Houston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,066. Its county seat is Crockett. Houston County was one of 46 entirely dry counties in the state of Texas, until voters in a November 2007 special election legalized the sale of alcohol in the county.
Houston County was the first new county created under the nine-year Republic of Texas on June 12, 1837. The original boundaries of Houston County also included all of present-day Anderson and Trinity Counties, and portions of present-day Henderson and Polk Counties.
The county is named for Sam Houston, President of the Republic of Texas and Governor of Texas. Other than being named for the same person, Houston County is not related to Texas' most populous city, Houston, which is located about to the south, in Harris County.
History
200px|left|thumb|The Houston County Museum is located in a restored railroad depot south of Crockett.
The Four C Mill operated in Houston County during the first two decades of the 20th century. R. M. Keith, agent of the Central Coal and Coke Company in Kansas City, Missouri, began buying virgin timber in the fall of 1899. Lumber to construct the new mill was cut by a small sawmill purchased in early 1901 from J. H. Ratcliff. Keith organized the Louisiana and Texas Lumber Company to operate the Four C. The mill was producing 300,000 board feet of lumber daily by June 1902. Ratcliff Lake, now a United States Department of Interior recreational site, was the millpond for the Four C. The Texas Southeastern Railroad laid track from Lufkin to haul out the lumber. The town of Ratcliff was separated from the Four C by a fence, built to discourage the mill workers from spending their money outside the company town. The 120,000 acres were in time exhausted, and by 1920, the mill shut down.
Geography
200px|right|thumb|Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area is located in the [[Davy Crockett National Forest in Houston County east of Crockett.]]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (0.5%) are covered by water.
Adjacent counties
- Anderson County (north)
- Cherokee County (northeast)
- Angelina County (east)
- Trinity County (southeast)
- Walker County (south)
- Madison County (southwest)
- Leon County (west)
National protected area
- Davy Crockett National Forest (part)