Clay County, Texas

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Clay County

| state = Texas

| seal =

| founded = 1860

| seat wl = Henrietta

| largest city wl = Henrietta

| area_total_sq_mi = 1117

| area_land_sq_mi = 1089

| area_water_sq_mi = 28

| area percentage = 2.5

| census yr = 2020

| pop = 10218 {{gain}}

| pop_est_as_of = 2024

| population_est =

| density_sq_mi = 9

| ex image = Clay Co Courthouse Henrietta, TX.JPG

| ex image size = 250

| ex image cap = Clay County Courthouse in Henrietta

| web = https://www.claycountytx.net/|

| time zone = Central

| district = 13th

| named for = Henry Clay }}

Image:The Clay County Leader, Henrietta, Texas IMG 6824.JPG

Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 10,218.{{cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Clay County, Texas|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/claycountytexas/PST120221|access-date=January 31, 2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}{{Cite web|title=Clay County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US48077|website=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=February 23, 2021}} The county seat is Henrietta.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }} The county was founded in 1857 and later organized in 1860.{{cite web|url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/TX_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|title=Texas: Individual County Chronologies|work=Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries|publisher=The Newberry Library|date=2008|access-date=May 21, 2015|archive-date=May 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513024355/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/TX_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|url-status=dead}} It is named in honor of Henry Clay,{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n82 83]}} famous American statesman, Kentucky Senator and United States Secretary of State. Clay County is part of the Wichita Falls, Metropolitan Statistical Area in North Texas.

The Wichita Falls rancher, oilman, and philanthropist Joseph Sterling Bridwell owned a ranch in Clay County, among his multiple holdings.{{cite web|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbrdd|title=Jack O. Loftin, "Joseph Sterling Bridwell"|publisher=Texas State Historical Association online|access-date=April 30, 2013|date=June 12, 2010}}

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|1117|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1089|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|28|sqmi}} (2.5%) is water.{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 20, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}

Lake Arrowhead State Park, a {{convert|524|acre|ha|adj=on}} development on Lake Arrowhead in Clay County, encompasses {{convert|14390|acre|ha|adj=on}} acres. The lakeshore extends 106 miles; the park offers bicycling, birding, boating, camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, nature study, picnicking, swimming, and wildlife observation.{{cite web|url=http://www.wildtexas.com/texas-parks/lake-arrowhead-state-park|title=Lake Arrowhead State Park|publisher=wildtexas.com|access-date=April 17, 2013}}

=Adjacent counties=

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1860= 109

|1880= 5045

|1890= 7503

|1900= 9231

|1910= 17043

|1920= 16864

|1930= 14545

|1940= 12524

|1950= 9896

|1960= 8351

|1970= 8079

|1980= 9582

|1990= 10024

|2000= 11006

|2010= 10752

|2020= 10218

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref=

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=}}
1850–2010{{cite web|url=http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf|title=Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010|publisher=Texas Almanac|access-date=April 20, 2015}} 2010 2020

}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Clay County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
{{nobold|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{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Clay County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=0500000US48077&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}

!Pop 2010{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Clay County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48077&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=United States Census Bureau}}

!{{partial|Pop 2020}}{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Clay County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48077&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=United States Census Bureau}}

!% 2000

!% 2010

!{{partial|% 2020}}

White alone (NH)

|10,317

|9,941

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,941

|93.74%

|92.46%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |87.50%

Black or African American alone (NH)

|43

|53

|style='background: #ffffe6; |35

|0.39%

|0.49%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.34%

Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|102

|115

|style='background: #ffffe6; |78

|0.93%

|1.07%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.76%

Asian alone (NH)

|11

|28

|style='background: #ffffe6; |50

|0.10%

|0.26%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.49%

Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|1

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

Other race alone (NH)

|4

|5

|style='background: #ffffe6; |31

|0.04%

|0.05%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.30%

Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|124

|142

|style='background: #ffffe6; |442

|1.13%

|1.32%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.33%

Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|404

|467

|style='background: #ffffe6; |641

|3.67%

|4.34%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.27%

Total

|11,006

|10,752

|style='background: #ffffe6; |10,218

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

As of the census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website }} of 2000, there were 11,006 people, 4,323 households, and 3,181 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|10|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people}}. There were 4,992 housing units at an average density of {{convert|4|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the county was 95.35% White, 0.42% Black or African American, 1.03% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.68% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 3.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. At 89.4% of the county's population, Clay County has the highest percentage of Non-Hispanic Whites in the state of Texas.{{Cite web|title=Texas White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent by County|url=https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/united-states/quick-facts/texas/white-not-hispanic-population-percentage#chart|access-date=April 17, 2021|website=www.indexmundi.com}}

There were 4,323 households, out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.20% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,738, and the median income for a family was $41,514. Males had a median income of $28,914 versus $20,975 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,361. About 8.10% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.70% of those under age 18 and 11.00% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

=Major highways=

=Farm to Market Roads=

---- valign="top"

|

Communities

=Cities=

=Town=

Windthorst (mostly in Archer County)

=Unincorporated communities=

=Ghost towns=

Politics

Clay County is represented in the Texas House of Representatives by Republican James Frank, a businessman from Wichita Falls.

Prior to 1996, Clay County was strongly Democratic in presidential elections. The only Republican Party candidates who managed to win the county from 1912 to 1992 were Herbert Hoover thanks to anti-Catholic sentiment towards Al Smith as well as Richard Nixon & Ronald Reagan in their 49-state landslides of 1972 & 1984, respectively. Since 1996, the county has swung hard to the supporting Republican Party similar to almost all white-majority rural counties in the Solid South.

{{PresHead|place=Clay County, Texas|source={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=July 20, 2018}}}}

Education

School districts serving sections of the county include:{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48077_clay/DC20SD_C48077.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Throckmorton County, TX|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=June 29, 2022}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48077_clay/DC20SD_C48077_SD2MS.txt Text list]

The county is in the service area of Vernon College.[https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.207. VERNON REGIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA].

References

External links

[http://www.co.clay.tx.us/ Clay County Official Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211060240/http://www.co.clay.tx.us/ |date=December 11, 2020 }}
[http://texashistory.unt.edu/browse/contributor/CCHS/ See historic photos of Clay County] from the Clay County Historical Society, hosted by the [http://texashistory.unt.edu/ Portal to Texas History]
{{Handbook of Texas|id=hcc12|name=Clay County}}
[http://www.claycountyjailmuseum.com Clay County 1890 Jail Museum-Heritage Center]

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = Clay County, Texas

|North = Jefferson County, Oklahoma

|Northeast =

|East = Montague County

|Southeast =

|South = Jack County

|Southwest =

|West = Archer County and Wichita County

|Northwest = Cotton County, Oklahoma

}}

{{Coord|33.79|-98.21|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990}}