Dallam County was formed in 1876 from portions ofBexar County. It was named afterJames Wilmer Dallam, the lawyer who made the first digest of Texas laws.[5] The first settlement in the area followed in 1870, which resulted in theRed River War of 1874 and 1875 with the native Comanche and Kiowa tribes. In 1900–01, theChicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad company built a stretch fromLiberal, Kansas, toTucumcari, New Mexico, which ran through the county.[citation needed] The location where the tracks met those of theFort Worth and Denver Railway was named Dalhart. The name is taken from the first letters of Dallam County and Hartley County, between which the town's area is divided. Within a short time, the small railroad stop turned into a sizable town and was named county seat in 1903.[6]
Dallam County was one of the hardest-hit areas in theDust Bowl.[7]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,505 square miles (3,900 km2), of which 1,503 square miles (3,890 km2) are land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.1%) are covered by water.[8]
Dallam County is one of only three counties in Texas to border two other U.S. states (the others beingBowie andCass). Dallam County forms part of thetripoint—of Texas-Oklahoma-New Mexico.[citation needed]
Dallam County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of thecensus[15] of 2000, 6,222 people, 2,317 households, and 1,628 families were residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km2). The 2,697 housing units had an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 82.64% White, 1.64% Black or African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 12.41% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. About 28.38% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. About 19.6% wereGerman, 8.2% wereIrish, 7.1% wereEnglish, 5.5% wereAmerican, 2.8% wereFrench, 2.7% wereScotch-Irish, and 1.6% wereDutch in ancestry.[16]
Of the 2,317 households, 39.0% had children under 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were not families. About 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.24.[17]
In the county, the age distribution was 31.8% under 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.00 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 101.30 males.[18]
The median income for a household in the county was $27,946, and for a family was $33,558. Males had a median income of $27,244 versus $19,000 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,653. About 11.3% of families and 14.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.4% of those under 18 and 24.8% of those 65 or over.[19]
Dallam County is located within District 86 of theTexas House of Representatives. The seat has been held byAmarillo attorneyJohn T. Smithee, aRepublican, since 1985. Dallam County as a whole is heavily Republican in orientation. Kamala Harris's 10.50% showing in the 2024 election was the lowest percentage of the vote a Democrat has received in the county since its organization in 1891.[citation needed]
United States presidential election results for Dallam County, Texas[20]
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