Colorado County, Texas

The territory that is now Colorado County has been continually inhabited by humans for at least 12,000 years. The Coco branch of the Karaknawa are said to have hunted in the area, while Tonkawa crossed the area from the south.

File:Confederate Memorial Museum -- Colorado County, Texas.jpg, Colorado County, Texas]]

The first record of a European coming through the area that is now Colorado County was January 20, 1687, when René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, camped along Skull Creek. The party located an Indian village and named it Hebemes. The fourth expedition of Alonso De León may have crossed into the area while looking for Fort St. Louis in 1689.{{Cite web|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcc18|title=COLORADO COUNTY|last=ODINTZ|first=MARK|date=June 12, 2010|website=tshaonline.org|language=en|access-date=June 4, 2019}}

The area was settled by Anglo colonists who were part of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred starting in 1821. Some families settled near Beeson's Ford, a few miles south of Columbus' present day location. The area was active during the days of the Texas Revolution. Dilue Rose Harris wrote her memoir of the Runaway Scrape from within the boundaries of Colorado County.{{Cite web|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fha89|title=HARRIS, DILUE ROSE|last=LANG|first=HERBERT H.|date=June 15, 2010|website=tshaonline.org|language=en|access-date=June 4, 2019}}

The county was one of the original Republic of Texas counties when it formed in 1836. Following the American Civil War, the county had one of the larger populations of African-American freedmen in the state, and was granted a Freedmen's Bureau office in Columbus.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/freedmensbureaub00crou|title=The Freedmen's Bureau and Black Texans|last=Crouch, Barry A., 1941-|date=1992|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=0292724756|edition=1st|location=Austin|oclc=24320568|url-access=registration}}

Many European settlers, particularly Germans, as well as Moravians and Bohemians from what became Czechoslovakia, began to settle in the county after the Civil War, although Germans had settled in the area as early as 1830.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|974|sqmi|abbr=on}}, of which {{convert|13|sqmi|abbr=on}} (1.4%) are covered by 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 21, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}

• 20px Interstate 10
• 20px U.S. Highway 90
• 20px
  20px U.S. Highway 90 Alternate
• 20px State Highway 71

• Austin County (northeast)
• Wharton County (southeast)
• Jackson County (south)
• Lavaca County (southwest)
• Fayette County (northwest)

• Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge

{{US Census population

|1850= 2257

|1860= 7885

|1870= 8326

|1880= 16673

|1890= 19512

|1900= 22203

|1910= 18897

|1920= 19013

|1930= 19129

|1940= 17812

|1950= 17576

|1960= 18463

|1970= 17638

|1980= 18823

|1990= 18383

|2000= 20390

|2010= 20874

|2020= 20557

|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 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010|publisher=Texas Almanac|access-date=April 21, 2015}} 2010 2020

}}

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

|+Colorado 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 – Colorado County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=0500000US48089&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=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) – Colorado County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48089&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) – Colorado County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48089&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=United States Census Bureau}}

!% 2000

!% 2010

!{{partial|% 2020}}

|-

|White alone (NH)

|13,165

|12,496

|style='background: #ffffe6; |11,761

|64.57%

|59.86%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |57.21%

|-

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|2,962

|2,636

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,222

|14.53%

|12.63%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |10.81%

|-

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|40

|24

|style='background: #ffffe6; |13

|0.20%

|0.11%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.06%

|-

|Asian alone (NH)

|42

|75

|style='background: #ffffe6; |80

|0.21%

|0.36%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.39%

|-

|Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|3

|15

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.01%

|0.07%

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

|-

|Other race alone (NH)

|0

|25

|style='background: #ffffe6; |41

|0.00%

|0.12%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.20%

|-

|Mixed or multiracial (NH)

|154

|151

|style='background: #ffffe6; |450

|0.76%

|0.72%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.19%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|4,024

|5,452

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,990

|19.74%

|26.12%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |29.14%

|-

|Total

|20,390

|20,874

|style='background: #ffffe6; |20,557

|100.00%

|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, 20,390 people, 7,641 households, and 5,402 families were residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|21|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people|people|abbr=on}}. The 9,431 housing units averaged {{convert|10|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the county was 72.79% White, 14.80% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 10.06% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. About 19.74% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 7,641 households, 31.1% had children under 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were not families. About 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56, and the average family size was 3.08.

In the county, the age distribution was 25.6% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and % who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,425, and for a family was $41,388. Males had a median income of $30,063 versus $20,014 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,910. About 12.3% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

• Columbus (county seat)
• Eagle Lake
• Weimar

• Garwood
• Glidden
• Nada
• Rock Island
• Sheridan

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

• Alleyton
• Altair
• Bernardo
• Borden
• Chesterville
• Eldridge
• Frelsburg
• Hillcrest
• Lone Oak
• Mentz
• Oakland
• Shaws Bend

{{div col end}}

• Lakeside
• Matthews
• New Bielau
• Osage
• Pisek
• Provident City
• Ramsey

Like many southern counties, Colorado County was predominantly Democratic prior to the 1960s and predominantly Republican since then. The last Democrat to carry the state was Jimmy Carter in 1976; George W. Bush, Mitt Romney and Donald Trump all received more than 70 percent of the vote in the county.

{{PresHead|place=Colorado 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}}}}

{{PresRow|2024|Republican|7,824|2,108|80|Texas}}

{{PresRow|2020|Republican|7,472|2,420|83|Texas}}

{{PresRow|2016|Republican|6,325|1,987|201|Texas}}

{{PresRow|2012|Republican|6,026|2,029|62|Texas}}

{{PresRow|2008|Republican|5,795|2,508|50|Texas}}

{{PresRow|2004|Republican|5,488|2,161|41|Texas}}

{{PresRow|2000|Republican|4,913|2,229|107|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1996|Republican|3,381|2,795|599|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1992|Republican|3,286|2,442|1,434|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1988|Republican|3,723|2,847|30|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1984|Republican|4,528|2,428|15|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1980|Republican|3,520|2,377|94|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|2,991|3,028|56|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1972|Republican|3,495|1,502|20|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1968|Republican|2,296|1,976|1,166|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,918|3,650|6|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|1,909|2,299|39|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1956|Republican|2,691|1,648|28|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1952|Republican|3,237|2,043|10|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|900|1,316|939|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|638|1,517|943|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|1,166|1,674|4|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|372|1,435|8|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|331|2,715|23|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|891|1,787|4|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|681|2,105|376|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1920|American|477|765|1,233|Texas}}

{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|358|1,041|82|Texas}}

{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|106|1,204|155|Texas}}

{{Portal|Texas}}

• List of museums in East Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Colorado County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Colorado County

{{clear}}

{{reflist}}

{{AmCyc Poster|Colorado (county)|Colorado County, Texas}}

• [http://www.co.colorado.tx.us/ Colorado County government’s website]
• [https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcc18 Colorado County in Handbook of Texas Online] at the University of Texas
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060531210408/http://www.discoverweimar.com/ Weimar Information and Events]
• [http://www.columbustexas.org Columbus Information and Events]

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = Colorado County, Texas

|North =

|Northeast = Austin County

|East =

|Southeast = Wharton County

|South = Jackson County

|Southwest = Lavaca County

|West =

|Northwest = Fayette County

}}

{{Colorado County, Texas}}

{{Texas counties}}

{{Texas}}

{{Coord|29.62|-96.52|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1837 establishments in the Republic of Texas

Category:Populated places established in 1837