Difference between revisions of "Houston, Missouri"
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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.<ref>https://www.texascountymissouri.gov/county-history/</ref> | 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.<ref>https://www.texascountymissouri.gov/county-history/</ref> | ||
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| + | ==Geography== | ||
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| + | 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, Missouri|Cabool]] and 13 miles southwest of [[Licking, Missouri|Licking]]. Its exact coordinates are 37°19’34”N 91°57’22”W. | ||
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| + | 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.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 21:28, March 6, 2021
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
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
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]