Coke County, Texas

Coke County
Coke County
County
	The Coke County Courthouse in Robert Lee
	Location within the U.S. state of Texas
	Texas's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 31°53′N 100°32′W / 31.88°N 100.53°W
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	March 13, 1889
Named for	Richard Coke
Seat	Robert Lee
Largest city	Robert Lee
Area
• Total	928 sq mi (2,400 km2)
• Land	911 sq mi (2,360 km2)
• Water	17 sq mi (40 km2) 1.8%
Population (2020)
• Total	3,285
• Density	3.5/sq mi (1.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	11th
Website	www.co.coke.tx.us

Coke County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,285.^[1]^[2] Its county seat is Robert Lee.^[3] The county was founded in 1889 and is named for Richard Coke, the 15th governor of Texas and later a U.S. senator. Coke County was one of 46 prohibition, or entirely dry, counties in the State of Texas, but passed a law allowing the sale of beer and wine in 2005.

History

Native Americans

From about 1700 to the 1870s, Comanche, Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, Kickapoo and Kiowa roamed the county. These tribes settled in rock shelters in the river and creek valleys, leaving behind artifacts and caches of seeds, implements, burial sites, petroglyphs, river shells, turkey and deer bones, flint knives, scrapers and points.^[4]^[5]

Early years

In 1851, United States Army post Fort Chadbourne^[6] was established to protect the frontier, and the fort was manned until the Civil War. The Butterfield Overland Mail^[7] ran through the area from 1858 to 1861.

Between 1860 and the early 1880s, the only settlers in what became Coke County were ranchers attracted to open grazing land. J. J. Austin established his ranch headquarters near Sanco^[8] in 1875. Pate Francher settled in the area in 1877.

In 1882, the Texas and Pacific Railway began providing service to San Angelo, and settlers started coming into the region in somewhat larger numbers.

Severe drought in the 1880s led to fence cutting and its attendant issues. State authorities eventually settled the disputes.

A few years later, the county was named after Confederate soldier, Texas governor and U.S. senator Richard Coke.^[9]

County history

The Texas Legislature established Coke County in 1889, out of Tom Green County. The county was organized that same year, with Hayrick^[10] as county seat. The county's first newspaper, the Hayrick Democrat, began publication in 1889, but was renamed the Rustler.

In 1891, after an election, the new town of Robert Lee^[11] became the county seat. Robert E. Lee had once served at Fort Chadbourne. That same year, the county's newspaper moved to the new county seat and was renamed the Robert Lee Observer.

Dr. D.W. Key^[12]^[13] started the town of Bronte, named after English writer Charlotte Brontë.^[14]^[15] The town was originally named Oso and then Bronco. A post office was granted in 1890 after residents changed the name to Bronte.

Silver, named after Silver Peak Summit,^[16]^[17]^[18] was settled between 1870 and 1880 as a ranching hub. Early settlers were S.M. Conner, R.B. Allen, W.G. Jameson, and W.R. Walker. Dr. Joseph Eaton Reed was for 50 years the only physician. Oil discovery and related industries created a boom in Silver in the mid-20th century. After the oil camps closed down in 1966, Silver's population slipped drastically.

Tennyson, named in honor of the British poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson was established in 1892. It received a post office two years later.

The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway built tracks north from San Angelo in 1907, which benefited Tennyson, Bronte, and Fort Chadbourne.

Cotton acreage peaked in 1910, but plunged sharply during the 1920s, because of a boll weevil infestation. Expanding during the same period was the production of corn, wheat, sorghum, and fruit trees. The county population declined during the Great Depression.

