Montgomery, Texas
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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 census, the population was 620,443, and was estimated to be 749,613 in 2024. Its county seat is Conroe. Montgomery County is part of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sug ...
, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 1,948.


History

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.


Etymology

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, a major in the U.S. Army during the
Creek War The Creek War (also the Red Stick War or the Creek Civil War) was a regional conflict between opposing Native American factions, European powers, and the United States during the early 19th century. The Creek War began as a conflict within th ...
. John Wyatt Moody, one of the founders of Montgomery, was County Clerk of
Montgomery County, Alabama Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, its population was 228,954, making it the seventh-most populous county in Alabama. Its county seat is Montgomery, the state capital. Montgomery County ...
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 a prominent 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 indi ...
, the President of the
Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...
when the town and county of Montgomery were founded, served in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend with Lemuel P. Montgomery, 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, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water, for a total area of 1.31% water.


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,948 people, 833 households, and 596 families residing in the city. In the 2010 United States Census,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 chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 26.4%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.00%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 5.0% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. 14.5% of the population were
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino 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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
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 an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
, 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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
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 ...
. 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, borough counc ...
, consisting of a mayor and five council members. In the
Texas Senate The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature, with the Texas House of Representatives functioning as the lower house. Together, they form the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the state of Texas. The Senate ...
, 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. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...
, Montgomery is part of District 3 and District 16, represented by Republicans Cecil Bell Jr. and Will Metcalf.Who Represents Me: Montgomery
Texas Legislative Council. Accessed on September 24, 2022.
In the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
, Republicans
John Cornyn John Cornyn III ( ; born February 2, 1952) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Texas, a seat he has held since 2002. ...
and
Ted Cruz Rafael Edward 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 was the solicitor general of Texas from 2003 ...
represent the entire state. In the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
, Montgomery is part of District 8, represented by Republican
Kevin Brady Kevin Patrick Brady (born April 11, 1955) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1997 to 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes northern Houston, including The Woodlands. He reti ...
. The
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
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 ...
) and the Montgomery Post Office Annex at 21359 Eva Street.


Education

Montgomery is a part of the Montgomery Independent School District. Montgomery ISD is currently changing the structure of their feeder system. Previously, students attended a K–4 elementary, a fifth grade intermediate school, a sixth 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. Montgomery County Memorial Library System operates the Charles B. Stewart West Branch at 202 Bessie Price Owen Drive. The
Texas Legislature The Texas State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. 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 p ...
designated Montgomery ISD (and therefore the City of Montgomery) as part of Lone Star College (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 Sam Houston State University (Sam Houston, SHSU or Sam) is a public research university in Huntsville, Texas, United States. Founded in 1879, it is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools wes ...
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 U.S. state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas. The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Histor ...
. 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 4, 1898 – October 23, 2003), also known as Madame Chiang (), was a Chinese political figure and socialite. The youngest of the Soong sisters, she married Chiang Kai-shek and played a prom ...
, 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 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
or the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
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'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' 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 in and . In 37 career games, he had a 5–2 record with a 3.73 ERA. He batted and threw right-handed ...
, major league baseball pitcher. In retirement, he served as a mail carrier in the Montgomery area * Kambri Crews, 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, artistic gymnast * Charles B. Stewart, physician and statesman. Stewart was Secretary to the Executive of the
Consultation Consultation or consultative 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 ...
, a provisional government established during the
Texas Revolution The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the Centralist Republic of Mexico, centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of ...
. 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 t ...
, 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 form ...
. He also represented Montgomery County at the Convention of 1845, which drafted the Texas State Constitution, and served as Montgomery County's first representative in the
Texas State Legislature The Texas State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. 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 po ...
*


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 divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Montgomery has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, 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