Cotulla dates to 1882, and 4 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 60% of U.S. towns · #99 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Cotulla was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1982. 4 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 1 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1929 on and the census since 1890.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1883.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Cotulla’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cotulla is more historic than 60% of U.S. towns, #99 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Cotulla’s overall grade.
Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Cotulla’s 71.0 sits above most of its state (95% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 26 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.1 points). Two sources give 1882.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Cotulla’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Immigrant Joseph Cotulla, who was reared in Silesia, then a part of Prussia, migrated to the United States in the 1850s. He joined the Union Army in Brownsville, Texas. He lived in Atascosa County, but arrived in La Salle County in 1868 to establish what became a large ranching operation. After learning that the International-Great Northern Railroad intended to lay tracks in La Salle County, he worked to establish the town that bears his name.
In 1881, Cotulla donated 120 acres of his land to the railroad, and in 1882, a depot was constructed there. In 1883, the town was granted a post office. The same year, Cotulla became the county seat by special election.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cotulla. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1929Cotulla sheet · 1:125,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Cotulla.
Places that used to be
Old corners and burying grounds
Cotulla’s post office has been open since 1883.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Zamora Acres Colonia
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Cotulla
AntiguaCotulla
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Cotulla’s history
What year was Cotulla founded?
In 1882, according to Wikidata. Cotulla’s post office opened in 1883, and the census of 1890 counted 672 people here.
How does Cotulla rank for history?
Cotulla is more historic than 60% of U.S. towns, #99 of 642 in Texas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Cotulla?
4 listings: 2 buildings, among them the La Salle County Courthouse (listed 2007, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Cotulla Downtoun Historic District and the Welhausen School and Florita Plaza, with 1 contributing buildings. 26 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Cotulla?
8% of Cotulla’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.1 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1982.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2009
2009
2009
2009
2008
2004
