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Texas Counties
Texas is divided into two hundred and fifty-four counties, more than any other state. Texas was originally divided into municipalities, a unit of local government under Spanish and Mexican rule. When the Republic of Texas gained its independence in 1836, there were 23 municipalities, which became the original Texas counties. Many of these would later be divided into new counties. The most recent county to be created was Kenedy County in 1921. The most recent county to be organized was Loving County in 1931Baylor County, Texas
Baylor County Education, Geography, and History
Baylor County is a county located in the state of Texas. Based on the 2010 census, its population was 3,726. Its county seat is Seymour. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1879. It is named for Henry Weidner Baylor, a surgeon in the Texas Rangers during the Mexican-American War.
Etymology - Origin of Baylor County Name
Henry Weidner Baylor, a surgeon in the Texas Rangers during the Mexican-American War
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Baylor County History
The legislature created Baylor County February 1, 1858, and named it for Dr. Henry Baylor, who was killed at the Dawson massacre in 1842. No settlements were made until the decade of the '70s. and the county was organized April 13, 1879. Among the pioneers was an interesting colony planted in 1878. In August of that year about forty persons arrived, under the lead of Captain J. R. McLain, having come all the way from the State of Oregon to find homes in North Texas and at that time it was said only ten other families lived in the county and those in the southeastern corner. The town which they began to build and which was chosen as the county seat was named Oregon.
Handbook of Texas Online
Baylor County was formally organized in 1879 with Seymour as county seat. That same year both Seymour and Round
Timber were assigned the county's first post offices. By 1880, fifty farms and ranches encompassing 13,506 acres had
been established in the county, supporting a population of 708 people; more than 13,506 cattle were counted in the
county that year. Baylor County's first newspaper was the Cresset, which began publishing in 1880 and lasted
for several years. It was followed by the Seymour Scimeter, which failed in 1886. Early settlers were tested
by a drought and severe winters in 1886 and 1887, but these hard times were followed by seasons of bumper wheat
crops, which led to a settlement boom. By 1890 there were 169 farms and ranches in the county, and the population
had climbed to 2,595. More at
Lawrence L. Graves, "BAYLOR COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcb04),
accessed January 23, 2016. Uploaded on June 12, 2010. Modified on January 22, 2016. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 901 square miles (2,334 km2), of which, 871
square miles (2,255 km2) of it is land and 30 square miles (78 km2) of it is water. The total area is 3.36% water.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Wilbarger County (north)
- Archer County (east)
- Throckmorton County (south)
- Knox County (west)
- Foard County (northwest)
Education
Almost all of Baylor County is served by the Seymour Independent School District, which also serves portions of adjacent counties. A small
portion is served by the Olney Independent School District.
The OISD portion was served by the Megargel Independent School District until MISD closed after May 2006.
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