Seabrook, Texas
Encyclopedia
Seabrook is a city in Harris
county, with some water surface area located within Chambers county in the U.S. state
of Texas
. The population was 9,443 at the 2000 census
.
Seabrook is known for its fish markets on Waterfront Drive where resident shrimpers and fishermen bring in their catches daily. Besides bordering the bay, the city encompasses marshes though which runoff from inland fields drain to the bay. There are eight miles (13 km) of continuous trails from Hammer Street to Galveston Bay at Pine Gully Park
, where the Lucky Trails Marathon is run in March. Seabrook is also host to the Texas Concours d'Elegance "Keels & Wheels" classic car and boat show held each year the first weekend in May at Lakewood Yacht Club
.
The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 demolished the local school, but by 1905 it was restored and was run by three teachers who taught 100 students. The local schools became part of the Clear Creek Independent School District in 1947.
The population of Seabrook rose from 200 to 560 before the Great Depression
, but fell to 200 in 1936, and remained at 400 from 1940 until 1947, when the Albert and Ernest Fay shipyard opened. It could handle 150 boats, and opened up jobs and is the main cause of the population increase. Despite damage from Hurricane Carla
, a bridge linking Seabrook and Kemah
was completed in 1961 and in addition to the opening of the Johnson Space Center (JSC), the population numbered approximately 6,000. Then in 1986, the decision was finally made to start the construction of a fixed-span bridge that was tall enough for sailboats to pass under. After this bridge was finished, Highway 146 was linked all the way from Galveston to Beltway 8. This highly increased the population of Seabrook, TX. Now the population is resting at around 13,000 people. Seabrook's residents are quite diversified and are employed in a large cross mix of of professional positions. Quite a few residents have ties to the chemical and oil industry as well as the NASA space program.
at Clear Lake
, southeast of Houston near Pasadena and La Porte.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 21.5 square miles (55.7 km²), of which 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²) is land and 15.8 square miles (40.9 km²), 73.36%, is water.
on the morning of September 13, 2008. Hurricane Ike was the 3rd most destructive hurricane to hit the United States. In Seabrook, the storm surge
not only knocked out the streets as a means of transportation, but also knocked the power out for the entire city, along with many others. Because Seabrook is surrounded by water, the aftermath of debris and boats on the roads was phenomenal from all of the boat docks close to shore. Seabrook residents were left without power and running water for up to a month after Hurricane Ike made landfall.
A month after the hurricane Seabrook was still dealing with people not being able the live in the conditions, even after the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) came.
The students zoned to schools in the Clear Creek Independent School District (which are all the residents in Seabrook) missed almost three weeks of school due the evacuation and the damage to buildings and roads in the Seabrook and surrounding areas. Some buildings, such as the Public Library, are closed indefinitely due to the damage done by the hurricane.
and to show the connectedness of the city by its many bed and breakfasts, close family values, available water attractions and its unique downtown of small businesses. Seabrook is in the center of the third largest boating community in the country, and with that comes many opportunities. Most businesses in Seabrook have bought a pelican
from Pelican Project and had it customized to their needs in order to not only represent their business, but also the city of Seabrook. This project has not only attracted more people to Seabrook, but has also made Seabrook a lot closer as a city. Incredible artists from all over the state of Texas who have participated in this project have attracted future plans for more cultural art projects in Seabrook. Seabrook, a bird sanctuary on one of the largest migratory paths in North America
, is home to both the brown and white pelicans.
In addition to the city being designated as a bird sanctuary, the city includes four sites on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
. The only other site in the Clear Lake
area on this Texas trail is the Armand Bayou Nature Center
.
of 2000, there were 9,443 people, 4,094 households, and 2,386 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,647.5 people per square mile (636.3/km²). There were 4,536 housing units at an average density of 791.4 per square mile (305.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.92% White, 2.11% African American, 0.51% Native American, 3.31% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.76% from other races
, and 2.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.77% of the population.
There were 4,094 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 38.4% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 106.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,175, and the median income for a family was $66,815. Males had a median income of $50,322 versus $32,161 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $29,534. About 2.8% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
Seabrook Post Office is located at 1600 2nd Street.
Pupils in Seabrook attend schools in Clear Creek Independent School District
. The community is within the Board of Trustee District 1, represented by Robert Allan Davee as of 2008.
Most Seabrook residents are zoned to Bay Elementary School (Seabrook) which was originally known as Seabrook Elementary back in 1930 but was changed in 1969 to Bay Elementary after the principal who had served for many years. Some are zoned to Ed White Elementary School (El Lago) which was built in 1965 and was named after Edward White II, the famous astronaut
who died in the fire working on the Apollo mission.
All Seabrook residents are zoned to Seabrook Intermediate School (Seabrook). Seabrook Intermediate also houses the Science Magnet Program, which offers an enriched Science curriculum with many outside science activities. This program is an application-process program and the students accepted are gifted in the field of science
. Seabrook Intermediate also houses the Living Materials Center, which is the home for over 60 species of animals. The Living Materials Center is available to all students in the school and throughout the district.
