Hamshire, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hamshire, Texas
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 Hamshire, Texas
Location in Texas
Hamshire, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Jefferson |
| Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 409 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1337290 |
Hamshire is a small community located in western Jefferson County, Texas, in the United States. It is an unincorporated community and a census designated place (CDP). This means it's a recognized area that isn't officially a city or town, but it has a defined population for census purposes.
Hamshire is part of the larger Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. You can find it on State Highway 124, about twenty miles southwest of Beaumont.
A Look Back at Hamshire's History
Hamshire was likely named after Lovan Hamshire, who started developing the land there as early as the 1870s. The community began to grow when the Gulf and Interstate Railway arrived, and a post office was opened in 1897.
In 1911, Theodore F. Koch officially planned out the town. Later that same year, another important land developer named Herbert Roedenbeck divided more land south of the railroad. He called this new area "Hamshire Gardens."
Even though local rice farmers were interested in the area, Hamshire only had about 50 people living there in 1928. However, things changed when oil fields were discovered nearby. The Fannett oil field was found in 1927, and the Stowell oil field in 1941. These discoveries brought new development to western Jefferson County.
By 1940, Hamshire's population had grown to 200 people. Producing natural gas from the Hamshire field also became very important to the community's economy through the 1980s. By 1985, Hamshire was estimated to have 350 residents and twenty-two businesses. The population remained around 350 in 1990.
Hamshire's Population
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Hamshire was 962 people.
Education in Hamshire
Students living in Hamshire attend schools within the Hamshire-Fannett Independent School District. This school district serves the educational needs of the community. After high school, students from the Hamshire-Fannett ISD are assigned to Galveston College in Galveston for higher education opportunities.
