137-509: Sterling County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas . As of the 2020 census , its population was 1,372, making it the ninth-least populous county in Texas. Its county seat is Sterling City . The county is named for W. S. Sterling, an early settler in the area. Sterling County was one of 30 prohibition, or entirely dry , counties in the state of Texas, but
274-1054: A city , town , or village . A few counties directly provide public transportation themselves, usually in the form of a simple bus system. However, in most counties, public transportation is provided by one of the following: a special district that is coterminous with the county (but exists separately from the county government), a multi-county regional transit authority, or a state agency. In western and southern states, more populated counties provide many facilities, such as airports, convention centers , museums, recreation centers , beaches, harbors, zoos, clinics, law libraries , and public housing . They provide services such as child and family services, elder services, mental health services, welfare services, veterans assistance services, animal control , probation supervision, historic preservation, food safety regulation, and environmental health services. They have many additional officials like public defenders , arts commissioners, human rights commissioners, and planning commissioners. There may be
411-446: A consolidated city-county or independent city exists, a city council usually governs city/county or city affairs. In some counties, day-to-day operations are overseen by an elected county executive or by a chief administrative officer or county administrator who reports to the board, the mayor, or both. In many states, the board in charge of a county holds powers that transcend all three traditional branches of government. It has
548-449: A hotel in Austin, Texas. The cattle weighed 600 to 800 pounds upon arrival and within two years, they weighed almost 1,400 pounds each. By 1888, W.R. McEntire's eldest son, R. Billie McEntire, and his crew were responsible for driving the "U" Ranch cattle to new pasturage outside the state, or often experimenting with various feed types at the feedlots, and subsequently bringing those cattle to
685-565: A cash advance from the dissolution of McEntire and Co. and from investments made in the American National Bank in Dallas. Of the same year, he purchased 10,000 acres in Nolan and Mitchell Counties, and moved his family to Colorado City, Texas, to send his children to school. Eventually, his four sons, Fowler McEntire, James H. McEntire, W.R. McEntire, Jr, and R.B. McEntire, Jr, formed a partnership,
822-541: A central transportation hub for the region. The Santa Fe Railroad arrived in 1888 and the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway in 1909. After a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak hit the United States in the early 1900s, many patients moved to San Angelo. At the time, doctors could only recommend rest in dry, warm climates. TB sufferers went to San Angelo for treatment, and a sanitarium was built in nearby Carlsbad. In 1928,
959-424: A county fire department and a county police department – as distinguished from fire and police departments operated by individual cities, special districts, or the state government. For example, Gwinnett County, Georgia , and its county seat, the city of Lawrenceville , each have their own police departments. (A separate county sheriff's department is responsible for security of the county courts and administration of
1096-461: A debt recovery corporation, and Blue Cross all employ over 1,000 individuals each locally. San Angelo serves as the regional medical center for west-central Texas. Shannon Medical Center employs over 3,000 in San Angelo and provides services to a large region of west-central Texas. The manufacturing industry has seen hits since the 1990s; however, many large employers still remain, including Ethicon
1233-486: A division of Johnson & Johnson , Conner Steel, and Hirschfield Steel. The several large institutional employers in the city include Shannon Medical Center, Angelo State University, and Goodfellow Air Force Base . The last remains the largest employer in the region, employing or providing income for over 24,000 in San Angelo. The Sunset Mall , the area's major shopping mall, opened in 1979. The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts opened in 1999 in downtown San Angelo on
1370-481: A female householder with no husband present, and 24.80% were not families. About 23% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.15. In the county, the population was distributed as 28.70% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
1507-454: A female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were not families. About 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.05. In the city, the age distribution was 23.4% under 18 and 13.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.8 years. The population was 48.7% male and 51.3% female. The median income for
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#17329058851911644-460: A few counties bear names of Native American , French, or Spanish origin. Counties are most often named for people, often political figures or early settlers, with over 2,100 of the 3,144 total so named. The most common county name, with 31, is Washington County , for America's first president, George Washington . Up until 1871, there was a Washington County within the District of Columbia , but it
1781-569: A group of 19 braves in a search for buffalo, and by June 29, they had yet to find any buffalo, so they killed a horse on the "U" Ranch, near the headwaters of the Concho River in Howard County , and an ensuing battle with the Texas Rangers soon followed. (I claim that this entire "raid" was probably not by Comanches—possibly by Apaches—but most likely non-Indian horse thieves. It was a cover-up of
1918-420: A household in the city was $ 38,777, and for a family was $ 49,640. Males had a median income of $ 33,257 versus $ 26,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 20,970. About 13.9% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. San Angelo has consistently been ranked by many publications and rankings as one of
2055-400: A land area of 20,057 square miles (51,947 km ). The least extensive county is Kalawao County, Hawaii , with a land area of 11.991 square miles (31.058 km ). The least extensive county equivalent in the 50 states is the independent city of Falls Church, Virginia , with a land area of 1.999 square miles (5.177 km ). If U.S. territories are included,
2192-453: A large number of counties, and many Western states were sparsely populated when counties were created by their respective state legislatures. The five counties of Rhode Island and eight of the 14 counties of Massachusetts no longer have functional county governments, but continue to exist as legal and census entities. Connecticut abolished county governments in 1960, leaving its eight counties as mere legal and census entities. In 2022,
2329-882: A matter of U.S. state law , so the specific governmental powers of counties may vary widely between the states, with many providing some level of services to civil townships , municipalities , and unincorporated areas . Certain municipalities are in multiple counties ; New York City is uniquely partitioned into five counties, referred to at the city government level as boroughs . Some municipalities have been consolidated with their county government to form consolidated city-counties , or have been legally separated from counties altogether to form independent cities . Conversely, counties in Connecticut and Rhode Island , eight of Massachusetts's 14 counties , and Alaska's Unorganized Borough have no government power, existing only as geographic distinctions. The United States Census Bureau uses
