Kenney, Texas
Kenney (also Kinney) is an unincorporated community in northern Austin County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 200 in 2000. It is located within the Greater Houston metropolitan area. History. The area around Kenney was first settled in the 1820s with German immigrants arriving in the 1830s through 1900, but the community itself was not started until 1880 when a station on the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway between Brenham and Bellville and a post office was established. The community was originally named Thompson for its first postmaster  JE Thompson. After four years under that name, the community was renamed Kenneyville in 1884 in honor of evangelist John Wesley Kenney; the name was shortened to Kenney in 1892. The community thrived in 1885 with a steam-powered gristmill and cotton gin, three churches, several businesses, and 150 residents. Its population shrank to 75 in 1890. The community's first hotel was established by William Schill and a general store was managed by John Chernosky. Its population went up to 202 in 1904. The American Red Cross organized a chapter here in 1917 and included 76 black residents on  its 178-member roster. It lost two people in 1936 but had 12 businesses in operation. It had a church in the late 1980s. Its population remained at 200 from 1990 through 2000. Although Kenney is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 77452. Geography. Kenney is located at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 2754 and Texas State Highway 36 on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, north of Bellville and south of Brenham in far northern Austin County. Climate. The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly  distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate System describes the weather as humid subtropical, and uses the abbreviation "Cfa". Education. A school was established at Kenney in 1885. It then had two schools in the late 1980s. Today, the community is served by the Bellville Independent School District.