The southern Texas county of La Salle is a land devoted to livestock and agriculture. The area that would become the county was originally occupied by Coahuiltecan Native Americans until around the 18th century, when migrants from Mexico in the south and Apache from the north squeezed the tribe out.
After the Mexican War of Independence, the Mexican government used land grants to encourage settlement of the area, but few settlers took the incentives. By 1836, the area was almost exclusively populated by Native Americans.
At the time of its creation in 1858, La Salle county was sparsely settled, with a few small towns and forts. When railroad tracks were laid in the area, the population boomed as attacks by outlaws and raids by Native Americans were greatly reduced.
La Salle’s terrain is typically flat or rolling, and vegetation is sparse, with small mesquite, oak, and scrub brush alongside the cacti and grasses. Two major river systems, the Nueces and the Frio, intersect the county. It’s a region that is perfectly suited to ranching and agriculture. 90 percent of the county’s 1,487 sq mi of land is dedicated to ranching and farming.
87 percent of that land is used for livestock and livestock products, while 3 percent is cultivated. Beef cattle, peanuts, watermelons, and grain sorghum are La Salle County’s chief agricultural exports, but the area is also rich in minerals, including gravel, sand, oil, gas, and lignite coal.
The county’s population is mostly concentrated in the area’s largest cities, including the county seat, Cotulla. The land is mostly natural, and locals and visitors alike participate in outdoor sports.
Fishing and hunting are popular pastimes, and hunters pursue deer, birds, and javelinas in particular. A wild hog cookoff festival is held in March.
La Salle County is a rancher’s paradise–the open lands provide the freedom and space you might be looking for and an economic opportunity that’s not to be understated.