2466-525: A member of the Texas Tech University System since 2007. San Angelo has a branch of Howard College , which is based in Big Spring, Texas . The two-year school prepares students academically for transfer to a four-year university, and concentrates in technical and occupational fields of study that lead to certificates and/or associate in applied science degrees. A branch of Park University
2603-415: A population over 100,000; 137 counties have a population over 500,000; 45 counties have a population over 1,000,000; and 14 counties have a population over 2,000,000. At the other extreme, 35 counties have a population under 1,000; 307 counties have a population under 5,000; 709 counties have a population under 10,000; and 1,492 counties have a population between 10,000 and 50,000. At the 2000 U.S. Census ,
2740-591: A result of the brothers becoming owners and subsequently managing their own operations in Sterling County. In 1927, R. Billie McEntire sold the acreage in Sterling County to his sons. Eventually, Fowler and James H. McEntire purchased their brothers' interests, with each owning one-half of the acreage in Sterling County. R. Billie McEntire continued ranching in Mitchell and Nolan Counties until his death in 1937. George H. McEntire received title to 23,000 acres and operated
2877-524: A series of new forts designed to protect the frontier. The fort was home to cavalry, infantry, and the famous Black Cavalry, also known as buffalo soldiers by American Indians. The settler Bartholomew J. DeWitt founded the village of Santa Angela outside the fort at the junction of the North and South Concho Rivers. He named the village after his wife, Carolina Angela. The name was eventually changed to San Angela. The name would change again to San Angelo in 1883 on
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#17329058851913014-499: A single operation and single fence line, or perhaps having access to large, disparate ranches that could provide the ability to easily move livestock between operations. As a reaction to the continued encroachment of squatters and homesteaders from the growing settlement of Sterling City, W.R. McEntire purchased 10,000 acres west of Sterling City in 1884, near the intersection of the Lacy Creek and Concho River. In 1890, W.R. McEntire sold
3151-403: A sustainable form of theatre was established. In 1969‚ a fire demolished the school building in which the theatre was housed. The theatre performed at various locations for 13 years, until purchasing the 230-seat historic Parkway Theater in 1980. Angelo Civic Theatre continues to serve the community of San Angelo and produce six in-house plays a year. Ballet San Angelo was founded in 1983 for
3288-428: Is Lake . Words from Native American languages, as well as the names of Native American leaders and tribes, lend their names to many counties. Quite a few counties bear names of French or Spanish origin, such as Marquette County being named after French missionary Father Jacques Marquette . The county's equivalent in the state of Louisiana, the parish (Fr. paroisse civile and Sp. parroquia ) took its name during
3425-564: Is 343 sq mi (890 km ), whereas in Utah it is 2,427 sq mi (6,290 km ). The most extensive county or county equivalent is the Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , with a land area of 145,505 square miles (376,856 km ). All nine of the most extensive county equivalents are in Alaska. The most extensive county is San Bernardino County, California , with
3562-541: Is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas , United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley , a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage Plains to the northeast, and Central Texas to the southeast. According to the 2020 United States Census , San Angelo had a total population of 99,893. It is the principal city and center of
3699-423: Is an unusual case because it encompasses multiple entire counties in one city. Each of those counties is coextensive with one of the five boroughs of the city: Manhattan (New York County), The Bronx (Bronx County), Queens (Queens County), Brooklyn (Kings County), and Staten Island (Richmond County). San Angelo, Texas San Angelo ( / s æ n ˈ æ n dʒ ə l oʊ / SAN AN -jə-loh )
3836-500: Is either done at the state level or at the municipal level. In Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts, regional councils have been established to partially fill the void left behind by the abolished county governments. The regional councils' authority is limited compared with a county government—they have authority only over infrastructure and land use planning, distribution of state and federal funds for infrastructure projects, emergency preparedness, and limited law enforcement duties. In
3973-399: Is greater than the populations of 41 U.S. states, and is only slightly smaller than the combined population of the 10 least populous states and Washington, D.C. It also makes the population of Los Angeles County 17.4 times greater than that of the least populous state, Wyoming. The second most populous county is Cook County, Illinois , with a population of 5,275,541. Cook County's population
4110-790: Is in the San Angelo Independent School District . Small parts are within the Wall Independent School District (southeast San Angelo), the Grape Creek Independent School District (northwest San Angelo), and the Veribest Independent School District . The two main high schools are Central with Central Freshmen Campus and Lake View (of San Angelo ISD). Three middle schools and 21 elementary schools are within San Angelo city limits. Eight private schools operate in
4247-455: Is larger than that of 28 individual U.S. states and the combined populations of the six smallest states. The least populous county is Loving County, Texas , with 64 residents in 2020. Eight county equivalents in the U.S. territories have no human population: Rose Atoll , Northern Islands Municipality , Baker Island , Howland Island , Jarvis Island , Johnston Atoll , Kingman Reef , and Navassa Island . The remaining three islands in
Sterling County, Texas - Misplaced Pages Continue
4384-630: Is located between the head of the Concho River and the Pecos River, about 15 miles southwest of Big Lake in Reagan County and 30 miles east of the Pecos River, while the Seven-D Ranch headquarters was located on Comanche Creek four miles east of Fort Stockton in central Pecos County . Under the new homestead law, settlers began purchasing the “even-numbered” sections from the state for the benefit of
4521-597: Is located on the Goodfellow Air Force Base. The Goodfellow Campus Center has been providing higher education to the Concho Valley area since 1989. Park University's main campus was established in 1875 and is located in Parkville, Missouri. San Angelo is also home to a branch of American Commercial College, a private for-profit career college. It offers seven career certificate programs. Almost all of San Angelo
4658-713: Is no formal level of government (municipality, public education, or otherwise) existing below that of the county in the state. In most Midwestern and Northeastern states, counties are further subdivided into townships or towns , which sometimes exercise local powers or administration. Throughout the United States, counties may contain other independent, self-governing municipalities . In New England, counties function at most as judicial court districts and sheriff's departments (presently, in Connecticut only as judicial court districts—and in Rhode Island , they have lost both those functions and most others but they are still used by
