Maxwell, Texas
Unincorporated community in Caldwell County · Not an incorporated municipality
About Maxwell
Maxwell is an unincorporated community in Caldwell County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, it had a population of 500 in 2000. The community is located within the Greater Austin metropolitan area.
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How Maxwell is governed
Maxwell appears to be an unincorporated community or a census-designated place, so it may have no city government of its own — services usually come from Caldwell County and its elected officials. The chart below is a generic template; readers can correct it if Maxwell does have local officials.
Form of government not yet listed.
0 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Maxwell
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
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The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
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City Manager / Administrator
Executive
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The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
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Police Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the police department.
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Fire Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the fire and emergency services department.
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Public Works Director
Administration & departments
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Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
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Finance Director
Administration & departments
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The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
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Planning & Zoning Director
Administration & departments
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Land use, zoning, building permits.
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Parks & Recreation Director
Administration & departments
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Parks, programs, and public facilities.
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City Council
Legislative
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The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
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City Clerk
Administration & departments
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Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
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City Attorney
Administration & departments
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The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
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Boards & Commissions
Legislative
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Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
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Municipal Court
Judicial
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Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
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Municipal Judge
Judicial
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Presides over the municipal court.
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History
The community's original name, New Martindale, was changed to Maxwell in 1887 when the Katy Railroad was built through it. Thomas Maxwell, who received a grant for the land on which the community is located in 1845, was honored by the name change. The majority of Maxwell's early immigrants came from Alabama and other states, but German groups began to migrate there in the 1880s; their impact may still be seen today. Adding a second sizable segment to the local population were Mexican farmworkers. Early Maxwell's social life was dominated by the singing, dancing, and shooting clubs common to German settlements. The Maxwell Social Club was established in 1953 to oversee sporting and leisure activities as well as to support charitable, humanitarian, and other community programs. In 1888, the Maxwell post office was founded. Between 1890 and 1892, the town's population rose from 25 to 100, and it added two general stores, a gristmill, and a gin. Maxwell came dangerously close to being destroyed by fire three times: in 1887, in 1910 (when the town rebuilt its commercial district in brick), and in 1922. In 1914, Maxwell had 225 residents, two churches, two general stores, two cotton gins, and a bank. Later, the town added three cotton gins, a restaurant, a doctor's office, a drug store, and a number of retail stores. The village had 400 residents and eighteen enterprises in 1929. It subsequently declined. The area served as the backdrop for the 1980 filming of Raggedy Man, in which residents had small roles. In 1989, the Union Pacific Railroad acquired the Katy Railroad and added new routes to San Marcos. The post office, nine small enterprises, and 185 people were all present in Maxwell in 1990. 500 people were living there in 2000. The Nagle Manufacturing and Supply Company, the major employer in the area, made coathangers.
Although it is unincorporated, Maxwell has a post office, with the ZIP Code 78656.
The Gospel Broadcasting Network films a syndicated network called World Video Bible School in the community. The National Hispanic Institute is headquartered in the community.
MCVFD - Line of Duty Deaths
On June 20, 2022, Assistant Chief Jonathon Coco and firefighter Hunter Coco of the Maxwell Community Volunteer Fire Department were killed in the line of duty when another vehicle struck the fire apparatus they were in. The brothers were leaving a wildfire and heading to another call when the incident occurred. They were added to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Roll of Honor in May 2023.
Ebenezer Lutheran Church
The local Ebenezer Lutheran Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
2016 Maxwell Hot Air Balloon Crash
On July 30, 2016, the town gained attention due to the 2016 Maxwell Hot Air Balloon Crash. The hot air balloon struck a power line in Maxwell and caught on fire, killing all 16 occupants aboard. The accident in Maxwell is currently the deadliest in the United States and the second deadliest in the world.
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