Crosby County was founded in 1886. The county seat was in Estacado in 1890 then the county seat was moved to Emma, 9 miles from Crosbyton. In 1910 the county seat was moved to its current location in Crosbyton to be closer to the railroad.

Crosby County lies in the eastern South Plains. It is split by the Caprock Escarpment. The land above the Caprock is primarily farmland and ranch country being below the Caprock.

Recreation in the county is highlighted by scenic drives at White River Reservoir in the southeast portion of the county. There are also ample opportunities for hunting in the county. God's Country musical is also a source of entertainment in the summer. There are also several museums in the county.

Demographically, projections for Crosby County in the year 2000, show little anticipated change. In 1996, the population of Crosby County was 7,331 and ranked 187th in the state. Population in Crosby County has shown a decline in both the 80's and 90's. 83% of county residents work inside the county and 13 % work in other counties. 20% of the population completed high school with no further education. 20% completed some college work and 20% have a college degree. 28% of the county did not graduate high school.

Per Capita Personal Income

In 1996, Crosby County had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $16,322. This PCPI ranked 171st in the State, and was 73 % of the State average, $22,324, and 67% of the national average, $24,436. In 1986, the PCPI of Crosby County was $10,001 and ranked 202nd in the State. The average annual growth rate of PCPI over the past 10 years was 5%. The average annual growth rate for the State was 4.8% and for the nation 4.9%.

For more information about Crosby County, or any of Texas' 254 counties, you can access the following: the Texas Almanac 1996-1997; web sites http://govinfo.library.orst.edu/cgi-bin/bfact and http://monarch.tamu.edu; and the article titled, Understanding Your Local Economy...County Data Set by Drs. Dennis U. Fisher and Judith I. Stallmann, Department of Agricultural Economics, 340 Blocker Building, College Station, Tx. 77843-2124.