4795-508: Is now a moist county. Original native Plains Indians included Comanche , Lipan Apache , Kiowa , and Kickapoo . The region had a number of violent encounters between the Comanche , local ranchmen, and Texas Rangers . A deadly skirmish occurred in the 1870s between area ranchmen and the Comanche on the Lacy Creek on the present day Campstool Ranch. “The Fight at Live Oak Mott” is an account of
4932-410: Is rarely a county responsibility, execution of capital punishment is never a county responsibility, and the state's responses to prisoners' appeals are the responsibility of the state attorney general , who has to defend before the state appellate courts the prosecutions conducted by locally elected district attorneys in the name of the state. Furthermore, county-level trial court judges are officers of
5069-644: Is served by the San Angelo Regional Airport , which offers daily flights through Envoy Air to the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport . Intrastate and interstate bus service is provided by Greyhound , with regularly scheduled service to major cities in Texas and nationwide. Intracity public transportation is provided by the Concho Valley Transit District with five fixed bus routes, with transfers provided at
5206-557: Is simultaneously a city, which is a municipality (municipal corporation), and a county, which is an administrative division of a state, having the powers and responsibilities of both types of entities. The city limit or jurisdiction is synonymous with the county line, as the two administrative entities become a non-dichotomous single entity. For this reason, a consolidated city-county is officially remarked as name of city – name of county (i.e., Augusta–Richmond County in Georgia). The same
5343-501: Is true of the boroughs of New York City , each of which is coextensive with a county of New York State. For those entities in which the city uses the same name as the county, city and county of name may be used (i.e., City and County of Denver in Colorado). Similarly, some of Alaska 's boroughs have merged with their principal cities, creating unified city-boroughs. Some such consolidations and mergers have created cities that rank among
5480-634: The Alaska Constitutional Convention wanted to avoid the traditional county system and adopted their own unique model with different types of boroughs varying in powers and duties. In some states, these powers are partly or mostly devolved to the counties' smaller divisions usually called townships , though in New York, New England and Wisconsin they are called "towns". The county may or may not be able to override its townships on certain matters, depending on state law. The newest county in
5617-626: The Chihuahuan Desert at the junction of the North and South Concho Rivers . The city has three lakes: Twin Buttes Reservoir , O.C. Fisher Reservoir , and Lake Nasworthy . The Middle Concho River joined the South Concho several miles upstream, but the confluence has been obscured by the Twin Buttes dam. San Angelo is about 225 miles (362 km) west of Austin . San Angelo falls near
Sterling County, Texas - Misplaced Pages Continue
5754-454: The City and County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ; City and County of San Francisco, California ; and Lynchburg-Moore County, Tennessee A consolidated city-county may still contain independent municipalities maintaining some governmental powers that did not merge with the rest of the county. For example, the government of Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida , still provides county-level services to
5891-597: The Mid-Atlantic and Midwest , counties typically provide, at a minimum, courts, public utilities , libraries, hospitals, public health services, parks, roads, law enforcement, and jails. There is usually a county registrar, recorder, or clerk (the exact title varies) who collects vital statistics , holds elections (sometimes in coordination with a separate elections office or commission), and prepares or processes certificates of births, deaths, marriages, and dissolutions (divorce decrees). The county recorder normally maintains
6028-552: The New York City Borough of Manhattan), with 72,033 persons per square mile (27,812 persons/km ) in 2015. The Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , is both the most extensive and the least densely populated county or county equivalent with 0.0380 persons per square mile (0.0147 persons/km ) in 2015. In the 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), a total of 981 counties have a population over 50,000; 592 counties have
6165-559: The Province of Maine founded York County . Massachusetts followed in 1643. Pennsylvania and New York delegated significant power and responsibility from the colony government to county governments and thereby established a pattern for most of the United States, although counties remained relatively weak in New England . When independence came, the framers of the Constitution left
6302-594: The San Angelo metropolitan area , which had a population of 121,516. San Angelo is home to Angelo State University , historic Fort Concho , and Goodfellow Air Force Base . It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Angelo . In 1632, a short-lived mission of Franciscans under Spanish auspices was founded in the area to serve native people. The mission was led by the friars Juan de Salas and Juan de Ortega, with Ortega remaining for six months. The area
6439-437: The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands ( Midway Atoll , Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island ) have small non-permanent human populations. The county equivalent with the smallest non-zero population counted in the census is Swains Island, American Samoa (17 people), although since 2008 this population has not been permanent either. The most densely populated county or county equivalent is New York County, New York (coextensive with
6576-569: The USGS counts Guam's election districts (villages) as county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the 3 main islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands as county equivalents, while the USGS counts the districts of the U.S. Virgin Islands (of which there are 2) as county equivalents. Common sources of county names are names of people, geographic features, places in other states or countries, and animals. Quite
6713-545: The United States , a county or county equivalent is an administrative or political subdivision of a U.S. state or other territories of the United States which consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term " county " is used in 48 states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes and boroughs , respectively. Counties and other local governments exist as
6850-522: The United States Army to protect settlers and maintain vital trade routes. The restored site is home to several museums, and is open to visitors Tuesday through Sunday. Fort Concho is one of nine forts along the Texas Forts Trail . The San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo is held annually. It began in 1932, making it one of the longest-running rodeos in the world. It is nationally renowned within
6987-671: The United States Census Bureau and some other federal agencies for some federal functions), and most of the governmental authority below the state level is in the hands of towns and cities . In several of Maine's sparsely populated counties, small towns rely on the county for law enforcement, and in New Hampshire several social programs are administered at the state level. In Connecticut, Rhode Island, and parts of Massachusetts, counties are now only geographic designations, and they do not have any governmental powers. All government
