O'Brien is a city in Haskell County, Texas, United States. The population was 91 at the 2020 census. O'Brien is located at the junction of Farm to Market Road 2229 and Texas State Highway 6; the nearest large city is Abilene, 70 miles to the south. The area was hit by a destructive and deadly F4 tornado on March 13, 1953.
History
O'Brien was established in the early 20th century as a small agricultural community in northwestern Haskell County. The town was named after a local landowner and cotton farmer, reflecting the region’s dependence on cotton cultivation during that era.
The arrival of the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway in the early 1900s spurred modest growth, as O'Brien became a shipping point for cotton and grain. By the 1920s, the town had a school, churches, and several businesses serving local farmers.
Population peaked in the mid-20th century, but mechanization of agriculture and rural depopulation led to a steady decline. A notable event in O'Brien’s history occurred on March 13, 1953, when an F4 tornado struck the area during the Tornado outbreak of March 12–15, 1953, causing fatalities and widespread destruction.
In 1972, O'Brien gained statewide attention when the local high school football team won the first six-man football state championship in Texas.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, O'Brien had a population of 91. The median age was 56.5 years. 16.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 39.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.0 males age 18 and over.
There were 40 households in O'Brien, of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 35.0% were married-couple households, 35.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 47.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 25.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 61 || 67.0%
|-
| Black or African American || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 2 || 2.2%
|-
| Asian || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 11 || 12.1%
|-
| Two or more races || 17 || 18.7%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 44 || 48.4%
|}
2000 census
As of the 2000 census