Brenham, Texas

Brenham is located at 30°9′43″N 96°23′49″W (30.161901, –96.397004).[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.8 square miles (22.7 km²), all of it land.

The area surrounding Brenham was occupied by various Native American tribes through the nineteenth century. The Brenham area was part of the Old Three Hundred, the first authorized colonization of Texas by Anglo-Americans led by Stephen F. Austin. In the 1820s and 1830s, several small communities developed in the area. In 1843, the Hickory Grove community was renamed Brenham in memory of a local physician, Richard Fox Brenham, who died while serving in the Texian militia during the Mier Expedition. On February 4, 1844, Washington County voters selected Brenham to become the county seat. German immigrants settled in Brenham as early as 1846. With the exception of the Civil War years, the German-born population of Brenham increased throughout the second half of the nineteenth century. The largest numbers of German immigrants arrived between 1880 and 1883. Jewish immigrants settled in Brenham beginning in the 1860s and established one of the first Orthodox congregations in Texas in 1885.[8]

Washington County Boys' Corn Club mounted and in parade, May 26, 1910

College students make up about half of the population of Brenham. As of 2014, the 17,707 students enrolled at Blinn College amounted to an estimated 51.4% of the city's population.[10]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 13,507 people, 4,907 households, and 3,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,541.5 people per square mile (595.3/km²). There were 5,317 housing units at an average density of 606.8 per square mile (234.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.99% White, 21.91% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.86% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.75% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.25% of the population. There were 4,907 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,198, and the median income for a family was $41,486. Males had a median income of $31,133 versus $22,152 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,351. About 12.8% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 20.7% of those age 65 or over.

Stop N'Save, which had served as the terminal for Greyhound Lines-affiliated operations

Until 2009 Greyhound Lines offered bus services from the Stop N'Save at 601 East Main Street, but as of 2015 Brenham is not served by intercity bus.

• US 290
• SH 105
• SH 36
• FM 389
• FM 577

The Blue Bell factory in Brenham.

Brenham is the home of and headquarters for Blue Bell Creameries. Blue Bell is the 4th best-selling ice cream brand in the United States, and is sold in 16 states.

Brenham is also home to a large Valmont Industries industrial plant, where metal poles are manufactured.

The city is the site of the Brenham State Supported Living Center, the largest facility in Texas for providing housing and care to intellectually disabled persons.

The City of Brenham's primary education is provided by Brenham Independent School District (BISD) and various private schools. The public schools in BISD include Brenham Elementary, Krause Elementary, Alton Elementary, Brenham Middle School, Brenham Junior High, and Brenham High School. The mascot for Brenham high school is the lion cub.

Brenham is also the home of Blinn College, the oldest county-owned junior college in Texas. Blinn has campuses also in Bryan, Schulenburg, and Sealy.

St. Mary's Catholic Church -- Brenham, Texas

• Malcom Brown (born 1994), professional football player
• Timothy Brian Cole (1960–1999), The first person in Texas to receive a posthumous pardon and the first posthumous DNA Exonerated person in the United States
• Cecil Cooper (born 1949), professional baseball player
• Will Ezell (1892–1963), barrelhouse pianist
• Hosea Garrett (1800–1888), clergyman, cofounder of Baylor University
• Jack Heidemann (born 1949), professional baseball player
• Don Imus (1940–2019), radio and TV personality, recording artist and author
• Blind Willie Johnson (1897–1945), singer, songwriter, guitarist
• Lois Kolkhorst (born 1964), state politician, state representative from Brenham from 2001 to 2015, and state senator since 2015
• Roosevelt Leaks (born 1953), professional football player
• Chuck Machemehl (born 1946), professional baseball player
• Frank Malina (1912–1981), aeronautical engineer and director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, entrepreneur, rocket researcher, artist
• Louise Martin (1914–1955), photographer
• Roger Metzger, professional baseball player, Houston Astros
• Paul Pressler (born 1930), retired judge from Houston; owns Hidden Hills Ranch near Brenham
• Luke Sanders (born 1985), UFC fighter
• Austin Schlottmann (born 1995), professional football player (Denver Broncos 2018–current)
• Leighton Schubert (born 1982), member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 13 since 2015; born in Brenham, lawyer in Caldwell, Texas
• Ricky Seilheimer (born 1960), professional baseball player
• Sadie Sink (born 2002), actress
• Darden Smith (born 1962), songwriter, musician
• Courtland Sutton (born 1995), professional football player (Denver Broncos 2018–current)
• Gary Weiss (born 1955), former shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Wilson Whitley (1955–1992), professional football player

The city elects its mayor and city council.

Mayors of the City of Brenham, Texas:

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services operates the Brenham State Supported Living Center (formerly Brenham State School).[11]

The United States Postal Service operates the Brenham Post Office.[12]

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate System describes the weather as humid subtropical, and uses the abbreviation Cfa.[13]

• History of the Jews in Brenham, Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Texas
• Brenham Heritage Museum

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brenham, Texas.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Brenham".

• City of Brenham Web Site
• Brenham, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Economic Development Foundation of Brenham