Anahuac, Texas
Encyclopedia
Anahuac is a city in the U.S. state
of Texas
within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown
metropolitan area. The population of the city was 2,210 at the 2000 census. Anahuac is the seat
of Chambers County and is situated in East Texas
.
, the language of the Aztecs. The name has various meanings, including "center", "world", and "city", but it also means "capital". Anáhuac is the Pre-Columbian name of the Valley of Mexico
and its former lake basins around Mexico City
, often including the Lerma and Pánuco river systems. Despite the name, neither the city of Anahuac, Texas nor the immediate region were ever part of the Aztec Empire.
The first dwellers in this area were the Anahuaconian Indians. In 1721, Frenchman Jean Baptiste de La Harpe reached this area. The area became known under the name Perry's Point, named after Colonel Henry Perry
, who erected a military post here in 1816.
In October 1830, Mexican Colonel Juan Davis Bradburn
established a customs post atop the same 30 feet (9.1 m) bluff where Perry had camped. Bradburn's orders specified that the new post would be named Fort Anahuac. The soldiers erected two large kilns to produce bricks to build a more permanent fort. Fort Anahuac would still be intact today had it not been for the locals stealing the bricks and using them for their own home construction soon after the Texas Revolution; virtually all bricks were taken and none remain to this day. By March 1831, Anahuac comprised 20 houses and 7 stores. The town grew quickly. Soldiers were given 25 cents per day to use for food and other supplies, and they spent the money locally. By June 1, the town comprised over 300 civilians and 170 military personnel.
Two major events in 1832 and 1835, known as the Anahuac Disturbances
(caused mainly by Rogue White Bandits from the Brazos Valley area) , helped to precipitate the Texas Revolution
that led to the separation of Texas from Mexico
- one being the jailing by Mexican Authorities of William Travis for illegal slave importation and the other being unfair taxation and duties on River Traffic to the settlers by the Mexican Authorities as well.
In 1862, a small Confederate
outpost was established nearby, and the outpost (and Fort Anahuac) played a significant role in the American Civil War
.
The 1935 discovery of the Anahuac and Monroe City area oil fields brought a period of economic development. The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
was established sixteen miles southeast of the city in 1963 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
. In 1989, the local chamber of commerce organized the first Gatorfest which attracted 14,000 people into the Fort Anahuac Park, and has been held annually since then.
The Festival has expanded every year since and in 2010 hosted the largest festival in history with more than 30,000 people attending.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), all of it land.
, Clapper Rail
and Black Rail
.
of 2000, there were 2,210 people, 803 households, and 600 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,044.8 people per square mile (402.5/km²). There were 902 housing units at an average density of 426.4 per square mile (164.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.28% White, 20.23% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 9.05% from other races
, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.99% of the population.
There were 803 households out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples
living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,924, and the median income for a family was $46,750. Males had a median income of $34,904 versus $24,917 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,056. About 11.1% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
, in unincorporated Chambers County east of Anahuac, serves Anahuac.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
metropolitan area. The population of the city was 2,210 at the 2000 census. Anahuac is the seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Chambers County and is situated in East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
.
History
The Mexican term Anáhuac comes from NahuatlNahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
, the language of the Aztecs. The name has various meanings, including "center", "world", and "city", but it also means "capital". Anáhuac is the Pre-Columbian name of the Valley of Mexico
Valley of Mexico
The Valley of Mexico is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly coterminous with the present-day Distrito Federal and the eastern half of the State of Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico was a centre for several pre-Columbian civilizations, including...
and its former lake basins around Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, often including the Lerma and Pánuco river systems. Despite the name, neither the city of Anahuac, Texas nor the immediate region were ever part of the Aztec Empire.
The first dwellers in this area were the Anahuaconian Indians. In 1721, Frenchman Jean Baptiste de La Harpe reached this area. The area became known under the name Perry's Point, named after Colonel Henry Perry
Henry Perry
Henry Perry was a restaurateur who is considered the "father of Kansas City barbecue."Perry was born in Shelby County, Tennessee near Memphis and worked on steamboat restaurants on the Mississippi River and Missouri River before moving to Kansas City, Missouri in 1907...
