Why Stop In Walker County???

Huntsville, our county seat, is home of Big Sam – the world’s tallest statue of an American hero anywhere in the world. Other attractions include Sam Houston State University, Huntsville State Park, Sam Houston National Forest, Sam Houston Memorial Museum, and HEARTS Veterans Museum.
Our historic downtown features murals by world-renowned artist Richard Haas, and the New Zion Missionary Baptist Church BBQ – featured in GQ magazine as one of the top 10 places in the world to fly in for a meal.
Prior to 1846 the region was a part of the municipality of Washington, then the county of Washington, Republic of Texas. After statehood, the county was formed in April of 1846 and was named for Robert J. Walker, the Mississippi senator who introduced the resolution in the United States Senate recognizing the independence of Texas. After his refusal to support the Confederacy, the Texas Legislature renamed the county in honor of Samuel H. Walker of Texas Ranger fame.
The establishment of the State Penitentiary in 1848-1849, Austin College, and Andrew Female College helped Walker County and Huntsville develop into a prosperous, flourishing region prior to the Civil War. In the 1870s the railroads arrived, followed shortly by a vigorous timber industry.
In 1879, Sam Houston Normal Institute, named for the great military leader and political statesman, was created by the Texas Legislature, adding another significant cultural and economic factor in the county. County Judge Danny Pierce