Hemphill County, Texas

County in Texas, United States

Not to be confused with Hemphill, Texas.

County in Texas

Hemphill County

County

Hemphill County Courthouse in Canadian

Location within the U.S. state of Texas

Texas's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 35°50′N 100°17′W﻿ / ﻿35.83°N 100.28°W﻿ / 35.83; -100.28
Country|  United States
State|  Texas
Founded| 1887
Named after| John Hemphill
Seat| Canadian
Largest city| Canadian
Area

• Total

| 912 sq mi (2,360 km2)
• Land| 906 sq mi (2,350 km2)
• Water| 5.9 sq mi (15 km2)  0.6%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 3,382
• Density| 3.7/sq mi (1.4/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| 13th
Website| www.co.hemphill.tx.us
Military monument at Hemphill County Courthouse The former Woman's Christian Temperance Union building in Canadian is being converted into a new Hemphill County Library. Canadian Record newspaper office serves Hemphill County.

Hemphill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,382.[1] The county seat and only incorporated community in the county is the city of Canadian.[2] The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1887.[3] It is named for John Hemphill, a judge and Confederate congressman.[4] Hemphill County is the most recent Texas county to permit alcohol sales.[5][6]

## History

[edit]

### Early history

[edit]

For the 200 years leading up to 1875, nomadic Indian tribes representing the Apache, Comanche, Kiowa, and others roamed the Panhandle following the huge bison (buffalo) herds. In search for an alternate route to California through Santa Fe, New Mexico, Josiah Gregg (1840), and Captain Randolph B. Marcy (1845) surveyed trails that crossed Hemphill County, following the south bank of the Canadian River.

The 1874–75 Red River War was an effort by the United States Army to force the Indians of the Southern Plains to move to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. Two major battles took place in what would become Hemphill County - the Battle of Lyman's Wagon Train and the Battle of Buffalo Wallow.

On April 12, 1879, Wheeler County became the first organized county in the Panhandle, with 14 other unorganized counties attached to it, one of which was Hemphill County. Hemphill County was organized in July 1887.

### Influence of Santa Fe Railroad

[edit]

In 1886, the Southern Kansas Railway Company, a Santa Fe subsidiary, began to build a rail line into the Panhandle of Texas. The tracks entered Hemphill County during 1887 and further encouraged settlement in the area, creating three town sites: Mendota, Canadian, and Glazier.

In 1907, Canadian was designated a division point by the Santa Fe, a factor that brought diversification to the previously ranching economy of the area. The Santa Fe influence remained very strong until the mid-1950s, when the railway moved its employees to Amarillo.

Meanwhile, Hemphill County was roughly the midway point of two smaller lines, the Clinton and Oklahoma Western Railroad Company and the Clinton-Oklahoma-Western Railroad Company of Texas.[7]

### Oil production

[edit]

During the 1970s, the county grew due to a rapid expansion of oil production. Though oil was discovered in the county in 1955, production remained relatively small because the technology had not yet progressed to efficiently capture the very deep reserves known to exist. By 1974, oil production had reached 999,000 barrels (158,800 m3) and more than 1,891,000 bbl (300,600 m3) in 1978. In 2000, about 505,000 bbl (80,300 m3) of oil and more than 8 billion cubic feet of natural gas were produced in the county, but the future looked very bright.

The Abraham Companies are based in the Moody Building, a former hotel in Canadian.

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 912 sq mi (2,360 km2), of which 5.9 sq mi (15 km2) (0.6%) are covered by water.[8]

### Major highways

[edit]

* U.S. Highway 60
* U.S. Highway 83
* State Highway 33

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Lipscomb County (north)
* Ellis County, Oklahoma (northeast)
* Roger Mills County, Oklahoma (southeast)
* Wheeler County (south)
* Roberts County (west)
* Gray County (southwest)

### National protected area

[edit]

* Black Kettle National Grassland (part)

