South Houston, Texas
Encyclopedia
South Houston is a city in Harris County, Texas
within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown
metropolitan area. The population was 15,833 at the 2000 census. It is bordered by the city of Houston
and the city of Pasadena
.
. South Houston's initial industrial activity consisted of shipping produce along the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad. The hurricane of 1915 destroyed many of the local industries. The establishment of the Houston Ship Channel
resulted in the establishment of manufacturing industries inland, including in South Houston. Between the 1940s and the early 1960s South Houston found rapid population growth. The city had 7,523 inhabitants in 1960. In 1980 South Houston had 11,782 inhabitants and 303 businesses. In 1990 14,207 inhabitants lived in South Houston.
Elephants belonging to former South Houston mayor George Christy, a circus owner, assisted the construction of the Spencer Highway.
From the 1980 Census to the 1990 Census, Hispanic
s began to move into South Houston by an amount between 1,000 and 3,500 per square mile. Most Hispanics in South Houston were of Mexican descent
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.8 km², none of which is covered with water.
of 2000, there were 15,833 people, 4,593 households, and 3,697 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 33% White, 1.04% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 27.74% from other races
, and 4.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 77.93% of the population.
There were 4,593 households out of which 47.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples
living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.45 and the average family size was 3.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.1% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,924, and the median income for a family was $34,903. Males had a median income of $27,360 versus $19,870 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,308. About 17.3% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
The South Houston Fire Department serves the city. The South Houston Police Department is headquartered at 1023 West Dallas Street. As of 2008 Herbert Gilbert is the chief of police.
South Houston is located in District 145 of the Texas House of Representatives
. As of 2008 Rick Noriega
represents the district. South Houston is within District 6
of the Texas Senate
; as of 2008 Mario Gallegos is the representative.
South Houston is within Texas's 29th congressional district
; as of 2008 Gene Green
is the representative. The United States Postal Service
operates the South Houston Post Office at 315 North Allen Genoa Road.
South Houston is served by Pasadena Independent School District
.
The following elementary schools serve sections of South Houston:
Sections of South Houston west of Old Galveston Road are served by Rick Schneider Middle School (Houston, Grades 5-6). Parts of South Houston are zoned to Carter Lomax Middle School (Pasadena, Grades 5-6). Parts of South Houston are not served by any "middle school" and instead are served by elementary schools, intermediate schools, and high schools.
Sections of South Houston west of Old Galveston Road are served by South Houston Intermediate School (South Houston, Grades 7-8). Parts east of Old Galveston Road are served by Queens Intermediate School (Pasadena, Grades 6-8).
All of South Houston is served by South Houston High School
.
South Houston is served by the South Houston Branch of Harris County Public Library
at 607 Avenue A. The first South Houston library opened in 1927. In 1937 money was raised to build a structure to house the library; this structure stands in a park next to the current library. In the 1950s the library moved into a building with a welfare office and a clinic. In 1967 the city purchased land and a barracks building from Ellington Field
; the city then moved the library there, where it remained until 1991. The current 5800 square foot branch opened in May 1991.
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...
within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
metropolitan area. The population was 15,833 at the 2000 census. It is bordered by the city of Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and the city of Pasadena
Pasadena, Texas
Pasadena is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Harris County, 17th-largest in Texas, and 162nd largest in the United States. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston....
.
History
C.S. Woods of the Western Land Company founded the settlement of Dumont in 1907. A post office appeared in 1910. In 1913 Dumont was incorporated as the city of South Houston. Because of the 1913 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate South Houston's territory into its city limits, while Houston annexed surrounding areas that were unincorporatedUnincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
. South Houston's initial industrial activity consisted of shipping produce along the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad. The hurricane of 1915 destroyed many of the local industries. The establishment of the Houston Ship Channel
Houston Ship Channel
The Houston Ship Channel, located in Houston, Texas, is part of the Port of Houston—one of the United States's busiest seaports. The channel is the conduit for ocean-going vessels between the Houston-area shipyards and the Gulf of Mexico.-Overview:...
resulted in the establishment of manufacturing industries inland, including in South Houston. Between the 1940s and the early 1960s South Houston found rapid population growth. The city had 7,523 inhabitants in 1960. In 1980 South Houston had 11,782 inhabitants and 303 businesses. In 1990 14,207 inhabitants lived in South Houston.
