McLennan County, Texas
McLennan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 260,579 .[1] Its county seat and largest city is Waco.[2] The U.S. census 2021 county population estimate is 263,115.[3] The county is named for Neil McLennan,[4] an early Scottish settler who worked to evict the Indians in frontier Texas. McLennan County is included in the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.
McLennan County | |
|---|---|
The McLennan County Courthouse in Waco | |
Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
Texas's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 31°33′N 97°12′W / 31.55°N 97.2°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Founded | 1850 |
| Named for | Neil McLennan |
| Seat | Waco |
| Largest city | Waco |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,060 sq mi (2,700 km2) |
| • Land | 1,037 sq mi (2,690 km2) |
| • Water | 23 sq mi (60 km2) 2.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 260,579 |
| • Estimate (2021) | 263,115 |
| • Density | 250/sq mi (95/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 17th |
| Website | www |
History
McLennan County was created by the Texas Legislature in 1850 out of Milam County. The county seat, Waco, had been founded as an outpost of the Texas Rangers. It was laid out by George B. Erath, and was known by 1850 as Waco Village.
In the 1880s, pharmacist Charles Alderton developed the carbonated beverage that became known as Dr Pepper. The Dr Pepper business was headquartered in Waco, until it moved to Dallas, Texas. Waco is also home to the Dr Pepper Museum, housed in the 1906 building that was the first stand-alone facility used to bottle Dr Pepper.
According to local lore, the first sustained flight did not occur in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, but just outside Tokio (a small community in McLennan County) by a man flying a gyrocopter. During World War I, McLennan County was home to at least one military airfield, Rich Field. In the aftermath of World War I, when social tensions were high as veterans returned, white racial violence broke out against blacks. The county had 15 lynchings, the second-highest number of any county in the state.
McLennan County's contributions to World War II include the reopening of Rich Field for use by the Air Force, and the opening of James Connally Air Force Base. The latter is now used as the TSTC Waco Airport and Texas State Technical College. County resident Doris Miller was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism at Pearl Harbor; he was the first African American to earn such distinction. Local man James Connally became known as a World War II fighter pilot.
County Courthouse
The current County Courthouse is located in the county seat, Waco, Texas, and is the county's fourth courthouse. Completed in 1902 in the Beaux Arts Style, it is the next-to-last example of Architect James Riely Gordon's Texas courthouses. Of the eighteen he designed, thirteen remain standing. The first county courthouse was completed in 1851 for $500, and was a two-story log cabin that was 30' x 30'. McLennan's second courthouse was a two-story brick building completed in 1857 for $11,000. The third courthouse was styled after Second Empire by architect W.C. Dodson, and completed in 1877 at a cost of $24,894.50. [5]
Institutions of higher education
In 1886, Baylor University relocated from Independence, Texas, to Waco and absorbed Waco University. During the early 20th century, McLennan County was home to as many as five colleges. In addition to Baylor, the other colleges included the predecessor to what is now known as Texas Christian University (now in Fort Worth), Paul Quinn College (relocated since to Dallas), and two other short-lived colleges.
In the 1960s, the Texas Legislature authorized McLennan Community College, the first community college to use those words in the name. Around the same time, what is now the flagship institution of Texas State Technical College was founded as James Connally Technical Institute, as a member of the Texas A&M University System. Today, Baylor, McLennan Community College, and Texas State Technical College continue to operate in McLennan County. They educate a large portion of the college-bound high-school graduates from the county and the surrounding areas. McLennan Community College has also partnered with Tarleton State University, Texas Tech University, University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and Midwestern State University to offer more than 50 bachelor's or master's degrees.
