Montgomery is a city located in
Montgomery County, Texas
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county had a population of 620,443. The county seat is Conroe. The county was created by an act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14, ...
. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 1,948.
History
![Montgomery, Texas Advertisement](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Montgomery%2C_Texas_Advertisement.jpg)
The town of Montgomery was founded in the middle of the
Lake Creek Settlement by W. W. Shepperd in July 1837 on 200 acres of land that had originally been part of the John Corner League. Shepperd had established the first store in the
Lake Creek Settlement in 1835. W. W. Shepperd and his partner John Wyatt Moody named the town Montgomery.
[Searle, Kameron K]
The Early History of Montgomery, Texas.
City of Montgomery, Texas: July 7, 2012. Accessed on November 4, 2017.
Montgomery became the first county seat of Montgomery County shortly after the county was created on December 14, 1837.
[ Montgomery County was the third county formed during the Republic of Texas. The county originally extended from the Brazos River to the Trinity. The city was officially incorporated in 1848 with Judge Nathaniel Hart Davis as mayor.
]
Origins of the city's name
Local histories and accounts by 20th century historians held that the city and county of Montgomery were named after a family of early settlers to the area: Andrew Montgomery or Owen and Margaret Montgomery Shannon. However, recent evidence provided by Kameron Searle suggests that it is more likely that the town and county were named after Lemuel P. Montgomery
Lemuel Purnell Montgomery (c. 1786 – March 27, 1814) was an American military officer who fought in the Creek War. Montgomery was an attorney in Nashville, Tennessee, when the War of 1812 broke out, and was commissioned as a major of the 39th I ...
, a major in the U.S. Army during the Creek War.[ John Wyatt Moody, one of the founders of Montgomery, was County Clerk of ]Montgomery County, Alabama
Montgomery County is located in the State of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, its population was 228,954, making it the fifth-most populous county in Alabama. Its county seat is Montgomery, the state capital. Montgomery County is included in th ...
before moving to Texas. Montgomery County, Alabama, is named for Lemuel P. Montgomery. Sam Houston
Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...
, the President of the Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...
when the town and county of Montgomery were founded, served in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend with Lemuel P. Montgomery
Lemuel Purnell Montgomery (c. 1786 – March 27, 1814) was an American military officer who fought in the Creek War. Montgomery was an attorney in Nashville, Tennessee, when the War of 1812 broke out, and was commissioned as a major of the 39th I ...
, and witnessed his death in the front lines of the battle. According to Searle, Moody and his partner W.W. Shepperd may have used Houston's connection with Lemuel Montgomery to help promote the creation of Montgomery County, with the town of Montgomery as the county seat.[
]
Birthplace of the Lone Star Flag?
On July 7, 1922, Edmund B. Stewart, son of the early Montgomery settler Charles B. Stewart, claimed in a letter that his father had drafted the original design of the Lone Star Flag, enclosing what he claimed was his father's draft of the flag's design.[ To date, this letter and draft copy, along with claims by Stewart's descendants, remain the only evidence currently known that Charles Stewart was the designer of the flag.][Spain, Charles A]
Who Designed the Lone Star Flag?
Heritage Volume 18,
Number 1: Winter 2000. Retrieved May 19, 2022. In particular, the lack of evidence not directly tied to the Stewart family has caused many flag historians to question Stewart's claim.[ As a legacy of the Stewart claim, the city of Montgomery describes itself as the "birthplace of the Texas Lone Star Flag."
]
Geography
Montgomery is located at 30°23'22" North, 95°41'53" West (30.389406, –95.698089).
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of . of it is land and of it is water. The total area is 1.31% water.
Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 1,948 people, 833 households, and 596 families residing in the city.
In the 2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
,[Census 2010: Montgomery, TX]
United States Census Bureau. Accessed on June 21, 2017. there were 621 people, 237 households, and 167 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 67.1% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 26.4% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.00% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 5.0% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.2% from two or more races. 14.5% of the population were Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 237 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
As of the 2015 American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
, The median income for a household in the city was $48,125, and the median income for a family was $63,750. Males had a median income of $41,429 versus $24,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $27,376. 20.3% of the population and 16.7% of families were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
. Out of the total population, 28.6% of those under the age of 18 and 9.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Government and infrastructure
The City of Montgomery is governed locally by a city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
consisting of a mayor and 5 council members.[
In the ]Texas Senate
The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per cons ...
, Montgomery is part of District 3 and District 4, represented by Republicans Robert Nichols and Brandon Creighton. In the Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...
, Montgomery is part of District 3 and District 16, represented by Republicans Cecil Bell Jr.
Cecil Ivan Bell Jr. (born May 17, 1962) is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 3, which encompasses Waller County and a portion of populous Montgomery County in Southeast Texas.
Politics
Bell serves on the A ...
and Will Metcalf
Will Metcalf (born June 6, 1984, in Conroe, Texas) is a member of the Texas House of Representatives, 16th District, which encompasses Montgomery County, Texas, approximately 55 miles north of Houston. As of 2021–2022, he is Chairman of the Ho ...
.[Who Represents Me: Montgomery]
Texas Legislative Council. Accessed on September 24, 2022.
In the United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
, Republicans John Cornyn
John Cornyn III ( ; born February 2, 1952) is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Texas, a seat he has held since 2002. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Senate majority whip for ...
and Ted Cruz
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...
represent the entire state. In the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, Montgomery is part of District 8, represented by Republican Kevin Brady.[
The ]United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
operates the Montgomery Post Office at 821H Eva Street (Texas State Highway 105
State Highway 105 (SH 105) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Texas that runs from Brenham to the outskirts of Beaumont. The route was originally proposed in 1925 and took its current routing in 1984.
Route description
SH 105 begins as ...
