Monarch Butterfly

Coke County was organized in 1889 and named after Richard Coke, both a Senator and Governor of Texas. The two main towns in the county are Robert Lee, county seat, which was named after Robert E. Lee, and Bronte. There are several small communities that include Tennyson, Silver, Sanco and Edith. These smaller communities used to be thriving town sites during the early oil boom or had a cotton gin, but with the decline in the oil business and lack of water resources, people migrated to Robert Lee and Bronte.

Coke County lays in the northern Edwards Plateau region of central West Texas. It covers 911 square miles of hills, valleys with very few level spots. The Colorado river runs diagonally through the county from northwest to southeast.

Land use in Coke County have been basically comprised of ranching interest with cattle, sheep and goats. There was some farming of cotton and grain sorghum years ago but dry conditions and prices forced most farmland to be put into grass production or used for small grain or hay production. Recreation in Coke County includes ample opportunities for hunting and fishing with excellent deer and turkey on the vast amounts of rangeland and two very good lakes, Oak Creek Lake and Lake Spence, which lies on the Colorado River. The major industry includes Government, Oil and Gas and Agriculture.

The role and scope of Cooperative Extension work in Coke County is predominantly working with agriculture producers on livestock and natural resources management and a very strong 4-H program based on livestock projects and leadership opportunities.

Contact Coke County Extension

Listed as:

• Cooperative Extension