1896 Crash at Crush
Crush, Texas, was a temporary "city" in McLennan County, about 15 miles (24 km) north of Waco. It was established to stage a publicity stunt concocted by William George Crush and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. The stunt involved the collision of two 35-ton steam locomotives in front of spectators, whom the railway transported to the event for $2 each. After strong promotion, on September 15, 1896, the event was delayed by an hour as the police maneuvered the crowd of more than 40,000 back to what was thought to be a safe distance.[6]
The crews of the two engines tied the throttles open and jumped off. The two engines, pulling wagons filled with railroad ties, traveled a 4-mile (6.4 km) track and thunderously crashed into each other at a combined speed up to 120 mph (190 km/h). The boilers exploded and sent steam and flying debris into the crowd. Three people were killed and about six were injured, including event photographer Jarvis "Joe" Deane, who lost an eye because of a flying bolt.[6]
Ragtime composer Scott Joplin commemorated the event with "The Great Crush Collision March"; Joplin dedicated the composition to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway.[7] Texas composer and singer Brian Burns wrote and recorded a song about the collision, "The Crash at Crush" (2001).
West fertilizer plant explosion
Waco siege
Twin Peaks biker shootout
On May 17, 2015, motorcycle clubs gathered at the Twin Peaks Restaurant in Waco for a Confederation of Clubs meeting. Upon arrival of a large contingent of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, mass violence erupted in the parking lot of Twin Peaks between members of the Bandidos and members of the Cossasks Motorcycle Club. This resulted in 9 dead and 18 wounded in the melee between the rival outlaw motorcycle gangs. In 2019, all remaining charges were dropped by the new District Attorney, Barry Johnson.
Elected leadership
| Legislative representation | Name | Service |
| United States Congress, District 17 | Pete Sessions | 2019 – Present |
| State Senator, District 22 | Brian Birdwell | 2010 – Present |
| State Representative, District 56 | Charles Doc Anderson | 2005 – Present |
| State Representative, District 12 | Kyle Kacal | 2011 – Present |
| County Elected Leadership | Name | Service |
| County Judge | Scott Felton | 2012 – Present |
| County Commissioner Pct 1 | Jim Smith | 2009 – Present |
| County Commissioner Pct 2 | Pat Chisolm-Miller | 2019 – Present |
| County Commissioner Pct 3 | Will Jones | 2013 – Present |
| County Commissioner Pct 4 | Ben Perry | 2011 – Present |
| District Attorney | Josh Tetens | 2023 – Present |
| District Clerk | Jon Gimble | 2015 – Present |
| County Clerk | Andy Harwell | 1995 – Present |
| County Sheriff | Parnell McNamara | 2013 – Present |
| County Tax Assessor-Collector | Randy Riggs | 2012 – Present |
| County Treasurer | Bill Helton | 2012 – Present, 1991 - 2010[8] |
| Local Judiciary | Name | Service |
| Tenth Court of Appeals, Chief | Tom Gray | 2003 – Present, 1999 - 2003 Associate Justice |
| Tenth court of Appeals, Place 2 | Matt Johnson | 2021 – Present, 2007 - 2020 Judge 54TH District Court[9] |
| Tenth court of Appeals, Place 3 | Steve Smith | 2021 – Present, 1998 - 2021 Judge 361ST District Court[10] |
| State District Judge, 19TH Court | Thomas West | 2021 – Present |
| State District Judge, 54TH Court | Susan Kelly | 2021 – Present |
| State District Judge, 74TH Court | Gary Coley, Jr. | 2009 – Present |
| State District Judge, 170TH Court | Jim Meyer | 2003 – Present |
| State District Judge, 414TH Court | Vicki Menard | 2006 – Present, Local Administrative Judge |
| State District Judge, 474TH Court | Alan Bennett | 2023 – Present, appointed by Gov Abbott[11] |
| County Court at Law Judge, Court 1 | Vikram 'Vik' Deivanayagam | 2018 – Present |
| County Court at Law Judge, Court 2 | Brad Cates | 2011 – Present |
| County Court at Law Judge, Court 3 | Ryan Luna | 2021 – Present[12] |