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#17329058851917124-466: The county seat ("parish seat" in Louisiana, "borough seat" in Alaska, or " shire town " in several New England counties). The county seat usually resides in a municipality. However, some counties may have multiple seats or no seat. In some counties with no incorporated municipalities, a large settlement may serve as the county seat. The power of county governments varies widely from state to state, as does
7261-473: The median land area of U.S. counties was 622 sq mi (1,610 km ), which is two-thirds of the median land area of a ceremonial county of England , and a little more than a quarter of the median land area of a French département . Counties in the western United States typically have a much larger land area than those in the eastern United States. For example, the median land area of counties in Georgia
7398-457: The "U" Ranch grazed upwards of 50,000 head of cattle across five counties, with the cattle being driven to pasturage outside of Texas or to cattle feedlots to increase the animals' weight prior to the final drive to cattle markets in Fort Worth, Kansas City, Chicago, and St. Louis. Large cattle drives to Colorado City and Fort Worth routinely occurred between 1875 and the mid-1880s, at a time
7535-667: The "U" Ranch headquarters and included portions of the Kennedy Ranch, Half Circle S Ranch, and the Peacock-Kellogg Horse Ranch. The era of the large open-range cattle kings had come to a close by 1890, with the MS Ranch and Half Circle S Ranch being bankrupted, and the "U" Ranch in the process of being consolidated into contiguous acreage. The derivatives of W.R. McEntire's initial "U" Ranch are currently owned and operated as distinct ranches by his descendants. These ranches are
7672-590: The "U" Ranch operations to include over 250,000 acres (1,000 km) with approximately 105,000 acres (420 km) located in Glasscock and Reagan Counties. The "U" Ranch now extended from 12 miles west of Garden City to Grierson's Spring in Reagan County, included the section of the Goodnight-Loving Trail between the Concho and Pecos Rivers and bordered the Seven-D Ranch in the southwest. Grierson's Spring
7809-551: The "U" Ranch under a partnership with his father, McEntire & Son. In 1962, George H. McEntire gave his two children, George H. McEntire, Jr. and Virginia McEntire, 16,233 acres each. George H. McEntire, Jr. continued his operations under the "U" Ranch name, while Virginia McEntire operated the acreage as the VJ Ranch. The ranch is currently owned by Ruth Caldwell, daughter of George H. McEntire, Jr. The county suffered droughts in 1883 and 1886–87. The former ignited fence-cutting wars in
7946-725: The "U" Ranch was the first ranch established west of San Angelo in Tom Green County, Texas . The ranch was located about six miles northwest of Sterling City on the North Concho River extending northwestward through Glasscock County to the headwaters of the river in Howard County , the Sterling Creek (headwaters to the mouth of the river) in the east/southeast, the Renderbrook Spade Ranch in Mitchell County in
8083-523: The 105,000 acres (420 km) in Glasscock and Reagan Counties, including 3,000 head of cattle and 100 horses, to J.B. Slaughter, which subsequently became the first U Lazy S Ranch. In 1898, J.B. Slaughter sold the acreage and moved his cattle and operations to his new U Lazy S Ranch in Borden and Garza Counties. In 1896, R. Billie McEntire returned to Sterling County and purchased about 10,000 acres which adjoined
8220-400: The 1870s to raise horses and hunt buffalo. Camp Elizabeth began as a Texas Ranger camp circa 1853. It became an outpost hospital facility of Fort Concho in 1874–1886. During the era of the open range, the acreage owned by the large land and cattle outfits did not adjoin other pasturelands that were already owned, creating a checkered pattern of land ownership. This pattern was attributed to
8357-451: The 50 states and District of Columbia. There are an additional 100 county equivalents in the territories of the United States . The average number of counties per state is 62, with a range from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . Southern and Midwestern states generally tend to have more counties than Western or Northeastern states, as many Northeastern states are not large enough in area to warrant
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#17329058851918494-454: The 50 states and the District of Columbia. If the 100 county equivalents in the U.S. territories are counted, then the total is 3,244 counties and county-equivalents in the United States. The idea of counties originated with the counties of England . English (after 1707, British ) colonists brought to their colonies in North America a political subdivision that they already used in
8631-973: The British metropole : the counties. Counties were among the earliest units of local government established in the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. Virginia created the first counties in order to ease the administrative workload in Jamestown . The House of Burgesses divided the colony first into four "incorporations" in 1617 and finally into eight shires (or counties) in 1634: James City , Henrico , Charles City , Charles River , Warrosquyoake , Accomac , Elizabeth City , and Warwick River . America's oldest intact county court records can be found at Eastville, Virginia , in Northampton (originally Accomac) County , dating to 1632. Maryland established its first county, St. Mary's in 1637. In 1639,
8768-556: The Common School Fund in 1883. In conjunction with the introduction of the fence, these settlers began owning land that was previously controlled by the large cattle outfits, and this eventually led to the Fence Cutting Wars. This acreage was sold by the state on a first-come, first-served basis with the county advertising the availability of land, which resulted in extremely long lines at the county clerks' offices and increased
8905-630: The Fence Cutting Wars. In the 1870s, the area was dominated by large land and cattle outfits such as the Half Circle S, established by the Peacock brothers; the MS, set up by Schuster, Henry, and Company; and the "U" Ranch, established by J.D. Earnest and W.J. Holland. In 1880, Colonel William Randolph McEntire purchased the 80,000-acre (325-km) "U" Ranch from M.B. Stephenson. Established in 1876 by J.D. Earnest and W.J. Holland, and later sold to M.B. Stephenson in 1879,
9042-402: The Lacy Creek. As the era of the open range began to conclude, W.R. McEntire realized that contiguous acreage would be increasingly important to the success of any cattle outfit, and he began quickly purchasing any available acreage with the prospect of establishing a buffer around the "U" Ranch, or selling or bartering that acquisition for adjoining acreage to his primary operation, either under
9179-484: The River Stage, an outdoor venue on the Concho River. Angelo Civic Theatre is the oldest community theatre in Texas. It was founded on November 21, 1885, to raise resources for a town clock at the county courthouse. Though wavering economic times and two world wars stopped artistic efforts in the community on a number of occasions, theatrical productions continued. In 1950, Angelo Civic Theatre gained nonprofit status and
9316-531: The Spring Creek Wetland, which has 260 acres (110 ha) being developed by the Federal Bureau of Reclamation, including a 7-mile (11 km) trail; its terrain varies from a semiarid environment to a freshwater marsh. It also maintains the one-mile (1.6-km) nature trail off Spillway Road. Historic Fort Concho, a National Historic Landmark maintained by the city of San Angelo, was founded in 1867 by
