Needville, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Needville, Texas
City
Motto(s):  "The Home of Friendly People"
Location of Needville, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Fort Bend
Area
• Total	2.01 sq mi (5.21 km2)
• Land	2.01 sq mi (5.20 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	89 ft (27 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,089
• Density	1,545.32/sq mi (596.67/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	77461
Area code(s)	979
FIPS code	48-50628
GNIS feature ID	1342402

Needville is a friendly city located in Fort Bend County, Texas, in the United States. It's part of the larger Houston–Sugar Land area. In 2020, about 3,089 people lived there.

History of Needville

How Needville Got Its Name

The town of Needville started in 1891. A man named August Schendel founded it and called it Schendelville. It had his home, a store, and a cotton gin. A cotton gin is a machine that quickly separates cotton fibers from their seeds.

In 1894, August Schendel wanted to open a post office. He jokingly suggested the name "Needmore" because it seemed like they always "needed more" of everything. However, there was already a town called Needmore, Texas. So, the post office changed the name to "Needville."

Early Growth and Development

By 1898, August Schendel had officially planned out the town and began selling land lots. A school was built in 1897. By 1903, Needville had two schools: one for white children with 97 students and one for black children with 45 students.

Around 1910, a building called the Round Hall was built. People used it for dances and other fun social events until the 1950s.

Needville in the Early 1900s

In 1914, Needville had three general stores, two cotton gins, and a movie theater. About 100 people lived there. Telephone service arrived in 1916.

In 1918, the Needville State Bank opened. The Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway also built a train line through the town. By 1920, Needville had grown to about 500 people. It also had 12 general stores, four churches, four cotton gins, and a power plant for electricity.

Challenges and Progress

From 1927 to 1931, the Fort Bend County Fair was held in Needville. It stopped because of the Great Depression, which caused money problems. Natural gas was brought into town in 1929.

A new road, FM 36, was finished in 1932. This made it easier to get to Needville in all kinds of weather. After this, a school bus took high school students to schools in Richmond and Rosenberg. Needville created its own school district, Needville Independent School District (I.S.D.), in 1946. It opened its own high school in 1948 and a new elementary school in 1960. All schools in Needville became integrated in 1966, meaning students of all races could attend the same schools.

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  Needville historical marker

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  Needville Public Cemetery

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  St. Michael's Catholic Church

Geography of Needville

Needville is located in the southern part of Fort Bend County. Its exact location is 29.398232 degrees North and 95.839880 degrees West.

Texas State Highway 36 runs through the city. This highway goes north about 11 miles to Rosenberg. It also goes southeast about 21 miles to West Columbia. Downtown Houston is about 41 miles northeast of Needville.

Farm to Market Road 360 starts at Highway 36 and goes northwest towards Beasley. Farm to Market Road 1236 goes southwest, then turns southeast. Needville-Fairchilds Road connects Needville to the community of Fairchilds to the northeast.

The United States Census Bureau says that Needville covers a total area of about 4.46 square kilometers (1.72 square miles). All of this area is land.

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  Map of Needville

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  FM 360 just north of Hwy 36

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  End of FM 1236 at Hwy 36

Population and People

Understanding Demographics

Demographics is the study of a population. It looks at things like how many people live in a place, their ages, and their backgrounds. This helps us understand a community better.

Needville's Population Over Time

The table above shows how Needville's population has grown. In 1950, only 609 people lived there. By 2020, the population had grown to 3,089 people.

People in Needville (2020)

In 2020, there were 3,089 people living in Needville. These people made up 1,245 households and 929 families.

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Needville in 2020:

Events and Festivals

Needville hosts fun events for its community and visitors.

• Needville Harvest Festival: This festival started in 1983 and happens every October. It's organized to bring people to Needville and help local businesses. It also raises money for community projects and scholarships for high school students.
• Needville Citywide Garage Sale: This event takes place twice a year, in March and September. Many homeowners and businesses participate. You can usually find information and a map at Kinfolks Antiques. Dates are also often listed on the Chamber of Commerce calendar of events.

Education in Needville

Needville is served by the Needville Independent School District (ISD). Students attend schools within this district. High school students go to Needville High School.

Some areas near Needville, even with a "Needville, TX" address, are part of the Lamar CISD and send their high school students to B.F. Terry High School in Rosenberg.

For college, the designated community college for students from Needville ISD (and Lamar CISD) is Wharton County Junior College.

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  Needville Elementary School (in the Needville city limits)

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  Needville High School

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  Needville Junior High School

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  Needville Middle School

Public Libraries

The Albert George Branch Library is part of the Fort Bend County Libraries system and is located in Needville. It opened in November 1974. The library was named after Albert George, a generous person from Fort Bend County. The Needville Chamber of Commerce and the Needville Lion's Club donated the land for the library.

When it first opened, the library had about 4,900 square feet of space. In 1997, the library system used special funds to make the library bigger and better. It got a new entrance, a meeting room, and new restrooms. Today, the library has about 6,800 square feet of space for everyone to enjoy.

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  Albert George Library

Parks and Recreation

Needville offers places for outdoor activities and fun.

• Fort Bend County manages the Barbara Jordan Park in Needville.

Nearby attractions include:

• George Ranch Historical Park, which is an educational center where you can learn about history.
• Brazos Bend State Park and George Observatory, a great place for nature and stargazing.

Local Businesses

Needville has various businesses that serve the community.

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  Storage building

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  Kanak Law Building

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  Urbanek's Country Store

Notable People

Some well-known individuals have come from Needville:

• Dennis Gaubatz, a former NFL linebacker.
• Earnest Jackson, a former NFL running back.

See also

In Spanish: Needville (Texas) para niños