Politics
Similar to other counties in the Texas Triangle with mid sized cities, the county is reliably Republican in the last half century, having last voted Democratic in 1976, however, despite this, Joe Biden did win the city of Waco by about two points while the county as a whole remained above 60% for Trump. The city might be leaning more towards democrat candidates but the county is still reliably red. In the most recent non-presidential election (November 2022), county-wide contested Republican candidates ranged from 64 to 75 percent of the vote.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 59,543 | 60.84% | 36,688 | 37.49% | 1,641 | 1.68% |
| 2016 | 48,260 | 61.03% | 27,063 | 34.22% | 3,752 | 4.74% |
| 2012 | 47,903 | 64.26% | 25,694 | 34.47% | 944 | 1.27% |
| 2008 | 49,044 | 61.56% | 29,998 | 37.65% | 632 | 0.79% |
| 2004 | 52,090 | 65.73% | 26,760 | 33.76% | 404 | 0.51% |
| 2000 | 43,955 | 63.90% | 23,462 | 34.11% | 1,372 | 1.99% |
| 1996 | 30,666 | 48.61% | 27,050 | 42.88% | 5,367 | 8.51% |
| 1992 | 28,473 | 40.67% | 25,903 | 37.00% | 15,640 | 22.34% |
| 1988 | 38,606 | 58.12% | 27,545 | 41.47% | 272 | 0.41% |
| 1984 | 42,232 | 64.40% | 23,206 | 35.39% | 140 | 0.21% |
| 1980 | 31,968 | 53.71% | 26,305 | 44.20% | 1,242 | 2.09% |
| 1976 | 25,370 | 45.33% | 30,091 | 53.76% | 509 | 0.91% |
| 1972 | 33,377 | 67.45% | 15,947 | 32.23% | 161 | 0.33% |
| 1968 | 15,958 | 34.22% | 22,388 | 48.00% | 8,293 | 17.78% |
| 1964 | 10,892 | 27.68% | 28,429 | 72.25% | 25 | 0.06% |
| 1960 | 14,926 | 42.46% | 20,100 | 57.17% | 130 | 0.37% |
| 1956 | 15,561 | 48.85% | 16,181 | 50.80% | 111 | 0.35% |
| 1952 | 14,974 | 46.39% | 17,251 | 53.45% | 53 | 0.16% |
| 1948 | 3,088 | 15.32% | 16,034 | 79.55% | 1,035 | 5.13% |
| 1944 | 1,668 | 8.95% | 15,336 | 82.31% | 1,627 | 8.73% |
| 1940 | 2,178 | 11.99% | 15,952 | 87.82% | 35 | 0.19% |
| 1936 | 1,116 | 8.11% | 12,489 | 90.77% | 154 | 1.12% |
| 1932 | 1,108 | 8.40% | 11,972 | 90.80% | 105 | 0.80% |
| 1928 | 5,744 | 51.81% | 5,330 | 48.07% | 13 | 0.12% |
| 1924 | 2,384 | 22.24% | 7,882 | 73.52% | 455 | 4.24% |
| 1920 | 1,655 | 21.19% | 4,975 | 63.71% | 1,179 | 15.10% |
| 1916 | 940 | 15.53% | 4,979 | 82.26% | 134 | 2.21% |
| 1912 | 295 | 6.38% | 3,829 | 82.79% | 501 | 10.83% |
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,060 square miles (2,700 km2), of which 1,037 square miles (2,690 km2) are land and 23 square miles (60 km2) (2.2%) are covered by water.[14]
Major highways
- Interstate 35
- U.S. Highway 77
- U.S. Highway 84
- State Highway 6
- State Highway 31
- State Highway 164
- State Highway 317
Adjacent counties
- Hill County (north)
- Limestone County (east)
- Falls County (southeast)
- Bell County (south)
- Coryell County (southwest)
- Bosque County (northwest)
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 6,206 | — | |
| 1870 | 13,500 | 117.5% | |
| 1880 | 26,934 | 99.5% | |
| 1890 | 39,204 | 45.6% | |
| 1900 | 59,772 | 52.5% | |
| 1910 | 73,250 | 22.5% | |
| 1920 | 82,921 | 13.2% | |
| 1930 | 98,682 | 19.0% | |
| 1940 | 101,898 | 3.3% | |
| 1950 | 130,194 | 27.8% | |
| 1960 | 150,091 | 15.3% | |
| 1970 | 147,553 | −1.7% | |
| 1980 | 170,755 | 15.7% | |
| 1990 | 189,123 | 10.8% | |
| 2000 | 213,517 | 12.9% | |
| 2010 | 234,906 | 10.0% | |
| 2020 | 260,579 | 10.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] 1850–2010[16] 2020[17] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[18] | Pop 2020[17] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 138,295 | 139,693 | 58.87% | 53.61% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 33,892 | 36,130 | 14.43% | 13.87% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 704 | 901 | 0.30% | 0.35% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 3,128 | 4,873 | 1.33% | 1.87% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 84 | 146 | 0.04% | 0.06% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 235 | 1,065 | 0.10% | 0.41% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 3,097 | 9,184 | 1.32% | 3.52% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 55,471 | 68,587 | 23.61% | 26.32% |
