Dobbin is an unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Texas

Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The county was created by an act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14, 1837. The county was named for the town of Montgomery, Texas. In 2000, its...

, 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...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. According to the Handbook of Texas

Handbook of Texas

The Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...

, the community had an estimated population of 170 in 2000, although some estimates place that figure at close to 300. Dobbin is part of the Houston

Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

–Sugar Land

Sugar Land, Texas

Sugar Land is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and Fort Bend County. Sugar Land is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158 percent in the last decade. In the time period of 2000–2007, Sugar Land also enjoyed a...

–Baytown

Baytown, Texas

Baytown is a city within Harris County and partially in Chambers County in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. state of Texas. Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, it lies along both State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. As of 2010, Baytown had an population of 71,802...

 Metropolitan Statistical Area

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...

.

Geography

Dobbin is located at 30°21′56"N 95°46′34"W (30.3654842, -95.7760598 ). It is situated at the junction of State Highway 105 and FM 1486, approximately 12 miles north of Magnolia

Magnolia, Texas

Magnolia is a city in southwestern Montgomery County, Texas, United States outside Houston and right next to The Woodlands. The population was 1,111 at the 2000 census. Settled in the late 1840s, the town has gone by several names including "Mink's Prairie" and "Mink".-Geography:Magnolia is located...

.

History

In 1878, the Central and Montgomery Railway built a line from Montgomery

Montgomery, Texas

Montgomery is a city located in Montgomery County, Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 489. It is the birthplace of the Lone Star Flag of Texas.-History:...

 to Navasota

Navasota, Texas

Navasota is a city in Grimes County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,789 at the 2000 census. In 2005, the Texas Legislature named the city "The Blues Capital of Texas," in honor of the late Mance Lipscomb, a Navasota native and blues musician....

. Two years later, a post office was established in the community under the name Bobbin. It became a shipping point for cotton and lumber in the mid-1880s and had a population of 250 by the 1890s. That number had declined to 168 by 1903. A few years later, the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway built through Bobbin on its way to Mexia

Mexia, Texas

Mexia is a city in Limestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,552 at the 2008 census.The city's motto, based on the fact that outsiders tend to mispronounce the name , is "A great place, no matter how you pronounce it."...

 and Houston

Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

, making the community a railroad junction. In 1909, Bobbin's name was changed to Dobbin.

Dobbin was home to 100 people and several businesses in 1915. By the late 1940s, the community had three churches, two schools, two sawmills, two factories, nine businesses, a railroad station, and a population of 175. The number of residents fell to a low of 106 by the mid-1960s, but rose to 170 in the early 1970s. The population remained consistent throughout the latter half of the twentieth century.

Despite its unincorporated status, Dobbin continues to have a functioning post office (zip code: 77333).

Education

Public education in the community of Dobbin is provided by the Montgomery Independent School District

Montgomery Independent School District

Montgomery Independent School District is a public school district based in Montgomery, Texas .In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.-Schools:*Montgomery High...

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