A Study Of The Economic Status Of Fifty Negro Farmers Of Waller County, Texas

Author

Jewel Cornelius Sadberry, Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical. College

Date of Award

8-1949

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Degree Discipline

Agriculture

Abstract

Brief History of Waller County

Location — Waller County is situated mainly in the lover East Texas timber region, although a portion of the southeast part of the county is in the Gulf coastal prairie region and is level and treeless. The county lies along the east bank of the Brazos River, which it parallels for a distance of some thirty-five miles. It is bounded on the north by Grimes County, and the east by Montgomery and Harris counties; on the south by Fort Bend County, and on the west by Austin and Washington Counties."

Area and Population — The county has a land area of five hundred and seven square miles. The population of the county in 1940 was 10,280 2 with a density of 20.3 persons per square mile. This is an ideal proportion for rural activities and general farm operation. A little less than half of the entire population is composed of Negroes. Hempstead, the county seat, is the largest town with a population of about 1,674. Other smaller towns are Brookshire, Waller, Prairie View, and Pattison, with many communities located near and between towns.

Topography and Minerals — The surface ranges from rolling hills covered with timber in the northern part to a treeless prairie in the central-eastern and southeastern part of the county. Most of the county has an altitude of about two hundred and fifty feet above sea level. Minerals found are lignite, clay, and fuller's earth. A number of oil wells have been discovered only producing in small quantities.

Soils There are several different types of soil found in the county. The Brazos bottom lands along the western boundary are composed of alluvial soil, which is as fertile as that found in any section of the state. The uplands are composed of sandy and sandy loam soils, as is most of the prairie sections. There is a relatively small area of black, waxy soil near Sunny Side in the south-central section of the county. 5 These soils are well adapted to farming and grazing. In the Brazos Valley, cotton is the chief cash crop. However, corn and watermelons are produced in considerable quantities in that section and sent by truck to nearby markets and shipped by carloads to northern markets. The sandy loam soils also produce excellent sweet potatoes, and there is usually a good crop of pecans from the Brazos bottoms.

Committee Chair/Advisor

J. M. Coruthers

Committee Member

W. R. Banks

Committee Member

W. R. Banks

Committee Member

Walter R. Harrison

Publisher

Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical. College

Rights

Date of Digitization

11/30/2021

Contributing Institution

John B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

Recommended Citation

Sadberry, J. C. (1949). A Study Of The Economic Status Of Fifty Negro Farmers Of Waller County, Texas. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/pvamu-theses/790