Schleicher County, Texas

Schleicher County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,451. Its county seat is Eldorado. The county was created in 1887 and organized in 1901. It is named for Gustav Schleicher, a German immigrant who became a surveyor and politician.Lyman Wight's Mormon Colony in Texas excerpt from "Mormon Trails" chapter in Hill Country travel guide by Richard Zelade. Accessed August 6, 2007.

History Around 8000 BC, the first inhabitants in the area were probably Jumano Indians. Later inhabitants were Lipan Apaches and Comanches. In 1632, Fray Juan de Salas and Father Juan de Ortega did missionary work among the Jumanos. Soldier Francisco Amangual led an expedition across the area in 1808. In 1882, Christopher Columbus Doty became the first permanent citizen of Schleicher County.

The Texas Legislature established Schleicher County in April 1887 from Crockett County, and named it in honor of Gustav Schleicher. By 1890, the population was 155, of whom 134 were listed as White, four were Black, and 17 were American Indian.

In 1894, the county's first public school opened at Verand, and later moved to Eldorado. The next year, W. B. Silliman founded the Eldorado community and named it after the mythical city. To populate it, he offered free town lots to residents of nearby Verand. In 1930, the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway Company resumed work on a previous railroad, making access possible to San Angelo and Sonora. On February 27, 1941, the West Texas Woolen Mills plant in Eldorado held a grand opening, with a parade and BBQ lunch. About 5,000 people attended. Governor "Pappy" W. Lee O'Daniel was the guest speaker.

Oilfield discoveries on school lands in the 1950s enabled Schleicher County to build new library and gymnasium facilities for its students.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of .

Major highways U.S. Highway 190 U.S. Highway 277

Adjacent counties Tom Green County (north) Menard County (east) Sutton County (south) Crockett County (west) Irion County (northwest) Kimble County (southeast)

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Schleicher County, Texas – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980 Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)2,0351,8981,5951,8721,10272.16%63.48%54.34%54.09%44.96%Black or African American alone (NH)41243232151.45%0.80%1.09%0.92%0.61%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)621140.21%0.07%0.03%0.03%0.16%Asian alone (NH)405470.14%0.00%0.17%0.12%0.29%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census102xx0.03%0.00%0.08%Other race alone (NH)1470100.04%0.13%0.24%0.00%0.41%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census161636xx0.55%0.46%1.47%Hispanic or Latino (any race)7331,0621,2781,5361,27525.99%35.52%43.54%44.38%52.02%Total2,8202,9902,9353,4612,451 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 2,451. The median age was 45.1 years; 23.8% of the residents were under 18 and 23.3% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 95.5 males 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county as of the 2020 census was 55.8% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 27.1% from some other race, and 14.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 52.0% of the population.

The 2020 census reported that fewer than 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while almost 100.0% lived in rural areas.

As of the 2020 census, 991 households were in the county, of which 31.5% had children under 18 living in them, 51.7% were married-couple households, 18.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

The 2020 census counted 1,285 housing units, of which 22.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.7% were owner-occupied and 22.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%.

Between 2010 and 2020, the county's population decreased to 2,451, a 29.2% decline that was the second-largest among the 3,138 U.S. counties.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 2,935 people, 1,115 households, and 817 families resided in the county. The population density was about . The 1,371 housing units averaged about . The racial makeup of the county was 76.59% White, 1.53% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 18.98% from other races, and 2.62% from two or more races. About 43.54% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 1,115 households, 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were not families; 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the county, the population was distributed as 27.9% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,746, and for a family was $37,813. Males had a median income of $28,412 versus $22,250 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,969. About 16.0% of families and 21.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.00% of those under age 18 and 19.90% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities Eldorado (county seat)

Unincorporated communities Adams Hulldale

Politics

Education All parts of the county are in the Schleicher Independent School District. - Text list

All of Schleicher County is in the service area of Howard County Junior College District.

Schleicher County, Texas

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