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DHistory
History · Webster

Webster dates to 1879

More historic than 14% of U.S. towns · #400 of 642 in Texas. What drives it

Most of Webster was built recently: 0.3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. Below: maps from 1916 on and the census since 1960.

1879founded
0on the National Register
0.3%homes built before 1940
5famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: nsaum75¡שיחת!‎ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answers

How Webster began

When was Webster founded?

1879

Webster dates its founding to 1879 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1960.

First census: 329 in 19602020 census: 12,499147 years

How historic is Webster?

D

More historic than 14% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1893.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Webster’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Webster is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #400 of 642 in Texas. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Webster’s overall grade.
Founding era1879, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19400.3% of homes (±0.3) · typical TX town 1.6% · U.S. 8.4%DNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical TX town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 14%
NewerOlder
Texas towns of 2,500+ (642)Ahead of 38%

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 Webster’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (34% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share (±0.3 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1879.

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 Webster’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Webster are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19167 editions of the USGS map, 1916 to 1995. Watch Webster change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Webster’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Webster’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Webster on the map, 1916 to 1995

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Webster. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Webster on the 1916 USGS mapWebster on the 1929 USGS mapWebster on the 1932 USGS mapWebster on the 1955 USGS mapWebster on the 1969 USGS mapWebster on the 1982 USGS mapWebster on the 1995 USGS map1916Seabrook sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Webster.

The story

How Webster came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Webster.

Read it all →

The community was founded in 1879 by James W. Webster under the name "Gardentown". It was established initially as a colony for settlers from England. It began as a stopover for travelers between Houston/Harrisburg, Galveston, Kemah, and Seabrook. Eventually, railroads, such as the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, were built through the area. Farmers in the area raised pears and other produce.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Webster in 1920

Passages that mention Webster, cut from the printed page as they were published.

severely wounded. The Indians withdrew for a 'Lime and the Webster party retraced their steps in the direction of the Colorado river settlement. When they reached the South Gabriel between the present locations of Liberty Hill and Leander a consultation was held and some of the party advised making…
Early history of Texas. Early history of Williamson County. The Webster massacre. Williamson County Court House sketches. Sketches of early days in Taylor1920Read the page →
Read the text

severely wounded. The Indians withdrew for a 'Lime and the Webster party retraced their steps in the direction of the Colorado river settlement. When they reached the South Gabriel between the present locations of Liberty Hill and Leander a consultation was held and some of the party advised making a stand against the Indians at this place where they had the protection of a high bluff. Webster contended that they would lose their live s’tock if they remained and advised traveling by night in order to reach the settlement before a

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.

Timeline

Webster, 1879 to 1991

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1879
    FoundingWebster is established
  3. 1893Post officeThe Webster post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1916On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1974Born hereMicah Bowie is born here
  7. 1981Born hereRyan Trecartin is born here
  8. 1984Born hereBriscoe Cain is born here
  9. 1991Born hereJosh Huestis is born here
By decade

Webster, decade by decade

Today6 recent
August Sky2010August SkyAlmost a Magnolia Blossom2010Almost a Magnolia BlossomAfternoon Rain2010Afternoon RainA Boy and His Dog2010A Boy and His DogEdgewater Estates2009Edgewater EstatesTexas Avenue Park2006Texas Avenue Park
People over time

Webster, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,000196019802000202012,499

Grew from 329 people in 1960 to 12,499 in 2020, more than tenfold.

7 censuses, 1960–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Webster’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

5 famous people were born in Webster

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Josh HuestisAmerican basketball player · b. 1991
Ryan TrecartinAmerican artist · b. 1981
Briscoe CainAmerican politician · b. 1984
Micah BowieAmerican baseball player · b. 1974
T
T. J. WrightAmerican football player · b. 1983
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

League City1 historic placeC+Houston292 historic placesA−Nassau BayIts storyDFriendswoodIts storyD

Questions about Webster’s history

What year was Webster founded?

In 1879, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Webster’s post office opened in 1893, and the census of 1960 counted 329 people here.

How does Webster rank for history?

Webster is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #400 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.

How old are the homes in Webster?

0.3% of Webster’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1991.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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), 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), 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.