A Rich History
H ere in Huntsville , history comes alive ! Known as the “ Mount Vernon of Texas ,” Huntsville was the leading cultural center of the Lone Star State prior to the Civil War , with leaders in law , education and business flocking to the community .
The city was founded 185 years ago by Pleasant and Ephraim Gray as an Native American trading post and named for Huntsville , Alabama — the former home of the Gray family .
The city originally laid within the northeast section of Montgomery County , which was organized in 1837 . It was designated the seat of Walker County when the county was organized in 1846 .
At the end of its first decade , Huntsville also became the site of the new Texas State Penitentiary , established by the legislature in
1848 .
The prison received its first convict on October 1 , 1849 . The following year Huntsville lost out to Austin in an election to choose the state capital .
In 1936 , the Texas Centennial Commission erected markers in Huntsville for Austin Hall , the original building of Austin College , and for the Steamboat House , the house in which Gen . Sam Houston died . The commission also authorized the construction of the James Gillaspie Monument and the Sam Houston Memorial Museum .
The homes of Sam Houston and John W . Thomason , Jr ., are both on the National Register of Historic Places , and the Houston law office has also been preserved . Other tourist attractions include the nearby Huntsville State Park and Sam Houston National Forest .
8 | Welcome To Huntsville / Huntsvillie Living 2023