0.1%) are covered by water.[32] It is the largest county in Texas by area. The only substantial water is half the width of the Rio Grande.

The county's area is larger than the combined area of Delaware and Rhode Island, and larger than area of the individual states Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island.

The Roadian Age of the Permian Period of geological time is named for rock strata in Road Canyon in the northern part of the county.[33]

The Wordian Age of the Permian Period is probably named for the Word Ranch in the Glass Mountains, also in the northern part.[34]

Adjacent counties and municipalities

[edit]
Sunset in Big Bend National Park

National protected areas

[edit]

Major highways

[edit]

U.S. Highway 90 crosses the county in the north; U.S. Highway 385 enters Brewster County from the northeast and proceeds south to the county's main attraction, Big Bend National Park, part of the Big Bend. The Sunset Route of the Union Pacific Railroad crosses northern parts of the county, and a recently revived portion of the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway traverses the county en route to Presidio.

Climate

[edit]
Map this section's coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

About 39.4% of Brewster County is classified as having a hot arid desert climate (Köppen BWh). The remainder has a semiarid steppe climate with 32.1% experiencing a cold steppe climate (Köppen BSk), while 28.5% is assigned as a hot steppe climate (Köppen BSh).[35] Temperatures are coolest and rainfall most abundant in the county's northern highlands and in the upper elevations of the Chisos Mountains in the south. In the southern lowlands along the Rio Grande, snowfall is uncommon, rainfall much reduced, and summer high temperatures can be extreme. Throughout the county, precipitation falls mostly from May through October with the remainder of the year predominantly dry.

