Almeda, Houston

Almeda Park and Community Center

Almeda is an area located along Texas State Highway 288 and the Missouri Pacific Railroad in Southwest Houston, Texas, United States that used to be a distinct unincorporated community in Harris County. Almeda is 11 miles (18 km) from Downtown Houston.[1]

History

Dr. Willis King promoted the Almeda area in the early 1880s. The community's name comes from Almeda King, the promoter's daughter. The town, along the International-Great Northern Railroad, functioned as a trading area for agriculture and lumber. In 1893 Almeda, with 50 people, received a post office. Almeda had 200 people, two general stores, and a lumber company in 1914. In 1925 the community had 80 residents. Almeda had four businesses in the 1930s. 1936 state highway maps indicated several buildings in the area. In 1948 the community had 125 residents. In the 1950s Almeda had 20 buildings.[1] Around 1953 the community had 1,750 residents.[2] The post office closed in 1959. By 1960 Almeda residents continued to lack public water and fire department services. Almeda had 40 buildings in the 1960s. In 1962 Almeda had 1,200 residents. Almeda first received sewers in 1963. In the 1980s Almeda had a school, three churches, an abandoned railroad station, and scattered houses.[1] As of 1998 Almeda was still a rural area.[3]

Government and infrastructure

Almeda Station Post Office

Local government

Houston City Council districts D and K serve portions of Almeda.[4][5] Previously all of City Council District D served Almeda.[6][7]

The community is served by the Houston Police Department Southwest Patrol Division,[8] headquartered at 4503 Beechnut Street.[9]

County, state, and federal representation

Almeda is located in District 131 of the Texas House of Representatives. As of 2008, Alma A. Allen represents the district.[10] Genoa is within District 13 of the Texas Senate; as of 2008 Rodney Ellis represents that district.[11]

Almeda is in Texas's 9th congressional district. As of 2008, Al Green represents the district.[12] The United States Postal Service operates the Almeda Post Office at 3030 West Fuqua Street.[13]

Education

Primary and secondary schools

The former Almeda Elementary School building
Former location of the Vinson Neighborhood Library

Almeda is within the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Almeda is within Trustee District IX, represented by Lawrence Marshall as of 2008.[14]

Almeda Elementary School serves the area east of Almeda Road.[15] As of 1998, 60% of the students were Hispanic and Latino. Since 1994 the school used the "Success For All" reading program for its English language classes. For bilingual English-Spanish classes it uses "Exito Para Todos," the Spanish version.[3] As of the same year, many parents have some English fluency, but take English classes four days per week in order to improve it.[16] Residents east of Almeda Road are zoned to Audrey H. Lawson Middle School (formerly Dick Dowling Middle School).[17] Residents west of Almeda Road, for K-8, are zoned to Billy Regan K-8 School.[18] Residents east of Almeda Road are zoned to Worthing High School.[19][20] while residents west of Almeda Road are zoned to Madison High School.[21][22]

The Almeda School District was established in 1893; students originally attended school in a barn and utilized hay stacks as desks. A white one room school building opened in 1894.[23] The first permanent school in Almeda opened in 1901.[24] In 1905 Almeda's school had one teacher and 31 students. State highway maps indicated two schools within one mile of Almeda in 1936.[1] During that year the Almeda area became a part of HISD. In 1981 a new Almeda Elementary School campus opened.[24] The current Almeda campus opened in February 2011.[25] Until the fall of 2011, residents east of Almeda Road were zoned to Woodson K-8 School,[19][20] while residents west of Almeda Road were zoned to Lawson Middle School.[21][22] From fall 2011 to fall 2012, all students were zoned to Lawson Middle School. Prior to fall 2012, all students were zoned to Almeda Elementary School. Beginning in fall 2012 portions of the old Almeda Elementary and Lawson zones were rezoned to Reagan K-8.[18]

