Val Verde County, Texas
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

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Val Verde County Facts

Val Verde County was created in 1885 and formed from Kinney, Pecos and Crockett Counties. Val Verde County was named for the Civil War Battle of Valverde, which took place near present-day Socorro, New Mexico. The County Seat is Del Rio. The Official County website is located at ?. See also Extended History for more historical details.

Areas adjacent to Val Verde County are Crockett County (north), Sutton County (northeast), Edwards County (east), Kinney County (east), Terrell County (west), and the Mexican state of Coahuila lies to the south.

Historical Marker Text: Organized in 1885 from sections of Crockett, Kinney, and Pecos Counties, Val Verde County was named for a Civil War battle in New Mexico which involved Texas Confederate Forces. The growing railroad town of Del Rio was chosen as the seat of Government and Commissioners set up offices in a commercial building on Perry Street, now South Main. Soon after formation of the county, the Limestone Jail was built here on a corner of the public square. During construction of the courthouse, it provided additional office space. A three-story annex to the building was completed later. The Limestone Courthouse was constructed at this site in 1887. Architects were A. O. Watson and Jacob Larmour of Austin, designers of Courthouses in Milam and Comanche Counties. Built by the contracting firm of Hood and McLeod, it features classical revival detailing and octagonal corner turrets. As the area population increased, the buildings were modified to provide for the expansion of services. A separate facility for the Sheriff's office and county prisoners was completed in 1956, and the old jail was remodeled for use by other departments. (1980)

  • Val Verde County, Texas History Books at Amazon.com
  • Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
  • Search Historical Newspapers from Texas (1802 - 1993) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
  • Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
  • Search Texas Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

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Val Verde County Court Records

See Also Texas Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Val Verde County Clerk has Court Records from 1885 , Land Records from 1885, Probate Records from 1885, Marriage Records from 1885 and Birth/Death Records from 1903 is located at P.O. Box 1267, Del Rio, TX 78841-1267; Telephone: (830) 774-3611.

The County Clerk's Office is the record keeper of the county. The county records include birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, brand registrations, DD214s (military discharges), land / real estate / property records, probate and civil filings.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, Texas Deaths, 1964-98, Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 & 1966-2002, and Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2002. You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which does cover Texas. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Below is a list of online resources for Val Verde County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Val Verde County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
  • Val Verde County, Texas Court Books at Amazon.com
  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which covers the State of Texas. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.
  • Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
  • Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
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Val Verde County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Texas

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Texas Department of State Health Services, 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756; (888) 963-7111 or (512) 458-7111; Fax: (512) 458-7711. Please allow up to approximately 6-8 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail, or 2-5 Days when you order through VitalChek Express Certificate Services. The Vital Records Department has the following records:

  • Birth Certificates: Birth records maintained by Bureau of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health since 1903 through the present. For births that occurred within the past 75 years, copies can be requested only by the immediate family of the person whose name is on the birth certificate. Cost: The cost of a birth record is $22.00. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $22.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Death Certificates: Death records maintained by Bureau of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health since 1903 through the present. For deaths that occurred in the past 25 years, copies can be requested only by immediate family members of the deceased. Cost: The cost of a certified death certificate is $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy issued at the same time for the same certificate. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $20.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage Verifications from Jan 1966 and Divorce Verifications from Jan 1968. Certified copies of marriage licenses or divorce decrees are only available from the county clerk (marriage) or district clerk (divorce) in the county or district in which the event occurred. Marriage verification or divorce verification letters can now be ordered Online. Cost is $20 - Fee is for verification only.

ORDERING

  • Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
  • Order In Person: The certificates may be ordered by coming into this office.   If you want the copy the same day, our hours for same day service are 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Monday – Friday. The Texas Vital Statistics Office in Austin is located at 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756.
  • Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "Texas Vital Records " along with the necessary information to the following address: Texas Vital Records, Department of State Health Services, PO Box 12040. Print Aplication for Birth Certificates, Death Certificates and Marriage & Divorce Certificates.

