Bastrop County, Texas

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This article is about the county in Texas. For other uses, see Bastrop.
Bastrop County
U.S. county
The Bastrop County Courthouse in Bastrop is designed in classical revival style. Built in 1883, the Courthouse and Jail Complex were listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1975.
The Bastrop County Courthouse in Bastrop is designed in classical revival style. Built in 1883, the Courthouse and Jail Complex were listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1975.
Map of Texas highlighting Bastrop County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°06′N 97°19′W / 30.1°N 97.31°W / 30.1; -97.31
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1837
Named forFelipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop
SeatBastrop
Largest cityElgin
Area
 • Total896 sq mi (2,320 km2)
 • Land888 sq mi (2,300 km2)
 • Water7.4 sq mi (19 km2)  0.8%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total74,141
 • Density84/sq mi (32/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts10th, 17th, 27th
Websitewww.co.bastrop.tx.us
Closeup view of the Bastrop County Courthouse, located across from the Roman Catholic Church in Bastrop
Obelisk commemorating Bastrop County soldiers in the army of the Confederate States of America is located on the courthouse grounds
Veterans Memorial at Bastrop County Courthouse
The Bastrop County Historical Museum in Bastrop periodically changes its exhibits

Bastrop County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 74,171.[1] Its county seat is Bastrop.[2]

Bastrop County is included in the Austin–Round Rock, Texas, metropolitan statistical area.

History[]

In 1834, the provincial legislature of Coahuila y Tejas – established by the Mexican Constitution of 1824 – met in Saltillo and established the Municipality and County of Mina consisting of parts of present-day Mason, Kimble, Llano, Burnet, Williamson, Gillespie, Blanco, Comal, Hays, Travis, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee, Gonzales, Fayette, Washington and Lavaca Counties.

On December 14, 1837, the second Congress of the Republic of Texas adjusted geographical limits to create Fayette County, and remove Gonzales and Caldwell Counties from Mina's boundaries. On December 18, 1837, Sam Houston signed acts that (a) incorporated the town of Mina and (b) changed the name of the county and town of Mina to Bastrop to honor Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, an early Dutch settler who helped Stephen F. Austin obtain land grants in Texas.

On May 24, 1838, the Republic of Texas added parts of Kimble and Comal Counties to contain parts of present-day Blanco, Burnet, Williamson, Travis, Hays, Comal, Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee, Gonzales, and Fayette counties.

From January 25, 1840, to January 25, 1850, Bastrop county limits shifted nearly to its present dimensions, including small portions of Lee, Williamson, Caldwell, Gonzales and Fayette Counties.[3] [4][5]

In December 1942, Bastrop was the site of an alleged military murder, in which was gunned down by a White military police officer following a dispute. Springs was shot in the back, but the case remains largely unsolved to this day. A memorial scholarship in his honor has been active at his alma mater, Regis University, for most of the period since 1952 and has the backing of former NBA All Star Chauncey Billups.[6]

In September 2011, Bastrop County suffered the most destructive wildfire in Texas history, which destroyed over 1,600 homes.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 896 square miles (2,320 km2), of which 888 square miles (2,300 km2) are land and 7.4 square miles (19 km2) (0.8%) are covered by water.[7]

Adjacent counties[]

  • Williamson County (north)
  • Lee County (northeast)
  • Fayette County (southeast)
  • Caldwell County (southwest)
  • Travis County (northwest)

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18503,099—
18607,006126.1%
187012,20974.3%
188017,21541.0%
189020,73620.5%
190026,84529.5%
191025,344−5.6%
192026,6495.1%
193023,888−10.4%
194021,610−9.5%
195019,622−9.2%
196016,925−13.7%
197017,2972.2%
198024,72642.9%
199038,26354.7%
200057,73350.9%
201074,17128.5%
2019 (est.)88,723[8]19.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1850–2010[10] 2010–2014[1]

As of the census[11] of 2000, 57,733 people, 20,097 households, and 14,771 families resided in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile (25/km2). The 22,254 housing units averagedf 25 per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.24% White, 8.79% African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 7.66% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. About 23.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 20,097 households, 35.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were not families. About 21.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.23. As of the 2010 census, about 7.8 same-sex couples per 1,000 households lived in the county.[12]

In the county, the population was distributed as 28.00% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 10.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 105.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,578, and for a family was $49,456. Males had a median income of $32,843 versus $25,536 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,146. About 8.40% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over.

