San Augustine

• Official Name — San Augustine, Texas • Type — City • Image Map — TXMap-doton-SanAugustine.png • Map Size — 250px • Map Caption — Location of San Augustine, Texas • Image Map1 — SanAugustine County SanAugustine.svg • Map Size1 — 250px • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — United States • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — Texas • Subdivision Type2 — County • Subdivision Name2 — San Augustine • Unit Pref — Imperial • Area Total Km2 — 12.44 • Area Land Km2 — 12.22 • Area Water Km2 — 0.23 • Area Total Sq Mi — 4.80 • Area Land Sq Mi — 4.72 • Area Water Sq Mi — 0.09 • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Total — 1920 • Population Density Sq Mi — 400.25 • Population Density Km2 — 154.53 • Time Zone — Central (CST) • Utc Offset — -6 • Time Zone Dst — CDT • Utc Offset Dst — -5 • Elevation Ft — 345 • Postal Code Type — ZIP code • Postal Code — 75972 • Area Code — 936 • Custom Label Sec1 — FIPS code • Custom Data Sec1 — 48-65024 • Custom Label1 Sec1 — GNIS feature ID • Custom Data1 Sec1 — 2411775 San Augustine is the county seat of San Augustine County in East Texas, United States. Its population was at the 2020 census.

The first European settlement in the area began in 1717 with the establishment of Mission Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de los Ais by Spanish missionaries. The mission was abandoned and re-established in 1721. It lasted until 1773 and is now preserved as Mission Dolores State Historic Site. Before the establishment of the town, a small number of residents lived in the Ayish Bayou area. They had briefly fled during the Fredonian Rebellion in 1822 to escape Mexican forces. The town was established in 1832 under alcalde William McFarland by the site of the mission, then owned by Thomas S. McFarland. The town was named after the Presidio de San Agustín de Ahumada, which had been named in honor of the (1755–1761) Viceroy of New Spain, Don Agustín de Ahumada y Villalón. McFarland laid out a grid of 356 plots, making it the first town laid out in the Anglo-American style rather than the Spanish one. In 1832, residents sent men to fight in the Battle of Nacogdoches. They elected Sam Houston as delegate for the Convention of 1833. They again fled from Mexican forces during the Texas Revolution, during the Runaway Scrape. After the end of the war, San Augustine was made seat of San Augustine County. Methodist, Presbyterian, and Methodist Episcopal churches were established. Its Presbyterian church was the first Protestant church in Texas, established in 1839. Three universities were established, the University of San Augustine, the Wesleyan College, and the University of Eastern Texas, all of which shut down within a few years of their founding. Three companies of soldiers were sent from the city during the Civil War. Cotton and lumber were major industries in the town's early history, with railroad expansions allowing for industrial sawmill operations. The lumber industry largely left the town in the Great Depression, but returned later. The town's location in the Piney Woods make it an excellent lumber area. Newspapers published in the town began with the San Augustine Red-Lander, and continued with the San Augustine Rambler, the Cotton Belt News, the Saxon, the Herald, and the still-publishing San Augustine Tribune.

San Augustine is located at (31.531086, –94.110971). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.8 sqmi, of which 0.1 sqmi (2.08%) is covered by water.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, San Augustine has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.

As of the 2020 census, 1,920 people, 741 households, and 536 families resided in the city, the median age was 42.2 years, 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18, and 23.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.7 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas. There were 741 households in San Augustine, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.5% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 40.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 935 housing units, of which 20.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. Racial composition as of the 2020 census • Race — Number — Percent • White — 661 — 34.4% • Black or African American — 970 — 50.5% • American Indian and Alaska Native — 3 — 0.2% • Asian — 15 — 0.8% • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander — 0 — 0.0% • Some other race — 136 — 7.1% • Two or more races — 135 — 7.0%

As of the census of 2000, 2,475 people, 859 households, and 573 families were living in the city. The population density was 525.2 PD/sqmi. The 1,076 housing units had an average density of 228.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 37.82% White, 57.94% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 3.07% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latino of any race were 5.13% of the population. Of the 859 households, 29.8% had children under 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 26.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were not families. About 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.23. The age distribution was 26.9% under 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.4 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 67.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,489, and for a family was $33,203. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $17,628 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,918. About 19.1% of families and 24.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.0% of those under age 18 and 30.7% of those age 65 or over.

The city of San Augustine is served by the San Augustine Independent School District. The city was once home to the University of San Augustine (Texas)

• Illustration — Matthew Cartwright House, April 2012 • Kenneth Lewis Anderson, The last vice president of the Republic of Texas • Edward A. Clark, U.S. ambassador to Australia • Dominique Edison, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver • Joseph Barton Elam, U.S. representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district from 1877 to 1881 • John A. Greer, lieutenant governor of Texas • Frances Cox Henderson, wife of Governor Henderson, helped establish Episcopal Church in San Augustine • J. Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of the State of Texas • Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas • Kenneth M. Hoyt, U.S. district judge • Memucan Hunt, Jr., secretary of the Navy of the Republic of Texas and Texas' minister to the United States • Ben Ramsey, Texas lieutenant governor • John A. Ramsey, prominent libertarian entrepreneur and philanthropist • Oran M. Roberts, governor • Franklin Barlow Sexton, Texas senator, grand commander of the Knights Templar of Texas

• Illustration — Retail stores in Historic Commercial District • Illustration — Angus Theater • Illustration — San Augustine Drug Store and Heart of Texas Grill • Illustration — Texas State Bank • Illustration — Presbyterian Church • Illustration — San Augustine County Courthouse • Illustration — Retail stores in Historic Commercial District • Illustration — Historic building in downtown San Augustine • Illustration — Hail Blount House, April 2012 • Illustration — Lewis Hotel • Illustration — Christ Church Episcopal Church • Illustration — The Columns Bed and Breakfast • Illustration — Gary Brewer's deck house