9453-482: The Stephens Performing Arts Center (formerly a Coca-Cola factory) which contains the 300-seat Brooks and Bates Theater, a black-box theater, seven ballet studios, and administrative spaces. Since its inaugural 2017–2018 season, SAPAC has hosted over 100 performances annually. Downtown San Angelo is home to various art galleries. The San Angelo Art Walk, held every third Thursday, includes a viewing of
9590-644: The U.S. Census Bureau began to also count Connecticut's Councils of Governments , which took over some of the regional powers from the state's former county governments, as county equivalents. Territories of the United States do not have counties; instead, the United States Census Bureau also divides them into county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts American Samoa 's districts and atolls as county equivalents. American Samoa locally has places called "counties", but these entities are considered to be " minor civil divisions " (not true counties) by
9727-473: The U.S. Census Bureau recognized the state's nine Councils of Governments as replacement for the state's eight legacy counties for all statistical purposes; full implementation was completed in 2024. The average U.S. county population was 104,435 in 2019, while the median county, which is Nicholas County, West Virginia , had a population of 25,965 in 2019. The most populous county is Los Angeles County, California , with 10,014,009 residents in 2020. This number
9864-475: The U.S. Census Bureau treats American Samoa's three districts and two atolls as county equivalents). American Samoa's counties are treated as minor civil divisions. Most territories are directly divided into municipalities or similar units, which are treated as equivalent of counties for statistical purposes: The U.S. Census Bureau counts all of Guam as one county equivalent (with the FIPS code 66010), while
10001-683: The U.S. Census Bureau. The number of counties per state ranges from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . County populations also vary widely: in 2017, according to the Census Bureau, more than half the U.S. population was concentrated in just 143 of the more than 3,000 counties, or just 4.6% of all counties; the five most populous counties, ordered from most to least, are Los Angeles County, California ; Cook County, Illinois ; Harris County, Texas ; Maricopa County, Arizona ; and San Diego County, California . As of 2022 , there are 3,144 counties and county-equivalents in
10138-484: The United States is the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado , established in 2001 as a consolidated city-county , previously part of four counties. The newest county equivalents are the Alaskan census areas of Chugach and Copper River , both established in 2019, and the Alaskan boroughs of Petersburg established in 2013, Wrangell established in 2008, and Skagway established in 2007. A consolidated city-county
10275-482: The banks of the Concho River, built with local limestone and end-grain Texas mesquite. It attracts over 85,000 visitors a year, and is home to the National Ceramic Competition. The San Angelo Performing Arts Center (PAC) provides access to the highest level of performing arts by presenting local, national, and international touring shows at two historic venues: the 1,350-seat 1928 Murphey Auditorium and
10412-423: The beginning of 1991, 286,548,000 barrels (45,557,500 m) of crude had been extracted from within the county. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 924 square miles (2,390 km), of which 923 square miles (2,390 km) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km) (0.01%) is covered by water. As of the census of 2000, 1,393 people, 513 households, and 385 families resided in
10549-552: The best small cities for business and employment. In 2013, it ranked fourth in the nation in Forbes magazine's "Best Small Cities For Jobs" rankings. In 2010, Kiplinger's Personal Finance named San Angelo as one of the "Best Cities of the Next Decade". In 2009, CNN Money ranked San Angelo as one of the best cities to launch a small business. San Angelo has a diverse economy for a city of its size. Although most oil fields lie to
10686-402: The board. These positions may include county clerk , county treasurer , county surrogate, sheriff , and others. District attorneys or state attorneys are usually state-level as opposed to county-level officials, but in many states, counties and state judicial districts have coterminous boundaries. The site of a county's administration, and often the county courthouse , is generally called
10823-435: The boundary between the subtropical semiarid scrubland (Köppen BSh ) and midlatitude scrubland climates (Köppen BSk ). It is located at the region where Central Texas meets West Texas weather. Temperatures reach 100 °F (37.8 °C) about 30.1 days per year on average. However, in 2011, San Angelo recorded 100 days of 100 °F (37.8 °C) or higher. The typical year has 60.3 days with lows below freezing. Though
10960-512: The census of 2010, 93,200 people, 36,117 households, and 22,910 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,601 people/sq mi (618/km ). The racial makeup of the city was about 83.0% White, 5.4% African American, 1.4% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 11.3% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 38.5% of the population. Of the 36,117 households, 27.6% had children under 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 14.2% had
11097-410: The city and the county at least nominally exist, they are properly classified as counties in their own right. Likewise, the boroughs of New York City are coextensive with counties and are therefore by definition also not county equivalents. There are technically no counties in U.S. territories. American Samoa has its own counties , but the U.S. Census Bureau does not treat them as counties (instead,
11234-499: The city founded San Angelo College, one of the region's first institutes of higher education. The city had been passed over by the Texas State Legislature to be the home of what would become Texas Tech University . San Angelo College, one of the first municipal colleges, has grown to become Angelo State University . The military returned to San Angelo during World War II with the founding of Goodfellow Air Force Base, which
11371-468: The city, certified through the 12th grade, which include Ambleside School of San Angelo (a member of Ambleside Schools International), San Angelo Christian Academy, the Angelo Catholic School (only up to 8th grade), Cornerstone Christian School, Gateway Christian Academy, Trinity Lutheran School, Potter's Hand Christian School, and Texas Leadership Charter Academy (a charter school ). San Angelo
11508-618: The city. Two agricultural research centers are located in San Angelo: the Angelo State University Management Instruction and Research Center and the Texas A&;M Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo. The telecommunication industry is a strong employer in San Angelo. Sitel has a call center in San Angelo. In addition, Frontier Communications , Performant Recovery Inc. (formerly DCS),
11645-421: The county (which merely implements state law). A typical criminal defendant will be arraigned and subsequently indicted or held over for trial before a trial court in and for a particular county where the crime occurred, kept in the county jail (if he is not granted bail or cannot make bail), prosecuted by the county's district attorney, and tried before a jury selected from that county. But long-term incarceration
11782-457: The county jail.) In several southern states, public school systems are organized and administered at the county level. As of 2024 , there were 2,999 counties, 64 Louisiana parishes , 19 organized boroughs and 11 census areas in Alaska, 9 Councils of Government in Connecticut, 41 independent cities , and the District of Columbia for a total of 3,144 counties and county equivalents in
