Editing Houston County, Texas

{{Short description|County in Texas, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Houston|Harris County, Texas}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Houston County
 | state                = Texas
 | flag                 = Flag of Houston County, Texas.svg
 | seal                 = 
 | founded              = 1837
 | seat wl              = Crockett
 | largest city wl      = Crockett
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 1237
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 1231
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 5.7
 | area percentage      = 0.5
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 22066
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | ex image             = HoustonCountyCourtHouse1.JPG
 | ex image size        = 250
 | ex image cap         = The Houston County Courthouse in Crockett is located at the intersections of [[Texas State Highway 21]] and [[U.S. Highway 287]].
 | web                  = www.co.houston.tx.us|
 | time zone            = Central
 | district             = 17th
 | named for            = [[Sam Houston]]
}}

'''Houston County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Texas]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], its population was 22,066.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Houston County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US48225|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 30, 2022}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Crockett, Texas|Crockett]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> Houston County was one of 46 entirely [[dry counties]] in the state of Texas, until voters in a November 2007 [[special election]] legalized the sale of [[alcoholic drink|alcohol]] in the county.

Houston County was the first new county created under the nine-year [[Republic of Texas]] on June 12, 1837. The original boundaries of Houston County also included all of present-day [[Anderson County, Texas|Anderson]] and [[Trinity County, Texas|Trinity]] Counties, and portions of present-day [[Henderson County, Texas|Henderson]] and [[Polk County, Texas|Polk]] Counties.

The county is named for [[Sam Houston]],  [[President of the Republic of Texas]] and [[List of Governors of Texas|Governor of Texas]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n160 161]}}</ref> Other than being named for the same person, Houston County is not related to the City of [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], which is located about {{convert|100|mi|km|abbr=on}} to the south, in [[Harris County, Texas|Harris County]].

==History==
[[Image:Houston County (TX) Museum IMG 1010.JPG|200px|left|thumb|The Houston County Museum is located in a restored railroad depot south of Crockett.]]
The Four C Mill operated in Houston County during the first two decades of the 20th century. R. M. Keith, agent of the Central Coal and Coke Company in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], began buying virgin timber in the fall of 1899. Lumber to construct the new mill was cut by a small sawmill purchased in early 1901 from J. H. Ratcliff. Keith organized the Louisiana and Texas Lumber Company to operate the Four C. The mill was producing 300,000 [[board feet]] of lumber daily by June 1902. [[Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area|Ratcliff Lake]], now a [[United States Department of Interior]] recreational site, was the millpond for the Four C. The Texas Southeastern Railroad laid track from [[Lufkin, Texas|Lufkin]] to haul out the lumber. The town of [[Ratcliff, Texas|Ratcliff]] was separated from the Four C by a fence, built to discourage the mill workers from spending their money outside the [[company town]]. The 120,000 acres were in time exhausted, and by 1920, the mill shut down.<ref name=THC>Texas Historical Commission, Historic Marker, Houston County, Texas, east of Kennard, Texas</ref>

==Geography==
[[Image:Another view of Ratcliff Lake, Ratcliff, TX IMG 0983.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area is located in the [[Davy Crockett National Forest]] in Houston County east of Crockett.]]

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|1237|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1231|sqmi}} are land and {{convert|5.7|sqmi}} (0.5%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 30, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Anderson County, Texas|Anderson County]] (north)
* [[Cherokee County, Texas|Cherokee County]] (northeast)
* [[Angelina County, Texas|Angelina County]] (east)
* [[Trinity County, Texas|Trinity County]] (southeast)
* [[Walker County, Texas|Walker County]] (south)
* [[Madison County, Texas|Madison County]] (southwest)
* [[Leon County, Texas|Leon County]] (west)