Elephants belonging to former South Houston mayor George Christy, a circus owner, assisted the construction of the Spencer Highway.
From the 1980 Census to the 1990 Census, Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
s began to move into South Houston by an amount between 1,000 and 3,500 per square mile. Most Hispanics in South Houston were of Mexican descent
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
.
Geography
South Houston is located at 29°39′40"N 95°13′47"W (29.660980, -95.229787).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 7.8 km², none of which is covered with water.
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 15,833 people, 4,593 households, and 3,697 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 33% White, 1.04% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 27.74% 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 4.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 77.93% of the population.
There were 4,593 households out of which 47.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% 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, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.45 and the average family size was 3.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.1% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,924, and the median income for a family was $34,903. Males had a median income of $27,360 versus $19,870 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 $12,308. About 17.3% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
The South Houston City Council establishes city policies, considering resolutions and ordinances, appointing South Houston residents to positions on municipal committees and boards, and establishing the annual budgets. City council meets during the first and third Tuesdays of each month in the South Houston Municipal Court; meetings begin at 7:30 PM; it is open to members of the public. As of 2008 the mayor is Joe Soto. The council members are Irene Tamayo, Bill Kelly, Albert Hernandez, Robert Garcia, and Amy Burnett.The South Houston Fire Department serves the city. The South Houston Police Department is headquartered at 1023 West Dallas Street. As of 2008 Herbert Gilbert is the chief of police.
County, state, and federal representation
South Houston is located within Harris County Precinct 2; as of 2008 Sylvia Garcia heads Precinct 2.South Houston is located in District 145 of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
. As of 2008 Rick Noriega
Rick Noriega
Richard Joel "Rick" Noriega was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 145 in eastern Houston, first elected in 1998. He was the Democratic nominee for the Texas United States Senate election, 2008 against the one-term Republican incumbent John Cornyn...
represents the district. South Houston is within District 6
Texas Senate, District 6
District 6 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that serves a portion of Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 6 is Mario Gallegos, Jr. who has served since 1995.-2004:-2002:-1998:...
of the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
; as of 2008 Mario Gallegos is the representative.
South Houston is within Texas's 29th congressional district
Texas's 29th congressional district
-References:*...
; as of 2008 Gene Green
Gene Green
Raymond Eugene "Gene" Green is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
is the representative. The United States Postal Service
United 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...
operates the South Houston Post Office at 315 North Allen Genoa Road.
Public schools
Pasadena Independent School District
Pasadena Independent School District is a school district that is based in Pasadena, Texas . Dr. Kirk Lewis, was named Superintendent of Schools in 2005.Pasadena ISD serves much of southeast Harris County...
.
The following elementary schools serve sections of South Houston:
- Pearl Hall Elementary School (South Houston)
- Walter Matthys Elementary School (South Houston)
- L.F. Smith Elementary School (South Houston)
- South Houston Elementary School (South Houston)
Sections of South Houston west of Old Galveston Road are served by Rick Schneider Middle School (Houston, Grades 5-6). Parts of South Houston are zoned to Carter Lomax Middle School (Pasadena, Grades 5-6). Parts of South Houston are not served by any "middle school" and instead are served by elementary schools, intermediate schools, and high schools.
Sections of South Houston west of Old Galveston Road are served by South Houston Intermediate School (South Houston, Grades 7-8). Parts east of Old Galveston Road are served by Queens Intermediate School (Pasadena, Grades 6-8).
All of South Houston is served by South Houston High School
South Houston High School
South Houston High School, nicknamed SOHO, is a high school located in South Houston, Texas, United States.South Houston, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Pasadena Independent School District. As of 2008 the principal is Dr...
.
Public libraries
Harris 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....
at 607 Avenue A. The first South Houston library opened in 1927. In 1937 money was raised to build a structure to house the library; this structure stands in a park next to the current library. In the 1950s the library moved into a building with a welfare office and a clinic. In 1967 the city purchased land and a barracks building from Ellington Field
Ellington Field
Ellington International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in the U.S. state of Texas within the city of Houston— southeast of Downtown. Established by the Army Air Service on 21 May 1917, Ellington Field was one of the initial World War I Army Air Service installations when...
; the city then moved the library there, where it remained until 1991. The current 5800 square foot branch opened in May 1991.