11919-494: The county, and the latter of which bankrupted the Half Circle S ranch. Fence Cutting Wars in Texas lasted for close to five years, 1883–1888. As open range areas gave way to farming homesteaders who fenced their land, cattlemen found it more difficult to feed their herds. In some cases, large land owners also fenced public land as their property. As water and grass became increasingly scarce during droughts, homesteaders and ranch-hands began cutting through fences. Newspapers condemned
12056-489: The county. Sterling County experienced a brief boom when the number of farms and ranches in the area increased from 131 in 1920 to 176 by 1925. In 1914, Boy Scout State Encampment was hosted by Colonel W.R. McEntire and George McEntire, Sr, on the "U" Ranch. The county's economy declined during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Oil discovered in Sterling County in 1947 helped to bail out the area's declining economy. By
12193-455: The county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km). The 633 housing units averaged 1 units per square mile (0.39 units/km). The racial makeup of the county was 62.1% White, 1.1% Black, 2.5% from other races, and 34.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 513 households, 36.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.10% were married couples living together, 7.00% had
12330-488: The demise of the buffalo herds and the departure of Indian tribes. Indian fighter and buffalo hunter W. S. Sterling settled in the area around 1858. Two decades later, Sterling became a U.S. Marshal in Arizona and was killed in an Apache ambush near Fort Apache . Fellow buffalo hunter S. J. Wiley also settled in the county about the same time as Sterling. According to legend, Frank and Jesse James hid out on Sterling Creek in
12467-622: The events as written by W.K. Kellis, in the Sterling City News-Record , and later published in Frontier Times by J. Marvin Hunter. In 1879, the last significant battle between the Texas Rangers and the Comanche occurred on the "U" Ranch, at the time the ranch was owned by Earnest and Holland. The Comanches, led by the Quahada chief named Black Horse , left Fort Sill, Oklahoma, on May 29 with
12604-439: The fence cutters, and property owners employed their own armed security forces. Texas Governor John Ireland prodded a special assembly to order the fence cutters to cease. In response, the legislature made fence-cutting and pasture-burning crimes punishable with prison time, while at the same time regulating the building of fences. While the practice abated, sporadic incidents of related violence continued through 1888. The county
12741-399: The four independent municipalities within its borders: Atlantic Beach , Baldwin , Jacksonville Beach , and Neptune Beach . The term county equivalents is used by the United States Census Bureau to describe divisions that are comparable to counties but called by different names: Consolidated city-counties are not designated county equivalents for administrative purposes; since both
12878-461: The general law of the state or by a charter specific to that county. States may allow only general-law counties, only charter counties, or both. Generally, general-law local governments have less autonomy than chartered local governments. Counties are usually governed by an elected body, variously called the county commission , board of supervisors , commissioners' court , county council , county court , or county legislature . In cases in which
13015-622: The geographically largest cities in the world, though often with population densities far below those of most urban areas. There are 40 consolidated city-counties in the U.S., including Augusta–Richmond County; the City and County of Denver, Colorado; the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii ; Indianapolis–Marion County, Indiana ; Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida ; Louisville–Jefferson County, Kentucky ; Lexington–Fayette County, Kentucky ; Kansas City–Wyandotte County, Kansas ; Nashville–Davidson County, Tennessee ; New Orleans–Orleans Parish, Louisiana ;
13152-536: The insistence of the United States Postal Service , as San Angela was grammatically incorrect in Spanish. The town became a trade center for farmers and settlers in the area, as well as a fairly lawless cowtown filled with brothels, saloons, and gambling houses. After being designated as the county seat, the town grew quickly in the 1880s, aided by being on the route of newly constructed railroads. It became
13289-405: The judicial branch of the state government rather than county governments. In many states, the county controls all unincorporated lands within its boundaries. In states with a township tier, unincorporated land is controlled by the townships. Residents of unincorporated land who are dissatisfied with county-level or township-level resource allocation decisions can attempt to vote to incorporate as
13426-458: The land within 12 years of the initial survey. As a result, the large cattle ranches, often having the earliest presence in the area, initially consisted only of the odd-numbered sections within each block until adjoining acreage was acquired from the State of Texas, such as those lands sold by the Common School Fund. The checkered pattern of land ownership did not create many problems during the time of
13563-475: The largest collections in the world. The city also provides several municipal parks on Lake Nasworthy, one of three lakes near the city; the others are Twin Buttes Reservoir and O.C. Fisher Reservoir. The 7,677-acre (3,107 ha) San Angelo State Park , owned and maintained by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department , is located on the shores of the O.C. Fisher Reservoir. Many activities are available within
13700-560: The least extensive county equivalent is Kingman Reef , with a land area of 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ). In some states, a municipality may be in only one county and may not annex territory in adjacent counties, but in the majority of states, the state constitution or state law allows municipalities to extend across county boundaries. At least 32 states include municipalities in multiple counties . Dallas , for example, contains portions of five counties, while numerous other cities comprise portions of four counties. New York City
13837-416: The legislative power to enact laws for the county; it has the executive power to oversee the executive operations of county government; and it has quasi-judicial power with regard to certain limited matters (such as hearing appeals from the planning commission if one exists). In many states, several important officials are elected separately from the board of commissioners or supervisors and cannot be fired by
13974-539: The likelihood that the desired acreage would not be available. As a result of Common School Fund process, W.R. McEntire, while in Dallas, sent representatives from Tom Green County to acquire as much land as possible and to keep others out of the line until the desired acreage was obtained. North Carolinian James Jefferson Lafayott Glass came to the county in 1883 and signed on with the Sterling Brothers’ Half Circle S outfit. He later homesteaded acreage along
14111-740: The main horse pasture of the Renderbrook Spade Ranch while the McEntire crew weathered the storm at ranch headquarters over several days. With minimal losses after the blizzard, the McEntire crew continued the drive towards Colorado City and the feedlots in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. R. Billie kept the cattle at the feedlots for 10 months waiting for ideal market conditions in Fort Worth. In Arkansas, he married Eudora Fowler and subsequently moved to Dallas to work at American National Bank, which his father, W.R. McEntire, founded and controlled with C.C. Slaughter,
