TheApache andComanche were early tribes in the area. TheRed River War of 1874-1875 was aUnited States Army campaign to force the removal of Natives in Texas and their relocation to reservations, to open the region to White settlers.[4]
On August 21, 1876, the Texas Legislature formed King County fromBexar County. By 1880, the United States Census counted 40 residents in the county. In 1891, the county was organized.Guthrie was designated as the county seat.[4]
Early ranchers preserved water by damming canyons and draws to hold the heavy spring rains. In the 1890s, windmills became the method of water provision.[5] Some of the earliest settlers were Isom Lynn, A. C. Tackett, Brants Baker, and Bud Arnett. TheFour Sixes Ranch was established in 1902 bySamuel Burk Burnett.[6] The formerly namedPitchfork Land and Cattle Company was organized in 1883, and SMS ranches were established during the same time frame.[7] The 6666 (called Four Sixes Ranch), also founded in 1883, was managed from 1965 to 1986 by George Humphreys, who was also affiliated with theNational Ranching Heritage Center inLubbock.
Dumont was formed in the late 19th century. By that time, farmers began to share the land with ranchers.Cotton was the leading crop for a time, followed by corn,sorghum, and fruit trees.[8]
Oil was discovered in the county in 1943. By January 1, 1991, almost 114,403,000 barrels (18,188,600 m3) of oil had been pumped from King County lands since the first wells were drilled.[4]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 913 square miles (2,360 km2), of which 2.5 sq mi (6.5 km2) (0.3%) are covered by water.[9] Much of the land in King County Texas isGrassland, and hilly, broken country, much of which is composed of darkloam andred soils.The county has atemperate climate with mild winters and hot summers with temperatures ranging from an average of 27 degrees Fahrenheit in January to 99 degrees Fahrenheit in July. The county has an average annual rainfall of 21.6 inches.[10]
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 265.[14] The median age was 38.1 years. 28.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 86.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.0 males age 18 and over.[15]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[16]
There were 108 households in the county, of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 63.0% were married-couple households, 14.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 16.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15]
There were 171 housing units, of which 36.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 38.9% were owner-occupied and 61.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was <0.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 2.8%.[15]
King 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 the 2000census,[20] 356 people, 108 households, and 88 families were residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 0.39 people per square mile (0.15 people/km2). The 174 housing units had an average density of 0.19 units per square mile (0.073/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 94.10% White, 1.12% Native American, 3.09% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. About 9.55% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 108 households, 41.7% had children under 18 living with them, 79.6% were married couples living together, 1.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.6% were not families. About 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the county, the age distribution was 33.7% under 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,625, and for a family was $36,875. Males had a median income of $21,389 versus $30,179 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $12,321. 20.70% of the population and 17.90% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 23.0% are under 18 and 31.6% are 65 or older.
However, the county has shifted strongly Republican since the 1980s, and is now almost unanimously Republican. The last Democratic presidential nominee to win over 20% of the vote in King County was Bill Clinton in 1996.[25] In 2016, by percentage of votes, it was the second-most Republican county in the entire country, only being surpassed byRoberts County, Texas.
In the2008 presidential election, 92.6% supported the Republican, SenatorJohn McCain, whereas only 4.9% backed the Democrat, SenatorBarack Obama. Of all United States counties, King had the largest percentage of support for McCain.[27]
In the2012 presidential election, President Obama fared even worse in King County. His Republican challenger,Mitt Romney, received 139 votes in the county (95.9% of the county's total votes in the presidential election), while President Obama received only five votes — 3.4% of the total.[28][29] That percentage was the smallest percentage that President Obama received in any county in the United States in 2012.[29]
In addition, in the2012 Democratic presidential primaries (in which President Obama faced no serious opposition nationwide), King County was one of two counties that voted forBob Ely over President Obama. Only seven votes were cast in the Democratic presidential primary in King County that year. Ely won four of them, while Obama and two other minor candidates won one each.[30]
In2020, Trump did even better, earning 95% of the vote, whileJoe Biden slightly improved on Clinton's margin, earning eight votes for 5%. No votes for third-party candidates were cast. Biden's 5% of the vote was the highest percentage of the vote a Democrat has received in King County since 2004, when John Kerry took 11.5%. Kerry remains the last Democrat to receive at least a double-digit number of votes in the county.
In2024, Trump improved his margins again, garnering 95.6% of the vote. This made King County the third-most Republican county in Texas by vote share, narrowly behindRoberts andBorden.[32]
United States presidential election results for King County, Texas[32]
In the2012 U.S. Senate election, Republican candidateTed Cruz received 117 votes (amounting to 95.9% of the county's total vote), while Democratic candidatePaul Sadler received 4 votes, or 3.3 percent of the total.[34]
In the2014 U.S. Senate election, Republican incumbent SenatorJohn Cornyn received 87 votes (amounting to 96.7% of the county's total vote), while Democratic candidateDavid Alameel received 1 vote or 1.1 percent of the total. Libertarian Party candidate Rebecca Paddock received 2 votes or 2.2 percent of the total.[35]
In the2014 Texas gubernatorial election, Republican candidateGreg Abbott received 90 votes (amounting to 96.8% of the county's total vote), while Democratic candidateWendy Davis received 1 vote or 1.1 percent of the total. Libertarian Party candidate Kathie Glass received 2 votes or 2.2 percent of the total.[36]
The primary industries are raisingbeef cattle (since the late 19th century), andoil production (since 1943).Corn andcotton are the leading plantedfarm crops.
Monument offU.S. Highway 83 to George Preston Humphreys (1899-1979), the manager of the 6666 Ranch, who also served as King Countysheriff from 1928 to 1948
