BlockBefore

Zavala County, Texas

24 topographic sheets cover 17 settlements here, and 2 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

2 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Texas within the United States
Zavala County within Texas

What the record shows

  • 161 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 2 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 2 sites.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 17 populated places in this county; 17 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

2

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Crystal City Internment Campsite201414000474
Crystal City Internment Campsite201414000474

The county from the air

27 shown

Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 1,006 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 27 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1937-11-21, scale 1:20000
1937-11-21, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1937-11-21, scale 1:20000
1937-11-21, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1937-11-21, scale 1:20000
1937-11-21, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1937-11-21, scale 1:20000
1937-11-21, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-05-06, scale 1:69000
1953-05-06, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-05-06, scale 1:69000
1953-05-06, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-05-06, scale 1:69000
1953-05-06, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-05-06, scale 1:69000
1953-05-06, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-12-04, scale 1:63996
1957-12-04, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-12-04, scale 1:63996
1957-12-04, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-12-04, scale 1:63996
1957-12-04, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-12-04, scale 1:63996
1957-12-04, scale 1:63996. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-11-06, scale 1:17600
1970-11-06, scale 1:17600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-11-06, scale 1:17600
1970-11-06, scale 1:17600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-11-06, scale 1:17600
1970-11-06, scale 1:17600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-11-06, scale 1:17600
1970-11-06, scale 1:17600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-02-22, scale 1:76000
1971-02-22, scale 1:76000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-02-22, scale 1:76000
1971-02-22, scale 1:76000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-02-22, scale 1:76000
1971-02-22, scale 1:76000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-02-22, scale 1:76000
1971-02-22, scale 1:76000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-02-23, scale 1:26000
1973-02-23, scale 1:26000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-02-23, scale 1:26000
1973-02-23, scale 1:26000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-02-23, scale 1:26000
1973-02-23, scale 1:26000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-02-23, scale 1:26000
1973-02-23, scale 1:26000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1974-01-28, scale 1:76000
1974-01-28, scale 1:76000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1974-01-28, scale 1:76000
1974-01-28, scale 1:76000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1974-01-29, scale 1:58843
1974-01-29, scale 1:58843. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.

Weather records

21 stations, 3 gages

The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.

The 1950 census, district by district

16 districts

Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.

  • 254-1Justice Precinct 1
  • 254-2Justice Precinct 2
  • 254-3Justice Precinct 3: Crystal City: Crystal City - That part Bounded by City limits; City limits; City limits; 7th Ave., City limits
  • 254-4Justice Precinct 3: Crystal City - That part Bounded by City limits; 7th Ave., City limits; Valverde; E. Zavala, Crockett, 1st Ave.
  • 254-5Justice Precinct 3: Crystal City - That part Bounded by City limits; 1st Ave.; Chambers; City limits
  • 254-6Justice Precinct 3: Crystal City - That part Bounded by Chambers; C, Crockett, C; Edwards; City limits
  • 254-7Justice Precinct 3: Crystal City - That part Bounded by Chambers; 1st Ave., Crockett, E. Zavala; Edwards; C, Crockett, C
  • 254-8Justice Precinct 3: Crystal City - That part Bounded by Edwards; E. Zavala; Maverick; City limits
  • 254-9Justice Precinct 3: Crystal City - That part Bounded by Valverde; City limits, 7th Ave.; Lake; E. Zavala
  • 254-10Justice Precinct 3: Crystal City - That part Bounded by Maverick; E. Zavala; Lake; City limits
  • 254-11Justice Precinct 3: Crystal City - That part Bounded by Lake; 1st Ave.; City limits; City limits
  • 254-12Justice Precinct 3: Crystal City - That part Bounded by Lake, 7th Ave., City limits; City limits; City limits; 1st Ave.
  • 254-13Justice Precinct 3 - That part outside Crystal City
  • 254-14Justice Precinct 4: La Pryor, unincorporated (See boundaries shown on aerial photo DAJ- 3C -15)
  • 254-15Justice Precinct 4 - That part south of State Hwy. 76, outside La Pryor, unincorporated (See aerial photo DAJ - 30 -15 for boundaries of La Pryor)
  • 254-16Justice Precinct 4 - That part north of State Hwy. 76, outside La Pryor, unincorporated (See aerial photo DAJ - 3C - 15 for boundaries of La Pryor)

Wildfire, 2005 to 2020

238 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 238 of them, burning about 8,271 acres. 1 started naturally and 14 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined97
Debris and open burning71
Equipment and vehicle use22
Misuse of fire by a minor15
Arson/incendiarism14
Power generation/transmission/distribution9
Smoking8
Natural1
Recreation and ceremony1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
12 January 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined3,050 acresTexas A & M Forest Servicenot named
15 April 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined900 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceSOMBRILLA FIRE
1 February 2008Equipment and vehicle use675 acresTexas A & M Forest Servicenot named
19 September 2019Equipment and vehicle use615 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceFM 1025 COMPLEX
19 September 2019Missing data/not specified/undetermined280 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceTIDWELL RANCH FIRE
28 July 2014Missing data/not specified/undetermined200 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceHURD RANCH
13 September 2011Debris and open burning200 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceAVERHOFF
31 January 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined200 acresTexas A & M Forest Servicenot named

