Deer Park, Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Deer Park | |
| Nickname(s): "Birthplace Of Texas" | |
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| Coordinates: 29°41′31″N 95°07′05″W / 29.69194°N 95.11806°W | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Texas |
| County | Harris |
| Incorporated | 1948 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Wayne Riddle |
| Area | |
| - Total | 10.4 sq mi (26.8 km2) |
| - Land | 10.4 sq mi (26.8 km2) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
| Population (2000)[1] | |
| - Total | 28,520 |
| - Density | 957.6/sq mi (369.7/km2) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 77536 |
| Area code(s) | 281 |
| FIPS code | 48-19624[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1334219[3] |
| Website | http://www.ci.deer-park.tx.us/ |
Deer Park is a city in Harris County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown Metropolitan Area and is situated in Southeast Texas. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 28,520.
Contents |
[edit] History
Deer Park was founded in 1892 by Simon Henry West, a Yankee from Illinois. The town was named for a park of privately owned deer who lived in the area. A railroad station opened later that year and a post office followed in 1893.
The subdivision was established in 1893 and was the site of a Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway station by about 1894. A Deer Park post office was established in 1893, discontinued in 1919, and reestablished in 1930. In 1896, the community, with a population of forty, had a hotel, a general store, and three resident carpenters. By 1922 Deer Park had dwindled down in population to almost nothing with four houses, one little schoolhouse, and an old hotel with a few scattered shacks along the railroad right-of-way. 1928 brought in Shell Oil Company breaking ground on a new refinery. In the 1930s, an independent school district was established. By 1940, the population had grown to 100. In the 1930s, an independent school district was established. By 1946, however, the area began to flourish as Deer Park became the site of refineries and toluene plants for the production of TNT. The citizens of Deer Park voted to incorporate on December 12, 1948 and a few weeks later, Earl E. Dunn became the first mayor. The first city council meeting was held on Feb 7, 1949. The population had grown to 700 by 1948, to 5,000 by 1960 with a fire station, city hall, playground parks and an independent city water supply. The first public library was built in 1962 on five acres of land. Population was 12,773 in 1970, and now has over 30,000 residents. This growth has been fueled by the growth of the petrochemical industry as well as the growth of business along the Houston Ship Channel. Deer Park has a school district with 14 campuses, a city library, community theater, municipal court building, three fire stations, numerous city parks and recreational facilities, state-of-the-art water and sewer processing facilities, a post office, several hotels, 14 major industries as well as several light industrial companies. Deer Park has approximately 9,000 homes and more than 30,000 residents at this time.
Deer Park neighbors Pasadena, La Porte, and Buffalo Bayou, the site of the San Jacinto Battlefield, the location of the April 21, 1836 battle that ended the Texans fight for independence from Mexico. The Texans defeated the Mexican army, and the Republic of Texas was born. With the signing of the initial surrender treaty papers after the Battle of San Jacinto in Dr. George Moffitt Patrick's cabin, The City of Deer Park holds the destinction of being the true "Birthplace of Texas." The original cabin was located on Buffalo Bayou where Rohm and Haas Texas Incorporated is located in Deer Park today. The city proudly displays a replica of Dr. Patrick's cabin in front of the City Courts Building on Center Street.
[edit] Geography
Deer Park is located at 29°41′31″N 95°7′5″W / 29.69194°N 95.11806°W (29.692003, -95.118108).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.4 square miles (26.8 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 28,520 people, 9,615 households, and 7,941 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,752.7 people per square mile (1,062.9/km²). There were 9,921 housing units at an average density of 957.6/sq mi (369.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.01% White, 1.31% African American, 0.41% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 5.25% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.22% of the population.
There were 9,615 households out of which 43.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.8% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.0% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $61,334, and the median income for a family was $66,516. Males had a median income of $50,867 versus $30,926 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,440. About 4.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal Service Deer Park Post Office is located at 200 East San Augustine Street.[5]
[edit] Education
[edit] Primary and secondary education
[edit] Public schools
Most Deer Park pupils attend schools in Deer Park Independent School District. Some attend school in the La Porte Independent School District.
Deer Park High School serves the DPISD portion. La Porte High School serves the LPISD portion.
[edit] Colleges and universities
Deer Park is also served by the San Jacinto College District, Central Campus.
