Loving County, Texas

Loving County is a in the  of, and is the least populous county in the entire United States. Its, and only community, is. The nearest sizable towns are, and.

Geography
According to the, Loving County has a total area of 1,753 (677 ). 1,743 km² (673 sq mi) of it is land and 10 km² (4 sq mi) of it (0.56%) is water.

The is the county's western boundary, forming the  along its northwestern border with  and. The terrain of Loving County is described as flat desert, with a few low hills. Desert shrubs, range grass and cactus abound, with s along the river. Elevations vary from 2,686 to 3,311 feet above sea level.

Loving is the smallest county by area in the region.

Major Highways
These are the only through-routes in Loving County.
 * [[Image:Texas 302.svg|20px]]

Adjacent counties

 * (north)
 * (east)
 * (southeast)
 * (south & west)
 * (northwest)

Demographics
As of the of, there were 67 people, 31 households, and 19 families living in the county. The was 0.03/km² (0.1/sq mi). There were 70 housing units at an average density of 0.04/km² (0.1/sq mi). Of the 67 residents, 60 persons identified themselves as, no person identified themselves as , , , , or. 6 identified themselves as, and 1 person identified him or herself as belonging to two or more races. In addition, 7 people identified themselves as being of of any race.

There were 31 households out of which 5 have children under the age of 18 living with them, 17 are married couples living together, 2 have a female householder with no husband present, and 11 are non-families. Ten households are made up of individuals and 2 consist of someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. Average household size was 2.16, while the average family size was 2.65.

In the county, the population was spread out with 13 people under the age of 18, one between 18 and 24, 18 from 25 to 44, 24 from 45 to 64, and 11 who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 10 females there are 11.61 males. For every 10 females age 18 and over, there are 12.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $0 for females. The for the county was $24,084.

Loving County's population has been rapidly declining in recent years, with a decline of over 35% between and 2000, and another 22% of its population between 2000 and.

Loving County is the only county in the with no persons below the  as of 2000. |1 Its economy is based almost entirely upon oil and gas drilling, ranching, and county services.

The county is also the least densely populated county in the nation with a 2006 county-wide population estimate of 60, according to figures from the U.S..

History
Prehistorically, the area had many springs with drinkable water that supported wildlife and nomadic hunters. visited the area in and crossed the. surveyed the area in for a railroad company, and returned in  to start a camp in northwestern Loving County and establish s in the area, however the venture was unsuccessful and was abandoned in.

From to  the area of Loving County was part of the  land district. In 1874 it was separated from as a part of.

Loving County is named for, a  and pioneer of the  who together with  developed the. He was mortally wounded by while on a cattle drive in  in the vicinity of the county.

Loving is the only county in Texas to be incorporated twice, first in and then once more in. Its initial organization was effected by a canal company founded in, , and appears to have been based upon fraud and willful misrepresentations made by the founders to state officials. After a local landowner hired a firm to investigate alleged improprieties in county government, the company's organizers fled, taking with them all the county records. The state legislature subsequently disorganized Loving in, attaching it to Reeves County.

was discovered in, leading to a population increase in Loving County. By there were 195 residents, mostly living in what would become the town of Mentone, which became the county seat when Loving was reconstituted in 1931. By, the population had peaked at 600, only to enter a steady decline to the present day.

Loving County firsts
Loving County was the home of the first elected female in Texas, Edna Reed Claton Dewees. Ms. Dewees was appointed to the job in January of, then won an election to continue in the office through. She never carried a firearm, and reported only two arrests during her entire term. Later she would return as a county district clerk, a job she held from to. As of January 2000, she still resided on a ranch near Mentone.

Alleged takeover attempt by the "Free Town Project"
In February of, Loving County became the focus of a article detailing an alleged attempt by  Lawrence Pendarvis, Bobby Emory, and Don Duncan to "take over" Loving County and its county seat, Mentone. According to the article, Pendarvis and his associates, part of the, planned to buy parcels of land in the county, then move in enough of their supporters to outvote earlier residents and take control of local government. 

According to a website for Mr. Pendarvis' movement, their objectives were to "remove oppressive Regulations...and stop enforcement of Laws prohibiting among Consenting Adults, such as Dueling, Gambling, Incest, Price-Gouging, Cannibalism, and Drug Handling." Additionally, the group sought "to ensure that the Sheriff's Office or the Town Police are never allowed to waste valuable Town resources...to oppress our residents by the investigation or enforcement of violations of Laws that punish Truancy, Drug Trafficking, Prostitution, Obscenity, Organ Trafficking,, and other Victimless 'Crimes'." 

Although Pendarvis, Emory and Duncan claimed to have legally bought 126 acres in Loving county in, and registered to vote accordingly, the county sheriff, Billy Burt Hopper, determined that this land had been sold to a different buyer. Misdemeanor charges were filed against the three men, who had left the state by this time. Pendarvis claimed to have a cancelled check to prove his purchase of the land in question, but no deed was ever produced, and the original landowners denied having sold land to Pendarvis or his associates. The three were subsequently featured on a "wanted" poster issued by Sheriff Hopper and the local (displayed at Hopper's office), and threatened with arrest should they return to Loving County.

Although Mr. Pendarvis' website remains operative, his project does not seem to be active at this time, due to lack of funding and participation.

Education
Loving County is served by the. The county's school system was closed and consolidated into Wink's ISD in because the enrollment had fallen to two pupils.

Popular culture
"Loving County" is the name of a song written and performed by. It appears on his 1998 album Step Right Up.