| Total | 234,906 | 260,579 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
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 can be of any race.
As of the 2020 US Census,[19] 260,579 people, 94,194 households resided in the county. The population density was 205 people per square mile (79/km2). The county now has 107,229 housing units, that are 59.2% owner-occupied with a median value of $165,400. The racial makeup of the county was 79.7% White, 14.9% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 2.3% from two or more races. About 27.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race; 12.8% were of German, 11.0% American, 8.0% English, and 6.9% Irish ancestry.
In the county, the population was distributed as 24.4% under the age of 18, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The county is composed of 51% female and 49% male residents.
The median income for a household in the county was $53,723. The per capita income for the county in 2010 was $17,174, and in 2020 was $28,421. Approximately 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line.
Education
Colleges
Public school districts
- Axtell Independent School District
- Bosqueville Independent School District
- China Spring Independent School District
- Crawford Independent School District
- Connally Independent School District
- Gholson Independent School District
- Hallsburg Independent School District
- La Vega Independent School District
- Lorena Independent School District
- Mart Independent School District
- McGregor Independent School District
- Midway Independent School District
- Moody Independent School District
- Oglesby Independent School District
- Riesel Independent School District
- Robinson Independent School District
- Valley Mills Independent School District
- Waco Independent School District
- West Independent School District
Communities
Cities (multiple counties)
- Bruceville-Eddy (small part in Falls County)
- Golinda (mostly in Falls County)
- Mart (small part in Limestone County)
- McGregor (small part in Coryell County)
- Valley Mills (mostly in Bosque County)
Cities
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
See also
References
- ^ "McLennan County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ . National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties in Texas: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021 (CO-EST2021-POP-48).
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 194.
- ^ "McLennan County Courthouse".
- ^ a b . Texas Historical Commission. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
- ^ Scott Joplin, "The Great Crush Collision" sheet music (Temple, TX: John R. Fuller, 1896). See Bill Edwards, Rags and Pieces by Scott Joplin. June 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Commissioners name new county judge, treasurer".
- ^ "TJB | 10th COA | About the Court | Justices | Justice Matt Johnson".
- ^ "TJB | 10th COA | About the Court | Justices | Justice Steven Lee Smith". www.txcourts.gov. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^ "Governor Abbott Appoints Bennett To 474th District Court". gov.texas.gov. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^ "Present Laughter". Present Laughter. June 1, 1996. doi:10.5040/9781580814973.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
- ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - McLennan County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - McLennan County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/mclennancountytexas.
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External links
- Official website
- McLennan County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas
- Read Neil McLennan's entry in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas hosted by the Portal to Texas History.