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1956 to 2026

60 of 166 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 166 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 8 injuries and about $6,142,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail71
Flash Flood49
Thunderstorm Wind35
Tornado10
Funnel Cloud1

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 1998Flash FloodCountywide5 hurt, $5,000no account filed
April 2004HailCrystal City1 hurt, $500,000A line of strong thunderstorms had stuck Crystal City near 1240 pm CST. Although individual storms were moving toward the northeast, the line appeared to be moving to the southeast. The downburst winds were all discharged toward the southwest, as all damage around Crystal City area was blown in that direction. Damage was severe in Crystal City. Leaves had been shredded from trees and plastered onto the sides of the cars and houses, and streets were covered with the shredded leaves. Homes had damage to their outside walls, roofs, and windows. What was shocking was to see the piles of semi-melted hail still as high as 2 feet in some of the drifts created by the flooding. In spite of the fact that the hail had been melting for over 24 hours when the survey was made, it was still piled in spotty waves across the city from east to west and north to south. Hail was reported to have been as large as 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter, with a couple of reports of hail to 3 inches. The high winds, combined with hail and rain, caused widespread damage to homes, destroying two mobile homes and the roofs of two houses. Several dozen homes in Crystal City sustained some type of damage. Some of the worst damage occurred at the library and the H.E.B. grocery store. The metal roof was blown off the library and deposited on the southwest side of the building. The roof of the H.E.B. grocery store collapsed. It appeared to be beneath the area where the air conditioners were positioned on the west side of the store. This is also where the rain and ice would have accumulated the thickest and would possibly have clogged drainage holes. One injury was reported in the storms.
June 1999Flash FloodCrystal City1 hurt, $40,000no account filed
March 1964Tornado (F1)not stated1 hurt, $25,000no account filed
March 1993HailBatesville$5,000,000The sheriff's office reported golfball-size hail in the Batesville area. Over 200 homes and a school had windows broken out.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindLa Pryor$60,000Wind damage was reported to the roofs of numerous buildings in LaPryor.
June 2003Thunderstorm WindCrystal City$50,000Severe thunderstorm winds blew down trees and power poles near Crystal City.
April 2002Thunderstorm WindLa Pryor$50,000Severe thunderstorm winds knocked over trees, and blew down tree limbs in and around the LaPryor area.
March 2002Thunderstorm WindBatesville$50,000Trees were blown down and windows were broken in the northeast part of Zavala County from Batesville to the Uvalde and Frio County lines.
September 2000Thunderstorm WindLa Pryor$50,000Severe thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a school, and also knocked down several trees.
October 2002Flash FloodCountywide$30,000Thunderstorms moved into Zavala County from Maverick County near 3 am CST and continued into the mid morning. Average rainfall was between 1 and 2 inches, with isolated totals of up to 4 inches in the eastern part of the County. Flash flooding began just before sunrise and ended just before noon. Minor damage was reported to area roads and bridges.
May 2001Thunderstorm WindLa Pryor$30,000Severe thunderstorm winds blow over power lines near La Pryor.
September 2000Thunderstorm WindBatesville$30,000Severe thunderstorm winds blew down numerous utility poles.
March 1999HailLa Pryor$30,000Hail broke windows in the town of LaPryor.
October 2002Flash FloodNortheast Portion$20,000Scattered showers and thunderstorms redeveloping in the mid morning from LaPryor to Batesville to the Frio County line produced general rainfall of 2 to 4 inches with isolated totals in the Batesville area of 7 inches. The rain continued from mid morning until just before noon.
May 2000Thunderstorm WindBatesville$20,000Severe thunderstorm winds blew down power lines and caused minor property damage just east of Batesville.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindCrystal City$20,000Damage was reported to roofs, with numerous trees uprooted.
May 2023HailCrystal City Muni Ar$10,000A thunderstorm produced ping pong ball size hail on Hwy 83 near Las Colonias. Some vehicles were dented.
March 2003Thunderstorm WindCrystal City$10,000An NWS survey noted that several trees had been knocked down and large limbs were torn out of trees in a very spotty manner from the southwest corner of the county into the town of Crystal City.
October 2003Flash FloodCountywide$10,000The showers and thunderstorms began producing heavy rain in Zavala County in the late evening period, with general totals between 1 and 2 inches across the county. Isolated amounts of up to 5 inches were reported in the southeast corner of the county. Flash flooding began just before midnight CST and continued into the early morning hours.
September 2000Thunderstorm WindCrystal City$10,000Severe winds from a thunderstorm caused a pavillion to collapse in Crystal City.
August 1998Flash FloodCountywide$10,000no account filed
August 1996Thunderstorm WindSabinal$10,000no account filed
August 1996Flash FloodCrystal City$10,000no account filed
May 2023HailCrystal City$5,000A thunderstorm produced hail up to baseball size in Crystal City. The hail destroyed vehicle windshields and windows.
April 2015Tornado (EF0)Winter Haven$5,000A thunderstorm produced a tornado that moved through an open area near the Dimmit/Zavala County line. An irrigation pivot was overturned on a ranch along with some minor outbuilding damage. No other damage was found. The path and time were determined from radar. Max winds are estimated to be 80 mph.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindLa Pryor$5,000The Zavala County Emergency Manager reported wind damage to several trees and mobile homes on the east side of La Pryor.
March 2004Flash FloodEast Portion$5,000Showers and thunderstorms formed along a cold front moving southeastward across the western part of South Central Texas. The storms slowed as they crossed eastern Zavala County, producing up to 3 inches of rain in some locations. Brief flash flooding was reported over the east part of the county.
July 2003Flash FloodCountywide$5,000The showers and thunderstorms from Uvalde and Frio Counties continued spreading westward, moving into Zavala County in the mid morning. By late morning, Zavala had received a general rainfall of 1 to 2 inches with isolated totals to 6 inches across the northwest corner. Flash flooding developed by late morning and continued into the late afternoon.
May 1994HailEagle Pass$5,000The worst damage was done east and south of Crystal City, where a combination of wind and hail damaged trees and destroyed gardens. Roofs, windowns and vehicle windshields were ruined. Many trees were also reported to have been uprooted.
May 1994HailLa Pryor$5,000The worst damage was done east and south of Crystal City, where a combination of wind and hail damaged trees and destroyed gardens. Roofs, windowns and vehicle windshields were ruined. Many trees were also reported to have been uprooted.
May 1994Thunderstorm WindCountywide$5,000The worst damage was done east and south of Crystal City, where a combination of wind and hail damaged trees and destroyed gardens. Roofs, windowns and vehicle windshields were ruined. Many trees were also reported to have been uprooted.
September 1998Flash FloodSouth Portion$5,000no account filed
March 1998Flash FloodCountywide$3,000General 2 inch rainfall with isolated totals near 4 inches caused flash flooding over much of Zavala County.
March 1998Thunderstorm WindCrystal City$3,000Trees were blown down by severe thunderstorm winds.
June 1999Flash FloodWest Portion$3,000no account filed
October 1976Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
May 1972Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
October 1956Tornado (F2)not stated$2,500no account filed
May 2015Thunderstorm WindBatesville$1,000A tree was reported down blocking Ramos Street in the city of Batesville.
February 2026HailLa Pryor-A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail in La Pryor. There were pictures of the hail on social media.
May 2024HailBatesville-A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail north of Batesville.
May 2024HailBatesville-A thunderstorm produced hail larger than baseballs north of Batesville. The Emergency Manager sent a picture of the hailstones.
April 2023HailLoma Vista-A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail in Loma Vista.
May 2023HailCrystal City Muni Ar-A thunderstorm produced golf ball size hail in Crystal City.
May 2023HailCometa-A thunderstorm produced hail up to tennis ball size hail near the Flying T O Ranch Airport in western Zavala County.
May 2022HailLa Pryor-A thunderstorm produced hail slightly bigger than a quarter in La Pryor.
May 2022HailCrystal City-A thunderstorm produced dime to quarter size hail in Crystal City.
April 2019Thunderstorm WindLa Pryor-A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 70 mph that knocked down several trees and tree limbs in La Pryor.
May 2019HailLa Pryor-A thunderstorm produced one inch hail in La Pryor.
September 2017Flash FloodBatesville-Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that led to flash flooding closing several roads in northern Zavala County including FM 117 and FM 140.
September 2017Flash FloodBatesville-Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that led to flash flooding closing CR 1866 at the Leona River southeast of Batesville.
April 2016Thunderstorm WindDel Monte-A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 70 mph that blew down several power poles on Hwy 83.
April 2016Thunderstorm WindDel Monte-A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 60 mph that damaged several outbuildings.
August 2016Flash FloodLa Pryor-Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding closing Hwy 83 between La Pryor and Crystal City.
March 2016HailCometa-A thunderstorm produced golf ball size hail at the J4 Farm.
August 2016Flash FloodLa Pryor-Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding closing Hwy 83 just south of La Pryor and Hwy 57 near Batesville.
May 2015Flash FloodCrystal City-West Lake Street in Crystal City was reportedly completely flooded.
May 2015Flash FloodDel Monte-Highway 83 in Crystal City was closed for an hour due to high water over the highway.
May 2015Flash FloodLa Pryor-Many roads in the city of La Pryor, including Highway 83 and 57 were closed due to water over the road.

Mines and quarries

2 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 2 workings inside this county. All of them still produce. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sulfur1
Stone, Crushed/Broken1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Tilden Sulfur PlantSulfurProducer
West Ranch PitStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every populated place in the county

17

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.