Coryell County is a county in South Texas. The name comes from James Koryell, a former Texas Ranger who was killed by Comanche Indians in 1846. The population of the county is about 75388, as of the 2010 census. It is located on the Edwards Plateau. It is one of the smallest counties in Texas, with only a population of over a thousand people.
Before the Civil War, the Coryell County schools were subscription institutions. In 1880, there were nineteen public schools with approximately 600 students. In contrast, by 1900, there were fewer than nine percent of the population who graduated from high school. However, state funds supplemented the budgets of private schools and a number of churches were opened to serve the growing community. The 1854 founding year was also marked by the formation of Baptist and Methodist churches in the county.
The first settlements were in the region, with the most significant being Fort Gates. The United States also established other military posts along the frontier. By the early 1850s, the line of frontier forts had moved westward. The United States had seized the land from Mexico in 1825, and Coryell County became a part of the district. Though there were only a few settlements in the area, the overall population was mostly Democratic.
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the county was primarily agricultural, with 80 percent of farmland being used for farming. The county’s most important employer was the Texas Department of Corrections, and in 1924, the U.S. Congress readmitted the state to the union. As of the 2010 census, 92 percent of the county’s land area was dedicated to farms and ranches. By the early twenty-first century, plastics and other manufacturing had a significant impact on the economy. The presence of Fort Hood boosted the local economy.
The county’s population is mainly white. Its population has a high concentration of Hispanics, but there are also a few Mexicans and Natives of both cultures. In the 1930s, there were a few Mexicans, but most former slaves remained to work as sharecroppers. In the 1980s, the county had a population of 93,000 cattle. It is in the heart of the Bell/McLennan metropolitan area.
A small town, Coryell is part of the Central Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population is nearly seventy thousand, and it is home to numerous historic sites. The Leon River Bridge is a historical marker. Residents also enjoy hiking, biking, and camping. By 1900, there were more than 75,000 residents living in the county. While most people in the area are not religious, the city has a strong religious history.
The county is about 210 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Its elevation is six hundred feet above sea level. Despite this, the area has a rich heritage of history. Anglos from the north claim Mexican citizenship and settle in the region, which later becomes the site of the Texas Revolution. During the 19th century, the county’s first recorded white residents are believed to be the ancestors of today’s inhabitants.
The town of Coryell County was established in 1824. Its name came from the first resident of the county, James Coryell. He was born in Tennessee in 1796, and died on May 27, 1837, while exploring the area near Fort Milam. The town was founded by Robert Leftwich, a man who inherited the land from his grandfather and moved there with his family. The town was later known as the “Tenny-Alabama” and was known as the county of the same name.
Aside from the two schools in the county, there are other educational centers in the area. The Gatesville Education Center offers quality education programs for children. The Coryell Central Appraisal District is located on Highway 84, near the county seat. Its government offices are located in Bosque County, Bell County, and McLennan County. The citizens of these cities are known for their ties to the surrounding area.
Coryell County’s history has a long and colorful history. In the 1850s, the county’s population was approximately 2,000. The city was named for James Coryell, a frontiersman who was killed in the 1830s while defending settlers. In the 1860s, the population of Coryell County was still just over seventy-five thousand. Although this was a rural community, there were few big cities.