===National protected area===
* [[Davy Crockett National Forest]] (part)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1850= 2721
|1860= 8058
|1870= 8147
|1880= 16702
|1890= 19360
|1900= 25452
|1910= 29564
|1920= 28601
|1930= 30017
|1940= 31137
|1950= 22825
|1960= 19276
|1970= 17855
|1980= 22299
|1990= 21375
|2000= 23185
|2010= 23732
|2020= 22066
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|align-fn=center<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><ref name="DecennialCensus2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing from 1790|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref><br />1850–2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010|publisher=Texas Almanac|access-date=April 30, 2015}}</ref> 2010–2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Houston County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Houston County, Texas |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=0500000US48225&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Houston County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48225&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Houston County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48225&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|14,775
|14,811
|style='background: #ffffe6; |12,957
|63.73%
|62.41%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |58.72%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|6,442
|6,129
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,163
|27.79%
|25.83%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |23.40%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|51
|75
|style='background: #ffffe6; |94
|0.22%
|0.32%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.43%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|53
|95
|style='background: #ffffe6; |138
|0.23%
|0.40%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.63%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|4
|1
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8
|0.02%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.04%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|2
|25
|style='background: #ffffe6; |58
|0.01%
|0.11%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.26%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Multiracial]] (NH)
|119
|232
|style='background: #ffffe6; |577
|0.51%
|0.98%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.61%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|1,739
|2,364
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,071
|7.50%
|9.96%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |13.92%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''23,185'''
|'''23,732'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''22,066'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

As of the 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR8">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>  23,185 people, 8,259 households, and 5,756 families were residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|19|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people|people|abbr=on}}; it had the second-lowest population density for all counties in [[Deep East Texas]], behind only [[Newton County, Texas|Newton County]]. The 10,730 housing units averaged {{convert|9|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units&nbsp;}}. The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the county was 68.57% White, 27.93% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 2.23% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. About 7.50% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 8,259 households, 28.7% had children under 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were not families. About 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the age distribution was 23.2% under 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.1 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 115.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,119, and for a family was $35,033. Males had a median income of $29,143 versus $19,885 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $14,525. About 15.6% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 28.3% of those under 18 and 18.2% of those 65 or over.

==Government and infrastructure==
[[Image:Revised Austonio Baptist Church, Houston County, TX IMG 3296.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Austonio [[Baptist]] Church off [[Texas State Highway 21]] in Houston County]]
[[Eastham Unit]], a [[Texas Department of Criminal Justice]] prison for men, is located in an [[unincorporated area]] in the county.<ref name="Profile">"[http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/ea.htm Eastham Unit] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725201126/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/ea.htm |date=2010-07-25 }}." [[Texas Department of Criminal Justice]]. Retrieved on July 16, 2010.</ref>

The [[Crockett State School]], a [[Texas Youth Commission]] juvenile correctional facility for boys, was located in Crockett.<ref>"[http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/programs/crockett/index.html Crockett State School] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220003326/http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/programs/crockett/index.html |date=2011-02-20 }}." [[Texas Youth Commission]]. Retrieved on August 8, 2010,</ref> but was closed on August 31, 2011.<ref name="3closing">"[http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/news/press_06-03-11.html TYC Announces Closure of Three Facilities] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305203532/http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/news/press_06-03-11.html |date=2012-03-05 }}." [[Texas Youth Commission]]. Retrieved on July 3, 2011.</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Houston County, Texas|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=July 25, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|7,247|2,065|61|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|7,060|2,314|74|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|6,205|1,978|170|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|5,880|2,265|69|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|5,872|2,656|96|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|5,848|2,921|37|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|5,308|2,833|95|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|3,443|3,383|613|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|3,067|3,250|1,703|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|3,882|3,846|36|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|4,542|3,275|17|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|2,889|4,181|74|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|2,229|3,179|13|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|3,317|1,844|26|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|1,391|2,782|2,064|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,675|3,681|10|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|1,591|2,703|89|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|1,941|1,998|19|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|2,222|2,900|4|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|532|2,014|558|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|233|2,329|584|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|474|3,579|3|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|99|2,458|2|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|165|3,087|3|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|763|1,336|0|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|457|3,289|38|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|385|1,475|1,121|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|373|1,730|162|Texas}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|342|1,457|308|Texas}}
{{U.S. SenHead|place=Houston County, Texas|Seat=1|source=<ref>{{cite news |title=2024 Senate Election (Official Returns) |website=Commonwealth of Texas by county |date=November 5, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/texas-senate-results}}</ref>}}
<!-- U.S. SenRow should be {{U.S. SenRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{U.S. SenRow|2024|Republican|7,033|2,104|148|Texas}}
{{U.S. SenFoot}}

