Name: Alief, Texas
Address: Alief, TX

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The name 'Alief' has a unique origin, deeply rooted in the community's history. When the town was first surveyed and recognized by Harris County in 1894, it was named Dairy, Texas. However, to avoid confusion with another town named Daisy, Texas, the postal service decided to name the town after its first postmistress, Alief Ozelda Magee. In her honor, the post office was referred to as 'Alief,' and the name stuck. This personal connection to the town's naming adds a layer of intimacy and historical significance to Alief's identity.

Alief, TX RoadyGoat

One of Alief's most notable events was the devastating Flood of 1899 and the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which destroyed the Methodist Episcopal Church and the town's cotton and corn crops, forcing 24 out of 30 families to relocate. The town reverted to prairie, and wolves openly roamed during daytime. However, Daugherty saw an opportunity in the flooding, persuading the remaining families to grow rice, which became an instant cash crop and attracted many back to Alief.

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Alief, TX RoadyGoat

Alief, Texas, has a rich history that began as a rural farm community in 1894. The town faced significant challenges, including the devastating Flood of 1899 and the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which destroyed the Methodist Episcopal Church and the town's cotton and corn crops, forcing many families to relocate. However, Jacamiah Seaman Daugherty saw an opportunity in the aftermath, persuading the remaining families to grow rice, which thrived in the flood plains and became a successful cash crop. This agricultural shift, along with the arrival of immigrant families and the return of previous residents, marked the beginning of Alief's growth. The town was officially renamed 'Alief, Texas' in 1917, and it continued to evolve, with the establishment of the Harris County Flood Control District in 1909 and the Alief Independent School District, reflecting the community's resilience and development over time.

Chen, Edward K. T.

1932

Born in San Francisco, California as Chen Yuk Chow, Edward K.T. Chen, the son of Chin Yuen Yee and Chin Luk Oi, had a profound impact on the lives of Americans, particularly those of Chinese descent. In 1928, he attended Columbia University in New York City. While there, he worked as a typesetter and reporter for the Chinese Nationalist Daily, a Chinese language newspaper. In November 1932, Chen came to Galveston as secretary of the Republic of China’s First Vice Consulate for the southern U.S. The office moved to Houston the next year, and he simultaneously attended the University of Houston, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees and became the first Chinese-American professor in the city. In 1934, Chen married Janie Ng (d. 1965); the couple had two children. While in Houston, Chen helped to increase the visibility of Chinese and Chinese Americans. In 1937, his lobbying efforts helped to defeat a bill that would have prevented Chinese from owning land in Texas. In 1940, he helped organize the forerunner of the First Chinese Church in Houston. During World War II, he was a spokesman for the Republic of China, which promoted Chen to Deputy Consul in 1948. During the Korean war, he worked to convince the federal government that most Chinese Americans were loyal to the U.S., translated Chinese intelligence and taught Cantonese to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents. In 1954, Chen was the founding president of the Houston Lodge of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, fighting prejudice directed toward Chinese Texans. Today Chen is remembered as a diplomat and educator whose work made a lasting impact on the lives of Chinese Americans and others in Houston and throughout the United States.

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Dairy (Alief)

1861

Reynolds Reynolds claimed a grant of 1,250 acres of land in this area in 1861. Land developer Jacamiah Seaman Daugherty bought the property from Reynolds' heirs in 1888, and in 1889 he granted a right-of-way to the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad. His plans to develop a townsite almost came to an end when he faced foreclosure in 1893, but the land was purchased by Francis I. Meston, who retained Daugherty to oversee its development. In 1894, after the community was named Dairy by its surveyors, Dr. John S. Magee and his wife, Alief Ozelda Magee, moved here from Ellis County and became the town's first settlers. They were joined by more settlers, and in 1895 Alief Magee applied for a U. S. Post Office for the town. Named Alief by the postal service, the post office operated from her home. Comprised of farms, ranches, a general store, depot, schools, and churches, Dairy endured despite devastating floods. Rice farming began after 1900, enhancing the area's economic base. The citizens formed the first Harris County Flood Control District in 1909 and established an independent school district in 1911. Although much of the town (renamed Alief in 1917) was annexed by Houston in the 1970s, it retains its identity.

