Anderson’s post office opened in 1849, and 21% of its homes were built before 1940
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 4 buildings. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1961 on, and the census since 1990.
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.
Passages that mention Anderson, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas ... from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects1893 · page 249Read the page →
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Anderson’s first county court record begins with the July term of 1846, the first term held in the new county. It reads: “The State of Texas, Anderson county: County court called session, July term, A. D. 1846. At a called session of the county court of Anderson county held at the county seat of said county, on Thursday, the 30th
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas ... from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects1893 · page 301Read the page →
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Anderson county was created from Houston county in 1846, and named in honor of one of the vice-presidents of the Texas Republic, Kenneth L. Anderson.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Anderson, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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