14248-464: The markets as soon as certain market prices were attained. During his last cattle drive in 1893, they began experiencing inclement weather as soon as they left the "U" Ranch towards Colorado City and as they neared the Renderbrook Spade Ranch , a snowy blizzard moved in from the north. R. Billie, knowing the owners, the Snyder brothers, cut the perimeter fence and drove over 1,000 head of cattle southward into
14385-674: The matter to the states. Subsequently, state constitutions conceptualized county governments as arms of the state. Louisiana instead adopted the local divisions called parishes that dated back to both the Spanish colonial and French colonial periods when the land was dominated by the Catholic Church . In the twentieth century, the role of local governments strengthened and counties began providing more services, acquiring home rule and county commissions to pass local ordinances pertaining to their unincorporated areas . In 1955, delegates to
14522-527: The mysterious killing of a Texas Ranger. And for the first time in Ranger history several of them were fired for cowardice. --Doyle Phillips) Although the county was part of the 1842 Fisher–Miller Land Grant , no resulting settlement happened in the area. Fur traders , Texas Rangers, and federal troops passed through the area between 1800 and 1860. Settlers began arriving after the American Civil War , after
14659-613: The nation's premier regional universities, it was featured in the Princeton Review Best 373. The only other two listed from the state were Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin . Angelo State offers almost 100 different undergraduate programs and 23 graduate programs, including three doctoral programs. The university is divided into six colleges: Business, Education, Liberal and Fine Arts, Nursing and Allied Health, Sciences, and Graduate Studies. It has been
14796-514: The next most common source of county names are geographic features and locations, with some counties even being named after counties in other states, or for places in other countries, such as the United Kingdom (the latter is most common in the area of the original Thirteen Colonies in the case of the United Kingdom, or in places which had a large number of immigrants from a particular area for other countries). The most common geographic county name
14933-530: The northeast and J.B. Slaughter's ranch in the northwest. The ranch itself consisted of three headquarters - one on the Concho, one at the mouth of Sterling Creek and one at the headwaters of Sterling Creek - and were twelve to twenty-five miles apart. After subsequent land acquisitions, the "U" Ranch was enlarged to include over 250,000 acres (1,000 km) and eventually bordered the Seven-D Ranch in Pecos County in
15070-424: The official record of all real estate transactions. Other key county officials include the coroner / medical examiner , treasurer , assessor , auditor , comptroller , and district attorney . In most states, the county sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county. However, except in major emergencies where clear chains of command are essential, the county sheriff normally does not directly control
15207-544: The only active modular theatre in the United States. The university also presents numerous concerts and recitals throughout the year, and has numerous displays in the Angelo State University Art Gallery. The public is encouraged to attend. The San Angelo City Park system was created in 1903. The city has 32 parks with over 375 acres (1.52 km ) of developed land. The department maintains a 33-acre municipal golf course (Santa Fe Park Golf Course) along
15344-491: The only remaining segments still in existence of the first large cattle outfit in the region. In 1906, W.R. McEntire divided his ranching estate between his two sons, R. Billie McEntire and George H. McEntire. His daughter, Lula Elizabeth McEntire, received title to the estate not associated with agriculture. R. Billie McEntire received title to the Harrison Ranch in Dallas, and the n+ Ranch in Sterling County. He also received
15481-439: The open range, as the large cattle outfits “controlled” vast amounts of open rangeland for grazing and could move cattle from pasture to pasture without having to compensate any other land owner or even the State. However, after the large influx of settlers, the building of fences, and the restricted access to surface waters during drought, tensions escalated between the settlers and established cattle outfits and eventually lead to
15618-474: The owner of the Lazy S Ranch. R.B. McEntire's younger brother, George, also followed the same path, learning finance at American National Bank in Dallas prior to returning to Sterling County and subsequently either assuming ownership or control of the ranch. Between 1880 and 1900, W.R. McEntire acquired additional rangeland throughout Glasscock, Howard, Mitchell, Nolan, Sterling, Tom Green, and Reagan Counties, enlarging
15755-567: The park, including camping, picnicking, and swimming, as well as hiking, mountain biking, orienteering, and horseback riding on over 50 miles (80 km) of developed trails. The park is home to the official State of Texas Longhorn herd . The San Angelo Nature Center, located at Lake Nasworthy, is an educational center open to the public. It features many native and exotic animals, including alligators , bobcats , prairie dogs , tortoises , and 85 different species of reptiles, including 22 different species of rattlesnakes . The center includes
15892-448: The police departments of city governments, but merely cooperates with them (e.g., under mutual aid pacts). Thus, the most common interaction between county and city law enforcement personnel is when city police officers deliver suspects to sheriff's deputies for detention or incarceration in the county jail. In most states, the state courts and local law enforcement are organized and implemented along county boundaries, but nearly all of
16029-506: The purpose of presenting an annual production of The Nutcracker . It offers a full season of productions including a choreography performance and a Children's Ballet. Ballet San Angelo also offers ballet training for students, a fitness program, a scholarship, and a community outreach program. Angelo State University, through "The Arts at ASU", puts on six plays a year open to the general public. These range from dinner theater and theater-in-the-round to conventional theatre productions, using
16166-416: The region does experience snow and sleet, they occur only a few times a year. The city has an average annual precipitation of 20.94 inches (532 mm), with the wettest calendar year being 2016 with 35.72 inches (907.3 mm) and the driest 1956 with 7.41 inches (188.2 mm). As of the 2020 United States census , 99,893 people, 36,843 households, and 23,026 families were residing in the city. As of
16303-520: The region was still open rangeland. The "U" Ranch drove the cattle northward to Colorado City, the nearest railroad, and shipped the cattle to Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Marlow Indian Territory. In 1882, W.R. McEntire, J.B. Wilson , and C.C. Slaughter drove 89 carloads of cattle, mostly overland, to rangeland in Orin Junction, Wyoming that was controlled by the Driskill brothers, who also owned