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Alief Cemetery

1896

The first permanent settlers in this area were Dr. John Magee and his wife, Alief, who came from Ellis County in 1896. The community originally was known as Dairy, but was renamed in 1897 for Mrs. Magee, the town's first postmistress. By 1899, there was a small but growing community here, with most families involved in ranching and farming. In 1900, the need for a cemetery became evident, and this property was deeded for use as a graveyard by Francis I. Meston to Dr. John Magee, Newton Gentry, and Hardy Price. Many of the early settlers are buried here, including Alief Magee (1851-1899) and cotton farmer John D. Cook (`1867-1954). About one-half of the approximately 100 graves are those of babies, pointing to the hardships resulting from childbirth and infant diseases. The 1900 hurricane caused much property damage in Alief, and many families became discouraged and left the community. Most of them later returned to help fight the problem of area flooding, including organization of the first Harris County Flood Control District. Although little evidence of the original community remains, the Alief Cemetery stands as a reminder of its pioneer heritage. The graves are maintained by the Alief Cemetery Historical Association. (1984) Historic Texas Cemetery medallion (2009).

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Garcia, Macario

1944

Macario García, recipient of the Medal of Honor during World War II , was born on January 2, 1920, in Villa de Castaño, Mexico, to Luciano and Josefa García, farm workers who raised ten children. In 1923 the family moved to Texas; they eventually settled in Sugar Land. Like the rest of his brothers and sisters, he contributed to the family's support by picking crops. He was working on the Paul Schumann Ranch near Sugar Land when he was drafted into the army on November 11, 1942. García distinguished himself on the battlefield. He was wounded in action at Normandy in June 1944, but after his recovery he rejoined his unit, Company B, First Battalion, Twenty-second Infantry Regiment, Fourth Infantry Division. On November 27, 1944, near Grosshau, Germany, he singlehandedly assaulted two German machine-gun emplacements that were blocking his company's advance. Wounded in the shoulder and foot, he crawled forward alone towards the machine-gun nests, killed six enemy soldiers, captured four, and destroyed the nests with grenades. Only after the company had secured its position did García allow himself to be evacuated for medical treatment. He was awarded the Medal of Honor with twenty-seven other soldiers at a White House ceremony on August 23, 1945, by President Harry S. Truman. García also received the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge, as well as the medal of Mérito Militar, the Mexican equivalent to the Medal of Honor, during a ceremony in Mexico City on January 8, 1946. After three years of active service, one of which was overseas, García received an honorable discharge from the army with the rank of sergeant. He returned to Sugar Land and found that he had become a celebrity around the state. Newspapers published accounts of his heroism, and he was asked to appear at meetings and banquets. The League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 60 in Houston, presided over by president Fernando Salas Aldaz and vice president John J. Herrera , honored him at a special ceremony at the courthouse. In September 1945, shortly after his return to Texas, García again attracted media attention when he was denied service at a restaurant in Richmond, a few miles south of Houston, because he was Hispanic. Outraged that he was treated like a second-class citizen after having risked his life for his country, García fought with the owner until police were called in. He was arrested and charged in the incident. His case immediately became a cause célèbre, symbolizing not only the plight of Hispanic soldiers who returned from the war, but the plight of the Hispanic community as a whole. Numerous groups and private citizens rallied to his aid. LULAC Council No. 60 and the Comité Patriótico Mexicano sponsored benefits in his honor to raise money to pay for his defense. Garcia’s legal defense was headed first by John J. Herrera and later, James V. Allred. During 1945–46, the case was repeatedly postponed, until all charges were finally dropped. On June 25, 1947, García became an American citizen. He earned a high school diploma in 1951, and married Alicia Reyes on May 18, 1952. They raised three children. Like other GIs who returned from the war, García encountered many difficulties in finding employment. He eventually found a job as a counselor in the Veterans' Administration, and remained with the VA for the next twenty-five years. In 1970 García and his family moved to Alief. He died on December 24, 1972, in a car crash and was buried in the National Cemetery in Houston. At the graveside ceremonies an honor guard from Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio performed the military rites. In 1981 the Houston City Council officially changed the name of Sixty-ninth Street to Macario García Drive. This 1½ mile thoroughfare runs through the heart of the city's east-side Mexican-American community. In 1983 Vice President George Bush dedicated Houston's new Macario García Army Reserve Center, and in 1994 a Sugar Land middle s