, who erected a military post here in 1816.
In October 1830, Mexican Colonel Juan Davis Bradburn
Juan Davis Bradburn
Juan Davis Bradburn , born John Davis Bradburn, was a brigadier general in the Mexican Army. His actions as commandant of the garrison at Anahuac in Mexican Texas in 1831 and 1832 led to the events known as the Anahuac Disturbances....
established a customs post atop the same 30 feet (9.1 m) bluff where Perry had camped. Bradburn's orders specified that the new post would be named Fort Anahuac. The soldiers erected two large kilns to produce bricks to build a more permanent fort. Fort Anahuac would still be intact today had it not been for the locals stealing the bricks and using them for their own home construction soon after the Texas Revolution; virtually all bricks were taken and none remain to this day. By March 1831, Anahuac comprised 20 houses and 7 stores. The town grew quickly. Soldiers were given 25 cents per day to use for food and other supplies, and they spent the money locally. By June 1, the town comprised over 300 civilians and 170 military personnel.
Two major events in 1832 and 1835, known as the Anahuac Disturbances
Anahuac Disturbances
The Anahuac Disturbances were uprisings of settlers in and around Anahuac, Texas in 1832 and 1835 which helped to precipitate the Texas Revolution. This eventually led to the territory's secession from Mexico and the founding of the Republic of Texas...
(caused mainly by Rogue White Bandits from the Brazos Valley area) , helped to precipitate the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
that led to the separation of Texas from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
- one being the jailing by Mexican Authorities of William Travis for illegal slave importation and the other being unfair taxation and duties on River Traffic to the settlers by the Mexican Authorities as well.
In 1862, a small Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
outpost was established nearby, and the outpost (and Fort Anahuac) played a significant role in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
The 1935 discovery of the Anahuac and Monroe City area oil fields brought a period of economic development. The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife conservation area along the coast of Texas , west of the town of High Island, Texas. It borders East Bay, part of the Galveston Bay complex, behind Bolivar Peninsula at the Gulf of Mexico....
was established sixteen miles southeast of the city in 1963 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
. In 1989, the local chamber of commerce organized the first Gatorfest which attracted 14,000 people into the Fort Anahuac Park, and has been held annually since then.
The Festival has expanded every year since and in 2010 hosted the largest festival in history with more than 30,000 people attending.
Geography
Anahuac is located at 29°46′7"N 94°40′45"W (29.768622, -94.679067).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), all of it land.
Ecology
Southeast of the city of Anahuac is the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge which is popular among birdwatchers because almost 250 species of birds (see external link) have been reported there. Anahuac NWR is home to several species of marsh birds called rails including Yellow RailYellow Rail
The Yellow Rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis, is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.Adults have brown upperparts streaked with black, a yellowish-brown breast, a light belly and barred flanks. The short thick dark bill turns yellow in males during the breeding season. The feathers on the back...
, Clapper Rail
Clapper Rail
The Clapper Rail is a member of the rail family, Rallidae. Some researchers believe that this bird and the similar King Rail are a single species; the two birds are known to interbreed.-Distribution and habitat:...
and Black Rail
Black Rail
The Black Rail is a mouse-sized member of the Rallidae family of birds. It is found in scattered parts of North America and the Pacific region of South America, usually in coastal salt marshes but also in some freshwater marshes. It is extinct or threatened in many locations due to habitat loss...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,210 people, 803 households, and 600 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,044.8 people per square mile (402.5/km²). There were 902 housing units at an average density of 426.4 per square mile (164.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.28% White, 20.23% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 9.05% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.99% of the population.
There were 803 households out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,924, and the median income for a family was $46,750. Males had a median income of $34,904 versus $24,917 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,056. About 11.1% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Chambers County AirportChambers County Airport
Chambers County Airport is a county-owned general aviation airport located in unincorporated Chambers County, Texas, United States east of the city of Anahuac....
, in unincorporated Chambers County east of Anahuac, serves Anahuac.