==Transportation==

===Major highways===
* [[Image:US 287.svg|23px]] [[U.S. Highway 287 (Texas)|U.S. Highway 287]]
* [[Image:Texas 7.svg|20px]] [[State Highway 7 (Texas)|State Highway 7]]
* [[Image:Texas 19.svg|20px]] [[State Highway 19 (Texas)|State Highway 19]]
* [[Image:Texas 21.svg|20px]] [[State Highway 21 (Texas)|State Highway 21]]

Houston County is served by US Highway 287 and State Highways 7, 19, and 21. All of these highways intersect at the Courthouse Square in downtown Crockett. SH 21 follows the 300-year-old route of  [[Old San Antonio Road]].  [[Texas State Highway Loop 304]] circles the city of Crockett.

===Rail===
Freight rail service is provided by Union Pacific Railroad. The Crockett Depot, built in 1909, has been restored and now serves as the Houston County Museum.

===Air===
Houston County Airport (KDKR), located 3 miles east of Crockett on SH 7, features a 4,000-foot runway. On-site aircraft services are provided by East Texas Aircraft.

===Public transportation===
Demand and response public transportation within Houston County is provided by Brazos Transit District.

==Communities==

===Cities===
* [[Crockett, Texas|Crockett]] (county seat)
* [[Grapeland, Texas|Grapeland]]
* [[Kennard, Texas|Kennard]]
* [[Latexo, Texas|Latexo]]
* [[Lovelady, Texas|Lovelady]]

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=13em}}
* [[Ash, Texas|Ash]]
* [[Augusta, Texas|Augusta]]
* [[Austonio, Texas|Austonio]] 
* [[Belott, Texas|Belott]]
* [[Berea, Texas|Berea]]
* [[Burrantown, Texas|Burrantown]]
* [[Center Hill, Texas|Center Hill]]
* [[Cooper, Houston County, Texas|Cooper]]
* [[Creath, Texas|Creath]]
* [[Fodice, Texas|Fodice]]
* [[Germany, Texas|Germany]]
* [[Hagerville, Texas|Hagerville]]
* [[Hickory Creek, Houston County, Texas|Hickory Creek]] 
* [[Holly, Texas|Holly]] 
* [[Hopewell, Houston County, Texas|Hopewell]]
* [[Lone Pine, Texas|Lone Pine]]
* [[Mapleton, Texas|Mapleton]] 
* [[Mound City, Texas|Mound City]]‡
* [[Pennington, Texas|Pennington]]‡
* [[Percilla, Texas|Percilla]]
* [[Porter Springs, Texas|Porter Springs]] 
* [[Ratcliff, Texas|Ratcliff]] 
* [[Refuge, Texas|Refuge]]
* [[Reynard, Texas|Reynard]]
* [[Stubblefield, Houston County, Texas|Stubblefield]]
* [[Tadmor, Texas|Tadmor]]
* [[Weches, Texas|Weches]] 
* [[Weldon, Texas|Weldon]]
{{div col end}}