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Imperial Sugar Company

1843

The Imperial Sugar Company, which refines raw cane sugar at its huge plant at Sugar Land, is the oldest extant business in Texas. It has operated continuously on the same site, making the same products-refined cane sugar and a byproduct, blackstrap molasses-since 1843, before Fort Bend County was established. In the 1840s Nathaniel F. Williams developed Oakland Plantation and grew cotton, corn, and sugarcane. He sold the land to Benjamin F. Terry and William J. Kyle about 1852. Sometime after the Civil War most of the land was acquired by E. H. Cunningham, who built a large sugar refinery on the property around 1879. In 1906 the Kempner family of Galveston, under the leadership of Isaac H. Kempner and in partnership with William T. Eldridge , purchased the 5,300-acre Ellis Plantation, one of the few Fort Bend County plantations to survive the Civil War. The Ellis Plantation had originally been part of the Jesse Cartwright league and in the years after the Civil War had been operated by a system of tenant farming under the management of Will Ellis. In 1908 the partnership acquired the adjoining 12,500-acre Cunningham Plantation with its raw sugar mill and cane-sugar refinery. The partnership changed the name to Imperial Sugar Company; Kempner associated the name Imperial, which was also the name of a small raw-sugar mill on the Ellis Plantation, with the Imperial Hotel in New York. Dan Kempner, one of Isaac's younger brothers, served as the new company's first president until 1914, when he was replaced by Isaac. As part of the Kempner-Eldridge agreement, Eldridge moved to the site to serve as general manager and build the company-owned town of Sugar Land. He was given the Sugar Land Railway. Sugar Land, where all of the land and businesses were owned by the Kempner-Eldridge partnership, soon attracted a stable population largely made up of Germans and Czechs from the Schulenberg-Flatonia area of Texas. The firm built homes and provided medical treatment for its employees, organized the Imperial State Bank in 1907, and established the Imperial Mercantile Company, a company store, a paper mill, various retail stores, a cotton gin, and a feed mill. The Sugar Land Manufacturing Company operated an acid plant, produced Imperial vinegar and pickles, and was involved in meatpacking, canning, and the processing of a variety of agricultural crops. In 1911 the firm built a plant for the Sealy Mattress Company as part of an effort to attract other manufactures and later completed a plant for the periodical Texas Farm and Industrial News , which became the Texas Commercial News . Convict labor worked the Ellis Plantation until 1914, when the company sold the property to the state of Texas as a prison farm, and for a time thereafter convicts continued to produce sugar ( see PRISON SYSTEM ). In 1917 the company merged the Imperial Sugar Company and Cunningham Sugar Company to form a new Imperial Sugar Company. Sugarland Industries was organized in 1919 as a trust estate to own and operate the conglomerate of Sugar Land businesses as departments or subsidiaries, and Imperial Sugar Company became a department in the new institution. Kempner and Eldridge remained the sole owners. Gus D. Ulrich served as general manager. Subsidiaries in time included Sugarland Motor Company, Sugar Land Truck Lines, and Texas National Warehouse Company. Affiliated firms included Belknap Realty, Alcorn and Foster Farms, Fort Bend Cattle Company, and Sugar Land Telephone. In 1924 the company was reorganized as a $5 million corporation, and in the late 1920s and early 1930s it successfully fought efforts of the Sugar Trust to control production as well as competition from the Texas Sugar Refining Company at Texas City. Supplies of raw sugar were first imported in 1902, after which most local farmers turned to crops besides sugarcane. By 1932 Imperial was the only remaining sugar manufacturer in Texas. Hurt by the Great Depression and an effort to process figs that e

