Glasscock County

Glasscock County, Texas

Glasscock County, Texas

View of cotton fields near St. Lawrence in Glasscock County, Texas.
Photograph Credit: Robert Plocheck.
Glasscock County, Texas

Glasscock County, Texas

Glasscock County Courthouse in in Garden City, Texas. Photograph by Aualliso.
Glasscock County, Texas

Glasscock County, Texas

Map of Glasscock County, Texas. Map Credit: Robert Plocheck.
Glasscock County, Texas

Glasscock County, Texas

View of historical markers in front of the Glasscock County courthouse in the background.
Photograph Credit: Robert Plocheck

Glasscock County, in West Texas, is bounded on the south by Reagan County, on the east by Sterling County, on the west by Midland County, and on the north by Howard and Martin counties. Its level prairieland is surfaced by with sandy and loam soils drained by the North Concho River, Lacy Creek, Mustang Draw, and Dewey Lake. Its area is 863 square miles, and its center is at 31° 52' north latitude and 101°30' west longitude, thirty-five miles southeast of Midland. The altitude ranges from 2,300 to 2,750 feet, and the annual rainfall is 15.81 inches. The average minimum temperature in January is 22° F; the average maximum in July is 94°. The 222-day growing season produces $19 million annually from agriculture. The chief crops are cotton, grain sorghums, and wheat; beef cattle and sheep are also important. Some 56,000 acres is irrigated. There is no manufacturing in Glasscock County, but the county produces some oil. From 1925 to 1991 county production totaled more than 192 million barrels.

Glasscock County was within the hunting area of Kickapoos and Lipan Apaches in the early nineteenth century but was not attractive to early White settlers because of its aridity. One of the United States Army's defensive posts against Indians, Fort Chadbourne, was built sixty miles east of the Glasscock county line in 1853, and during the Civil War, after Fort Chadbourne was abandoned, Fort Concho, fifty miles from the line, offered protection. The Butterfield Overland Mail route passed through the southern part of the county. Glasscock County was formed in 1887 from Tom Green County and named for George W. Glasscock, a Texas Revolution officer and Texas legislator for whom Georgetown, county seat of Williamson County, was also named. Before the establishment of Tom Green County in 1874, Glasscock County was part of the Bexar District, which was subsequently divided into thirteen counties. After the Civil War, Glasscock County was part of the Pecos Military District, and cattlemen using the Pecos Trail drove herds through the area. After its founding in 1889 Glasscock County was attached for administrative purposes first to Martin County, then to Howard County. Glasscock County was formally organized after an election was held in 1893. The 150 citizens who signed the petition for organization included a number of Mexican-American shepherds or pastores. The first White settler in what is now Glasscock County was L. S. McDowell, a sheep rancher, who moved into the area in 1883. In 1890 only 208 people lived in the county, but that year movement into the region began to be promoted by the Pecan, Colorado, and Concho Immigration Association, formed in 1890, of which Glasscock County was a member. Settlers were also encouraged to move to the area through the efforts of the Ohio Land Company, which had purchased five sections of land, drilled wells, and built houses. By 1893 three small settlements, Garden City, Dixie, and New California, had been established within 1½ miles of each other near Lacy Creek. New California was selected as the county seat because its higher ground promised more easily obtainable well water. The original settlement called Garden City was abandoned, even though at the time it had the county's post office and more homes than New California. New California was subsequently renamed Garden City. Though plans for other towns did not materialize, between 1908 and 1910 the area had another settlement boom, again the result of vigorous promotional efforts by land-development companies. By 1910, 1,143 people were living in the county.

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John Leffler | © TSHA

Handbook of Texas Logo

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Glasscock County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

2470 ft – 2785 ft

Size

Land area does not include water surface area, whereas total area does

  • Land Area: 900.2 mi²
  • Total Area: 901.1 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 28.3°F
July mean maximum: 92.6°F

Rainfall, 2019

17.6 inches

Population Count, 2019

1,409

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

733

Unemployment, 2019

4.5%

Property Values, 2019

$3,649,454,635 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$102,145 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$31,865,887 USD

Wages, 2019

$9,825,089 USD

Glasscock County

Highlighted:
  • Glasscock County
Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
Town
Town
Town
Town 262 (2021) Yes
Town
Town
Town
Town 90 (2009) Yes

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