Ward County, Texas
| Ward County, Texas | |
|---|---|
The Ward County Courthouse in Monahans
|
|
 Location in the U.S. state of Texas |
|
 Texas's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | 1892 |
| Named for | Thomas W. Ward |
| Seat | Monahans |
| Largest city | Monahans |
| Area | |
| • Total | 836 sq mi (2,165 km2) |
| • Land | 836 sq mi (2,165 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (1 km2), 0.03% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 11,721 |
| • Density | 13/sq mi (5/km²) |
| Congressional district | 23rd |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | www |
Ward County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,658. The county seat is Monahans. The county was created in 1887 and organized in 1892. It is named for Thomas W. Ward, a soldier in the Texas Revolution.
Archeological investigations conducted in northwestern Ward County have found evidence of prehistoric man in the form of occupational debris, petroglyphs, and pictographs. Tribes occupying the area include Suma-Jumano, Apache and Comanche. The sand hills have contained native artifacts.
The Butterfield Overland Mail in 1858 used Emigrant's Crossing, where exposed rocks afford one of the few places safe for fording the Pecos River. The stage line had an adobe station and a high-walled adobe corral there.
In 1881 the Texas and Pacific Railway crossed the region and established stations at Sand Hills, Monahans, Aroya, Pyote, Quito, Quito Quarry, and Barstow.
The Texas state legislature carved Ward County from a portion of Tom Green County in 1887. The county was organized in 1892. Barstow became the county seat. Barstow became a farming and ranching trade center by 1904. Drought plagued the area in the early part of the 20th Century.
Ward County benefitted from the opening of the Hendrick oilfield Winkler County in 1926. Pipelines and railroad loading tanks were constructed at Wickett, Pyote and Monahans. Oil was discovered at Grandfalls in 1929, and the nearby community of Royalty was established. Shell Oil Company constructed an 8-acre (32,000 m2) tank that would hold a million barrels. By January 1, 1991 - 668,715,000 barrels (106,317,200 m3) of oil had been produced in the county since 1928.
...
Wikipedia