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1880| 149| | —
1890| 519| | 248.3%
1900| 815| | 57.0%
1910| 3,170| | 289.0%
1920| 4,280| | 35.0%
1930| 4,637| | 8.3%
1940| 4,170| | −10.1%
1950| 4,123| | −1.1%
1960| 3,185| | −22.8%
1970| 3,084| | −3.2%
1980| 5,304| | 72.0%
1990| 3,720| | −29.9%
2000| 3,351| | −9.9%
2010| 3,807| | 13.6%
2020| 3,382| | −11.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1850–2010[10] 2010[11] 2020[12]
Hemphill 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[13] | Pop 2010[11] | Pop 2020[12] | % 2000  | % 2010  | % 2020

|
|
|
|
|
|

White alone (NH)  | 2,722  | 2,656  | 2,090  | 81.23%  | 69.77%  | 61.80%
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 52  | 4  | 4  | 1.55%  | 0.11%  | 0.12%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)  | 22  | 12  | 18  | 0.66%  | 0.32%  | 0.53%
Asian alone (NH)  | 9  | 18  | 10  | 0.27%  | 0.47%  | 0.30%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | 1  | 3  | 0  | 0.03%  | 0.08%  | 0.00%
Other race alone (NH)  | 5  | 0  | 4  | 0.15%  | 0.00%  | 0.12%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH)  | 18  | 28  | 119  | 0.54%  | 0.74%  | 3.52%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 522  | 1,086  | 1,137  | 15.58%  | 28.53%  | 33.62%
Total | 3,351 | 3,807 | 3,382 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00%

As of the census[14] of 2000, 3,351 people, 1,280 households, and 948 families resided in the county. The population density was four people per square mile (1.5 people/km2). The 1,548 housing units averaged two units per square mile (0.77 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.65% White, 1.55% Black or African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 8.48% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. About 15.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 1,280 households, 32.7% had children under 18 living with them, 65.2% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were not families. About 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was distributed as 28.0% under 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,456, and for a family was $42,036. Males had a median income of $31,154 versus $19,423 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,929. About 10.90% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.70% of those under age 18 and 12.80% of those age 65 or over.

## Communities

[edit]

* Canadian (county seat)
* Glazier

## Politics

[edit]

During the period 1912 through the 1940s, Democratic candidates at the presidential level predominated in Hemphill County, the exception being 1928. From 1952, Republicans have held sway, losing the county only in the 1964 landslide by native son Lyndon Johnson.

United States presidential election results for Hemphill County, Texas[15] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 1,412  | 87.48% | 190  | 11.77%  | 12  | 0.74%
2020 | 1,486  | 86.40% | 206  | 11.98%  | 28  | 1.63%
2016 | 1,462  | 85.80% | 181  | 10.62%  | 61  | 3.58%
2012 | 1,298  | 86.02% | 192  | 12.72%  | 19  | 1.26%
2008 | 1,345  | 85.67% | 216  | 13.76%  | 9  | 0.57%
2004 | 1,380  | 83.99% | 257  | 15.64%  | 6  | 0.37%
2000 | 1,203  | 81.61% | 251  | 17.03%  | 20  | 1.36%
1996 | 986  | 68.57% | 344  | 23.92%  | 108  | 7.51%
1992 | 989  | 58.18% | 479  | 28.18%  | 232  | 13.65%
1988 | 1,170  | 68.62% | 527  | 30.91%  | 8  | 0.47%
1984 | 1,650  | 79.83% | 413  | 19.98%  | 4  | 0.19%
1980 | 1,152  | 64.72% | 592  | 33.26%  | 36  | 2.02%
1976 | 858  | 54.37% | 707  | 44.80%  | 13  | 0.82%
1972 | 942  | 81.42% | 214  | 18.50%  | 1  | 0.09%
1968 | 699  | 53.77% | 400  | 30.77%  | 201  | 15.46%
1964 | 563  | 46.41%  | 649  | 53.50% | 1  | 0.08%
1960 | 847  | 71.72% | 333  | 28.20%  | 1  | 0.08%
1956 | 620  | 60.67% | 401  | 39.24%  | 1  | 0.10%
1952 | 892  | 60.19% | 590  | 39.81%  | 0  | 0.00%
1948 | 201  | 17.06%  | 930  | 78.95% | 47  | 3.99%
1944 | 274  | 23.97%  | 792  | 69.29% | 77  | 6.74%
1940 | 170  | 16.38%  | 868  | 83.62% | 0  | 0.00%
1936 | 121  | 10.67%  | 1,008  | 88.89% | 5  | 0.44%
1932 | 133  | 12.64%  | 918  | 87.26% | 1  | 0.10%
1928 | 489  | 60.67% | 317  | 39.33%  | 0  | 0.00%
1924 | 167  | 25.97%  | 405  | 62.99% | 71  | 11.04%
1920 | 253  | 37.32%  | 417  | 61.50% | 8  | 1.18%
1916 | 141  | 20.89%  | 496  | 73.48% | 38  | 5.63%
1912 | 61  | 11.60%  | 312  | 59.32% | 153  | 29.09%
United States Senate election results for Hemphill County, Texas1[16] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 1,380  | 86.30% | 195  | 12.20%  | 24  | 1.50%

