Yoakum County, Texas
| Yoakum County, Texas | |
|---|---|
The courthouse of Yoakum County in Plains
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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 | 1907 |
| Seat | Plains |
| Largest town | Denver City |
| Area | |
| • Total | 800 sq mi (2,072 km2) |
| • Land | 800 sq mi (2,072 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0 km2), 0% |
| Population | |
| • (2010) | 7,879 |
| • Density | 9.9/sq mi (4/km²) |
| Congressional district | 19th |
| Website | www |
Yoakum County is a county located in the far western portion of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 7,879. Its county seat is Plains. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1907. It is named for Henderson King Yoakum, a Texas historian.
Until the passage of a liquor sales referendum held on May 11, 2013, Yoakum had been one of nineteen remaining prohibition or entirely dry counties within the state of Texas. Voters in Denver City also approved a separate referendum to permit liquor sales within that community.
In 1965, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Number 5927 was placed at the county courthouse, acknowledging the creation of the county in 1876.
Until after 1900, the county contained primarily nomadic buffalo hunters and a few scattered ranchers. Yoakum County was organized in 1907, and the population increased to 602 because of the sale of state land deeds.
Early tribes included Suma-Jumano, Comanche, Cheyenne and Kiowa.
The Texas legislature established Yoakum County from Bexar County in 1876. The county was organized in 1907, and Plains became the county seat. In 1900, the area had only twenty-six residents. There was only one ranch in the county that year devoted to cattle, rather than crops.
Sale of state land after 1900 brought an increase in population. By 1910, there were 107 farms or ranches in the area, and the population had increased to 602.
By 1920, there were 109 ranches or farms in the area, but the population had fallen to 504. More than 21,000 cattle were reported that year, but crop cultivation remained limited; about 2,200 acres (8.9 km2) were planted in corn, 600 in sorghum, and 47 in cotton. During the 1920s the county experienced a minor expansion of crop farming, and cotton became the most important crop; by 1930 over 10,000 acres (40 km2) were devoted to cotton. There were 239 farms, and the population had increased to 1,263.
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