16440-578: The relationship between counties and incorporated cities. The powers of counties arise from state law and vary widely. In Connecticut and Rhode Island , counties are geographic entities, but not governmental jurisdictions. At the other extreme, Maryland counties and the county equivalent City of Baltimore handle almost all services, including public education , although the state retains an active oversight authority with many of these services. Counties in Hawaii also handle almost all services since there
16577-508: The river, 25 playgrounds, and 25 sports practice fields. The "crown jewels" of the parks system are the parks that make up the 10 miles (16 km) of river frontage on the Concho River winding through downtown and beyond. The parks feature many plazas, public art displays, and numerous water features. The city is home to the International Water Lily Collection. The park contains over 300 varieties of water lilies, one of
16714-441: The rodeo circuit, bringing in the top contestants and ranking as one of top-10 rodeos in the nation for monetary prizes awarded to contestants. It includes a parade, carnival, and concerts, and many other events in addition to the main stock show and rodeo. San Angelo is home to Angelo State University. Founded in 1928, it enrolls about 10,000 students, who come from almost every county in Texas, 40 states, and 24 countries. One of
16851-470: The south/southwest. During the era of the open range, the alternating "odd-numbered" sections of land retained by the State of Texas were freely accessible to the large cattle outfits that owned the "even-numbered" sections of land; therefore, the "U" Ranch controlled an additional 250,000 acres (1,000 km) of rangeland, bringing the total amount of land owned or controlled by W.R. McEntire's "U" Ranch to roughly 500,000 acres (2,000 km). During this time,
16988-541: The state's French and Spanish colonial periods. Before the Louisiana Purchase and granting of statehood, government was often administered in towns where major church parishes were located. Of the original 19 civil parishes of Louisiana that date from statehood in 1807, nine were named after the Roman Catholic parishes from which they were governed. The structure and powers of a county government may be defined by
17125-421: The substantive and procedural law adjudicated in state trial courts originates from the state legislature and state appellate courts. In other words, most criminal defendants are prosecuted for violations of state law, not local ordinances, and if they, the district attorney, or police seek reforms to the criminal justice system, they will usually have to direct their efforts towards the state legislature rather than
17262-437: The system that allocated land between the railway companies and the State of Texas. The railway companies were given the odd-numbered sections (surveys), contingent upon surveying the entire block of land (townships), and the state retained ownership of the even-numbered sections. Thus, for each section it received, a railroad company had to survey an adjoining 640 acres for the state, and the railway companies were required to sell
17399-399: The term "county equivalent" to describe places that are comparable to counties, but called by different names. Louisiana parishes, the organized boroughs of Alaska, independent cities, and the District of Columbia are equivalent to counties for administrative purposes. Alaska's Unorganized Borough is further divided into 11 census areas that are statistically equivalent to counties. In 2024,
17536-620: The various downtown art galleries. These include the Kendall Art Gallery, Ruiz Studio, Black Swan Gallery, the Glass Prism, Bonnie Beesley Rug Gallery, and the Wool 'n Cotton Shop, as well as other public art venues. A free trolley service is available to the public. The San Angelo Symphony, founded in 1949, plays several events a year, with its feature event being on July 3. Over 20,000 people regularly attend that performance, which takes place at
17673-486: The west, many oil-field service companies based in the city employ a large number of local residents. The agricultural industry in San Angelo remains strong. Producer's Livestock Auction is the nation's largest for sheep and lambs, and is among the top five in the nation for cattle auctions. Though most agricultural work is done outside the city, thousands of employees work in the cattle and lamb meat-processing industries, and many more work in agriculture supporting roles inside
17810-402: The “McEntire Brothers”, which began managing much of R. Billie McEntire's ranching operations. James H. McEntire initially became the primary manager of the ranching operations in Sterling County (about 10,000 acres) while the other three brothers were primarily engaged in Mitchell and Nolan Counties (also around 10,000 acres). This partnership lasted from circa 1915 to 1928, and was dissolved as
17947-632: Was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 35,129, and for a family was $ 37,813. Males had a median income of $ 28,173 versus $ 19,615 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 16,972. About 13.90% of families and 16.80% of the population were below the poverty line , including 23.30% of those under age 18 and 15.90% of those age 65 or over. 31°49′N 101°03′W / 31.82°N 101.05°W / 31.82; -101.05 County (United States) In
18084-416: Was assigned to train pilots at the time. San Angelo grew exponentially during the oil boom of the 1900s, when vast amounts of oil were found in the area, and the city became a regional hub of the oil and gas industry. The San Angelo Independent School District is a public school district based in San Angelo, Texas, and became one of the first in Texas to integrate, doing so voluntarily in 1955. San Angelo
18221-440: Was dissolved by the District of Columbia Organic Act . Jefferson County , for Thomas Jefferson , is next with 26. The most recent president to have a county named for him was Warren G. Harding , reflecting the slowing rate of county creation since New Mexico and Arizona became states in 1912. The most common names for counties not named after a president are Franklin (25), Clay (18), and Montgomery (18). After people,
18358-456: Was established and organized in 1891 from Tom Green County . A competition developed between Sterling City and Cummins for the county seat. Sterling City won, and most of the Cummins population moved to Sterling City by the end of the year. Cummins became a ghost town. County voters in 1898 elected to make Sterling a dry county , prohibiting the sale of alcohol within its boundaries. Sheep ranching
18495-477: Was famous for Miss Wool of America Pageant , an annual event organized by the National Wool Growers Association (U.S.) According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 58.2 sq mi (150.9 km ), of which 2.3 sq mi (6.1 km ) (4.03%) are covered by water. San Angelo falls on the northwestern edge of the Edwards Plateau and the northeastern edge of
18632-529: Was introduced to the area in about 1890. Cotton was first planted in 1889. Sterling City opened its first cotton gin in 1895, with others established later. By 1900, 136 acres (0.55 km) were planted in cotton, and by 1910, production of the fiber had expanded to 1,626 acres (6.58 km). Eventually, it became more evident that county lands were most suitable for grazing. The cotton gins eventually failed; by 1920, only 650 acres (2.6 km) in Sterling County were planted in cotton. Ranching continued to expand in
18769-593: Was visited by the Castillo-Martin expedition of 1650 and the Diego de Guadalajara expedition of 1654. During the development the region, San Angelo was at the western edge of the region called Texas, successively claimed in the 1800s by the nations of Spain , Mexico , the Republic of Texas , and finally, the United States in 1846. The city of San Angelo was founded in 1867, when the United States built Fort Concho, one of
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