Alief, Houston, Texas
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Alief is a community in Harris County, Texas, United States that is mostly within the city limits of Houston, Texas.
| Alief | |
| — Neighborhood of Houston, Texas — | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Harris |
| City | Houston |
| Area | Southwest |
| Settled | 1894 |
| Incorporated | 1977 |
| Area | |
| - Total | 36.6 sq mi (94.7 km²) |
| Elevation | 79 ft (24 m) |
| Population | |
| - Total | 144,688 |
| - Density | 3,953/sq mi (1,528/km²) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1329364[1] |
| Website:
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Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early Days
The first written account of Alief occurred in 1861, when Ron Reynolds claimed 1,250 acres (5.1 km²) of land at Brays Bayou headwaters. The land was sold to Jacamiah Seaman Daugherty in 1888 and in 1889 he allowed the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway to build on his land. Daugherty sold his land in 1893 to Francis Meston who planned to engineer a community, Daugherty stayed to oversee land sales in Meston’s Houston office and set aside a plot of land for a cemetery. In 1894 Harris County recognized the minute community, as surveyor deemed it the Town of Dairy, Texas. In 1895, in an attempt to obtain a post office, Dairy was forced to change its name in order to avoid confusion with a town named Daisy. Dairy was renamed in honor of its first postmistress, Alief Ozella Magee, the country's first postmistress [1]. At that time Alief was home to 25, and had its first schoolhouse, with two rooms so as to segregate the children[2].
The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 (to this day still the deadliest natural disaster in US history) destroyed the Methodist Church and cotton crops, and relocating 24 of the 30 families that resided in Alief. As a direct result of relocation the town reverted to prairie and wolves openly roamed during the daytime. Daugherty saw a positive in the disaster, he persuade the remaining 6 families that rice has better suited to grow in Alief’s flood plains and spent his own money to help cultivate the first crops. Daugherty achieved success his rice became an instant cash crop that persuaded many to reside in Alief. The following year Alief’s first immigrant families arrived in Alief, a small group of Germans, and in 1904 the majority of those who left in the wake of The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 returned. The rapid growth period created a commercial district along the railroad tracks, convincing the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway to construct a depot.
Due to its flood proneness, in 1909 Harris County decided to establish the Harris County Flood Control District in Alief. In 1911 the Dairy School District was establish and built a three-story school. In 1912 AJ Martin settled in Alief and built his home on Cook Road, later he turned his front yard into a pet cemetery. In 1917 Dairy School District became Alief Independent School District, that same year the Hastings family, Shop keeps, became postmasters. By 1920 a few Alief residents had automobiles.
[edit] Development & Urbanization
In 1934 Daugherty promoted the Cane Belt Canal, as it reached Alief it resulted in a resurgence of rice as the Alief cash crop. 1935, Alief obtained electricity and later 1943, telephone service. Population fluctuated wildly, in he 1930’s Alief’s population fell from 112 to 35, only to rise to 200 by 1942. In 1964, Alief ISD built its new school district building and its oldest remaining high school Alief Hastings High School. In 1970’s, the City of Houston annexed Alief, and METRO established bus routes. The annexation period led to a quadrupling of the population. 1980’s for Southwest Houston was a tumultuous period the once luxurious and innovative as a master planned built neighborhood of Sharpstown was sabotaged by rival investors who built a neighborhood of rundown apartment complexes in 1970[3].
The development of apartments was hailed Westwood/Club Creek and became home to many black families that came from the depleted wards of Downtown Houston[4]. This led to a sharp drop in Sharpstown land values and which angered many land developers, who sought for justice, as judges handed out incitements and found political corruption as high as the governor of Texas[5]. As the late 80’s came around the general population of Houston took a boost as an effect of gains in the petroleum industry. Also in the 80’s drug trafficking became more prosperous gang sprung up in Southwest leading to extreme violence. In Los Angeles the annual murder count during the 80’s and early 90’s exceeded 1000 in Houston they surpassed the 700 mark in 1981[6]. As desirability of Sharpstown & Woodfair fell, Alief across the beltway was rising in desirability in the perspective of minority families, once again prompting white flight in Alief[7]. Through out the 90’s Alief was at its most underdeveloped and impoverished state. Most of Alief was still empty grasslands fields with potential lacking investment, and still home to a cattle ranch. The period of white flight also meant businesses left Alief in profound numbers, this left plaza that lined the main streets with several vacancies. As time took its toll Alief’s Hispanic residents where the first to invest in their cultural base (New Chinatown was still confined by the Beltway), as they saved money to bring their families to Alief most immigrant workers saved enough to also establish business that could cater to their nationalities. Well known Houston business like Panaderia Arandas, La Michocana, and Ninfa's were established around this time.[8]
[edit] A New Alief
The Latin American and Asian immigrants, notably from Vietnam and the Philippines, moved to Alief. Alief is also home to large African, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean populations; and more recently a minute black European population. As the 2000’s rolled in the population kept steady grow from 1990 to 2005 Alief’s population saw a 45% increase and in some areas over 70%[9] (Near Highway 6).
