Bell County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in Central Texas and its county seat is Belton.
As of the 2020 census, its population was 370,647. Bell County is part of the Killeen–Temple, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The county was founded in 1850 and is named for Peter Hansborough Bell, the third governor of Texas.
In 2010, the center of population of Texas was located in Bell County, near the town of Holland.
| Name: | Bell County |
|---|---|
| FIPS code: | 48-027 |
| State: | Texas |
| Founded: | 1850 |
| Named for: | Peter Hansborough Bell |
| Seat: | Belton |
| Largest city: | Killeen |
| Total Area: | 1,088 sq mi (2,820 km²) |
| Land Area: | 1,051 sq mi (2,720 km²) |
| Total Population: | 370,647 |
| Population Density: | 340/sq mi (130/km²) |
| Time zone: | UTC−6 (Central) |
| Summer Time Zone (DST): | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Website: | www.bellcountytx.com |
Bell County location map. Where is Bell County?
History
In 1834–1835, Little River became part of Robertson’s Colony, made up of settlers from Nashville, Tennessee, led by Sterling C. Robertson; they were the families of Captain Goldsby Childers, Robert Davison, John Fulcher, Moses Griffin, John Needham, Michael Reed and his son William Whitaker Reed, William Taylor, and Judge Orville T. Tyler. This area became known as the Tennessee Valley. Soon after (1836) the settlements were deserted during the Runaway Scrape, reoccupied, deserted again after the Elmwood Creek Blood Scrape, and reoccupied. Texas Ranger George Erath established a fort on Little River.
During 1843–44, settlers began returning. The next year, the Republic of Texas founded Baylor Female College (since developed as University of Mary Hardin–Baylor).
In 1850, Bell County was organized and named for Texas Governor Peter Hansborough Bell. The population then was 600 whites and 60 black slaves. Belton was designated as the county seat in 1851.
The last serious Indian raid in the area occurred in 1859. Bell County assumed its present boundaries with the 1860 resurvey of the line between Bell and Milam Counties.
In 1861, the county voted for secession from the Union. Residents were divided, as many yeomen farmers did not support the war. From 1862 to 1865, Union sympathizers and Confederate deserters holed up in “Camp Safety”. Following the war, new social movements developed. In 1867, the Belton Women’s Commonwealth, the first women’s movement in Central Texas, was formed by Martha McWhirter. The group provided shelter to women in abusive relationships.
During the early years of the Reconstruction era (1865–1877), so much violence occurred in the county, the government stationed federal troops in Belton. Some racist whites attacked blacks and their white supporters. Corruption, lawlessness, and racial divides were severe. As in many areas, a local version of white paramilitary insurgents developed who were similar to the KKK; they worked to suppress black and Republican voting.
The coming of railroads in the late 19th century stimulated growth across the state. In 1881, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, the first railroad to be built in Bell County, established Temple as its headquarters. Reflecting growth in the county, in 1884, the Bell County Courthouse was built. It is still used. The ambitious Renaissance Revival design was by architect Jasper N. Preston and Sons. As another improvement, in 1905, the Belton and Temple Interurban electric railway was completed, providing service between the cities.
During the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan underwent a revival in Bell County. In many areas, it was concentrated on nativist issues, opposing Catholic and Jewish immigration from eastern and southern Europe. After a scandal involving the leader of the KKK, the group’s influence declined markedly by the end of the decade.
In 1925, Miriam A. Ferguson, a native of the county, was inaugurated as the first woman governor of the state. She won re-election in 1932 for a nonconsecutive second term.
The county and state supported founding Temple Junior College in 1926. The entry of the United States in World War II stimulated war spending across the country. In 1942, Fort Hood was opened as a military training base. It drew recruits from across the country.
The postwar period was one of suburbanization in many areas. In 1956, the Killeen school board voted to integrate the local high school. This followed the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ruling by the US Supreme Court that racial segregation in public schools, supported by all the taxpayers, was unconstitutional.
The state founded Central Texas College in 1965 in Killeen.
Since the late 20th century, new retail development has taken the form of large malls. In 1976, Temple Mall opened. By 1980, Killeen had become the largest city in Bell County. The next year, the Killeen Mall opened, adding to retail choices in the area. In another type of development, in 1987, the Bell County Expo Center opened.
Since the late 20th century, the county has been the site of several mass shootings. On October 16, 1991, in the Luby’s shooting, George Hennard killed 23 people and wounded 20 others before killing himself. It was the deadliest mass shooting in the United States at the time. On November 5, in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, Army Major Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 30 others before being paralyzed in return fire. On April 2, in the 2014 Fort Hood shootings, Army Specialist Ivan Lopez killed three people and wounded 16 others.
Bell County Road Map
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,088 square miles (2,820 km), of which 1,051 square miles (2,720 km) are land and 37 square miles (96 km) (3.4%) are covered by water.
Adjacent counties
- McLennan County (north)
- Falls County (northeast)
- Milam County (southeast)
- Williamson County (south)
- Burnet County (southwest)
- Lampasas County (west)
- Coryell County (northwest)
Bell County Topographic Map
Bell County Satellite Map
Bell County Outline Map
