Mentone, Texas
Mentone, Texas | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 48-47676 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1362622 |
Mentone (
Mentone was, until recent years, the least-populated unincorporated county seat in the United States, but lost that distinction with the 2010 census to Gann Valley, South Dakota, which had a population of 14. Mentone was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1967 as the "Smallest County Seat in Texas".[6]
History
Named after
Today, according to National Geographic, Mentone contains little more than a courthouse, two stop signs, a gas station, a post office, and a school building (which has since been demolished, as enrollment fell to just two pupils and was merged with nearby Wink schools in the 1970s). A volunteer fire department serves the town, but no hospitals or cemeteries are there, and no doctors or lawyers. Until 1988, Mentone had no potable water of its own; local wells yielded water with a high mineral content that clogged pipes and killed grass. Drinking water was trucked in from Pecos, 23 miles (37 km) away, until improvements started in 2010 that guaranteed the potability of Mentone's water.[8]
Mentone's tiny church (the oldest building in Loving County) is visited every Saturday by a minister from a nearby town who holds interdenominational services there.
Mentone was the home of the first elected female sheriff in Texas,
Free Town Project
In February 2006, Mentone became the focus of a New York Times article detailing an alleged attempt by Lawrence Pendarvis, a man convicted of 129 counts of possession of child pornography,[9] Bobby Emory, and Don Duncan to "take over" the town and Loving County. According to the article, Pendarvis and his associates, part of the "Free Town Project", planned to buy parcels of land in the county, then move in enough of their supporters to outvote earlier residents and take control of local government.[10][11]
According to a website for Pendarvis' movement, their objectives were to "Remove oppressive regulations... and stop enforcement of laws prohibiting
Although Pendarvis, Emory, and Duncan claimed to have legally bought 126 acres (51 ha) in Loving County in 2005, and registered to vote accordingly, the county sheriff, Billy Burt Hopper, determined that this land had been sold to a different buyer. Misdemeanor charges were filed against the three men, who had left the state by this time. Pendarvis claimed to have a cancelled check to prove his purchase of the land in question, but no deed was ever produced, and the original landowners denied having sold land to Pendarvis or his associates. The three were subsequently featured on a "wanted" poster issued by Sheriff Hopper and the local Texas Rangers (displayed at Hopper's office), and threatened with arrest should they return to Loving County.
As of 2017, Pendarvis' website is no longer operational.
Geography
Mentone is located in southwestern Loving County at an elevation of 2,684 feet (818 m). It is situated on
Climate
Mentone experiences an arid desert climate with hot summers and cool winters. Due to Mentone's aridity, the
Climate data for Mentone, Texas | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 86 (30) |
89 (32) |
99 (37) |
102 (39) |
106 (41) |
111 (44) |
112 (44) |
111 (44) |
106 (41) |
100 (38) |
88 (31) |
83 (28) |
112 (44) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 61.6 (16.4) |
62.6 (17.0) |
72.9 (22.7) |
82.3 (27.9) |
91.9 (33.3) |
97.4 (36.3) |
98.6 (37.0) |
96.9 (36.1) |
90.7 (32.6) |
81.2 (27.3) |
70.6 (21.4) |
58.9 (14.9) |
80.5 (26.9) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.0 (−2.2) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
38.5 (3.6) |
47.1 (8.4) |
56.0 (13.3) |
65.3 (18.5) |
70.2 (21.2) |
67.7 (19.8) |
60.8 (16.0) |
46.6 (8.1) |
36.7 (2.6) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
48.0 (8.9) |
Record low °F (°C) | 5 (−15) |
5 (−15) |
12 (−11) |
16 (−9) |
31 (−1) |
46 (8) |
60 (16) |
53 (12) |
39 (4) |
30 (−1) |
18 (−8) |
16 (−9) |
5 (−15) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.41 (10) |
0.31 (7.9) |
0.24 (6.1) |
0.28 (7.1) |
0.86 (22) |
0.89 (23) |
1.74 (44) |
1.29 (33) |
1.39 (35) |
1.03 (26) |
0.33 (8.4) |
0.29 (7.4) |
9.06 (230) |
Source: The Western Regional Climate Center[13] |
Demographics
2020 census
Since 2020, Mentone has been included in the larger Mentone, Texas, CDP, a census-designated place delineated by the United States Census Bureau for its purposes in compiling, storing and analyzing census data. Because of this, demographics taken from this census apply to the entire CDP and not just the town proper.
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (NH)
|
17 | 77.27% |
Alaska Native (NH)
|
1 | 4.55% |
Some Other Race (NH) | 1 | 4.55% |
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 2 | 9.09% |
Hispanic or Latino | 1 | 4.55% |
Total | 22 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22 people, 7 households, and 3 families residing in the CDP.
Education
Mentone is served by the Wink-Loving Independent School District.[16] Loving County's school system was closed and consolidated into Wink's ISD in 1972 because the enrollment had fallen to two students. All of Loving County is zoned to Odessa College.[17]
See also
References
- ^ "Loving County Courthouse (ID: 06000362)". National Register of Historic Places. May 10, 2006. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ a b "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ a b "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "Total Population: 2010 Census DEC Summary File 1 (P1), Mentone CDP, Texas". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ Mentone at Texas Almanac
- ^ "Smallest County Seat in Texas - Mentone Mentone, Loving County, Texas". William Nienke, Sam Morrow. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2011. Marker number 9461.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "End to Mentone's water woes may be near - KWES NewsWest 9 / Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, TX: newswest9.com |". Kwes.com. June 30, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "FindLaw's District Court of Appeal of Florida case and opinions".
- ^ Blumenthal, Ralph (February 25, 2006). "1 Cafe, 1 Gas Station, 2 Roads: America's Emptiest County". The New York Times. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
- ^ "Loving County".
- ^ "The Free Town Project". The Free Town Project. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
- ^ https://www.census.gov/ [not specific enough to verify]
- ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ "Sec. 130.193. ODESSA COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA".
External links
- Mentone from MyWestTexas.com Brief but detailed report on life in Mentone and Loving County. Includes several videos of Mentone and interviews with the local sheriff and judge.
- National Geographic profile Includes a few photos of Mentone buildings and people.
- Mentone, TX at texasescapes.com More photos of Mentone buildings.
- Odessa American Includes details on Edna Dewees, first elected female sheriff in Texas.
- Mentone, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online