Public libraries

Houston Public Library operates the Vinson Neighborhood Library at 3100 West Fuqua Street.[26] The original facility had structural issues and leaks. In Fall 2009 the library moved to a new location away from the Almeda community.[27] By December 2009 the former library facility was for sale.[28]

Parks and recreation

The City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department operates the Almeda Park and the Almeda Community Center at 14201 Almeda School Road. The community center includes a playground.[29][30]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Almeda, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
  2. ↑ "Almeda (Tex.) Mayor Challenges Poulson." Los Angeles Times. October 13, 1953. Retrieved on April 12, 2009.
  3. 1 2 Wertheimer, Linda K. "Houston schools take radically different approaches." The Dallas Morning News. Sunday May 31, 1998. News 31A. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
  4. ↑ City of Houston, Council District Maps, District D." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
  5. ↑ City of Houston, Council District Maps, District K." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
  6. ↑ "COUNCIL DISTRICT MAPS > DISTRICT D." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 3, 2008.
  7. ↑ "City Council." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 3, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Crime Statistics for Southwest Patrol Division." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 23, 2008.
  9. ↑ "VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES PROGRAM - Citizens Offering Police Support." City of Houston. Retrieved on September 23, 2008.
  10. ↑ "District 131." Texas Legislature. Retrieved on November 3, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Senate District 13" Map. Senate of Texas. Retrieved on September 28, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Congressional District 9." National Atlas of the United States. Retrieved on November 28, 2008.
  13. ↑ "Post Office Location - ALMEDA." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on November 11, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Trustee Districts Map Archived July 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on November 11, 2008.
  15. ↑ "Almeda Elementary Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on July 14, 2012.
  16. ↑ Sweets, Ellen. "Lap-time Lessons Parents can give children the gift of an early love of reading." The Dallas Morning News. Tuesday June 2, 1998. 16A. Retrieved on October 23, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Dowling Middle Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on June 14, 2012.
  18. 1 2 "Agenda Board of Education Meeting March 08, 2012." Houston Independent School District. "CURRENT- GRISSOM, MONTGOMERY, PETERSEN, & HOBBY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Attachment 1," "PROPOSED- GRISSOM, MONTGOMERY, PETERSEN, & HOBBY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Attachment 2," "CURRENT- REAGAN AND DOWLING MIDDLE SCHOOLS Attachment 3," and "PROPOSED- REAGAN AND DOWLING MIDDLE SCHOOLS Attachment 4." Retrieved on June 14, 2012. (Archive)
  19. 1 2 "Worthing High School Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on November 28, 2008.
  20. 1 2 "Woodson Middle Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on November 28, 2008.
  21. 1 2 "Madison High School Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on April 13, 2009.
  22. 1 2 "Dowling Middle Attendance Zone." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on April 13, 2009.
  23. ↑ "Almeda's History." Almeda Elementary School. Retrieved on November 26, 2010.
  24. 1 2 "School Histories: the Stories Behind the Names Archived July 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on September 24, 2008.
  25. ↑ "Learn How Your Tax Dollars Are Being Spent as Part of the HISD Bond Program." Houston Independent School District. February 7, 2012. Retrieved on March 28, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Vinson Neighborhood Library." Houston Public Library. Retrieved on April 13, 2009.
  27. ↑ Baird, Annette. "HIRAM CLARKE / Multiservice center, library set / City officials hope $10 million facility will earn LEED designation." Houston Chronicle. Thursday November 29, 2007. ThisWeek 3. Retrieved on October 26, 2011.
  28. ↑ Sarnoff, Nancy. "Lakewood may buy former Compaq Center." Houston Chronicle. December 3, 2009. Retrieved on December 4, 2009.
  29. ↑ "Almeda Community Center." City of Houston. Retrieved on April 12, 2009.
  30. ↑ "Our Parks A-F." City of Houston. Retrieved on April 12, 2009.

Further reading

http://almedaournews.blogspot.com

External links

Coordinates: 29°36′15″N 95°25′02″W / 29.604122°N 95.4171624°W / 29.604122; -95.4171624

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