Coldspring, Texas
| Coldspring, Texas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location of Coldspring, Texas |
|
 |
|
| Coordinates: 30°35′17″N 95°8′0″W / 30.58806°N 95.13333°WCoordinates: 30°35′17″N 95°8′0″W / 30.58806°N 95.13333°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | San Jacinto |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.8 sq mi (4.8 km2) |
| • Land | 1.8 sq mi (4.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 361 ft (110 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 853 |
| • Density | 470/sq mi (180/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 77331 |
| Area code(s) | 936 |
| FIPS code | 48-15892 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1384227 |
Coldspring is a city in San Jacinto County, Texas, United States. The population was 853 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of San Jacinto County which is named after the river that traverses it and shares its name with the Battle which gave Texas its independence.
The history of Coldspring is linked to Stephen F. Austin's first colony in Texas which established, among other locales, San Jacinto County. Austin's original colony extended to the Trinity River watershed, roughly along Texas 156, toward Point Blank. After receiving a commission from the Mexican government to settle the area, Joseph Vehlein, a German immigrant to Mexico, deeded 640 acres (2.6 km2) to Robert Rankin, an American Revolutionary officer. This acreage included the site of Coldspring.
The settlement of Cold Springs (old spelling) began around 1850. In 1848, there existed only a trading post called "Coonskin", later "Fireman's Hill" nearby.
Coldspring had developed into a bustling county seat town by 1915, but disaster struck March 30, 1915 when the wooden courthouse burned, thus removing the economic foundation of the town. Plans for the present courthouse were made, and the building was completed in 1918. Thereafter, the townspeople moved their buildings near the new courthouse at its present location. In 1983, San Jacinto County sheriff, James Cecil Parker, was charged with and convicted of six civil rights abuses of suspects using the form of torture called waterboarding and was sentenced to ten years in federal prison but served less than five before his medical release due to brain cancer and died in 1994. Parker's son and deputy, Gary, was convicted in 1984 of conspiracy to violate suspects' rights.
Coldspring is located at 30°35′17″N 95°8′0″W / 30.58806°N 95.13333°W (30.588194, -95.133262). Houston, the 7th largest metropolitan center in the United States, is approximately 55 miles (89 km) to Coldspring's south.
...
Wikipedia