Historical research[]

Bastrop County has several societies and associations dedicated to preserving historical information and sites.

Education[]

The following school districts serve Bastrop County:

Austin Community College is the designated community college for most of the county. Areas in Lexington ISD are in Blinn Junior College District.[13]

Transportation[]

As of 2010, Central Texas Airport was under development in Bastrop County.[14]

Major highways[]

Recreational facilities[]

Communities[]

Cities[]

  • Bastrop (county seat)
  • Elgin (partly in Travis County)
  • Mustang Ridge (mostly in Travis County and a small part in Caldwell County)
  • Smithville

Census-designated places[]

Unincorporated communities[]

In popular culture[]

Several Hollywood feature films and notable independent films have used locations in Bastrop County.

Year Film Top Billed Cast Location
1974 Lovin' Molly Anthony Perkins, Blythe Danner Bastrop
1974 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger Bastrop (Gas Station and BBQ Shack)
1975 The Great Waldo Pepper Robert Redford, Bo Svenson Elgin
1994 Love and a .45 Gil Bellows, Renée Zellweger Bastrop (Gas station)
1995 The Big Green Steve Guttenberg, Olivia d'Abo Elgin
1996 Courage Under Fire Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan Bastrop
1996 The Whole Wide World Vincent D'Onofrio, Renée Zellweger Bastrop
1997 The Only Thrill Diane Keaton, Sam Shepard Bastrop
1998 The Dentist 2 Corbin Bernsen, Smithville
1998 Home Fries Drew Barrymore, Luke Wilson Bastrop
1998 Hope Floats Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr. Smithville
1999 Varsity Blues James Van Der Beek, Amy Smart Elgin
1999 The Soul Collector Bruce Greenwood, Melissa Gilbert Bastrop
2004 Friday Night Lights Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black Elgin
2004 The Alamo Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton Bastrop
Jim Small's Big Thicket (Lake camp scenes)
Steiner Ranch (Bexar & Alamo scenes)
2006 All the Boys Love Mandy Lane Amber Heard, Anson Mount Bastrop
2008 Fireflies in the Garden Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds Bastrop (T. A. Hasler House)
Smithville
2009 The Tree of Life Brad Pitt, Sean Penn Smithville
2009 Friday the 13th (2009 film) Jared Padalecki, Derek Mears Camp
2010 Bernie Matthew McConaughey, Jack Black Bastrop
Smithville
2013 Prince Avalanche Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch Bastrop
2014 Boyhood Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke Bastrop

Politics[]

Presidential elections results

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ^ "TxGenWeb". Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  4. ^ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  5. ^ "Bastrop County". Texas Almanac. Texas State Historical Association. Archived from the original on June 18, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  6. ^ Reed, Byron (2021-05-17). "Regis University restarting scholarship named for Walter Springs". KUSA.com. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  8. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  10. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  11. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  12. ^ Where Same-Sex Couples Live, June 26, 2015, archived from the original on June 29, 2015, retrieved July 6, 2015
  13. ^ Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.166. AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA. Sec. 130.168. BLINN JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA..
  14. ^ "New corporate center, airport announced Archived 2012-03-02 at the Wayback Machine." KXAN. Tuesday October 19, 2010. Retrieved on November 5, 2010.
  15. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.

External links[]

Coordinates: 30°06′N 97°19′W / 30.10°N 97.31°W / 30.10; -97.31

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