Alpine
See also: Alpine, Texas § Climate
Climate data for Alpine, Texas (March 1, 1900–March 31, 2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 60.5
(15.8) 		64.5
(18.1) 		70.9
(21.6) 		78.7
(25.9) 		85.4
(29.7) 		90.8
(32.7) 		89.4
(31.9) 		88.5
(31.4) 		83.8
(28.8) 		77.8
(25.4) 		67.8
(19.9) 		61.5
(16.4) 		76.6
(24.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 32.7
(0.4) 		35.2
(1.8) 		40.1
(4.5) 		47.5
(8.6) 		55.5
(13.1) 		62.7
(17.1) 		64.0
(17.8) 		63.1
(17.3) 		58.0
(14.4) 		49.5
(9.7) 		39.3
(4.1) 		33.9
(1.1) 		48.5
(9.2)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.53
(13) 		0.48
(12) 		0.36
(9.1) 		0.50
(13) 		1.24
(31) 		2.30
(58) 		2.75
(70) 		2.65
(67) 		2.57
(65) 		1.30
(33) 		0.51
(13) 		0.60
(15) 		15.79
(399.1)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute[37]
Castolon
See also: Castolon § Climate
Climate data for Castolon, Texas (February 1, 1947–March 31, 2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 68.3
(20.2) 		74.4
(23.6) 		82.9
(28.3) 		91.9
(33.3) 		99.8
(37.7) 		103.4
(39.7) 		102.2
(39.0) 		101.1
(38.4) 		96.3
(35.7) 		88.5
(31.4) 		77.7
(25.4) 		68.4
(20.2) 		87.9
(31.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 34.5
(1.4) 		39.5
(4.2) 		47.1
(8.4) 		56.2
(13.4) 		66.2
(19.0) 		73.1
(22.8) 		74.4
(23.6) 		73.5
(23.1) 		68.6
(20.3) 		57.7
(14.3) 		44.2
(6.8) 		35.4
(1.9) 		55.9
(13.3)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.37
(9.4) 		0.29
(7.4) 		0.23
(5.8) 		0.41
(10) 		0.96
(24) 		1.45
(37) 		1.71
(43) 		1.62
(41) 		1.47
(37) 		1.06
(27) 		0.36
(9.1) 		0.30
(7.6) 		10.23
(258.3)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute[38]
Chisos Basin
See also: Chisos Mountains § Climate
Climate data for Chisos Basin, Texas (August 1, 1943–March 31, 2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 58.3
(14.6) 		61.8
(16.6) 		68.7
(20.4) 		76.3
(24.6) 		82.8
(28.2) 		86.8
(30.4) 		84.8
(29.3) 		83.7
(28.7) 		79.5
(26.4) 		73.8
(23.2) 		65.2
(18.4) 		59.4
(15.2) 		73.4
(23.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 36.9
(2.7) 		39.1
(3.9) 		44.1
(6.7) 		51.5
(10.8) 		58.5
(14.7) 		63.3
(17.4) 		63.7
(17.6) 		62.7
(17.1) 		58.6
(14.8) 		51.9
(11.1) 		43.2
(6.2) 		37.9
(3.3) 		50.9
(10.5)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.68
(17) 		0.58
(15) 		0.41
(10) 		0.62
(16) 		1.59
(40) 		2.21
(56) 		3.39
(86) 		3.12
(79) 		2.48
(63) 		1.51
(38) 		0.57
(14) 		0.51
(13) 		17.67
(447)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute[39]
Lajitas
See also: Lajitas, Texas § Climate
Climate data for Lajitas, Texas (March 1, 1978–March 31, 2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 68.8
(20.4) 		75.0
(23.9) 		83.1
(28.4) 		91.2
(32.9) 		97.8
(36.6) 		102.2
(39.0) 		100.5
(38.1) 		99.1
(37.3) 		95.1
(35.1) 		87.8
(31.0) 		77.4
(25.2) 		69.2
(20.7) 		87.3
(30.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 34.6
(1.4) 		39.1
(3.9) 		45.8
(7.7) 		54.3
(12.4) 		63.8
(17.7) 		73.0
(22.8) 		74.1
(23.4) 		72.9
(22.7) 		67.6
(19.8) 		56.3
(13.5) 		43.6
(6.4) 		35.2
(1.8) 		55.0
(12.8)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.33
(8.4) 		0.27
(6.9) 		0.23
(5.8) 		0.34
(8.6) 		0.95
(24) 		1.47
(37) 		2.16
(55) 		1.32
(34) 		1.57
(40) 		1.29
(33) 		0.30
(7.6) 		0.24
(6.1) 		10.47
(266.4)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute[40]
Marathon
See also: Marathon, Texas § Climate
Climate data for Marathon, Texas (July 1, 1896–February 28, 2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 62.1
(16.7) 		65.7
(18.7) 		72.9
(22.7) 		80.3
(26.8) 		86.5
(30.3) 		91.1
(32.8) 		90.5
(32.5) 		90.0
(32.2) 		84.9
(29.4) 		78.6
(25.9) 		69.3
(20.7) 		63.0
(17.2) 		77.9
(25.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 28.8
(−1.8) 		31.5
(−0.3) 		37.2
(2.9) 		44.6
(7.0) 		53.1
(11.7) 		60.0
(15.6) 		62.4
(16.9) 		61.3
(16.3) 		56.5
(13.6) 		46.4
(8.0) 		35.5
(1.9) 		29.8
(−1.2) 		45.6
(7.6)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.44
