Somerville, TX

Somerville is a Burleson County city near the county's southern border, with Somerville Lake along its western edge. The 2020 census counted 1,312 residents. Texas State Highway 36 passes through town, leading northwest to Caldwell and southeast to Brenham. Somerville Independent School District, city services, local businesses, churches, and the roads to Lake Somerville give the community a practical center. The reservoir adds boat ramps, shoreline work, and seasonal traffic to a town whose daily life still depends on school and highway connections.

The city grew from the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, which built a bridge over Yegua Creek in 1880 and established a depot, yard, and roundhouse. It was named for Albert Somerville, the railroad's first president, and incorporated in 1913. The rail yards and tie plant are gone, but the lake and highway occupy the same role of bringing people and goods through. Somerville is close enough to Brenham and Caldwell for larger errands while remaining its own school town, with the reservoir, railroad history, and State Highway 36 all folded into the local map.