As of the fall of 2010, all Seabrook residents are zoned to Clear Falls High School in League City. However, the classes of 2011 and 2012 will continue to attend Clear Lake High School. Clear Falls is part of an integrated Education Village, a single campus housing schools from K–12. Their mascot, announced in January 2010, is the Knights, with the school colors of Green, Blue and Black.
Evelyn Meador Branch serves the community. The Evelyn Meador Branch Library opened on June 26, 1988. The original planning of the library started in 1985 when five Seabrook residents met Harris County Commissioner Jim Fonteno. The library went from 4500 square feet (418.1 m²) to 4500 square feet (418.1 m²) after the Friends of the Evelyn Meador Library group campaigned for an expansion. As of December 6, 2008, the Harris County Public Library Evelyn Meador Branch is closed indefinitely due to Damage from Hurricane Ike
.
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
county, with some water surface area located within Chambers county in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The population was 9,443 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
Seabrook is known for its fish markets on Waterfront Drive where resident shrimpers and fishermen bring in their catches daily. Besides bordering the bay, the city encompasses marshes though which runoff from inland fields drain to the bay. There are eight miles (13 km) of continuous trails from Hammer Street to Galveston Bay at Pine Gully Park
Pine Gully Park, Seabrook, Texas
Pine Gully Park is a park located in Seabrook, Texas in the United States, near Houston. It is located on the shore of Galveston Bay. Though the park has some traditional recreational facilities it also features a great deal of largely undeveloped and restored woodlands and salt marshes which...
, where the Lucky Trails Marathon is run in March. Seabrook is also host to the Texas Concours d'Elegance "Keels & Wheels" classic car and boat show held each year the first weekend in May at Lakewood Yacht Club
Lakewood Yacht Club
Lakewood Yacht Club is a private yacht and boat club located in Seabrook, Texas. The land for the facilities and marina were purchased from Ben Taub. The club officially opened on August 19th, 1955. The club's marina is on Clear Lake....
.
History
The piece of land was purchased by Seabrook W. Sydnor in 1895. In March 1903, the Seabrook Company of Houston created a layout of the proposed Seabrook Town site. The new town attracted fishermen, merchants and even a few residents. The historic downtown that was built then still stands today, with many locals running their businesses. Most are antique shops of bed and breakfast places.The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 demolished the local school, but by 1905 it was restored and was run by three teachers who taught 100 students. The local schools became part of the Clear Creek Independent School District in 1947.
The population of Seabrook rose from 200 to 560 before the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, but fell to 200 in 1936, and remained at 400 from 1940 until 1947, when the Albert and Ernest Fay shipyard opened. It could handle 150 boats, and opened up jobs and is the main cause of the population increase. Despite damage from Hurricane Carla
Hurricane Carla
Hurricane Carla was one of two Category 5 tropical cyclones during the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season. It struck the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, becoming one of the most powerful storms to ever strike the United States. Hurricane Carla was the second most intense storm to ever...
, a bridge linking Seabrook and Kemah
Kemah
Kemah may refer to:* Kemah in Galveston County, Texas, United States* Kemah in Erzincan Province, Turkey, a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1918 to 1919...
was completed in 1961 and in addition to the opening of the Johnson Space Center (JSC), the population numbered approximately 6,000. Then in 1986, the decision was finally made to start the construction of a fixed-span bridge that was tall enough for sailboats to pass under. After this bridge was finished, Highway 146 was linked all the way from Galveston to Beltway 8. This highly increased the population of Seabrook, TX. Now the population is resting at around 13,000 people. Seabrook's residents are quite diversified and are employed in a large cross mix of of professional positions. Quite a few residents have ties to the chemical and oil industry as well as the NASA space program.
Geography
Seabrook is located on Galveston BayGalveston Bay
Galveston Bay is a large estuary located along the upper coast of Texas in the United States. It is connected to the Gulf of Mexico and is surrounded by sub-tropic marshes and prairies on the mainland. The water in the Bay is a complex mixture of sea water and fresh water which supports a wide...
at Clear Lake
Clear Lake (Galveston Bay)
Clear Lake is a brackish lake located near Houston, Texas, USA in Harris County. The lake feeds Galveston Bay. It is bordered by Houston , Pasadena, League City, Clear Lake Shores, Taylor Lake Village, and El Lago, Texas...
, southeast of Houston near Pasadena and La Porte.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 21.5 square miles (55.7 km²), of which 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²) is land and 15.8 square miles (40.9 km²), 73.36%, is water.
Damage from Hurricane Ike
The city of Seabrook was under mandatory evacuation for Hurricane IkeHurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
on the morning of September 13, 2008. Hurricane Ike was the 3rd most destructive hurricane to hit the United States. In Seabrook, the storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
not only knocked out the streets as a means of transportation, but also knocked the power out for the entire city, along with many others. Because Seabrook is surrounded by water, the aftermath of debris and boats on the roads was phenomenal from all of the boat docks close to shore. Seabrook residents were left without power and running water for up to a month after Hurricane Ike made landfall.
