200px|right|thumb|Mercantile Garden, located at the foot of the hill containing the Sutton County Courthouse

200px|right|thumb|The Sutton County Library in [[Sonora, Texas|Sonora]]

200px|right|thumb|Veterans & Pioneer Ranch Women Museum in Sonora

Sutton County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,372. Its county seat is Sonora. The county was created in 1887 and organized in 1890. Sutton County is named for John S. Sutton, an officer in the Confederate Army.

History

  • 9500 BC – c. 1860s AD Paleo-Indians in the county leave behind archaeological remains of a burned-rock midden with mortar and pestle, as well as other tools. Later native inhabitants include Tonkawa, Comanche and Lipan Apache.
  • 1736 Lt. Miguel de la Garza Falcón leads 100 soldiers along the Devils River
  • 1852, February 2 - Camp Terrett, later known as Fort Terrett, established to protect settlers from Comanches. Founded by Lt. Col. Henry Bainbridge and named for Lt. John Terrett, who was killed in the Battle of Monterrey in 1846.
  • 1881 Wall's Well discovered by Tim Birtrong and Ed Wall. Town of Wentworth discovered. Birtrong Ranch is the area's only ranch.
  • 1885 Charles G. Adams, a merchant and sometime rancher from Fort McKavett, founds Sonora, Texas, named after a family servant from Sonora, Mexico.
  • 1887 The Texas legislature establishes Sutton County, carved out of eastern Crockett County named for Confederate officer John Schuyler Sutton.
  • 1928 The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway acquires Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway to connect Sonora with San Angelo, Del Rio, and the outside world by rail.
  • 1960, July 16 – Caverns of Sonora open to the public.
  • 1965 Caverns of Sonora designated National Natural Landmark.
  • 1975 Fort Terrett Ranch is purchased by the Texas oil industrialist Bill Noël and used in part for the growing of pecans.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.03%) is water.

Major highways

  • 20px Interstate 10
  • 25px U.S. Highway 277

Adjacent counties

  • Schleicher County (north)
  • Kimble County (east)
  • Edwards County (south)
  • Val Verde County (southwest)
  • Crockett County (west)
  • Menard County (northeast)

Demographics