The new millennium has been a new era for Alief, the immigrant population’s investments have blossomed and the empty lots that have plagued Alief eradicated. New Chinatown created Hong Kong Mall on Boone Road, but still confined by the Beltway. On the other Hand, Little Saigon a new district, dominates the Alief skyline along Bellaire Blvd, bring new and highly profitable business. Many of the Latin American business are now citywide. The Pakistani community has plans of a mall of their own, located at the corner of Kirkwood & Bissonnet. The Nigerian and Caribbean communities own cultural catering grocery store and dancehalls along Bissonnet. The Middle Eastern community built a Lebanese buffet just out side Alief that claim it is the largest buffet in the world.
As each community makes it advance Alief also has encountered problems. In 2005, Alief became home to the majority of the Katrina evacuees, causing an escalating violence gang violence that attributed to 30% Houston Murders in 2005[10]. Also, Alief ISD taught the highest percentage of Katrina evacuees in 2005 and spent over $12 Mil to accommodate them, the US government promised to reimburse them but Alief is yet to see the money[11]. Even though both Alief's murder rate and crime rate normalized after 2005, the murder rate remains at 280% above the national average[12].
The Chicago Sun-Times wrote: "Alief is an impoverished, multicultural enclave where many of the business and street signs are in both English and one of several Asian languages. The district's 47,000 students speak nearly 70 tongues. [13].”
[edit] Government
[edit] Municipal
Since June 22, 2005 it was granted Super Neighborhood status as Houston's Super Neighborhood 25# and is served on city council in District F with is Currently held by Councilman MJ Khan.
[edit] State representation
Alief lies within the boundaries of Texas House of Representatives District 149, Currently held by Hubert Vo. Hubert Vo is the first person of Vietnamese heritage to be elected to the Texas Legislature and was named Freshman of the Year by the non-partisan Legislative Study Group. Vo was elected in 2004, defeating the incumbent Republican, Talmadge Heflin by the razor-thin margin of 20,695 to 20,662. Talmadge Heflin had previously held the position for 22 years.
[edit] National representation
Alief is within the boundaries of Texas's 9th congressional district of the US Congress. Currently held by Democrat Al Green a New Orleans native, Alpha Phi Alpha Greek, and former President of the Houston NAACP. He ran a successful campaign in 2004 to defeat Republican Arlette Molina by over a 40% Margin[14].
[edit] Education
[edit] Primary and secondary schools
[edit] Public schools
Despite being located in Houston, it is not served by the Houston Independent School District, instead The Alief Independent School District serves the area. High schools in Alief ISD are assigned by a lottery, which can result in the student going to either Alief Elsik High School, Alief Hastings High School, or Alief Taylor High School. They can also choose to apply for admission to Alief Kerr High School.
[edit] Charter Schools
KIPP: the Knowledge Is Power Program operates several charter schools along KIPP Way, within the boundaries of Alief ISD; the schools are not affiliated with Alief ISD.
- KIPP SHINE Preparatory School (Elementary school)
- KIPP Academy Middle School
- Kipp Sharpstown College Preparatory School (Middle school)
- KIPP Houston High School [15]
Alief Montessori Community School, a PreKindergarten through 3rd grade charter school, is also located in Alief.
[edit] Post-Secondary Education
Alief's only Post-Secondary Institution is The Houston Community College Southwest - Alief Center. Built in 2005, it is located off the Corner of Bissonnet Street at Eldrige parkway. The Houston Community College System is an open-admission, public institution of higher education offering associate degrees, certificates, academic preparation, workforce training, and lifelong learning opportunities.
[edit] Civic centers
The Henington-Alief Regional Branch of Houston Public Library. Its Located on 7979 South Kirkwood Street 77072.
In February 19, 2007, The Southwest Multi-Service Center located on 6400 High Star Drive. was opened. Created by the Houston Health and Human Services, the 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m²), $4.1 Million center, Includes:
- WIC Clinic
- Satellite Mayor's Office
- Human Services Agency Office
- e-Library
- Computer Lab
- Teen Center
- Conference Rooms
[edit] Emergency services
[edit] Fire service
Residents of the City of Houston receive fire services from the Houston Fire Department. The 76 Alief Community Station is located at 7200 Cook, 77072.
For residents of unincorporated Harris County, fire and EMS services are provided by Community Volunteer Fire Department, a combination career and volunteer fire suppression and EMS provider based out of three stations covering parts of unincorporated Harris County and Fort Bend County, heading west into the Cinco Ranch area.
[edit] Police services
Residents within the City of Houston receive police services from the Houston Police Department, which has Alief in the Westside Patrol Division [16].
Harris County Sheriff's Office serves unincorporated sections of Harris County.
[edit] Transportation
Metro provides local bus services to the area. Routes Include:
- 2 Bellaire (to Mission Bend)
- 4 Beechnut
- 8 South Main
- 19 Wilcrest
- 65 Bissonnet
- 67 Dairy Ashford Crosstown
- 68 Braes Bayou Crosstown
- 132 Harwin Limited
[edit] Parks
- Alief Amity
- Alief Community
- Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza
- Arthur Storey
- Boone
- Harwin
[edit] Gallery of Parks
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[edit] Famous Alief residents
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
(Current & Former)
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[edit] References
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