There are a few online marriage databases which include: Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, Texas Deaths, 1964-98, Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 & 1966-2002, and Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2002. Below is a list of online resources for Val Verde County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Val Verde County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

  • VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
  • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREEicon - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
  • Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Texas newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
  • Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-10, 1926-29icon - Browse by county, then year, then surname, beginning with the first letters of the last name of the person you seek. If you're unsure of the year or location, use the search box under the browse menu. These records can be searched by father's first and last names, mother's first and maiden names, year, county, and city. The certificates include the child and parents' full names, residence, occupations, age, time and date of the birth, and the name of the physician attending the birth.
  • Texas Death Certificates, 1890-1976icon - These records are searchable by first and last name of the deceased, year, county, and city. A certificate may include the decedent's date, place, and cause of death; age; date of birth; last residence; and marital status. If known, it will also include occupation, birth place, parents' names, and place of burial. Browse by county, then year, then surname, beginning with the first letters of the last name of the person you seek. If unsure of the year or location, use the search box under the browse menu.
  • Val Verde County, Texas Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
  • Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.
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Val Verde County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Texas

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

  Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Val Verde County, Texas are 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.

The Texas State Library holds microfilm editions for all of Texas' federal censuses. Although the 1850, 1860, and part of the 1870 mortality schedules have been published, all the original mortality schedules are at the Texas State Library and on microfilm The 1830 territorial census of Miller County, Arkansas, enumerates an area that is in today's Texas boundaries. The remaining 1890 population schedules which exist for Texas include: Ellis County (Justice Precinct 6, Mountain Peak, and Ovilla Precinct); Hood County (Precinct 5); Rusk County (No. 6 and Justice Precinct No. 7); Trinity County (town of Trinity and Justice Precinct 2); and Kaufman County (Kaufman). Although Greer County in present-day Oklahoma functioned as part of Texas between 1886 and 1896, the 1890 census for this county was enumerated under Oklahoma Territory.

There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

Below is a list of online resources for Val Verde County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Val Verde County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Val Verde County, Texas Census Books at Amazon.com
  • Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.
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Val Verde County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Arkansas and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Texas showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Texas showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps.

Below is a list of online resources for Val Verde County Maps. Email us with websites containing Val Verde County Maps by clicking the link below:

  • Texas General Land Office Map Collection
  • Val Verde County, Texas Map Books at Amazon.com
  • Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.
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Val Verde County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Texas

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Val Verde County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Val Verde County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Val Verde County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Texas tax records constitute one of the most complete sets of available records generated at the county level (by the Commissioners Court) because these documents are maintained by the state. These lists may only include approximately sixty percent of eligible males over the age of twenty-one. Persons exempted from taxes included native Americans, "idiots," "incompetents," and those exempted because of age. This final category of exemptions varied over time. Years without an older age exemption were 1840 and 1862-70. Between 1841-44 exemptions began at forty-five years; in 1845 and from 1850-61 the upward age was set at fifty years. In 1837, 1848, and 1849 the limit was established as fifty-five, and in 1846-7, and 1871 the upward limit was set at sixty years.

Texas Ad Valorem (poll, personal, and real property) tax records for 1836 through 1976 are available in microfilm at the Texas State Library from the date of respective county organization; these are arranged by county and date and are somewhat alphabetized within each division. Microfilm copies are housed in the Genealogy Section. Tax lists for the various counties from creation to 1901 may be borrowed through interlibrary loan. Tax records through 1901-1947 are readily accessible, but not on interlibrary loan. Those for 1948 through 1976 can be obtained upon request. 

Below is a list of online resources for Val Verde County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Val Verde County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Val Verde County, Texas Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Val Verde County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Texas Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Val Verde County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Val Verde County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Val Verde County Genealogy Society, P.O. Box 442052, Del Rio, TX 78842
  • Texas State Library and Archives Commission, P.O. Box 12927, Austin, TX 78711-2927
    Holdings under the auspices of the Texas State Library are divided. Most important for genealogical research are the Texas State Archives with its Local Records Department, the Records Management Division, and the Information Services Division, which includes a Genealogy Section and a Reference Department.
    The Genealogy Section maintains vertical ties that contain notes, clippings, pamphlets, and correspondence on Texas families. These files may be accessed in person, by phone (512-463-5463, forty-five minute limit), or through correspondence.
  • Texas Genealogical Society, 2505 Beluche Drive, Galveston 77551
  • Texas Historical Commision
    The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is the state agency for historic preservation. THC staff consults with citizens and organizations to preserve Texas' architectural, archeological and cultural landmarks. The agency is recognized nationally for its preservation programs.
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
  • Texas Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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Val Verde County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Texas

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Val Verde County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Val Verde County Tombstone Transcription Project.

During Texas's colonization period Roman Catholics were the most numerous, but early citizens included those representing other religious faiths such as Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Christian or Disciples of Christ.

