Morgan's Point, Texas | |
---|---|
City | |
![]() City Hall of Morgan's Point | |
![]() Location in Harris County and the state of Texas | |
Coordinates: 29°40′35″N94°59′58″W / 29.67639°N 94.99944°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
County | Harris |
Area | |
• Total | 2.23 sq mi (5.78 km2) |
• Land | 1.53 sq mi (3.96 km2) |
• Water | 0.70 sq mi (1.82 km2) |
Elevation | 20 ft (6 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 339 |
• Estimate (2019) [2] | 356 |
• Density | 223.82/sq mi (86.40/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP code | 77571 |
Area code(s) | 713/281/346/832 |
FIPS code | 48-49380 [3] |
GNIS feature ID | 1388192 [4] |
Website | morganspoint-tx |
Morgan's Point is located 30 miles Southeast of Houston in Southeast Harris County, Texas, United States, located on the shores of Galveston Bay at the inlet to the Houston Ship Channel, near La Porte and Baytown. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 339. [5] As of 2020 [update] , it has approximately 356 residents and is located within the La Porte Independent School District.
Morgan's Point National Historic District includes the "Carriage House" otherwise known as City Hall, and the Governor Ross S. Sterling mansion directly across the street; as well as several other notable properties. It earned fame in Texas's early history for being the home of the legendary Emily West (Morgan), known as "The Yellow Rose of Texas". It later became a Houston-area resort community for the wealthy in the early 20th century.
The area was first settled in 1822 by Nicholas Rightor, a surveyor commissioned by Stephen F. Austin to explore and survey the areas between the Brazos and Lavaca rivers. [6] He soon sold the property to Johnson Calhoun Hunter, and it subsequently was bought by Joseph C. Clopper, who used the property to grow orange and lemon trees. The property was finally sold to James Morgan in 1834, who established the short-lived colony of New Washington. [7] Morgan had helped supply the Texian army during the Texas Revolution and was given the rank of colonel. The settlement was destroyed by the Mexican army during the Texas Revolution. A legend surfaced much later surrounding a mulatto woman named Emily West. [8] She became an indentured servant (but not a slave) of Morgan and, according to legend, used her beauty to occupy Mexican General Santa Anna, thereby facilitating his capture by the Texan army, thus ending the revolutionary war. Historians differ on the degree of truth of this legend.
The area began to redevelop as the Houston Ship Channel was dredged near the area in the later 19th century. The community grew around traffic crossing the ship channel to and from Goose Creek (now Baytown). Ferry service would eventually become established. The Morgan Point Ferry operated until the mid 20th century.
Following the start of the Texas oil boom in 1901 Galveston Bay became an attractive summer destination for the wealthy from Houston and nearby areas. [9] Plots along Bayridge Road were sold for the construction of summer homes, including the famed Sterling Mansion, a former governor's residence that is now a landmark (not to be confused with the mansion in Houston). [10] During the 1920s and 1930s the shoreline between Morgan's Point and Sylvan Beach came to be known as the Texas "Gold Coast", a playground for the rich. [11]
As the surrounding communities of La Porte and Baytown grew, interest in the area as a summer haven diminished. Morgan's Point was finally incorporated in 1949, and a small community remained. Some of the original 19th century buildings have remained, as well as early 20th century homes. [6]
The area received a major economic boost in 1977 with the opening of the Barbours Cut shipping terminal, operated by the Port of Houston Authority. However, in building Barbours Cut, the Port of Houston used its power of eminent domain to evict residents from nearly one third of the community's homes. [12] Still the terminal almost instantly became the Houston area's most important shipping point and became the centerpiece of the economy activity at Morgan's Point. [13]
Morgan's Point is located in Southeastern Harris County at 29°40′35″N94°59′58″W / 29.67639°N 94.99944°W (29.676368, –94.999580). [14] It is bordered to the north and west by the city of La Porte, and to the southeast by Galveston Bay. The city limits extend out into Galveston Bay, within Chambers County. It is 27 miles (43 km) east of the center of Houston.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.5 km2), of which 1.5 square miles (4.0 km2) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2), or 11.12%, are water. [5]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1950 | 656 | — | |
1960 | 560 | −14.6% | |
1970 | 593 | 5.9% | |
1980 | 428 | −27.8% | |
1990 | 341 | −20.3% | |
2000 | 336 | −1.5% | |
2010 | 339 | 0.9% | |
2019 (est.) | 342 | [2] | 0.9% |
U.S. Decennial Census [15] |
As of the census [3] of 2000, there were 336 people, 111 households, and 85 families residing in the city. The population density was 208.1 inhabitants per square mile (80.3/km2). There were 143 housing units at an average density of 88.6 per square mile (34.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.69% White, 4.46% African American, 0.89% Native American, 4.46% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.80% of the population.
