Garza County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 6,461. Its county seat is Post. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1907. Garza is named for a pioneer Bexar County family, as it was once a part of that county. It is located southeast of Lubbock. A leading civic figure in Garza County was until his death in 2011 Giles McCrary, a rancher, oil developer, investor, and art collector. McCrary's OS Ranch Museum is a popular attraction in the county seat of Post, which has made an extended effort to attract tourism. Republican Drew Springer, Jr., a businessman from Muenster in Cooke County, has since January 2013 represented Garza County in the Texas House of Representatives.
1875 W. C. Young of Fort Worth and IllinoisIrishman Ben Galbraith establish the beginnings of the Curry Comb Ranch in the northwest part of Garza County.
1876 Garza County is formed from Bexar County, and named for the prominent Bexar County family of José Antonio de la Garza.
1884 OS Ranch is founded by brothers Andrew J. Long and Frank M. Long of Lexington, Kentucky.
1900 County population is 185 persons.
1907 Post is founded as a utopian venture by, and named for, cereal king Charles William Post.
1909-1913 C.W. Post builds a cotton gin, a cotton mill, and attempts to improve agriculture production through rainmaking, involving the heavy use of explosives fired from kites and towers along the rim of the Caprock Escarpment.
As of the census of 2000, 4,872 people, 1,663 households, and 1,217 families resided in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile. The 1,928 housing units averaged 2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 56.7% White, 4.8 African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 17.1 from other races, and 3.00% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 37.2% of the population. Of the 1,663 households, 36.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were not families. About 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.15. In the county, the population was distributed as 28.00% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $27,206, and for a family was $31,173. Males had a median income of $26,604 versus $18,105 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,704. About 17.50% of families and 22.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.60% of those under age 18 and 18.60% of those age 65 or over.