Oil was discovered in the county in 1942, and by 1991, 209,281,131 barrels (33,273,040.9 m³) had been taken from Coke County lands. Tax money derived from oil profits helped the county to improve infrastructure and public facilities and services for its citizens. Oil production accounts for the major share of income for the county.^[19]

In 1995 Louis Jones murdered United States Army soldier Tracie Joy McBride in Coke County after having kidnapped her from Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas.^[20]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 928 square miles (2,400 km²), of which 911 square miles (2,360 km²) are land and 17 square miles (44 km²) (1.8%) are covered by water.^[21]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Nolan County (north)
Runnels County (east)
Tom Green County (south)
Sterling County (west)
Mitchell County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1890	2,059	—
1900	3,430	66.6%
1910	6,412	86.9%
1920	4,557	−28.9%
1930	5,253	15.3%
1940	4,590	−12.6%
1950	4,045	−11.9%
1960	3,589	−11.3%
1970	3,087	−14.0%
1980	3,196	3.5%
1990	3,424	7.1%
2000	3,864	12.9%
2010	3,320	−14.1%
2020	3,285	−1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census^[22] 1850–2010^[23] 2010^[24] 2020^[25]

**Coke County, Texas - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010^[24]	Pop 2020^[25]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	2,651	2,473	79.85%	75.28%
Black or African American alone (NH)	7	7	0.21%	0.21%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	19	15	0.57%	0.46%
Asian alone (NH)	5	1	0.15%	0.03%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	1	6	0.03%	0.18%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	0	6	0.00%	0.18%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	35	116	1.05%	3.53%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	602	661	18.13%	20.12%
Total	3,320	3,285	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.

At the 2000 census,^[26] 3,864 people, 1,544 households and 1,068 families resided in the county. The population density was four per square mile (2/km²). The 2,843 housing units averaged three per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 88.85% White, 1.94% Black or African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.94% from other races] and 1.40% from two or more races. About 16.90% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 1,544 households, 27.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were not families; 29.00% of all households was made up of individuals, and 18.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31, and the average family size was 2.84.

Age distribution was 24.40% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 20.50% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 24.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.

The median household income was $29,085, and the median family was $36,724. Males had a median income of $30,778 versus $19,596 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,734. About 9.70% of families and 13.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.00% of those under age 18 and 12.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Blackwell (mostly in Nolan County)
Robert Lee (county seat)

Town

Bronte

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Politics

United States presidential election results for Coke County, Texas^[27]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	1,586	89.15%	178	10.01%	15	0.84%
2016	1,265	88.90%	140	9.84%	18	1.26%
2012	1,218	86.51%	179	12.71%	11	0.78%
2008	1,252	79.80%	299	19.06%	18	1.15%
2004	1,338	83.11%	266	16.52%	6	0.37%
2000	1,137	75.05%	355	23.43%	23	1.52%
1996	790	51.10%	595	38.49%	161	10.41%
1992	640	39.65%	580	35.94%	394	24.41%
1988	863	55.97%	674	43.71%	5	0.32%
1984	1,060	66.25%	532	33.25%	8	0.50%
1980	708	45.44%	838	53.79%	12	0.77%
1976	517	37.55%	844	61.29%	16	1.16%
1972	761	67.11%	358	31.57%	15	1.32%
1968	387	33.39%	563	48.58%	209	18.03%
1964	366	28.84%	900	70.92%	3	0.24%
1960	575	41.43%	799	57.56%	14	1.01%
1956	549	44.10%	690	55.42%	6	0.48%
1952	576	43.74%	736	55.88%	5	0.38%
1948	65	6.45%	909	90.18%	34	3.37%
1944	65	6.78%	824	85.92%	70	7.30%
1940	94	8.82%	967	90.71%	5	0.47%
1936	68	7.04%	888	91.93%	10	1.04%
1932	57	5.44%	983	93.89%	7	0.67%
1928	450	68.60%	206	31.40%	0	0.00%
1924	80	10.44%	673	87.86%	13	1.70%
1920	59	10.44%	444	78.58%	62	10.97%
1916	29	5.20%	484	86.74%	45	8.06%
1912	7	2.10%	301	90.39%	25	7.51%