(11) 		0.40
(10) 		0.40
(10) 		0.74
(19) 		1.62
(41) 		1.87
(47) 		2.21
(56) 		2.14
(54) 		2.42
(61) 		1.40
(36) 		0.52
(13) 		0.51
(13) 		14.67
(371)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute[41]
Panther Junction
See also: Panther Junction, Texas § Climate
Climate data for Panther Junction, Texas (April 1, 1955–March 31, 2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 61.6
(16.4) 		66.4
(19.1) 		74.5
(23.6) 		83.2
(28.4) 		89.9
(32.2) 		94.3
(34.6) 		92.9
(33.8) 		91.7
(33.2) 		86.9
(30.5) 		79.8
(26.6) 		70.0
(21.1) 		62.6
(17.0) 		79.5
(26.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 36.0
(2.2) 		39.2
(4.0) 		45.6
(7.6) 		53.5
(11.9) 		61.4
(16.3) 		67.2
(19.6) 		68.8
(20.4) 		67.8
(19.9) 		62.4
(16.9) 		53.9
(12.2) 		44.1
(6.7) 		37.4
(3.0) 		53.1
(11.7)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.48
(12) 		0.50
(13) 		0.33
(8.4) 		0.54
(14) 		1.37
(35) 		1.64
(42) 		2.13
(54) 		1.99
(51) 		1.82
(46) 		1.42
(36) 		0.56
(14) 		0.43
(11) 		13.21
(336.4)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute[42]
Persimmon Gap
See also: Persimmon Gap § Climate
Climate data for Persimmon Gap, Texas (May 2, 1952–March 31, 2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 64.5
(18.1) 		69.2
(20.7) 		77.5
(25.3) 		86.3
(30.2) 		93.7
(34.3) 		97.7
(36.5) 		96.4
(35.8) 		95.7
(35.4) 		90.4
(32.4) 		83.3
(28.5) 		73.0
(22.8) 		64.0
(17.8) 		82.6
(28.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 33.8
(1.0) 		37.3
(2.9) 		44.7
(7.1) 		53.4
(11.9) 		62.8
(17.1) 		70.5
(21.4) 		72.1
(22.3) 		71.6
(22.0) 		65.3
(18.5) 		54.3
(12.4) 		42.0
(5.6) 		34.3
(1.3) 		53.5
(12.0)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.40
(10) 		0.37
(9.4) 		0.34
(8.6) 		0.43
(11) 		1.02
(26) 		1.36
(35) 		1.65
(42) 		1.60
(41) 		1.71
(43) 		0.94
(24) 		0.50
(13) 		0.34
(8.6) 		10.66
(271.6)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute[43]
Study Butte
See also: Study Butte, Texas § Climate
Climate data for Study Butte, Texas (May 1, 1993–June 30, 2006)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 69.2
(20.7) 		73.2
(22.9) 		81.0
(27.2) 		88.9
(31.6) 		98.2
(36.8) 		100.6
(38.1) 		99.6
(37.6) 		98.2
(36.8) 		94.7
(34.8) 		86.3
(30.2) 		75.7
(24.3) 		66.3
(19.1) 		86.0
(30.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 36.5
(2.5) 		41.5
(5.3) 		47.3
(8.5) 		55.2
(12.9) 		66.3
(19.1) 		72.9
(22.7) 		73.8
(23.2) 		73.0
(22.8) 		67.9
(19.9) 		57.2
(14.0) 		45.9
(7.7) 		36.5
(2.5) 		56.2
(13.4)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.26
(6.6) 		0.17
(4.3) 		0.37
(9.4) 		0.33
(8.4) 		0.63
(16) 		1.32
(34) 		1.86
(47) 		1.77
(45) 		0.61
(15) 		1.09
(28) 		0.47
(12) 		0.26
(6.6) 		9.14
(232.3)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute[44]
Terlingua Ranch
Climate data for Terlingua Ranch, Texas (May 1, 1993–March 31, 2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 63.5
(17.5) 		66.9
(19.4) 		74.2
(23.4) 		82.8
(28.2) 		91.2
(32.9) 		95.0
(35.0) 		93.8
(34.3) 		93.2
(34.0) 		88.5
(31.4) 		80.3
(26.8) 		71.0
(21.7) 		62.4
(16.9) 		80.2
(26.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 34.8
(1.6) 		37.9
(3.3) 		43.7
(6.5) 		51.5
(10.8) 		61.0
(16.1) 		66.9
(19.4) 		68.0
(20.0) 		67.3
(19.6) 		61.9
(16.6) 		52.6
(11.4) 		42.5
(5.8) 		35.3
(1.8) 		51.9
(11.1)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.36
(9.1) 		0.38
(9.7) 		0.42
(11) 		0.48
(12) 		0.98
(25) 		1.46
(37) 		2.28
(58) 		1.27
(32) 		1.27
(32) 		1.04
(26) 		0.44
(11) 		0.20
(5.1) 		10.58
(267.9)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute[45]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1890710—
19002,356231.8%
19105,220121.6%
19204,822−7.6%
19306,62437.4%
19406,478−2.2%
19507,30912.8%
19606,434−12.0%
19707,78020.9%
19807,573−2.7%
19908,68114.6%
20008,8662.1%
20109,2324.1%
20209,5463.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[46]
1850–2010[47] 2010–2020[3]

