Houston County was the first new county created under the nine-yearRepublic of Texas on June 12, 1837. The original boundaries of Houston County also included all of present-dayAnderson andTrinity Counties, and portions of present-dayHenderson andPolk Counties.
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 inKansas 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 300,000board feet of lumber daily by June 1902.Ratcliff Lake, now aUnited States Department of Interior recreational site, was the millpond for the Four C. The Texas Southeastern Railroad laid track fromLufkin to haul out the lumber. The town ofRatcliff was separated from the Four C by a fence, built to discourage the mill workers from spending their money outside thecompany town. The 120,000 acres were in time exhausted, and by 1920, the mill shut down.[4]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,237 square miles (3,200 km2), of which 1,231 square miles (3,190 km2) are land and 5.7 square miles (15 km2) (0.5%) are covered by water.[5]
Houston County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition 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.
As of the 2000census,[13] 23,185 people, 8,259 households, and 5,756 families were residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 19 people/sq mi (7.3 people/km2); it had the second-lowest population density for all counties inDeep East Texas, behind onlyNewton County. The 10,730 housing units averaged 9 units per square mile (3.5/km2). Theracial 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. Theper capita income for the county was $14,525. About 15.6% of families and 21.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 28.3% of those under 18 and 18.2% of those 65 or over.
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 ofOld San Antonio Road.Texas State Highway Loop 304 circles the city of Crockett.
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.
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.
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.
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