Terry County was formed from Bexar County in 1876 and named for Col. Benjamin Franklin Terry, who commanded the Terry's Texas Rangers in the Civil War. In 1877, the ill-fated Nolan Expedition crossed the county in search of livestock stolen by Comanche renegades. The various Indian tribes had moved on by the time of white settlement, due to the depletion of the buffalo herds by hunters. Terry County was organized in 1904, with Brownfield as the county seat. The county was settled by ranchers such as Ira J. Coulver, J. R. Quinn, Englishman Q. Bone and Marion V. Brownfield. By 1910 Terry County had 235 farms and of improved land, with corn being the most important crop. Terry County lies in the oil-rich north Permian Basin, and the discovery of oil in 1940 quickly led to production. By 1991 almost of crude had been extracted from Terry County lands since 1940. In 1991 Terry County was among the leading cotton counties in Texas.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,761 people, 4,278 households, and 3,247 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile. There were 5,087 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 76.55% White, 5.00% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 14.28% from other races, and 3.40% from two or more races. 44.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 4,278 households out of which 35.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% were married couplesliving together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.10% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.23. The county's population was spread out with 28.40% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 108.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,090, and the median income for a family was $33,339. Males had a median income of $24,321 versus $20,131 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,860. About 19.20% of families and 23.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.50% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.
Media
The county is served by a weekly newspaper, nearby stations KBXJ and KPET, and the various Lubbock radio and TV stations. KKUB and KTTU-FM are licensed to Brownfield but operate primarily from offices and studios in Lubbock.