) and the Montgomery Post Office Annex at 21359 Eva Street.
Education
Montgomery is a part of the Montgomery Independent School District
Montgomery Independent School District is a public school district based in Montgomery, Texas. The district's attendance zone includes the city of Montgomery and the surrounding unincorporated area of Montgomery County. For the 2018–2019 sc ...
.
Montgomery ISD is currently changing the structure of their feeder system. Previously, students attended a K–4 elementary, a 5th grade intermediate school, a 6th grade middle school, a 7–8th grade junior high school, and a 9–12th grade high school.
Beginning in the 2017–2018 school year, students will instead attend a K–5th grade elementary, 6–8th grade junior high, and 9th–12th grade high school.
For students located within Montgomery city limits:
*K–5 students will attend Montgomery Elementary.
*6–8 students will attend Montgomery Junior High.
*9–12 students will attend Montgomery High School and Lake Creek High School
Lake Creek High School (LCHS) is a high school in unincorporated Montgomery County, Texas, in the United States. It is the second high school built by Montgomery Independent School District. The school was built after enrollment at Montgomery Hig ...
.
Montgomery County Memorial Library System
Montgomery County Memorial Library System is a public library system in Montgomery County, Texas, United States.
The system operates libraries in several Montgomery County cities and areas.
History
The library started with 1,200 items inside th ...
operates the Charles B. Stewart West Branch at 202 Bessie Price Owen Drive.
The Texas Legislature
The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ...
designated Montgomery ISD (and therefore the City of Montgomery) as part of Lone Star College
Lone Star College (LSC) is a public community college system serving the northern portions of the Greater Houston, Texas, area. In 2017 it enrolled about 95,000 students. The headquarters of the Lone Star College System are located in The Wood ...
(formerly the North Harris Montgomery Community College District).
Places
Fernland Historical Park
In 2012, the city established Fernland Historical Park to serve as a permanent location for some of the oldest remaining buildings and artifacts in Texas. A non-profit group, Fernland, Inc., and Sam Houston State University assisted the city in restoring and relocating the buildings to the park.
Historical Markers
The city of Montgomery contains buildings and other sites which date back to the original settlement of the area, such as Old Montgomery Cemetery, which contains the grave sites of some of Montgomery's first settlers. Historic buildings include the Davis Cottage and Museum, First State Bank, the Old Montgomery Baptist Church, and the Shelton-Smith House. Each site is designated with a historical marker established by the Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas.
The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Historic L ...
. Texas Historical Commission markers inside the city limits include the most recent marker for the Lake Creek Settlement located in front of the Nat Hart Davis Cottage.
Westland Bunker
Ling-Chieh "Louis" Kung, the nephew of Soong Mei-ling
Soong Mei-ling (also spelled Soong May-ling, ; March 5, 1898 – October 23, 2003), also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang, was a Chinese political figure who was First Lady of the Republic of China, the wife of Generalissimo and ...
, built an underground bunker in Montgomery, which was completed in 1982. Kung took money that he made from the success of the Westland Oil Development Corp. in the 1970s and used it to build the bunker, since he feared that the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
or the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
would launch nuclear weapons towards the United States. Kung bought hundreds of acres of cow pasture on the outskirts of Montgomery and secretly began building the bunker. The two story, bunker could house at least 700 people; Kung intended to have the bunker house his employees, their families, and others in case of a two-month emergency. Melanie Trottmann of ''The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' stated that the bunker "was a source of intrigue and gossip for the town of Montgomery." After the oil bust in the 1980s, Kung lost the title to the property; Kung died in 1996. Trottman said that the bunker "sat frozen in time" until a group of investors bought the property. The facility, now called "Westland Bunker," serves as a data storage center for businesses. The facility also contains office space that corporations can use in the event of a disaster.
Notable people
* Norm Branch
Norman Downs (Red) Branch Sr. (March 22, 1915 – November 21, 1971) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Branch played for the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City bo ...
, major league baseball pitcher. In retirement, he served as a mail carrier in the Montgomery area
* Kambri Crews
Kambri Crews (born June 22, 1971) is an American comedic storyteller based in New York City and author of The New York Times bestseller ''Burn Down the Ground: A Memoir,'' a book about her chaotic childhood with deaf parents. Crews was spotlig ...
, producer and publicist located in New York City, and author of ''Burn Down the Ground: A Memoir ''in which Montgomery is prominently featured
* Bailie Key
Bailie Jaye Key (born 16 March 1999) is a retired American artistic gymnast. She was a member of the gold-medal-winning team at the 2014 Pacific Rim Championships and was the 2013 U.S. Junior National Champion.
Gymnastics career
2011-14: J ...
, artistic gymnast
* Charles B. Stewart, physician and statesman. Stewart was Secretary to the Executive of the Consultation
Consultation may refer to:
* Public consultation, a process by which the public's input on matters affecting them is sought
* Consultation (Texas), the 1835 Texas meeting of colonists on a proposed rebellion against the Republic of Mexico
* Cons ...
, a provisional government established during the Texas Revolution. He served as a delegate at the Convention of 1836
The Convention of 1836 was the meeting of elected delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas in March 1836. The Texas Revolution had begun five months previously, and the interim government, known as the Consultation, had wavered over whether ...
, signing the Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and was forma ...
. He also represented Montgomery County at the Convention of 1845, which drafted the Texas State Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Texas is the document that establishes the structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Texas, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of Texas.
The current document was adopted on Feb ...
, and served as Montgomery County's first representative in the Texas State Legislature
The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful arm ...
*
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Montgomery has a humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Montgomery, Texas
/ref>
References
External links
City of Montgomery
{{authority control
Cities in Texas
Cities in Montgomery County, Texas
Greater Houston
Populated places established in 1837
1837 establishments in the Republic of Texas