Many cemetery records have been collected and transcribed, including the largest of which is multi-volumes compilation by the DAR and two volumes for Peters Colonists and descendants. The DAR collection, also microfilmed, is available at the Texas State Library and through the FHL.

Some Texas county historical and genealogical societies have published local cemetery and/funeral home records. These are normally available for purchase through the respective society. Two references can help determine which cemeteries have been recorded: Kim Parsons', A Reference to Texas Cemetery Records (Humble, Tex.: by author, 1988), arranged by county; and Sharry Crofford-Gould's, Texas Cemetery Inscriptions: A Source Index (San Antonio, Tex.: Limited Editions, 1977).

Below is a list of online resources for Val Verde County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Val Verde County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Val Verde County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Val Verde County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

Spaniards probably first passed through the area of future Val Verde County in 1535, when Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca is thought to have crossed the Devils River. By that time Lipan Apaches, Coahuiltecans, Jumanos, and Tamaulipans lived there. Later, Comanches drifted into the area. In August 1590 Gaspar Castaño de Sosa brought the first European-descent people through the isolated canyonland of the county. Castaño led a mining expedition from Monclova, Mexico, to the northern New Mexico pueblo of Santo Domingo. The party of 170 men, women, and children traveled slowly and laboriously into Devils Draw with two brass cannon for protection and a train of two-wheeled carts for provisions. Although no Spanish mission or settlement was built in the area of Val Verde County, Juan Larios opened a mission school at a location between Del Rio and Eagle Pass in 1673 to teach agriculture to the natives. However, the school lasted only a short time. In 1675 Franciscan priests celebrated a Mass at San Felipe Springs as they traveled through northern Mexico. On January 1, 1736, Lt. Miguel de la Garza Falcón commanded a unit of 100 soldiers who traveled along the Devils River in pursuit of Apaches. The Marqués de Rubí came to the site of Del Rio as he made an inspection tour of Texas in 1767. A settlement was begun on San Felipe Creek in 1834 by James Grant and John Charles Beales, but Indian attacks and drought brought its end.

In February 1849 the Whiting and Smith expedition passed through the area. A temporary base called Camp Blake was situated on the Military Road soon after the Mexican War, and several other military bases were set up in southeastern Val Verde County in the 1850s to protect settlers and travelers against Indian attack. Camp Hudson was founded on San Pedro Creek on June 7, 1857. Camp San Felipe was established as an outpost of Fort Clark also in 1857. During the Civil War military camps and forts were abandoned, leaving the frontier open to frequent Indian attacks. Fort Clark was reclaimed by the army in 1866, and by 1868 other troops returned to the area. From 1869 through 1882 the Black Seminole Scouts, a paramilitary unit of fifty men under John Lapham Bullis, defended the Texas border west of Fort Clark against Indian attack. The community of San Felipe was settled on San Felipe Creek in 1868. The community was sometimes called San Felipe Del Rio (for its proximity to the Rio Grande) to distinguish it from the San Felipe of Austin's colony, and the post office, named Del Rio, was opened in 1872. In 1874 the first school was built at Del Rio. Fifteen students were enrolled, and Judge Kratz taught the school through the 1870s. By the spring of 1884 a church was built in Del Rio by the Episcopal diocese. Shortly after its completion the building was blown away by a tornado, leaving the town again without a church. In the 1980s Val Verde County supported twenty-five churches. The largest denominations were Catholic, Southern Baptist, and United Methodist. In 1883 the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway was completed into the area, and new settlers came with the easy transportation. Several communities were formed in Val Verde County in the 1880s. They were Langtry in 1884, Juno and Devils River in 1886, Comstock in 1888, and Norris in 1889. Among the newcomers was Frank Qualia from Milan, Italy. In 1883 Qualia established Val Verde Winery, where his grandson continued to make wine in the 1990s. Large sheep and cattle ranchers had come into the area by the 1880s. D. Hart Investments, a company which established headquarters in the Pandale community in western Val Verde County, was one of these. Hart controlled a large block of land and the watering places on both the Rio Grande and the Pecos River. He reportedly held 80,000 sheep, 500 horses, and a number of cattle there. Val Verde County was organized from Crockett, Kinney, and Pecos counties in 1885. Its name, which is Spanish for "green valley," came from a Civil War battle. Del Rio became the county seat. Also in the 1885 election Roy Bean of Langtry was elected justice of the peace. Judge Bean became known as the Law West of the Pecos, and he measured out justice from his Jersey Lily Saloon. In presidential elections Val Verde County supported Democratic candidates from 1888 until 1948, except in 1924 and 1928. Thereafter county voters were less predictable, favoring Democrats in 1960, 1964, 1968, 1976, and 1992.

Around 1900 several new communities received post offices. Those places were Flato in 1891, Sotol in 1894, Moorhead in 1898, and Pumpville in 1899. The last post offices established in the county included Shumla in 1906, Pandale in 1909, and Vinegarone in 1926. The population of the new county at the 1890 census was 2,874, including 108 blacks and 1,103 foreign-born. The agricultural census of the county in 1890 counted forty-seven farms and ranches, all owner-operated. Since the effects of overgrazing had impacted the range, sheep outnumbered cattle. Farming consisted of grain, fruit, and vegetable crops. By 1900 the county had 5,263 inhabitants, and the number of ranches and farms rose to 152 that covered 1.8 million acres, mostly operated by managers. Value of livestock soared to well over $1 million, with 122,565 sheep as the most numerous. Over 42,000 cattle and 15,000 goats were also raised. Farming was restricted to small fruit and vegetable crops. The exception was 191,000 pounds of grapes, which produced 5,372 gallons of wine. The population continued to grow steadily, and by 1910 the foreign-born residents, mostly from Mexico, were reported at 3,106 out of the total of 8,613. Agriculture by 1910 experienced an increase in the number of farms and farm values, a reduction in the number of farm acres, and the return of owners to farm operations. Herding continued as the focus of Val Verde agriculture, with 122,000 goats, 107,000 sheep, and over 21,000 cattle. By 1920 the county population reached 12,759, and the number of farms and ranches grew to 285. During the 1920s two dams were built on the lower Devils River to store water for power generation and for recreation. They were Devils Lake, also called Lake Hamilton, and Lake Walk. Both were inundated by Amistad Reservoir when its earthfill and concrete dam was completed on the Rio Grande twelve miles northwest of Del Rio in November 1969. Amistad Dam and Reservoir are owned by the United States and Mexico. The project is operated by the International Boundary and Water Commission. The lake, which covers 89,000 acres and has a capacity of 5,658,600 acre-feet of water, was built for flood control, conservation, irrigation, power, and recreation. However, much of the 6,000 to 10,000-year-old cave art in the area was covered by the lake. Population growth slowed in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, reaching 15,453 in 1940 and 16,635 by 1950. By 1940 the number of farms reached an all-time high of 309, and sheep and goats totaled more than 643,000. On July 2, 1942, Laughlin Field opened eight miles east of Del Rio to train World War II pilots. Although it closed in 1945, it was rebuilt as Laughlin Air Force Base during the Cold War and was home for a secret U-2 unit. In the 1980s it was devoted to the training of air force pilots. During the 1950s livestock production dominated agriculture, with sheep at over 600,000 outnumbering all others. The number of individual ranches and farms continued to grow, and the acreage of each increased, but by 1959 the number had dipped to 165, and only 4,000 acres of crop land were harvested of corn and oats. Livestock values rose to over $4.6 million. The county's population grew dramatically during the 1950s, increasing almost 50 percent to reach 24,461 in 1960. Growth slowed in the 1960s, with the population reaching 27,471 in 1970, then another growth spurt in the 1970s reached 35,910 in 1980, when the population was 63 percent Hispanic. Educational levels increased dramatically in the second half of the twentieth century. While only 7 percent of the county's population had completed high school in 1950, that figure rose to over 50 percent by 1970 and over 60 percent by 1980. In the 1980s the county reported 678 miles of public roads, a railroad passenger service, and air transportation available through Del Rio International Airport. In 1982 twenty manufacturers employed 800 workers for $8.4 million in wages to produce $20.8 million in products. In 1987 only 4 percent of the labor force worked in manufacturing, while 30 percent were employed in wholesale and retail trade and 19 percent in professional services. In 1982 the value of livestock rose to $16.8 million, and the number of ranches and farms jumped to 253. Livestock, mostly Angora goats and sheep, made up 99 percent of the county's agriculture. By 1990 the population of the county was 38,721, of which 27,299 were Hispanic, 757 black, 244 Asian, and 126 Native American. Del Rio, with a population of 30,705, had more than three-quarters of the county residents. Val Verde County in the early 1990s continued with a ranching economy of Angora goats and sheep, supplemented by tourism, trade with Mexico, and a military base.

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