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Sugar Land, TX

1890

Sugar Land is on Oyster Creek and U.S. Highway 90A, east of the Brazos River and seven miles northeast of Richmond in northeastern Fort Bend County. The area was originally granted to Samuel M. Williams in 1828 for his service as secretary to Stephen F. Austin . Nathaniel F. Williams purchased the land from his brother in 1838, and there he and a third brother, Matthew R. Williams, operated Oakland Plantation, which grew cotton, corn, and sugarcane. The Williams brothers established their raw-sugar mill in 1843. In 1853 Oakland Plantation was purchased by Benjamin F. Terry and William J. Kyle , who were instrumental in extending the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway through the property. A post office was established in Sugar Land in 1858. After the deaths of Terry in 1861 and Kyle in 1864 the plantation began to languish. The post office was closed in 1886. E. H. Cunningham of San Antonio accumulated more than 12,000 acres of the property over time and invested more than $1 million in a sugar refinery, a new raw-sugar mill, a paper mill, and the fourteen-mile Sugar Land Railroad in the 1890s. Sugar Land was one of the rail stations. In 1890 a second post office opened. At that time much of the labor force was leased from the nearby state prison farms. The inmates worked in the wet sugarcane fields, many falling victim to the periodic epidemics of fevers. The brutal working conditions caused bitter convicts to call Sugar Land the "Hell hole on the Brazos." In 1892 the town had one physician and a population of 500. From 1906 to 1908 Isaac H. Kempner of Galveston and William T. Eldridge of Eagle Lake acquired the Ellis and Cunningham plantations and the Cunningham Sugar Company, modernized the facilities, and made the community a company town for the Imperial Sugar Company , the Sugarland Industries, and Sugar Land Railroad (Missouri Pacific). By 1914 the population had dropped to 200, but the number of businesses had increased to include a paper manufacturer and a bank. In 1919 the interests were managed by Sugarland Industries, which operated the farm and ranch and mercantile interests. In 1913 the sugar company built 8½ miles of levee, along with twenty miles of drainage ditches, to keep the Brazos River from flooding Sugar Land. Between 1917 and 1928 dredging of the many shallow pools, lakes, creeks, and Oyster Creek reclaimed acreage to provide necessary drainage and more farmland. The last sugarcane crop in Fort Bend County was harvested in 1928. Plant disease and the high federal protective tax on cane sugar ended local cane farming, and thereafter raw sugar was imported for the refinery. In 1925 the population was listed at 1,000; four years later that figure had expanded to 2,500. With the Great Depression the town lost residents, and in 1936 population was registered at 1,500, where it remained through the 1940s. In 1946 the Kempner family became sole owners of the town. By 1956 some 2,285 people called Sugar Land home. The town was incorporated in 1959, a year after Imperial Sugar and Sugarland Properties, Incorporated, also owned by the Kempner family, began selling the businesses, homes, and land for development. T. E. Harmon was the first mayor. By 1964 the population had increased to 3,100. In 1970 the town listed 3,499 citizens and twenty-eight businesses. In 1980 it had 4,173 residents and ninety-five businesses. Spurred by development from nearby Houston, the population had climbed in 1988 to 14,898, and businesses numbered 423. In 1989 the population was 19,874. In 1990 it was 24,529. The population was 63,328 in 2000. See also PRISON SYSTEM .

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Alief, Texas

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Alief, TX RoadyGoat

Alief, TX RoadyGoat

Alief, TX RoadyGoat

Chen, Edward K. T.

Dairy (Alief)

Alief Cemetery

Garcia, Macario

Imperial Sugar Company

Sugar Land, TX

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