## See also

[edit]

* Texas portal

* Dry counties
* List of museums in the Texas Panhandle
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Hemphill County, Texas
* Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Hemphill County

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Hemphill County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 154.
5. ^ "Dry January? These Texas Counties Are Dry Year-Round". January 20, 2023.
6. ^ "Here are three debunked Texas alcohol laws and a guide to legally drinking in the state". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
7. ^ "Clinton-Oklahoma-Western Railroad". tshaonline.org. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
8. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
9. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
10. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
11. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Hemphill County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
12. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Hemphill County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
13. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Bruni CDP, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
14. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
15. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
16. ^ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Texas by county. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Hemphill County from the Handbook of Texas Online
* Canadian Chamber of Commerce
* Hemphill County Profile from the Texas Association of Counties Archived September 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
* River Valley Pioneer Museum
* The Citadelle Art Foundation
* Canadian Independent School District
* The Canadian Record

* v
* t
* e

Places adjacent to Hemphill County, Texas

|  | Lipscomb County | Ellis County, Oklahoma

|
|

|  |
Roberts County |

Hemphill County, Texas

|  |
| Wheeler County | Roger Mills County, Oklahoma

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Hemphill County, Texas, United States

County seat: Canadian

City|

* Canadian

Hemphill County map

CDP|

* Glazier

Other
community|

* Gem

* Texas portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Counties of Texas

