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Montgomery, Texas
Historic Business District in Downtown Montgomery.
Historic Business District in Downtown Montgomery.
Nickname(s): 
Lone Star Town
Motto(s): 
Texas is Texas
Location of Montgomery, Texas
Location of Montgomery, Texas
Country  United States
State  Texas
County Montgomery
Incorporated February 26, 1848
Area
 • Total 5.12 sq mi (13.26 km2)
 • Land 5.04 sq mi (13.05 km2)
 • Water 0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)
Elevation
295 ft (90 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 621
 • Estimate 
(2019)
1,360
 • Density 269.89/sq mi (104.20/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
77316, 77356
Area code(s) 936
FIPS code 48-49128
GNIS feature ID 1382317

Montgomery is a city located in Montgomery County, Texas. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 621.

History

July 2012 marked the 175th anniversary of the founding of Montgomery, Texas. The town of Montgomery was founded in the middle of the Lake Creek Settlement by W. W. Shepperd in July, 1837 on 200 acres (0.81 km2) 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.

John Wyatt Moody was the First Auditor of the Republic of Texas and had lived in Alabama where he was the County Clerk of Montgomery County, Alabama. The town of Montgomery, Texas, was named after Montgomery County, Alabama, which was named after Major Lemuel P. Montgomery who was killed in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend (1814).

Montgomery became the first county seat of Montgomery County shortly after the county was created on December 14, 1837. Dr. Charles B. Stewart lived in Montgomery when he headed a committee appointed by Mirabeau B. Lamar to design an official flag for the Republic of Texas. A copy of his drawing is in the Nat H. Davis Museum Complex & Museum at 14264 Liberty Street, Montgomery, Texas.

There are many historic markers in Montgomery, including the (New) Montgomery Cemetery which honored Texans such as Dr. Charles B. Stewart, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and first secretary of state. Other historic buildings may include the First State Bank, the Old Montgomery Baptist Church, and the Shelton-Smith House. There is a lot of history when it comes to the Hodge Podge Lodge. The 7th graders have to make a scrapbook for their Texas history class, this is one of the houses that must be included in their project. Some letters are included in the link. On February 25, 2017, a Texas Historical Commission marker recognizing the Lake Creek Settlement will be dedicated in a ceremony at the Nat Hart Davis Museum and Pioneer Complex in Montgomery, Texas at 11:00 a.m.

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 city has a total area of 4.6 square miles (12 km2). 4.5 square miles (12 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it is water. The total area is 1.31% water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 414
1970 216
1980 258 19.4%
1990 356 38.0%
2000 489 37.4%
2010 621 27.0%
2019 (est.) 1,360 119.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

In the 2010 United States Census, there were 621 people, 237 households, and 167 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 67.1% White, 26.4% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 5.0% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. 14.5% of the population were Hispanic 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 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 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 for the city was $27,376. 20.3% of the population and 16.7% of families were below the poverty line. 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.

Places

Ling-Chieh "Louis" Kung, the nephew of Soong Mei-ling, 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 or the People's Republic of China 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, 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) 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 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. In 2003 the investors hired Westlin Corp. to head efforts to convert the bunker into a rental site for data storage. Trottman said that the interest in the storage space was initially "lukewarm" when the owners of the bunker began leasing space in early 2005. The aftermaths of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita prompted many companies along the Gulf of Mexico to find space for emergency data storage. By 2006 the number of tenants went from around 25 to 50. Continental Airlines became the largest tenant in the facility; Continental decided that it needed a safer place to manage its flight operations in case it has to evacuate Continental Center I, its headquarters in Downtown Houston. The other tenants include Anadarko Petroleum and several medical companies from the city of Houston and the state of Louisiana.

Montgomery Westland was acquired by Pudge Properties in April 2007. The partners have invested over $30M in campus improvements. The partnership has committed to develop the campus into one of the most secure Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Centers in the United States.

The Montgomery Westland facility sits on 52 acres (21 ha) in Montgomery Texas. The property is secured by 24-hour guard, completely fenced, total camera surveillance and biometric-card key access. Montgomery Westland is located approximately 40 minutes from Houston, 100 miles (160 km) from the Gulf Coast and 345’ feet above sea level. Montgomery Westland is a comprehensive data campus that offers business continuity solutions and data storage in an optimal secure environment. The data campus consist of an existing 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) office building for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity and 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) of secure underground data storage space in the bunker. The data center is scaled for collocation by the cabinet, caged suite or customized private suite. Montgomery Westland offers Tier III storage solutions.

Power to the facility is fed by two diverse routes. Power distribution is supplied via two 4000 A / 480 V switchboards, five (5) generator sets provide a total capacity of 3600 kW, and UPS power is supplied via (5) 500 kVA modules. There are four underground fuel tanks with a storage capacity of 50,000 gallons. Bunker space is provided with a minimum of N+1 cooling utilizing Liebert down draft units with humidification, reheat, and moisture detection. Temperature, humidity, and alarm conditions are monitored electronically 24/7. The master plan for Montgomery Westland includes a four phase expansion in office buildings for business continuity/disaster recovery and an additional 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) in new bunker space for secure data storage. Connectivity to the complex is offered via diverse fiber routes at Gig E speeds from various carriers. Montgomery Westland is a carrier neutral facility with eight (8) network providers including AT&T, Consolidated, ICTX Wave Media, Level(3), Phonoscope, AboveNet, Time Warner Telecom, and Suddenlink.

Fernland Historical Park Located within the heart of downtown Montgomery, Fernland Historical Park is a unique hands-on educational park, bringing samples of early Texas architecture together with examples of early Texas life. The log homes and cabins presented within the park are some of the oldest remaining structures within Texas. Fernland Historical Park now features a museum located in the Arnold-Simonton house which was built in 1845 during the Republic of Texas era in Texas history.

N.H. Davis Museum Complex & Museum Dr. Charles B. Stewart lived in Montgomery when he headed a committee appointed by Mirabeau B. Lamar to design an official flag for the Republic of Texas. A copy of his drawing is in the Nat H. Davis Museum Complex & Museum at 14264 Liberty Street; Montgomery, TX 77356. Phone 936.597.4360. The Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00a to 3:00p. Special tours of the Museum, the two adjacent historic law offices and the other four buildings owned by the Montgomery Historical Society can be arranged for a nominal per person donation. The Montgomery Historical Society sponsors the Christmas in Historical Montgomery the 2nd weekend of December featuring an old fashioned parade, the famous cookie walk and candlelight home tour. (Funds raised go toward maintaining the buildings owned by the Society.)

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Montgomery has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.


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 5th grade intermediate school, a 6th 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 designated Montgomery ISD (and therefore the City of Montgomery) as part of Lone Star College (formerly the North Harris Montgomery Community College District).

Notable people

  • Norm Branch, 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, a provisional government established during the Texas Revolution. He served as a delegate at the Convention of 1836, signing the Texas Declaration of Independence. 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==Climate==

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Montgomery has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Montgomery (Texas) para niños

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