Oakville, Texas
Encyclopedia
Oakville is an unincorporated community
in northeastern Live Oak County, Texas
, United States
. It lies along Interstate 37
northeast of the city of George West
, the county seat
of Live Oak County. Its elevation is 171 feet (52 m). Although Oakville is unincorporated, it has a post office
, with the ZIP code
of 78060.
Oakville originated as a stagecoach station shortly after the Texas Revolution
. A community was established in 1856, after a local landowner donated land; it soon became the county seat of Live Oak County, and its post office—the county's first—was established there in the following year. Originally referred to by the name of the local Sulphur Creek, it received its current name from an advertisement in a newspaper. After the Civil War
, Oakville became a local commercial center; the county's first bank and public school were established there, and the Live Oak County Leader, a newspaper, was founded in the community in 1891. It began to decline after a railroad line was built through a different part of the county in 1913, and it lost the status of county seat after a new courthouse was built in George West in 1919.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in northeastern Live Oak County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies along Interstate 37
Interstate 37
Interstate 37 is a intrastate Interstate Highway located within the U.S. state of Texas. The highway was first designated in 1959 as a route between Corpus Christi and San Antonio. Construction in the urban areas of Corpus Christi and San Antonio began in the 1960s and the segments of the...
northeast of the city of George West
George West, Texas
George West is a city in Live Oak County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,524 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Live Oak County. George West was named the "storytelling capital of Texas" in 2005 by the Texas Senate; and it hosts the George West Storyfest, a festival that...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Live Oak County. Its elevation is 171 feet (52 m). Although Oakville is unincorporated, it has a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, with the ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
of 78060.
Oakville originated as a stagecoach station shortly after the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
. A community was established in 1856, after a local landowner donated land; it soon became the county seat of Live Oak County, and its post office—the county's first—was established there in the following year. Originally referred to by the name of the local Sulphur Creek, it received its current name from an advertisement in a newspaper. After the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Oakville became a local commercial center; the county's first bank and public school were established there, and the Live Oak County Leader, a newspaper, was founded in the community in 1891. It began to decline after a railroad line was built through a different part of the county in 1913, and it lost the status of county seat after a new courthouse was built in George West in 1919.
External links
- Community profile from the Handbook of Texas OnlineHandbook of TexasThe Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...