Crockett is a city and the county seat of Houston County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 6,332. Houston County is the oldest county and Crockett the fifth-oldest city in Texas.

History

200px|left|thumb|Warfield House in Crockett

The town was named after Davy Crockett, who had camped nearby on his way to the Alamo; the site was very near the Old San Antonio Road. Andrew Edwards Gossett, a Texas Revolution soldier from Maury, Tennessee, along with his father and brother, donated the land for the town in 1836, and named it after Crockett, whom they had previously known.

On March 28, 1956, one of the first loop roads in the nation (Loop 304) was built around the city. This traffic reliever was procured through the works of heavyweight politicians who called Crockett home. Blues singer Lightnin' Hopkins was once arrested in Crockett. In recent years, the economy of Crockett has expanded with the construction of new retail space on Loop 304. Several historic buildings in downtown have been renovated to accommodate new office and service space. Renewed interest in reserves of natural gas in the surrounding area has led to construction of energy infrastructure and receipt of royalty revenues for land.

In late 2022, the now popular Crockett Insider satire page was founded on Facebook. The page has gained popularity with a number of humorous posts with one of the most popular being a satire post about the infamous Timeout club in Tyler, Tx mentioned in Whiskey Myer's hit song "Broken Window Serenade," jokingly being reopened in Crockett, Tx. Many residents enjoyed the humor, while many others who believed it were real expressed their anger in comments and local posts. There were even reports of residents reaching out to city leaders to voice their opposition to such a business being opened in Crockett.

In 2023, the local Walmart commissioned a mural for their store. When a photo of the completed mural was published in the newspaper, African Americans were outraged that it included cotton plants. Walmart later removed the mural.

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Crockett Post Office.

The Texas Youth Commission operated the Crockett State School in Crockett. However, the facility closed on or around August 31, 2011 and is no longer in operation.

History was made in Crockett on Monday, May 13, 2019, as Dr. Ianthia Fisher became the first African-American female to be sworn in as the city's mayor.

Geography

thumb|The historic Strode-Pritchett Cabin was located to Crockett for the [[United States Bicentennial|1976 bicentennial. At the site is a painting of Davy Crockett by the artist Lucas Short.]]

Crockett is located near the center of Houston County. Several highways converge on the city. U.S. Route 287 leads north to Palestine and southeast to Corrigan. Texas State Highway 21 leads northeast to Alto and southwest to Madisonville at Interstate 45. State Highway 7 leads east to Nacogdoches and west to Centerville along I-45. State Highway 19 leads south from Crockett to Huntsville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Crockett has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, Crockett had a population of 6,332 people, 2,573 households, and 1,421 families residing in the city.

The median age was 39.6 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 83.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 78.1 males age 18 and over.

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 2,282 || 36.0%

|-

| Black or African American || 2,674 || 42.2%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 48 || 0.8%

|-

| Asian || 60 || 0.9%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 3 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 749 || 11.8%

|-

| Two or more races || 516 || 8.1%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 1,318 || 20.8%

|}

2000 census

As of the 2000 census

Education

Public schools

Most of the city is served by the Crockett Independent School District, although a few acres of the city limits are within the Latexo Independent School District.

Private schools

Notable people

  • John Arledge, actor
  • Les Beasley, gospel music performer
  • Jerald Clark, retired Major League Baseball player (San Diego Padres)
  • Phil Clark, retired Major League Baseball player, coach of the Detroit Tigers AA team
  • Ja'Gared Davis, NFL and CFL football player
  • Myrtis Dightman, champion rodeo bull rider
  • Jamie Easterly, pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, and Cleveland Indians
  • Edd Hargett, quarterback for Texas A&M University, New Orleans Saints and Houston Oilers
  • Sam Hinton, folk music singer
  • Eugene Lockhart, Dallas Cowboys linebacker from the 1980s
  • Cartier Martin, former NBA and international basketball player born in Crockett
  • Rain Phoenix, actress, musician, and singer born in Crockett
  • River Phoenix, actor, lived in Crockett
  • Claude Riley, retired basketball player
  • Kenny Rogers, country music singer
  • Lucille Elizabeth Bishop Smith (1892–1985), entrepreneur, chef, and inventor born in Crockett
  • Jim Turner, former U.S. representative from Texas, Democrat
  • Joe Washington, NFL player born in Crockett

References

  • City of Crockett official website
  • Houston County and Crockett Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Discover Crockett Texas tourism website