kids encyclopedia robot

Wise County, Texas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Wise County
U.S. county
The Wise County Courthouse in Decatur, a Romanesque Revival structure, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The Wise County Courthouse in Decatur, a Romanesque Revival structure, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Map of Texas highlighting Wise County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Texas
Founded 1856
Named for Henry Alexander Wise
Seat Decatur
Largest city Decatur
Area
 • Total 923 sq mi (2,390 km2)
 • Land 904 sq mi (2,340 km2)
 • Water 18 sq mi (50 km2)  2.0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 68,632
 • Density 74.36/sq mi (28.710/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts 13th, 26th

Wise County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 68,632. Its county seat is Decatur. Wise County is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area. Its Wise Eyes crime-watch program, eventually adopted by mostly rural counties in several states, was started in 1993 by then-Sheriff Phil Ryan.

History

On November 10, 1837, the Battle of the Knobs was fought in what is now Wise County between about 150 Native American warriors and 18 Republic of Texas soldiers under Lieutenant A. B. Benthuysen. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Texan soldiers held their ground, killing or wounding an estimated 50 Native Americans and losing 10 of their own men. More settlers began coming into the area not long afterward, with people relocating from both the Upper South and Deep South. Wise County was not founded until 1856. It was named after Virginia Congressman Henry A. Wise, who had supported annexation of Texas by the United States. He was elected governor of Virginia in 1856.

As few residents of Wise County were slaveholders, opinions were mixed at the time of the Civil War, and many people opposed secession. Unionists were persecuted in North Texas, and some were lynched. Forty-two men were murdered in the Great Hanging at Gainesville in October 1862, over the course of several days in neighboring Cooke County. This was one of the worst examples of vigilante justice in American history.

In recent years, Wise County allowed an increase in hydraulic fracturing. In 2011, the Parr family and others filed a lawsuit against several energy companies, including Republic Energy, Inc. and Ryder Scott Petroleum, claiming the extracting processes have created health complications for their family and neighbors. In April 2014, the Parrs won a $2.9 million award from a Dallas jury.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 923 sq mi (2,390 km2), of which 18 sq mi (47 km2) (2.0%) are covered by water.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 3,160 —
1870 1,450 −54.1%
1880 16,601 1,044.9%
1890 24,134 45.4%
1900 27,116 12.4%
1910 26,450 −2.5%
1920 23,363 −11.7%
1930 19,178 −17.9%
1940 19,074 −0.5%
1950 16,141 −15.4%
1960 17,012 5.4%
1970 19,687 15.7%
1980 26,575 35.0%
1990 34,679 30.5%
2000 48,793 40.7%
2010 59,127 21.2%
2020 68,632 16.1%
2023 (est.) 78,097 32.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010 2020
Wise 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.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
  White alone (NH) 41,991 47,122 50,495 86.06% 79.70% 73.57%
  Black or African American alone (NH) 584 573 657 1.20% 0.97% 0.96%
  Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 309 341 474 0.63% 0.58% 0.69%
Asian alone (NH) 107 234 372 0.22% 0.40% 0.54%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 21 15 12 0.04% 0.03% 0.02%
Other race alone (NH) 20 35 172 0.04% 0.06% 0.25%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 513 695 2,756 1.05% 1.18% 4.02%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5,248 10,112 13,694 10.76% 17.10% 19.95%
Total 48,793 59,127 68,632 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

In 2000 there were 48,793 people, 17,178 households, and 13,467 families were residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile (21 people/km2). The 19,242 housing units averaged 21 units per square mile (8.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.01% White, 1.23% Black, 0.75% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 5.07% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. About 10.76% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. By 2020, its population increased to 68,632; the racial and ethnic makeup of the county in 2020 was predominantly non-Hispanic white, and Hispanic or Latino American of any race.

Education

These school districts lie entirely within Wise County:

  • Alvord Independent School District
  • Boyd Independent School District
  • Bridgeport Independent School District
  • Chico Independent School District
  • Decatur Independent School District
  • Paradise Independent School District
  • Slidell Independent School District

This private educational institution serves Wise County:

  • Victory Christian Academy

This higher education institution serves Wise County:

  • Weatherford College

Transportation

Major highways

  • US 81.svg U.S. Highway 81
  • US 287.svg U.S. Highway 287
  • US 380.svg U.S. Highway 380
  • Texas 101.svg State Highway 101
  • Texas 114.svg State Highway 114
  • Texas 199.svg State Highway 199

Airports

These public-use airports are located in the county:

  • Bishop Airport (76T)
  • Bridgeport Municipal Airport (XBP)
  • Decatur Municipal Airport (LUD)
  • Heritage Creek Airstrip (58T)
  • Rhome Meadows Airport (T76)
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Wise County, Texas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.