Magnolia, Texas

The first settlement in the Magnolia area was a town named Mink Prairie, founded in about 1845 when a farmer named Mink built a homestead. By 1850, the town's name was shortened to Mink. However, the postal service kept confusing the name with a different town called "Milton," prompting local officials to change the name to Magnolia. In 1903, the Mink post office moved to the new town of Magnolia, as the old town of Mink would soon become abandoned. ==Geography==

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. ==Demographics==

As of the 2020 census, Magnolia had a population of 2,359 and a median age of 35.2 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. 85.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 14.4% lived in rural areas. Of the 860 households, 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 50.0% were married-couple households, 13.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 924 housing units, of which 6.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%. ==Arts and culture==

The Montgomery County Memorial Library System operates the Malcom Purvis Branch in the city. ==Government==

Local government As an incorporated city with a population of more than 5,000, Magnolia is designated as a general law city under the Constitution of Texas. It is governed at the local level by an elected mayor and five council members. As of May 2024, the mayor is Matthew "Doc" Dantzer. Council member Richard Carby also serves as mayor pro tem. The other council members are Daniel Miller, Buck Perino, Brandon Jacobs, and Jack L Huitt, Jr. On April 9, 2013, the Magnolia City Council adopted a 20-year comprehensive plan entitled, "Magnolia on the Move." In the plan, the city outlines its vision for dealing with the projected business and residential growth in the area. In 2015, the city adopted a Unified Development Code (UDC) to outline the specific steps development should take to comply with the comprehensive plan. The UDC includes specific restrictions on development, including restrictions on the height of signs, the materials used to construct buildings, and the protection of live oak and magnolia trees. State government In the Texas Senate, Magnolia is part of District 4, represented by Republican Brandon Creighton. In the Texas House of Representatives, Magnolia is part of District 3, represented by Cecil Bell Jr. Federal government In the United States Senate, Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz represent the entire state of Texas. In the United States House of Representatives, Magnolia is part of District 8, represented by Republican Morgan Luttrell. ==Education==

Public schools The city of Magnolia is part of the Magnolia Independent School District. • Students in grades K–4 attend either Magnolia Elementary, Nichols Sawmill Elementary, Williams Elementary, or Smith Elementary. • Students in 5th and 6th grade attend either Magnolia Intermediate or Bear Branch Intermediate. • Students in 7th and 8th grade attend Magnolia Junior High or Bear Branch Junior High. • Students in grades 9–12 attend Magnolia West High School or Magnolia High School, the original high school of the area. Colleges and universities The Texas Legislature designates Magnolia ISD (and therefore all of Magnolia) as a part of Lone Star College (originally the North Harris Montgomery Community College District). The territory in Splendora ISD joined the community college district in 2000. ==Infrastructure==

Magnolia is located at the intersection of FM 1488 and FM 1774 (also known as Magnolia Boulevard). ==Notable people==

• Cecil Bell Jr., Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives, District 3 • Jonathan Clay, Tony award-winning composer • Buddy Dial, NFL wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys, played college football for Rice University • Michael Galloway, Republican member of the Texas Senate representing District 4 • Marcus Luttrell, United States Navy war hero; his service is depicted in Lone Survivor along with other military heroes in Operation Red Wings • Morgan Luttrell, Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, District 8 • Nick Mitchell, wrestler for WWE • Amanda Scarborough, sports broadcaster for ESPN and former softball player at Texas A&M • Fred Whitfield, world champion tie-down roper ==Notes==