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Texas Counties
Texas is divided into two hundred and fifty-four counties, more than any other state. Texas was originally divided into municipalities, a unit of local government under Spanish and Mexican rule. When the Republic of Texas gained its independence in 1836, there were 23 municipalities, which became the original Texas counties. Many of these would later be divided into new counties. The most recent county to be created was Kenedy County in 1921. The most recent county to be organized was Loving County in 1931Chambers County, Texas
Chambers County Education, Geography, and History
Chambers County is a county in the state of Texas. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 35,096. The county seat is Anahuac.
Chambers County is included in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Chambers County Name
Thomas Jefferson Chambers, an early lawyer in Texas. Thomas Jefferson Chambers (1802-1865), an
accomplished lawyer, land speculator, army general and politician in Texas, served under the rule of Mexico, the Republic, the Union and the
Confederacy. Born in Virginia, he moved to Mexico City in 1826. In 1829 he was appointed the surveyor general of Texas. Through purchase and
land grants, Chambers obtained title to 16 leagues of land located in present day Ellis, Navarro, Chambers and Hays counties. In 1830,
Chambers received Mexican citizenship and license to practice law.
He was state assessor briefly in 1834 and authored the Chambers Jury Law which brought jury trial to Texas. Also in 1834, he became the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. In payment for this office, Chambers was granted thirteen leagues of land which he selected from the
site of present day Austin. During the Texas Revolution, Chambers received a commission to raise the Army of the Reserve on his own credit and
was reimbursed with 1,280 acres of land in 1846. He entered and lost four political elections between 1839 and 1861. These years also brought
the loss of much of his land due to lawsuits in 1855 and 1862. In 1861 he represented Chambers County at the state secession convention. As a
volunteer aid to an officer in Hood's Texas Brigade, Chambers was wounded during the Seven Days' Battles. In 1865, Chambers was shot and
killed by an unknown assassin at his home in Anahuac while holding his daughter Kate on his lap. The state of Texas failed to reimburse
Chambers or his estate for large tracts of Austin land condemned in 1839 to establish the capital.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Chambers County History
Chambers County was initially home to the Akokisa,Bidai and Atakapan people. The earliest European settlement in this part of the state was 'ElOrcoquisac,' a Spanish outpost established in 1756 to keep French traders out of the region.
The first permanent settlement began in 1821 when the Spanish established a fortress at Anahuac and allowed American colonists to enter.
Chambers County was created 12 February 1858 from Jefferson and Liberty Counties. County seat: Anahuac
The county was named for Thomas Jefferson Chambers, (1802-1865), a lawyer and land speculator, was born in Orange County, Virginia, on April 13, 1802, the youngest of twenty children of Thomas Chambers and the ninth of his second wife, Mary (Gore).
Handbook of Texas Online
Chambers County was formed in 1858 from Liberty and Jefferson counties, and organized the same year with
Wallisville as its county seat. By 1860, census returns reported merino sheep, 26,632 cattle, and only 344 slaves
countywide, a reflection of the importance of livestock in the local economy. Of sixty families that owned slaves in
1859, John White held thirty-three, and only twelve families among the remainder owned more than ten. Cotton growing
increased in the antebellum period, but by 1860 only 100 cotton farmers operated in a county population of 1,508.
Industry was confined to a steam sawmill and a shipyard. More at
Diana J. Kleiner, "CHAMBERS COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcc09),
accessed January 23, 2016. Uploaded on June 12, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 872 square miles (2,258 km2), of which, 599
square miles (1,552 km2) of it is land and 273 square miles (706 km2) of it (31.27%) is water.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Liberty County (north)
- Jefferson County (east)
- Galveston County (southwest)
- Harris County (west)
Education
Goose Creek CISD
Barbers Hill ISD
Anahuac ISD
East Chambers ISD
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