Refugio County, Texas
Refugio County | |
---|---|
UTC−5 (CDT) | |
Congressional district | 27th |
Website | www |
Refugio County (/rɪˈfjʊər.i.oʊ/ rih-FYOOR-ee-oh)[1] is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,741.[2] Its county seat is Refugio.[3] The county originated as a municipality of Mexico in 1834 and was classified as a county in 1837.[4][5]
Geography
According to the
Major highways
U.S. Highway 77
Interstate 69E is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 77 in most places.
- U.S. Highway 183
State Highway 35
State Highway 239
- Farm to Market Road 136
- Farm to Market Road 774
- Farm to Market Road 2441
- Farm to Market Road 2678
Adjacent counties
- Victoria County (north)
- Calhoun County (northeast)
- Aransas County (southeast)
- San Patricio County (south)
- Bee County (west)
- Goliad County (northwest)
National protected area
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1850 | 288 | — | |
1860 | 1,600 | 455.6% | |
1870 | 2,324 | 45.3% | |
1880 | 1,585 | −31.8% | |
1890 | 1,239 | −21.8% | |
1900 | 1,641 | 32.4% | |
1910 | 2,814 | 71.5% | |
1920 | 4,050 | 43.9% | |
1930 | 7,691 | 89.9% | |
1940 | 10,383 | 35.0% | |
1950 | 10,113 | −2.6% | |
1960 | 10,975 | 8.5% | |
1970 | 9,494 | −13.5% | |
1980 | 9,289 | −2.2% | |
1990 | 7,976 | −14.1% | |
2000 | 7,828 | −1.9% | |
2010 | 7,383 | −5.7% | |
2020 | 6,741 | −8.7% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1850–2010[8] 2010–2014[9] |
Race | Pop 2010[12] | Pop 2020[13] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White (NH)
|
3,337 | 2,864 | 45.2% | 42.49% |
Black or African American (NH)
|
445 | 400 | 6.03% | 5.93% |
Alaska Native (NH)
|
25 | 18 | 0.34% | 0.27% |
Asian (NH) | 27 | 27 | 0.37% | 0.4% |
Some Other Race (NH) | 9 | 12 | 0.12% | 0.18% |
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 53 | 114 | 0.72% | 1.69% |
Hispanic or Latino | 3,487 | 3,306 | 47.23% | 49.04% |
Total | 7,383 | 6,741 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,741 people, 2,566 households, and 1,730 families residing in the county.
As of the
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Refugio_County_Memorial_Hospital_Texas_July_2014.jpg/220px-Refugio_County_Memorial_Hospital_Texas_July_2014.jpg)
Of the 2,985 households, 31.60% had children under 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 12.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were not families. About 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.59, and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the population was distributed as 26.10% under 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.60% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,986, and for a family was $36,162. Males had a median income of $29,667 versus $16,565 for females. The
Oil and gas
Commercial gas was first discovered near the town of Refugio in 1920.[15] Oil was first discovered near Refugio in 1928.[15] The Refugio oil and gas field had produced 32 million barrels and 271 billion cubic feet of gas by the end of 1937.[16] A major oil field was discovered at Greta in 1933.[15] The Greta oilfield's estimated cumulative recovery at abandonment are 152.5 million barrels of oil.[17] The largest oilfield in Refugio county, the Tom O'Connor oil field, was discovered in 1934.[18] The Tom O'Connor field's estimated cumulative oil recovery at abandonment is 802.8 million barrels of oil[17] and over 1 trillion cubic feet of gas.[18] Other notable oil and gas fields in Refugio county, at least partially, include Anaqua, Bonnie View, Fagan, Huff, La Rosa, Mary Ellen O'Connor, and McFaddin oil and gas fields.[19]
The Quintana Tom O'Connor No. 1-A discovery well's location was based on a gravity survey and a trend of other fields in the southwest and northeast between the Vicksburg Fault Zone and the Frio Fault Zone.
