Bell County, Texas

Bell County, Texas
The Bell County Courthouse in Belton.
Location in the state of Texas
Texas's location in the U.S.
Founded	1850
Seat	Belton
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	1,088 sq mi (2,818 km²) 1,060 sq mi (2,745 km²) 28 sq mi (73 km²), 2.59%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	310,235 292.7/sq mi (113/km²)
Website	www.bellcountytx.com

Bell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Bell County was founded in 1850. It is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, its population was 310,235.^[1] Its county seat is Belton^[2]. The center of population of Texas is located in Bell County, in the town of Holland.^[3] Bell is named for Peter Hansborough Bell, the third governor of Texas.

History Timeline

• 1834-1835 Little River becomes part of Robertson's Colony, settlers from Nashville, led by Sterling C. Robertson: families of Captain Goldsby Childers, Robert Davison, John Fulcher, Moses Griffin, John Needham, Michael Reed, William Taylor, and Judge Orville T.Tyler.^[4]
• 1836 The settlements are deserted during the Runaway Scrape,^[5] reoccupied, deserted again after the Elmwood Creek Blood Scrape, re-occupied again. Texas Ranger George Erath establishes a fort on Little River.^[6]
• 1843-44 Settlers return.^[4]
• 1845 University of Mary Hardin–Baylor founded by the Republic of Texas as “Baylor Female College”.^[7]
• 1850 Bell County is formed and named for Texas Governor Peter Hansborough Bell. Population 600 whites – 60 black slaves.^[4]
• 1851 County seat is Belton.^[8]
• 1859 Last serious Indian raid of the area.^[4]
• 1860 Re-survey of the line between Bell and Milam County. Bell County assumes its present boundaries.^[4]

Confederate statue at Bell County Courthouse

• 1861 County votes for secession from the Union.^[4]
• 1862-1865 Union sympathizers and Confederate deserters hole up in"Camp Safety."^[4]
• 1867 Belton Women’s Commonwealth, the first women’s movement in Central Texas, is formed by Martha McWhirter. The group provides shelter to women in abusive relationships.^[4]
• 1865-1877 Reconstruction in the county is so troubled that Federal troops are quartered in Belton. Corruption, lawlessness and racial divides are rampant. Bell County has a local version of the KKK.^[4]
• 1875 Miriam A. Ferguson, first woman Governor of Texas, is born in Bell County.^[4]
• 1881 Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, the first railroad to be built in Bell County, establishes Temple as its headquarters^[4]
• 1884 Current Bell County Courthouse is built. Renaissance Revival design is by architect Jasper N. Preston and Sons.^[9]
• 1905 The Belton and Temple Interurban electric railway is constructed,^[4]
• 1920’s Ku Klux Klan revived in Bell County.^[4]
• 1925 Miriam A. Ferguson is inaugurated as Governor.^[10]
• 1926 Temple Junior College (later Temple College) opens.^[11]
• 1933 Miriam A. Ferguson is inaugurated for her second, but non-consecutive, term as Governor.^[10]
• 1942 Fort Hood opens as a military training base.^[4]
• 1956 Killeen school board votes to integrate local high school.^[12]
• 1965 Central Texas College founded in Killeen.^[12]
• 1980 Killeen is the largest city in Bell County.^[12]
• 1991, October 16 - Luby's massacre - George Jo Hennard Jr. kills 23 people, wounds 20 others, kills himself. It's the largest mass murder by firearm in the United States up to that time. Hennard shouted "This is what Bell County did to me! This is payback day!" as he opened fire.^[13]
• 1995 As a result of the Luby’s massacre, Governor George W. Bush signs new law requiring a permit for concealed weapons.
• 2009, November 5 - Fort Hood shooting – Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan kills 13 people, wounds 30.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,088 square miles (2,817.9 km²), of which 1,060 square miles (2,745.4 km²) is land and 28 square miles (72.5 km²) (2.59%) is water.

Major highways

• Interstate 35
• U.S. Highway 190
• State Highway 36
• State Highway 53
• State Highway 95
• State Highway 195

Adjacent counties

• McLennan County (north)
• Falls County (northeast)
• Milam County (southeast)
• Williamson County (south)
• Burnet County (southwest)
• Lampasas County (west)
• Coryell County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census^[16] of 2010, there were 310,235 people, 114,035 households, and 80,449 families residing in the county. The population density was 295.2 people per square mile (87/km²). There were 125,470 housing units at an average density of 88 per square mile (34/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 61.4% White, 21.5% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, and 5.0% reporting two or more races. 21.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.9% were of [[Race (United States Census)[Mexican]], 3.6% were of Puerto Rican, 0.2% Cuban, and 0.2% were of Dominican Republic.

There were 85,507 households out of which 40.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples living together, 12.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the county, the population was spread out with 28.90% under the age of 18, 13.40% from 18 to 24, 31.90% from 25 to 44, 17.00% from 45 to 64, and 8.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 100.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,872, and the median income for a family was $41,455. Males had a median income of $28,031 versus $22,364 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,219. About 9.70% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.30% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

The Bell County Expo Center, located off Interstate Highway 35 south of Belton

Education

Bell County is served by several school districts:

• Academy Independent School District
• Bartlett Independent School District (partial)
• Belton Independent School District
• Bruceville-Eddy Independent School District (partial)
• Copperas Cove Independent School District (partial)
• Florence Independent School District (partial)
• Gatesville Independent School District (partial)
• Holland Independent School District (partial)
• Killeen Independent School District (partial)
• Lampasas Independent School District (partial)
• Moody Independent School District (partial)
• Rogers Independent School District (partial)
• Rosebud-Lott Independent School District (partial)
• Temple Independent School District
• Troy Independent School District
• Salado Independent School District

See also

• List of museums in Central Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Bell County, Texas

References

External links

• Official website
• Bell County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas.
• Bell County Ex Confederate Association Ledger, From 1888 To 1920.
• Historic Bell County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
• Bell County Jail Information

	Coryell County	McLennan County	Falls County
	Lampasas County
		Bell County, Texas
	Burnet County	Williamson County	Milam County

v t e Municipalities and communities of Bell County, Texas, United States County seat: Belton Cities Bartlett‡ Belton Copperas Cove‡ Harker Heights Killeen Little River-Academy Morgan's Point Resort Nolanville Temple Troy Towns Holland Rogers Village Salado CDPs Fort Hood‡ Unincorporated communities Cyclone Ding Dong Doubleheader Heidenheimer Moffat Pendleton Prairie Dell Seaton White Hall Zabcikville Ghost towns Aligator Donahoe Okay Old Troy Sefcikville Sparta Stringtown Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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Coordinates: 31°02′N 97°29′W / 31.04°N 97.48°W / 31.04; -97.48