Walker County (Texas)

Walker County is a county located in the east central section of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 67,861. Its county seat is Huntsville. Initially, Walker County was named for Robert J. Walker, a legislator from Mississippi who introduced into the United States Congress the resolution to annex Texas. Walker later supported the Union during the Civil War and earned some enmity. In order to keep the county's name, the state renamed it for Samuel H. Walker, a Texas Ranger and soldier in the American Army.Walker County is part of the Huntsville, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Houston–The Woodlands, TX Combined Statistical Area.Americans James Mitchell (1795–1870) and his wife, the former Calpernia Franklin (1805–1865), immigrated to the future Walker County in 1833 and were awarded a Mexican land grant. Mitchell, who became one of the first county commissioners, established the Mitchell House and Inn on the Old San Antonio Road, also known as El Camino Real. During the 1840s, the house was a stop for weary and hungry stagecoach travelers.