Anderson, Texas

Anderson is a city and county seat of Grimes County, Texas, United States. The population was 193 as of the 2020 census. The town and its surroundings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Anderson Historic District.
The town is named for Kenneth Lewis Anderson, a vice-president of the Republic of Texas, who died here at the Fanthorp Inn in 1845.
Geography.
Texas State Highway 90 passes through the city, leading north to Roans Prairie and southwest to Navasota, the largest city in Grimes County. College Station is to the northwest, and Houston is to the southeast.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Anderson has a total area of , all of it land.
Climate.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Anderson has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 193 people, 85 households, and 58 families residing in the city.
As of the census of 2000, there were 257 people, 92 households, and 59 families residing in the city. The population density was 498.6 people per square mile (190.8/km2). There were 119 housing units at an average density of 230.8 per square mile (88.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 54.86% White, 40.47% African American, 0.78% Native American, 2.72% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.67% of the population.
There were 92 households, out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.9% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 129.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,409, and the median income for a family was $34,375. Males had a median income of $24,135 versus $22,188 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,718. About 8.3% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 21.1% of those 65 or over.
Government.
John S. Freeman served as mayor of Anderson from 1995 to 2004. Gail Sowell has served as mayor from 2004 until 2019. Karen McDuffie has served as Mayor from 2019 until present.
Education.
Public education in the city of Anderson is provided by the Anderson-Shiro Consolidated Independent School District.
History.
Long occupied by indigenous peoples, this area was initially settled by Europeans and creole Spanish during Spanish colonial rule. Anglo-Americans began to enter the area in the 1820s from the Southern United States. After Mexico achieved independence, it accepted additional settlers from the United States into eastern Texas. It allowed them to practice their own religion, if they swore loyalty to Mexico. A few structures in town date from this period.
Texas achieved independence in 1836 and settlers continued to arrive from the United States. As they came mostly from the South and brought slaves with them, Grimes and other eastern counties had the highest proportion of slaveholders and slaves in the republic.
Grimes County was organized in 1846, soon after the Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States. Henry Fanthorp, a new Anglo-American settler in Texas, offered land for the county seat. The town grew quickly between 1846 and 1885, reaching a peak population of about 3,000 people. County population was majority-black and enslaved by 1860. The black majority continued until many African Americans left during the 20th century in the Great Migration, to leave behind Jim Crow conditions.
Anderson in 1859 rejected being connected to the Texas and Central Railroad, and was soon surpassed in population and economic growth by Navasota, Texas. Anderson could not catch up again, although it accepted a railroad in 1903. The town was incorporated, but records show elected officials only for the years 1867 and 1875.
In 1983 a movement to revive city government was defeated at the polls. In 1995, the town began having major sewer problems and the state threatened to shut down the county courthouse if the problems were not fixed. One solution was to incorporate the town again so that it would be eligible for grants to acquire a sewer system. In 1995, John Freeman was elected as the first mayor, and the town was incorporated in 1998. He retired in 2003 and Gail Sowell was elected as mayor.
Anderson Historic District.
The entire town and surrounding areas has been recognized as the Anderson Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1974. The area was originally settled during Spanish colonial rule. The town is unusual in that a large number of structures have survived that reflect the history of Texas from the Mexican period through the years of the Republic of Texas and into early statehood. Anderson has never fully recovered from economic decline suffered during the late nineteenth century. As a result, the town's appearance has been largely unchanged since the beginning of the twentieth century.
Notable buildings within the district, either due to being specifically named as more important structures that typify Anderson on the district's NRHP nomination form or to their inclusion on the state's heritage registries, State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs) or Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks (RTHLs), include the following: