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Texas Counties

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Texas Counties

Texas is divided into 254 counties, more than any other U.S. state Texas was originally divided into municipalities, a unit of local government under Spanish and Mexican rule. When the Republic of Texas gained its independence in 1836, there were 23 municipalities, which became the original Texas counties. Many of these would later be divided into new counties. The most recent county to be created was Kenedy County in 1921. The most recent county to be organized was Loving County in 1931

Washington County, Texas

Washington County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Brenham
Year Organized: 1836
Square Miles: 609

Court House:

100 E Main Street, Suite 102
County Courthouse
Brenham, TX 77833-3701

Etymology - Origin of County Name

George Washington, the first president of the United States

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Washington County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, known for the Convention of 1836 where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed. Its county seat is Brenham. The county is named for George Washington, the first president of the United States.

Following the establishment of the district of Brazos by the legislature of Coahuila and Texas^qv in 1834, the citizens of Washington-on-the-Brazos petitioned the political chief at San Felipe de Austin, James B. Miller,^qv to grant the community municipal status. Their request was approved, and in July of 1835 voters selected Josa Handley as alcalde,^qv Jesse Grimes and Asa Mitchell^qv as regidores, A. C. Reynolds^qv as sindico procurador,^qv and John W. Hall^qv as sheriff. In late 1835 and early 1836, after the Texas Revolution^qv had begun to unfold, Washington-on-the-Brazos became a center of political and military activities connected with the rebellion. In December 1835 the Texan army commanded by Gen. Sam Houston^qv established its headquarters there; the following March the town was the site of the Convention of 1836,^qv which issued the Texas Declaration of Independence and established the ad interim government.^qv Fearing retribution from Mexican forces, the delegates and local population then evacuated the area, leaving the town temporarily abandoned. After the revolution the town was suggested as a possible site for the capital of the new republic, but an election held on the question in November 1836 placed the government in Houston instead. Washington County was formally established by the legislature of the Republic of Texas^qv in 1836 and was organized in 1837. Washington-on-the-Brazos became the county seat. Immigration into the area increased significantly in the years after the establishment of the republic, and the rise in population led to the division of the county, which was originally one of the largest in Texas. In February 1840 all of Washington County west of the Brazos River and north of Yegua Creek was annexed to Milam County (some of this land later formed parts of Lee and Burleson counties), and in 1841 Washington County lost more land when Navasota County (now Brazos County) was established. It also lost territory to Walker County (1846) and Madison County (1853). Later, in 1874, the county was reduced one last time when Lee County was formed.

More at Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/WW/hcw4.html (accessed November 9, 2008).

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 621 square miles (1,609 km²), of which, 609 square miles (1,578 km²) of it is land and 12 square miles (31 km²) of it (1.95%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Brazos County (north)
Grimes County (northeast)
Waller County (east)
Austin County (south)
Fayette County (southwest)
Lee County (west)
Burleson County (northwest)

Cities and Towns:

- Brenham (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Burton	town	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resources

The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of this country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."