Riverside, TX

Riverside is a Walker County city on Texas State Highway 19, thirteen miles northeast of Huntsville on the west bank of the Trinity River. The Houston and Great Northern Railroad founded the community in 1872, and the post office moved there from Newport that same year. Rail and river freight gave Riverside its first commercial advantage. Cotton fields surrounded the town in its early years; lumber later became more important, followed by stock raising and local stockyards. By the 1880s, Riverside had a gristmill, hotels, general stores, churches, schools, and sawmills.

Today Riverside is served by Huntsville Independent School District and remains part of Walker County's Piney Woods circuit. The county's roads lead toward Sam Houston National Forest, while Huntsville supplies the larger set of colleges, museums, jobs, and government services. City offices handle the practical work of utilities, streets, and local administration along the highway and river. Riverside also has a notable stage connection: singer and actress Jennifer Holliday is associated with the city and became famous for originating the role of Effie White in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Riverside's story moves from cotton and rail freight to school buses, county services, and a famous theater name carried far beyond the Trinity River.