* Anderson
* Andrews
* Angelina
* Aransas
* Archer
* Armstrong
* Atascosa
* Austin
* Bailey
* Bandera
* Bastrop
* Baylor
* Bee
* Bell
* Bexar
* Blanco
* Borden
* Bosque
* Bowie
* Brazoria
* Brazos
* Brewster
* Briscoe
* Brooks
* Brown
* Burleson
* Burnet
* Caldwell
* Calhoun
* Callahan
* Cameron
* Camp
* Carson
* Cass
* Castro
* Chambers
* Cherokee
* Childress
* Clay
* Cochran
* Coke
* Coleman
* Collin
* Collingsworth
* Colorado
* Comal
* Comanche
* Concho
* Cooke
* Coryell
* Cottle
* Crane
* Crockett
* Crosby
* Culberson
* Dallam
* Dallas
* Dawson
* Deaf Smith
* Delta
* Denton
* DeWitt
* Dickens
* Dimmit
* Donley
* Duval
* Eastland
* Ector
* Edwards
* El Paso
* Ellis
* Erath
* Falls
* Fannin
* Fayette
* Fisher
* Floyd
* Foard
* Fort Bend
* Franklin
* Freestone
* Frio
* Gaines
* Galveston
* Garza
* Gillespie
* Glasscock
* Goliad
* Gonzales
* Gray
* Grayson
* Gregg
* Grimes
* Guadalupe
* Hale
* Hall
* Hamilton
* Hansford
* Hardeman
* Hardin
* Harris
* Harrison
* Hartley
* Haskell
* Hays
* Hemphill
* Henderson
* Hidalgo
* Hill
* Hockley
* Hood
* Hopkins
* Houston
* Howard
* Hudspeth
* Hunt
* Hutchinson
* Irion
* Jack
* Jackson
* Jasper
* Jeff Davis
* Jefferson
* Jim Hogg
* Jim Wells
* Johnson
* Jones
* Karnes
* Kaufman
* Kendall
* Kenedy
* Kent
* Kerr
* Kimble
* King
* Kinney
* Kleberg
* Knox
* La Salle
* Lamar
* Lamb
* Lampasas
* Lavaca
* Lee
* Leon
* Liberty
* Limestone
* Lipscomb
* Live Oak
* Llano
* Loving
* Lubbock
* Lynn
* Madison
* Marion
* Martin
* Mason
* Matagorda
* Maverick
* McCulloch
* McLennan
* McMullen
* Medina
* Menard
* Midland
* Milam
* Mills
* Mitchell
* Montague
* Montgomery
* Moore
* Morris
* Motley
* Nacogdoches
* Navarro
* Newton
* Nolan
* Nueces
* Ochiltree
* Oldham
* Orange
* Palo Pinto
* Panola
* Parker
* Parmer
* Pecos
* Polk
* Potter
* Presidio
* Rains
* Randall
* Reagan
* Real
* Red River
* Reeves
* Refugio
* Roberts
* Robertson
* Rockwall
* Runnels
* Rusk
* Sabine
* San Augustine
* San Jacinto
* San Patricio
* San Saba
* Schleicher
* Scurry
* Shackelford
* Shelby
* Sherman
* Smith
* Somervell
* Starr
* Stephens
* Sterling
* Stonewall
* Sutton
* Swisher
* Tarrant
* Taylor
* Terrell
* Terry
* Throckmorton
* Titus
* Tom Green
* Travis
* Trinity
* Tyler
* Upshur
* Upton
* Uvalde
* Val Verde
* Van Zandt
* Victoria
* Walker
* Waller
* Ward
* Washington
* Webb
* Wharton
* Wheeler
* Wichita
* Wilbarger
* Willacy
* Williamson
* Wilson
* Winkler
* Wise
* Wood
* Yoakum
* Young
* Zapata
* Zavala

* v
* t
* e

State of Texas

Austin (capital)

Topics|

* Outline
* Architecture
* Climate (Climate change)
* Cuisine
* Dialects
* Geography
* Government
* Healthcare
* History
* Languages
* Law
* Literature
* Mass media
* Newspapers
* Radio
* TV
* National Historic Landmarks
* National Register of Historic Places Sites
* Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks
* Sports
* Symbols
* Texans
* Time
* Tourist attractions
* Transportation

Society|

* Abortion
* Culture
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Gambling
* Gun laws
* Homelessness
* LGBT rights
* Politics

Regions|

* Ark‑La‑Tex
* Big Bend
* Boca Chica
* Blackland Prairies
* Brazos Valley
* Central Texas
* Coastal Bend
* Concho Valley
* Cross Timbers
* East Texas
* Edwards Plateau
* Golden Triangle
* Hill Country
* Llano Estacado
* Northeast Texas
* North Texas
* Osage Plains
* Panhandle
* Permian Basin
* Piney Woods
* Rio Grande Valley
* Southeast Texas
* South Plains
* South Texas
* Texoma
* Trans-Pecos
* West Texas

Metropolitan
areas|

* Abilene
* Amarillo
* Austin–Round Rock (Greater Austin)
* Beaumont–Port Arthur
* Brownsville–Harlingen
* College Station–Bryan
* Corpus Christi
* Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington (DFW)
* El Paso
* Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land (Greater Houston)
* Killeen–Temple
* Laredo
* Longview/Kilgore
* Lubbock
* McAllen–Edinburg–Mission
* Midland
* Odessa
* San Angelo
* San Antonio–New Braunfels
* Sherman–Denison
* Texarkana
* Tyler
* Victoria
* Waco
* Wagner Creek
* Wichita Falls

Counties|

See: List of counties in Texas

Texas portal

35°50′N 100°17′W﻿ / ﻿35.83°N 100.28°W﻿ / 35.83; -100.28

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* NARA

*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template