Gause is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

Milam County, Texas Milam 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 24,754. The county seat is Cameron, Texas, Cameron. The county was created in 1834 as a m ...

, United States. According to the ''

Handbook of Texas The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is an American nonprofit educational and research organization dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, United States, on March 2, 1897. In November 2008, the ...

'', the community had an estimated population of 400 in 2000. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau first defined Gause as a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in the 2020 census with a population of 275.

Geography

Gause is situated along U.S. Highway 79/ 190, 16 miles southeast of Cameron and 29 miles west of Bryan. Sugarloaf Mountain, the highest point in Milam County, is near Gause. Sugarloaf, a , was purchased by the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma from private owners, in commemoration of its status as a site sacred to the Tonkawa. Sugarloaf will become part of a historical park.

History

The community is named for William J. Gause, a settler who moved to the area in 1872, and built a home out of lumber hauled from Montgomery. In 1873, he gave right-of-way and of land to the International-Great Northern Railroad. This caused the area to grow and a post office opened in 1874. A schoolhouse that doubled as a church was built in 1876. Gause had about 300 residents in 1884, as well as two steam-powered cotton gins and two churches. Gause was a shipping point for Milam County farmers who shipped corn, cotton, and cottonseed oil. The Gause Independent School District was established in 1905. The population reached its peak around 1915, when 1,000 people lived in the community. Gause slowly declined over the next few decades. Its bank was discontinued in 1927 after 17 years in operation. The combination of a decline in the number of businesses in Gause and the introduction of the automobile precipitated further downturns in the local economy. By the 1960s, the community had 278 residents, down from 750 in the 1940s. The population began to rebound in the late 1980s as more people chose to live in Gause and commute to jobs in nearby industrial plants. In 1990, Gause had 400 residents and eight businesses. The population remained unchanged as of 2000. Despite its unincorporated status, Gause continues to have a functioning post office (zip code:77857).

Education

Public education in the community of Gause is provided by the Gause Independent School District. The district operates a single campus that serves an estimated 150 students in prekindergarten through grade eight.

Demographics

Gause first appeared as a

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in the 2020 U.S. Census.

2020 census

Notable people

Lance Archer Lance Hoyt (born February 28, 1977), better known by his ring name Lance Archer, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where is a member of The Don Callis Family and one-half of The Murder Machines w ...

(b. 1977) is a professional wrestler, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. *

Ruthie Foster Ruthie Cecelia Foster (born February 10, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter of blues and Folk music, folk music. She mixes a wide palette of American song forms, from gospel and blues to jazz, folk and soul. She has often been compared to Bo ...

(b. 1964) is a singer-songwriter of blues and folk music. *

Ox Miller John Anthony "Ox" Miller (May 4, 1915 – August 13, 2007) was a professional baseball pitcher. He played parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1943 and 1947, for the Washington Senators (1943), St. Louis Browns (1943, 1945– ...

(1915–2007) was a professional baseball pitcher, chiefly for the St. Louis Browns. * Jo-Jo Moore (1908–2001) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

and

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

Bob Wills James Robert "Bob" Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although Spade C ...

(1905–1975) was a Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader for

Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys James Robert "Bob" Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although Spade Co ...

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Milam County, Texas Census-designated places in Texas Unincorporated communities in Milam County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas