Houston, Missouri

Houston is a city in and the county seat of Texas County, Missouri. It had a population of 2,081 at the 2010 census.

History[edit]

The town of Houston was laid out in 1846, shortly after the organization of Texas County, as the intended seat of government, given that it would be very close to the new county's geographic center. Since the county had been named in honor of the state of Texas, only recently admitted to the United States, it was in turn decided to name the county seat after Sam Houston, who had led the fight for Texan independence from Mexico in 1836.^[1]

Houston was first incorporated in 1857, but was then almost completely destroyed during the Civil War, with the first courthouse being burned in the process (though the county records were hidden in a nearby cave for safekeeping). It was quickly rebuilt, however, and saw a steady increase over the next few decades. Though never a very large city, Houston has always been important to the Texas County region, both as a government center and as a local economic hub, especially for the considerable herding of livestock in the surrounding area.

The present courthouse in Houston dates from 1932, and was most recently remodeled in 2007. That same year, the Texas County Justice Center was built nearby, taking over many of the courthouse's law-enforcement duties.^[2]

Geography[edit]

Houston is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 63 and Missouri State Highway 17 in central Texas County, about 15 miles northeast of Cabool and 13 miles southwest of Licking. Its exact coordinates are 37°19’34”N 91°57’22”W.

The city is part of the upland plateaus that characterize the central Ozarks. Its original section is on the south side of Brushy Creek, a small tributary of Big Piney River, which itself is about a mile west of town. It has a total area of 3.65 square miles, and an average elevation of 1,165 feet.^[3]

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Houston had a total of 2,081 inhabitants, grouped into 935 households, with a population density of 571.7 people per square mile. This figure represented a moderate increase from the 2000 census, when Houston had a population of 1,992. 96.35% of the inhabitants were White, 0.19% were African-American, 0.62% were Native American, 0.43% were Asian, 0.48% were from some other race, and 1.92% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.20% of the population.

The median age in Houston was 41.9 years, with 21.7% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 8.4% between 18 and 24 years old, 22.3% between 25 and 44, 22.7% between 45 and 64, and 24.7% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 44.0% male, 56.0% female.^[4]

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Houston had a median household income of $27,361, and a median family income of $39,732. The unemployment rate was 11.6%. The per capita income was $16,185. About 28.1% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 32.4% of people under the age of 18 and 20.1% of people 65 years old or older.^[5]

Education[edit]

Houston and the surrounding area are served by the Houston R-I School District, a PK-12 public institution with a total enrollment of about 1,100 students.^[6] Its mascot is the Tigers, and the school colors are red, black, and white.^[7] The high school, which was constructed in 1921 and incorporated native stone into its design, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.^[8]

Media[edit]

Houston has one weekly newspaper, the Houston Herald, which was established in 1878. It has about 4,000 subscribers and a circulation of just over 10,000.^[9]

There is one radio station, KBTC (1250 AM), part of the American Family Radio network, playing religious talk.

References[edit]