The last major oil field discovered in Refugio county was the Lake Pasture oil field, discovered in 1953, with an estimated cumulative recovery at abandonment of 104 million barrels of oil.[17]
Healthcare
Medical care is provided to the citizens of Refugio County through a county hospital, several rural health clinics, a wellness clinic, and a specialty clinic. Refugio County Medical Center opened in 1940 due to a surge in the population, and underwent expansions in 1962 and 2009. The hospital was run by religious orders until the 1970s, when Refugio County assumed operations. A hospital district was established in 1977.[25][26]
Communities
Cities
Towns
Census-designated place
Ghost towns
Notable residents
Nicholas Fagan - early Refugio county pioneer and active participant in the Texas revolution
James Power - impresario and early settler of Refugio county
Thomas O'Connor - active participant in the Texas revolution and later largest land and cattle owner in the state of Texas
Politics
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 2,210 | 65.66% | 1,108 | 32.92% | 48 | 1.43% |
2016 | 1,830 | 62.08% | 1,034 | 35.07% | 84 | 2.85% |
2012 | 1,663 | 62.12% | 998 | 37.28% | 16 | 0.60% |
2008 | 1,855 | 56.88% | 1,382 | 42.38% | 24 | 0.74% |
2004 | 2,212 | 64.02% | 1,232 | 35.66% | 11 | 0.32% |
2000 | 1,721 | 58.92% | 1,172 | 40.12% | 28 | 0.96% |
1996 | 1,376 | 42.35% | 1,635 | 50.32% | 238 | 7.33% |
1992 | 1,469 | 39.36% | 1,531 | 41.02% | 732 | 19.61% |
1988 | 1,883 | 50.56% | 1,831 | 49.17% | 10 | 0.27% |
1984 | 2,421 | 60.71% | 1,559 | 39.09% | 8 | 0.20% |
1980 | 1,944 | 45.73% | 2,224 | 52.32% | 83 | 1.95% |
1976 | 1,537 | 40.82% | 2,218 | 58.91% | 10 | 0.27% |
1972 | 1,937 | 64.57% | 1,060 | 35.33% | 3 | 0.10% |
1968 | 1,114 | 33.77% | 1,699 | 51.50% | 486 | 14.73% |
1964 | 772 | 24.98% | 2,319 | 75.02% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 1,062 | 37.37% | 1,777 | 62.53% | 3 | 0.11% |
1956 | 1,355 | 53.10% | 1,188 | 46.55% | 9 | 0.35% |
1952 | 1,427 | 50.39% | 1,401 | 49.47% | 4 | 0.14% |
1948 | 489 | 22.24% | 1,637 | 74.44% | 73 | 3.32% |
1944 | 376 | 25.61% | 991 | 67.51% | 101 | 6.88% |
1940 | 458 | 23.46% | 1,487 | 76.18% | 7 | 0.36% |
1936 | 242 | 18.54% | 1,058 | 81.07% | 5 | 0.38% |
1932 | 172 | 12.34% | 1,201 | 86.15% | 21 | 1.51% |
1928 | 383 | 36.34% | 671 | 63.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 256 | 27.41% | 585 | 62.63% | 93 | 9.96% |
1920 | 360 | 55.81% | 227 | 35.19% | 58 | 8.99% |
1916 | 232 | 33.33% | 408 | 58.62% | 56 | 8.05% |
1912 | 115 | 29.04% | 204 | 51.52% | 77 | 19.44% |
Voting results, shown in table, show that Refugio county has become a Republican party stronghold in the 21st century. Prior to the 21st century, Refugio county was primarily a Democratic party stronghold with some exceptions.
See also
- Structural evolution of the Louisiana gulf coast
- List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Refugio County, Texas
- Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Refugio County
References
- ^ "A Comprehensive List of How Texans Mispronounce Places with Spanish Names". November 28, 2017.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
- ^ "Refugio County". Texas Almanac. Texas State Historical Association. May 22, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
- US Census Bureau.
- ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- ^ https://www.census.gov/ [not specific enough to verify]
- ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ ISSN 0149-1423.)
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link - ISSN 0149-1423.)
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link - ^ doi:10.3133/ofr99131.
- ^ a b c Mills, H.G., 1970, Geology of Tom O'Connor Field, Refugio County, Texas, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Oil Fields, Halbouty, M.T., editor, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, pp. 292 and 299
- ^ gis.rrc.texas.gov https://gis.rrc.texas.gov/gisviewer/. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ a b Mills, H.G., 1970, Geology of Tom O'Connor Field, Refugio County, Texas, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Oil Fields, Halbouty, M.T., editor, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, p. 292
- ISBN 0385181019.
- ^ Mills, H.G., 1970, Geology of Tom O'Connor Field, Refugio County, Texas, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Oil Fields, Halbouty, M.T., editor, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, pp. 292-293 and 295-296
- ^ Mills, H.G., 1970, Geology of Tom O'Connor Field, Refugio County, Texas, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Oil Fields, Halbouty, M.T., editor, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, pp. 292 and 294 and 296
- ^ Mills, H.G., 1970, Geology of Tom O'Connor Field, Refugio County, Texas, in Geology of Giant Petroleum Oil Fields, Halbouty, M.T., editor, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, pp. 295-296
- ^ "About Us". Refugio County Memorial Hospital. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ "About Us | Refugio County Memorial Hospital".
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 29, 2018.