Stonewall County, TX

History

STONEWALL COUNTY
Stonewall County is situated in Northwest Texas, 65 miles east of the Staked Plains. It was created from a portion of Fannin County in 1876, named for Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson, and organized in 1888. Its estimated population is 7,500; Aspermont, the county seat, has about 600. The surface is a rough, rolling, broken country, with hills and canyons. The soil varies from a sandy loam to a black waxy land. Various kinds of timber, such as mesquite, wild china, cedar, elm, hackberry and cottonwood are to be found. Salt Fork of the Brazos River runs through the northern part, while Double Mountain Fork course the southern part. Agriculture has made rapid strides In the last three or four years. The completion of railroads into the county has greatly stimulated the settling up of lands by farmers. Raw lands range from $2 to $20 per acre; cultivated lands, $10 to $25 per acre. The average annual rainfall Is 25 Inches; the average depth of wells, 75 feet. The soils are very productive, as the following principal crops, with their average yelds per acre, indicate: Cotton, one-half bale; corn, 30 bushels; milo maize and Kaffir corn, 50 bushels of seed each; sorghum, five tons; oats, 40 bushels; wheat, 16 bushels; sweet potatoes, 75 bushels. Watermelons, cantaloupes, pumpkins and squashes are grown very successfully, and with the advent of transportation facilities last year new life was given to the growing of these products. The principal fruits are peaches, plums, grapes, apricots, apples and berries. Stonewall County is typically a stock farming country. Since the sale of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad lands to small land owners there are no large cattle ranches, but many small stock farms. Last year there were 24,611 cattle, 5,920 horses and mules and 1,790 hogs. That part of the county, being broken, furnishes fine winter range, where live stock feed without grain. The Stamford and Northwestern Railroad has been completed through this county, with local mileage of 40. The Orient Railroad crosses the southeast portion. Aspermont, hitherto without railroad connection, is placed in touch with all of the principal railroad systems of the State. There are nine cotton gins, with a daily capacity of 225 bales. This county has 34 public free schools, under the supervision of 38 teachers.
[Source: "Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide", 1910. Transcribed by Brenda Wiesner]