Ward County, Texas

Ward County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,644. The county seat is Monahans. The county was created in 1887 and organized in 1892. It is named for Thomas W. Ward, a soldier in the Texas Revolution.

History

Native Americans

Archeological investigations conducted in northwestern Ward County have found evidence of prehistoric man in the form of occupational debris, petroglyphs, and pictographs. Tribes occupying the area include Suma-Jumano, Apache, and Comanche. The sand hills have contained native artifacts.Texas Handbook, Ward County

Growth

The Butterfield Overland Mail in 1858 used Emigrant's Crossing, where exposed rocks afford one of the few places safe for fording the Pecos River. The stage line had an adobe station and a high-walled adobe corral there.Fort Tours

In 1881, the Texas and Pacific Railway crossed the region and established stations at Sand Hills, Monahans, Aroya, Pyote, Quito, Quito Quarry, and Barstow.Texas and Pacific Railway Home Page

The Texas State Legislature carved Ward County from a portion of Tom Green County in 1887. The county was organized in 1892. Barstow became the county seat. Barstow became a farming and ranching trade center by 1904. Drought plagued the area in the early part of the 20th century.

Ward County benefitted from the opening of the Hendrick oilfield Winkler County in 1926. Pipelines and railroad loading tanks were constructed at Wickett, Pyote,Texas Escapes, Pyote and Monahans. Oil was discovered at GrandfallsTexas Escapes, Grandfalls in 1929, and the nearby community of Royalty was established. Shell Oil Company constructed an tank that would hold a million barrels.Texas Historical Markers, Million Barrel TankRootsweb, Million Barrel Tank and Museum By January 1, 1991, of oil had been produced in the county since 1928.

On May 10, 1938, Monahans won a contested election to move the county seat from Barstow. The election was upheld in 1939, and the county seat moved to Monahans that year.

Pyote Air Force Station Texas Escapes, Pyote Air Force Station opened in 1942, becoming the largest bomber installation in the United States. The plane Enola Gay, which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, was later stored here. The base became inactive during the Korean War.Texas Historical Markers, Rattlesnake Bomber Base

Monahans Sandhills State Park opened in 1957. The Sealy-Smith Foundation leased much of the land to the state in 1956 until 2056. An additional were leased from the Williams family of Monahans.TPWD MonahansHandbook of Texas, Monahans Sandhills State Historic ParkState Parks, Monahans

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which all but (0.03% or about 125 ac) are land.

Major highways Interstate 20

State Highway 18 State Highway 115 State Highway 329 Loop 464 Spur 57 Spur 65 Spur 247

Adjacent counties Winkler County (north) Ector County (northeast) Crane County (east) Pecos County (south) Reeves County (west) Loving County (northwest)

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

+Ward 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)9,7257,7285,6954,9224,50669.58%58.92%52.20%46.18%38.70%Black or African American alone (NH)4364324764744153.12%3.29%4.36%4.45%3.56%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)45644848410.32%0.49%0.44%0.45%0.35%Asian alone (NH)8203131690.06%0.15%0.28%0.29%0.59%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 Census302xx0.03%0.00%0.02%Other race alone (NH)114139220.08%0.31%0.03%0.08%0.19%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census73100264xx0.67%0.94%2.27%Hispanic or Latino (any race)3,7514,8304,5805,0746,32526.84%36.83%41.98%47.61%54.32%Total13,97613,11510,90910,65811,644 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 11,644. The median age was 35.7 years. 27.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.9 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 56.4% White, 4.1% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 18.0% from some other race, and 19.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 54.3% of the population.

78.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 21.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 4,221 households in the county, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.5% were married-couple households, 20.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 5,139 housing units, of which 17.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.7% were owner-occupied and 26.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 23.0%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 10,909 people, 3,964 households, and 2,929 families were residing in the county. The population density was . The 4,832 housing units averaged . The racial makeup of the county was 79.79% White, 4.61% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 12.55% from other races, and 2.11% from two or more races. About 41.98% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 3,964 households, 36.6% had children under 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were not families. About 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.66, and the average family size was 3.15.

In the county, the age distribution was 30.6% under 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,386, and for a family was $36,014. Males had a median income of $31,373 versus $18,198 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,393. About 15.80% of families and 17.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.30% of those under age 18 and 20.10% of those age 65 or over. Government and infrastructure An unincorporated area near Pyote is the site of the former Pyote Air Force Base. The facility housed the West Texas State School, operated by the Texas Youth Commission, until the youth detention facility closed in 2010."Facility Address List ." Texas Youth Commission. Retrieved on May 23, 2010.Ward, Mike. "Report: school "did not provide a safe environment" ." Austin American-Statesman. Saturday March 17, 2007. Retrieved on May 23, 2010."TYC Facility in Pyote Officially Closes Their Doors ." Newswest 9. Retrieved on June 3, 2010.

Politics

Communities Cities Barstow Monahans (county seat)

Towns Grandfalls Pyote Thorntonville Wickett

Census-designated place Southwest Sandhill

Unincorporated community Royalty

Ward County, Texas

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