2020 census

[edit]
Brewster County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
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 may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[48] Pop 2010[49] Pop 2020[50] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 4,710 5,011 4,948 53.12% 54.28% 51.83%
Black or African American alone (NH) 87 79 162 0.98% 0.86% 1.70%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 63 38 30 0.71% 0.41% 0.31%
Asian alone (NH) 27 58 94 0.30% 0.63% 0.98%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 2 5 11 0.02% 0.05% 0.12%
Other race alone (NH) 10 11 56 0.11% 0.12% 0.59%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 100 112 282 1.13% 1.21% 2.95%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3,867 3,918 3,963 43.62% 42.44% 41.51%
Total 8,866 9,232 9,546 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,546 people, 4,292 households, and 2,300 families residing in the county. As of the 2015 Texas population estimate program, the population of the county was 9,152: non-Hispanic whites, 4,934 (53.9%); non-Hispanic blacks, 76 (0.8%); other non-Hispanics, 261 (2.9%); and Hispanics and Latinos (of any race), 3,881 (42.4%).[51] Per the prior 2010 United States census, 9,232 people resided in the county; 86.6% were White, 1.1% Black or African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 7.6% of some other race and 2.8% of two or more races. About 42.4% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

Education

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Map of Brewster County, Texas with school district boundaries

These school districts serve Brewster County:[52]

In addition, Sul Ross State University is located in Alpine.

Brewster County is within the Odessa College District for community college.[54]

Communities

[edit]

City

[edit]

Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

[edit]

Ghost Towns

[edit]

County Sheriff's Office

[edit]
  • Alpine is the headquarters of the Brewster County Sheriff's Office. The current elected Sheriff is Ronny Dodson. The County Sheriff's Office conducts patrols and criminal investigations across the county including the incorporated City of Alpine.

Media

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In 1985, there was a daily subscription of, in the county: 483 for the San Angelo Standard Times, 1.1% of its total circulation; and 270 for the Odessa American, making up 0.7% of its total circulation.[55]

In 1985, KVLF-AM, in Alpine, was the only radio station licensed in Brewster County. An individual quoted in a Federal Communications Report stated that in daylight hours it was possible to get radio from Fort Stockton, Texas.[55]

Politics

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Despite its substantial Hispanic population, Brewster County is Republican leaning in presidential elections, though not as strongly Republican as other rural counties in the Trans-Pecos region or West Texas. No candidate has won the county with double digit margins since George W. Bush in 2000, and the last non-Republican candidate (as of 2024) to win the county was Barack Obama in 2008. However, unlike the rest of southern Texas, the county swung towards Biden in the 2020 election, albeit by less than one percent with both candidates gaining in vote percentage.

United States presidential election results for Brewster County, Texas[56]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 2,545 55.59% 1,969 43.01% 64 1.40%
2020 2,461 51.04% 2,258 46.83% 103 2.14%
2016 2,077 48.85% 1,873 44.05% 302 7.10%
2012 1,976 51.10% 1,765 45.64% 126 3.26%
2008 1,855 47.56% 1,970 50.51% 75 1.92%
2004 1,980 52.66% 1,729 45.98% 51 1.36%
2000 1,867 52.15% 1,349 37.68% 364 10.17%
1996 1,438 41.66% 1,643 47.60% 371 10.75%
1992 1,127 34.71% 1,383 42.59% 737 22.70%
1988 1,708 51.55% 1,569 47.36% 36 1.09%
1984 2,066 58.28% 1,462 41.24% 17 0.48%
1980 1,496 51.73% 1,271 43.95% 125 4.32%
1976 1,368 52.13% 1,227 46.76% 29 1.11%
1972 1,524 62.31% 904 36.96% 18 0.74%
1968 790 37.78% 958 45.82% 343 16.40%
1964 635 33.65% 1,251 66.30% 1 0.05%
1960 736 50.51% 716 49.14% 5 0.34%
1956 837 63.22% 479 36.18% 8 0.60%
1952 1,096 64.28% 609 35.72% 0 0.00%
1948 312 23.27% 940 70.10% 89 6.64%
1944 237 19.98% 864 72.85% 85 7.17%
1940 245 19.63% 1,001 80.21% 2 0.16%
1936 151 15.39% 828 84.40% 2 0.20%
1932 130 12.87% 875 86.63% 5 0.50%
1928 406 59.36% 273 39.91% 5 0.73%
1924 113 22.60% 366 73.20% 21 4.20%
1920 125 36.02% 210 60.52% 12 3.46%
1916 43 16.67% 207 80.23% 8 3.10%
1912 30 7.39% 333 82.02% 43 10.59%

In literature

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Brewster County appears in the poem by Campbell McGrath, "Sunset, Route 90, Brewster County, Texas," featured in his book American Noise.

