San Patricio County, Texas
| San Patricio County, Texas | |
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Built in 1927, (Henry T. Phelps) this is the eighth structure to serve as the San Patricio County Courthouse in Sinton.
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 Location in the U.S. state of Texas |
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 Texas's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1836 |
| Seat | Sinton |
| Largest city | Portland |
| Area | |
| • Total | 708 sq mi (1,834 km2) |
| • Land | 693 sq mi (1,795 km2) |
| • Water | 14 sq mi (36 km2), 2.0% |
| Population | |
| • (2010) | 64,804 |
| • Density | 93/sq mi (36/km²) |
| Congressional districts | 27th, 34th |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | www |
San Patricio County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,804. Its county seat is Sinton.
San Patricio County is part of the Corpus Christi, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In 1828, 200 Irish Catholic families, recruited from Ireland and the Irish population of New York City, contracted with the Mexican government to settle on 80 leagues of land in this area. By 1836, about 500 people lived in the colony on 84 Mexican land grants. During the Texas Revolution, most fled from the colony because of fighting in the area. By 1841, a small number of permanent residents had returned. When Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845, the area was stabilized by the presence of U.S. troops under Gen. Zachary Taylor. In 1845, the county was formed (San Patricio is Spanish for Saint Patrick, the primary patron saint of the colonists home country of Ireland), and Corpus Christi was designated as the county seat. The following year, the county south of the Nueces River was reorganized as Nueces County, and San Patricio became its county seat. In 1848, additional counties were formed out of San Patricio, which further reduced its size.
The 1850 U.S. Census listed only 200 people in the county, including three slaves. The local economy was based on cattle raising. In the mid-1860s, more settlers moved, drawn by the cheap land. By 1870, 602 people lived in the county, and the agricultural census reported 51 farms and ranches, totalling 52,000 acres (210 km2), in the area, with about 2,400 acres (9.7 km2) described as "improved." Development of the county intensified during the early 20th century, as hundreds of farmers moved in from northern Texas and other states. The population reached 7,307 by 1910, and was 11,386 by 1920; 470 farms were counted in 1910, and 757 farms in 1920. Cattle ranching remained important, but vegetables and cotton also became important. The acres planted in the cotton increased from about 15,000 acres (61 km2) in 1910 to 155,000 acres (630 km2) by 1930.
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