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Tomball, TX is just thirty miles south of Houston and is located in Harris County. This town enjoys the highest elevation in Harris County and is around nine-square miles in size.

The community first started in 1838, when the heirs of William Hurd built a farm in the area after receiving a land grant. The town was first named Peck, in honor of a famous civil engineer in 1907. The Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad built a station in the town as one of its forty stations located in between Fort Worth and Galveston.

The town was home to a freight terminal, a water station, a telegraph office, a five-stall roundhouse and many stock pens for the shipment of cattle. This set-up gave the area ranchers an opportunity to ship their cattle all across Texas and helped the area flourish.

The town was renamed to Tomball name on December 2, 1907. Thomas Henry Ball, who had been instrumental in bringing the railroad to the community was honored with the selection of Tomball. The post office for the town was built in 1908 and a school soon followed.

Electricity came to Tomball in 1913, as well as phone service. A year later, the population was estimated at around 350 people and a bank, a blacksmith, six hotels, many stores and a cotton gin were established.

Oil was discovered in 1933 and settlers began flooding into the town. A contract was made between the town and the Humble Oil and Refinery Company, which is now the Exxon Company, which provided the residents of the town with free water and natural gas in exchange for the rights to drill within the town.

The town quickly incorporated and became known as “ Oil Town USA.” The population quickly rose from 665 to around 1,800 during this period. The area was rich with oil and soon there were around 30 oil and natural gas companies all located within five miles of the town.

One of Tomball’s greatest claims to fame is a mention in Ripley’s Believe It or Not as the only town with free gas and water and no cemetery. The population continued to grow and by 1980, 5,000 residents lived in Tomball. This figure has gone up to 9.544 residents as of 1990 and over 1,700 businesses are in operation.

You’ll find many different things to do in Tomball when you rent an apartment here. There is a community college, and a museum complex that was formed by the Spring Creek County Historical Association.

Many Houstonians have chosen Tomball as their new home, due to its location and many of the residents currently commute to the larger city. Tomball is a unique town with many different possibilities.

If you are interested in an apartment in Houston, feel free to contact us.