[edit] Public libraries
Deer Park operates the Deer Park Library at 3009 Center Street.[6]
[edit] Shell Chemical Plant Explosion
On June 22, 1997 an ethylene explosion occurred at the nearby Shell Chemical Company plant that was heard and felt as far as 25 miles away. While no evacuation of the city was ordered residents living within a mile north of the plant were advised to remain inside their homes.[7]
[edit] Famous current and former residents
- Andy Pettitte — MLB pitcher — currently with the New York Yankees, formerly with the Houston Astros.[8]
- Chelsi Smith — former Miss USA and Miss Universe 1995[9][10]
- The Felton F. Waggoner Hall of Honor Board [11] is named for Felton F. Waggoner, a former high school
principal who served the district from 1950 until his retirement in 1973. Designed to recognize former Deer Park High School graduates who have excelled in their field of expertise and made significant contributions to their respective communities. Twelve inductees were initially honored in 1997 and each following year four nominees have been inducted. An exhibit, where inductees are artistically pictured with a brief history of their accomplishments is on display in the mall area of the Deer Park High School - South Campus. It is important for the members of this organization to keep the standards high for the selection of honorees. We want the members to represent a cross section of the quality of former graduates who have continued to represent excellence in their personal and professional lives. Each year, a nominating committee made up of Felton F. Waggoner board members selects twenty of the nominees to be presented to the eighteen member board. They narrow the field until a maximum of four individuals are named to be inducted into the Hall of Honor. Nominees can remain in the pool of candidates for selection for three years after their initial nomination. This year’s selected graduates will be honored at a banquet and induction ceremony which will be held on September 26, 2009. Proceeds from this event benefit the Deer Park Education Foundation and enable them to fund innovative grants for special programs that require funding above and beyond what is provided through normal tax revenues. Last year, the Foundation funded $88,117 in grants to Deer Park ISD employees and enhanced the education of countless students. Fifty-six graduates have been honored since 1997. They are: Arnold Adair, Tommy D. Archer, Byrd B. Baggett, Sylvia L. Beckey, Chelsi Smith Blair, David M. Brown, Colin Broussard, Dana Lamb Bullington, Douglas D. Burgess, Adrian Burke, Jimmy Burke, W. A. Carpenter, Jr., Donna Collum, John T. Dang, Laura Dawson, Paul Dawson, Wallace Dominey, Christopher K. Dreiling, Dena Evans, Marlin D. Fenn, Jeffrey Fisher, Larry W. Garnett, Anthony Gibson, Greg Hayman, Don Hendrix, Joe Hodge, Eddie Hollub, Larry C. Johnson, Millard Johnson, Karleen Koen, Henry J. Krebs III, Dean Lawther, Susan McBee-Mele, Curtis Glenn McDonald, Steven McDonald, Frank McLean, Mary Kelly Miller, Jackie Nink Olsen, John R. Payne, Andy Pettitte, Elizabeth Ware Powitzky, David C. Reel, Chris Richey, David Simmons, Joseph O. Slovacek, Mike Switzer, Ryan Taylor, Glenn Tolar, Garry Van Trease, Delecia Fuller-Turner, Jeff N. Turner, Tim Vaughn, Barbara Yeary Wells, Greg Westmoreland, David Wheat, Jr. and Leon Wolters.
[edit] References
- ^ "US Census Bureau Population Finder: Baytown city, TX". factfinder.census.gov. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US4819432&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US48%7C16000US4819432&_street=&_county=deer+park&_cityTown=deer+park&_state=04000US48&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=. Retrieved on 2007-07-01.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Post Office Location - DEER PARK." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
- ^ "Hours." Deer Park Library. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
- ^ http://www.icis.com/Articles/1998/06/22/87831/tcc-meeting-hears-details-of-deer-park-shell-explosion.html
- ^ "Former Gators Pettitte And Clemens Come Home". Gators Baseball History. San Jacinto College. http://www.sjcd.edu/north/athletics/mensbaseball/history.shtml. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
- ^ "Titleholders". Miss Universe. http://www.missuniverse.com/history/titleholders.html. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
- ^ "Texas Most Beautiful Woman, 1996". Texas Best.com. http://texas-best.com/texasbest/people.html. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
- ^ http://www.dpisd.org/documents/newsItems/08-09/Application_Letter_HallofHonor_Nominations_06-09.pdf
[edit] External links
- City of Deer Park
- Deer Park, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
Coordinates: 29°41′31″N 95°07′05″W / 29.692003°N 95.118108°W
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Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown METROPOLITAN AREA |
|---|---|
| Counties | Austin | Brazoria | Chambers | Fort Bend | Galveston | Harris | Liberty | Montgomery | San Jacinto | Waller |
| "Principal" cities |
Houston | Sugar Land | Baytown | Galveston |
| Cities and towns |
Alvin | Angleton | Bellaire | Cleveland | Clute | Conroe | Dayton | Deer Park | Dickinson | Freeport | Friendswood | Galena Park | Hitchcock | Hempstead | Humble | Jacinto City | Jersey Village | Katy | Lake Jackson | La Marque | La Porte | League City | Liberty | Meadows Place | Missouri City | Pasadena | Pearland | Richmond | Rosenberg | Santa Fe | Seabrook | Sealy | South Houston | Stafford | Texas City | Tomball | Webster | West University Place |
| Unincorporated areas | Atascocita | Channelview | Cloverleaf | Cypress | Klein | Spring | The Woodlands |
|
