Chambers County Was Cattle Country Long Before Oil

James Taylor White is believed to have brought longhorn cattle to Turtle Bayou in 1827. Ranching grew from there. By 1860, census records showed more than 26,000 cattle in the county. By 1900, that number had grown to about 49,000 head.

A meat-packing plant opened in Wallisville in the 1870s. That shows how important cattle were to the local economy. Rice farming also grew in the early 1900s as canal irrigation spread across the coastal prairie.

Chambers County still has working farm and ranch land today. If you use land for cattle, crops, or wildlife management, you may qualify for an agricultural-use valuation. This special tax rule, sometimes called ag valuation, can lower your property taxes well below the market-value rate. Contact the Chambers County Appraisal District to ask about qualifying.