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  2. ^ U.S. States by size
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Brewster County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  4. ^ "Mescalero Apache History and Culture". Mescalero Apache Telecom, Inc. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c Kohout, Martin Donell (June 12, 2010). "Brewster County, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  6. ^ Folsom, Bradley (July 23, 2015). "La Junta de los Ríos". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  7. ^ Kohout, Martin Donell (June 15, 2010). "Kokernot Spring". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  8. ^ Chipman, Donald E (June 15, 2010). "Pedro de Rábago y Terán". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  9. ^ Blake, Robert Bruce (June 15, 2010). "Hugo Oconór". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  10. ^ "The Comanche Trail". National Park Service. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  11. ^ Hewitt, Harry P (June 15, 2010). "Edvard Emil (Emilio) Langberg". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  12. ^ Klepper, Dan (2009). 100 Classic Hikes Texas: Panhandle Plains / Pineywoods / Gulf Coast / South Texas Plains / Hill Country / Big Bend Country / Prairies & Lakes. Mountaineers Books. pp. 170–172. ISBN 978-1-59485-075-2.
  13. ^ "Alpine, Texas". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes – Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  14. ^ Thompson, Richard A (June 12, 2010). "Camp Pena Colorado". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  15. ^ Ochoa, Ruben E (June 15, 2010). "August Santleben". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
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  19. ^ Ramos, Mary G; Reavis, Dick; Vandivier, Kevin (2004). Compass American Guides: Texas, 3rd Edition. Compass America Guides. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-676-90502-1.
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  27. ^ Nelson, Barney (2002). God's Country or Devil's Playground. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-292-75580-2.
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  29. ^ Melroy, Jennifer (August 7, 2020). "A complete break down of the U.S. National Parks by Size". National Park Obsessed. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
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  31. ^ Patoski, Joe Nick (November 1992). "Chili Relations". Texas Monthly. pp. 78, 80, 82, 85–86.
  32. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
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  34. ^ "Geolex — Word publications". ngmdb.usgs.gov. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  35. ^ Kottek, M.; Grieser, J.; Beck, C.; Rudolf, B.; Rubel, F. (2006). "Main Köppen-Geiger Climate Classes for US counties". Schweizerbart Science Publishers. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g h i "US COOP Station Map". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  37. ^ "ALPINE, TEXAS (410174), Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  38. ^ "CASTOLON, TEXAS (411524), Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  39. ^ "CHISOS BASIN, TEXAS (411715), Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  40. ^ "LAJITAS, TEXAS (414950), Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  41. ^ "MARATHON, TEXAS (415579), Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  42. ^ "PANTHER JUNCTION, TEXAS (416792), Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  43. ^ "PERSIMMON GAP, TEXAS (416959), Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  44. ^ "STUDY BUTTE, TEXAS (418714), Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  45. ^ "TERLINGUA RANCH, TEXAS (418926), Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  46. ^ "Decennial Census by Decade". US Census Bureau.
  47. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  48. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Brewster County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  49. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brewster County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  50. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brewster County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  51. ^ Estimates of the Population by Age, Sex, and Race/Ethnicity for July 1, 2015 for State of Texas (PDF), July 15, 2015, archived from the original (PDF) on May 4, 2017, retrieved June 8, 2017
  52. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Brewster County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022. - Text list
  53. ^ "Jessi Milam". U.S. Department of Education. May 11, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  54. ^ "Texas Education Code Sec. 130.193. ODESSA COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA".
  55. ^ a b Federal Communications Commission Reports: Decisions, Reports, and Orders of the Federal Communications Commission of the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1985. p. 182.
  56. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 19, 2018.

Further reading

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  • Ragsdale, Kenneth Baxter; Frantz, Joe B (1984). Quicksilver: Terlingua and the Chisos Mining Company. TAMU Press. ISBN 978-0-89096-188-9.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brewster County, Texas.

29°48′43″N 103°15′06″W / 29.81185°N 103.2517°W / 29.81185; -103.2517

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