A month after the hurricane Seabrook was still dealing with people not being able the live in the conditions, even after the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA) came.
The students zoned to schools in the Clear Creek Independent School District (which are all the residents in Seabrook) missed almost three weeks of school due the evacuation and the damage to buildings and roads in the Seabrook and surrounding areas. Some buildings, such as the Public Library, are closed indefinitely due to the damage done by the hurricane.
Pelican Project
The goal of the Pelican Path Project has been to improve Seabrook’s identity as a communityCommunity
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
and to show the connectedness of the city by its many bed and breakfasts, close family values, available water attractions and its unique downtown of small businesses. Seabrook is in the center of the third largest boating community in the country, and with that comes many opportunities. Most businesses in Seabrook have bought a pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
from Pelican Project and had it customized to their needs in order to not only represent their business, but also the city of Seabrook. This project has not only attracted more people to Seabrook, but has also made Seabrook a lot closer as a city. Incredible artists from all over the state of Texas who have participated in this project have attracted future plans for more cultural art projects in Seabrook. Seabrook, a bird sanctuary on one of the largest migratory paths in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, is home to both the brown and white pelicans.
Seabrook Trail System
The city features an extensive trail system built from crushed granite, which connects most of the city's parks, including Robinson and Pine Gully Parks. The trail system traverses habitats for a wide variety of wildlife.In addition to the city being designated as a bird sanctuary, the city includes four sites on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail is a state-designated system of trails, bird sanctuaries, and nature preserves along the entire length of the Texas Gulf Coast in the United States. As the state of Texas hosts more bird species than any other in the U.S. the trail system offers some of the...
. The only other site in the Clear Lake
Clear Lake (Galveston Bay)
Clear Lake is a brackish lake located near Houston, Texas, USA in Harris County. The lake feeds Galveston Bay. It is bordered by Houston , Pasadena, League City, Clear Lake Shores, Taylor Lake Village, and El Lago, Texas...
area on this Texas trail is the Armand Bayou Nature Center
Armand Bayou Nature Center
Armand Bayou Nature Center is an urban preserve located in Pasadena and southeast Houston between the Johnson Space Center and the Bayport Industrial District...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 9,443 people, 4,094 households, and 2,386 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,647.5 people per square mile (636.3/km²). There were 4,536 housing units at an average density of 791.4 per square mile (305.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.92% White, 2.11% African American, 0.51% Native American, 3.31% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.76% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.77% of the population.
There were 4,094 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 38.4% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 106.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,175, and the median income for a family was $66,815. Males had a median income of $50,322 versus $32,161 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $29,534. About 2.8% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
Seabrook Post Office is located at 1600 2nd Street.
Public schools
Clear Creek Independent School District
Clear Creek Independent School District is a school district based in League City, Texas . The district serves most of the Clear Lake Area and some other neighboring parts of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metro area....
. The community is within the Board of Trustee District 1, represented by Robert Allan Davee as of 2008.
Most Seabrook residents are zoned to Bay Elementary School (Seabrook) which was originally known as Seabrook Elementary back in 1930 but was changed in 1969 to Bay Elementary after the principal who had served for many years. Some are zoned to Ed White Elementary School (El Lago) which was built in 1965 and was named after Edward White II, the famous astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
who died in the fire working on the Apollo mission.
All Seabrook residents are zoned to Seabrook Intermediate School (Seabrook). Seabrook Intermediate also houses the Science Magnet Program, which offers an enriched Science curriculum with many outside science activities. This program is an application-process program and the students accepted are gifted in the field of science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
. Seabrook Intermediate also houses the Living Materials Center, which is the home for over 60 species of animals. The Living Materials Center is available to all students in the school and throughout the district.
As of the fall of 2010, all Seabrook residents are zoned to Clear Falls High School in League City. However, the classes of 2011 and 2012 will continue to attend Clear Lake High School. Clear Falls is part of an integrated Education Village, a single campus housing schools from K–12. Their mascot, announced in January 2010, is the Knights, with the school colors of Green, Blue and Black.
Public libraries
The Harris County Public LibraryHarris County Public Library
Harris County Public Library is a public library system serving Harris County, Texas, United States. The county library system is headquartered at 8080 El Rio in Houston....
Evelyn Meador Branch serves the community. The Evelyn Meador Branch Library opened on June 26, 1988. The original planning of the library started in 1985 when five Seabrook residents met Harris County Commissioner Jim Fonteno. The library went from 4500 square feet (418.1 m²) to 4500 square feet (418.1 m²) after the Friends of the Evelyn Meador Library group campaigned for an expansion. As of December 6, 2008, the Harris County Public Library Evelyn Meador Branch is closed indefinitely due to Damage from Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
.