===Ghost towns===
{{div col}}
* [[Allen Chapel, Texas|Allen Chapel]]
* [[Antioch, Houston County, Texas|Antioch]]
* [[Arbor Grove, Texas|Arbor Grove]]
* [[Center Grove, Texas|Center Grove]]
* [[Coltharp, Texas|Coltharp]]
* [[Creek, Texas|Creek]]
* [[Cut, Texas|Cut]]
* [[Druso, Texas|Druso]]
* [[Easley Chapel, Texas|Easley Chapel]]
* [[Elkins, Texas|Elkins]]
* [[Givens Hill, Texas|Givens Hill]] 
* [[Guiceland, Texas|Guiceland]]
* [[Halls Bluff, Texas|Halls Bluff]]
* [[Liberty Hill, Houston County, Texas|Liberty Hill]]
* [[Livelyville, Texas|Livelyville]]
* [[Mount Vernon, Houston County, Texas|Mount Vernon]]
* [[Pearson's Chapel, Texas|Pearson's Chapel]]
* [[Plain, Texas|Plain]]
* [[Plainview, Houston County, Texas|Plainview]]
* [[Pleasant Grove, Houston County, Texas|Pleasant Grove]]
* [[Pleasant Hill, Houston County, Texas|Pleasant Hill]]
* [[Post Oak, Houston County, Texas|Post Oak]]
* [[Prairie Point, Houston County, Texas|Prairie Point]]
* [[Randolph, Houston County, Texas|Randolph]]
* [[San Pedro, Houston County, Texas|San Pedro]]
* [[Sand Ridge, Houston County, Texas|Sand Ridge]]
* [[Shady Grove, Houston County, Texas|Shady Grove]]
* [[Shiloh, Houston County, Texas|Shiloh]]
* [[Smith Grove, Texas|Smith Grove]]
* [[Sorghumville, Texas|Sorghumville]]
* [[Vistula, Texas|Vistula]]
* [[Volga, Texas|Volga]]
* [[Waneta, Texas|Waneta]]
* [[Wesley Chapel, Texas|Wesley Chapel]]
* [[Wheeler Springs, Texas|Wheeler Springs]]
{{div col end}}

== Education ==
Five [[school district]]s are located entirely in the county:
* [[Crockett Independent School District]]
* [[Lovelady Independent School District]]
* [[Kennard Independent School District]]
* [[Latexo Independent School District]]
* [[Grapeland Independent School District]]

In addition, small portions of [[Groveton Independent School District]] and [[Elkhart Independent School District]], located in Trinity County and Anderson County, respectively, extend into Houston County.

The county is in the district for [[Angelina College]].<ref>[https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.165. ANGELINA COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.].</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Texas}}
* [[Museums in East Texas]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Houston County, Texas]]
* [[List of Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks (Grayson-Hudspeth)#Houston County|Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Houston County]]
* [[Wet county|Wet counties]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Houston County, Texas}}
{{AmCyc Poster|Houston (counties)|Houston County, Texas}}
* [http://www.co.houston.tx.us/ Houston County government's website]
* {{Handbook of Texas|id=hch19|name=Houston County}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070701204953/http://www.crockettareaneighbors.com/ Crockett Community Website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071018063334/http://www.crockettareachamber.com/ Crockett Area Chamber of Commerce Preview]
* [http://www.CrockettAreaChamber.org/ Houston County and Crockett Area Chamber of Commerce]
* Bromberg, Dr. Leon, [https://sites.rootsweb.com/~txhousto/biographies/ Biographies]
Bromberg_Mendel.htm in Aldrich, Armistead Albert, History of Houston County, Texas, Together with Biographical Sketches of Many Pioneers and Later Citizens of Said County, Who Have Made Notable Contributions to its Development and Progress, San Antonio: The Naylor Company, 1943.

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Houston County, Texas
|North     = [[Anderson County, Texas|Anderson County]]
|Northeast = [[Cherokee County, Texas|Cherokee County]]
|East      = [[Angelina County, Texas|Angelina County]]
|Southeast = [[Trinity County, Texas|Trinity County]]
|South     = [[Walker County, Texas|Walker County]]
|Southwest = [[Madison County, Texas|Madison County]]
|West      = [[Leon County, Texas|Leon County]]
|Northwest =
}}

{{Houston County, Texas}}
{{Texas counties}}
{{Texas}}
{{Sam Houston}}
{{coord|31.32|-95.43|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Houston County, Texas| ]]
[[Category:1837 establishments in the Republic of Texas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1837]]
[[Category:Sam Houston]]