There were 111 households, out of which 19.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.64.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.4% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $57,917, and the median income for a family was $71,458. Males had a median income of $40,313 versus $30,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $32,446. None of the families and 2.2% of the population were living below the poverty line, including none under eighteen and none of those over 64.
The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. [16]
Morgan's Point is within the La Porte Independent School District and is zoned to: [17] La Porte Elementary School, La Porte Junior High School, [18] and La Porte High School.
Residents of La Porte ISD (and therefore Morgan's Point) are zoned to San Jacinto College. [19]
Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas; as of the 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145, making it the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Houston, the largest city in Texas and fourth largest city in the United States. The county was founded in 1836 and organized in 1837. It is named for John Richardson Harris, who founded the town of Harrisburg on Buffalo Bayou in 1826. According to the July 2021 census estimate, Harris County's population has shifted to 4,728,030 comprising over 16% of Texas's population. Harris County is included in the nine-county Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area, which is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States.
Galveston County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located along the Gulf Coast adjacent to Galveston Bay. As of the 2020 census, its population was 350,682. The county was founded in 1838. The county seat is the City of Galveston, founded the following year, and located on Galveston Island. The most-populous municipality in the county is League City, a suburb of Houston at the northern end of the county, which surpassed Galveston in population during the early 2000s.
Chambers County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 46,571. The county seat is Anahuac.
Alvin is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area and Brazoria County. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city population was 27,098. Alvin's claim to fame is Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who moved with his family to the city in 1947 as an infant and lived there until he moved to Round Rock in 2003. The Nolan Ryan Museum is in the Nolan Ryan Foundation and Exhibit Center on the campus of Alvin Community College.
Clear Lake Shores is a city in Galveston County, Texas, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,063.
Hitchcock is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,961 at the 2010 census.
Jamaica Beach is a city in Galveston County, Texas, United States on Galveston Island. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 983. the city is bordered by Galveston to the east and west, the east bay on the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the south.
Kemah is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, southeast of Houston along west Galveston Bay. The city's population was 1,773 at the 2010 census, down from 2,330 at the 2000 census. Located in Galveston County, Kemah's main industry is shipping. Originally a small fishing town, the city has become a tourist destination for the area's restaurants and attractions, which are contained within the Kemah Entertainment District. In 2012 Kemah was ranked the top tourism spot in the Greater Houston area.
La Marque is a city in Galveston County, Texas, south of Houston. The city population in 2020 was 18,030. La Marque experienced considerable growth in the 1950s, during which the city provided a general administrative and trades and crafts workforce helping to support the petrochemical complex in adjoining Texas City. It is the hometown of U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Norman Bulaich.
Tiki Island is a village in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The population was 968 at the 2010 census.
Deer Park is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city is located in Harris County and is situated in Southeast Harris County. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population of Deer Park was 34,495.
La Porte is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, within the Bay Area of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 35,124. La Porte is the fourth-largest incorporated city in Harris County.
Nassau Bay is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, bordering the outermost southeastern edge of the city of Houston. It is located in the Clear Lake Area near Galveston Bay, directly adjacent to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The population was 5,347 at the 2020 census.
Dayton is a city in Liberty County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,777 at the 2020 census.
Baytown is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Harris and Chambers counties. Located in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area, it lies on the northern side of the Galveston Bay complex near the outlets of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou. It is the sixth-largest city within this metropolitan area and seventh largest community. Major highways serving the city include State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. At the 2020 U.S. census, Baytown had a population of 83,701, and it had an estimated population of 78,393 in 2021.
Seabrook is a city in Harris County in the U.S. state of Texas, with some water surface area located within Chambers County. The population was 11,952 at the 2010 U.S. census, and 14,149 in 2019. Several fish markets line the city's waterfront, while antique shops and bed and breakfast establishments are found in the city's downtown area. The city is home to several miles of trails, which connect multiple city parks to each other.
Shoreacres is a city located in Harris County in the U.S. state of Texas alongside State Highway 146. Established with a mayor-alderman form of city government, it was incorporated in 1949. The population was 1,566 at the 2020 census.
Texas City is a city in Galveston County in the U.S. state of Texas. Located on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay, Texas City is a busy deepwater port on Texas's Gulf Coast, as well as a petroleum-refining and petrochemical-manufacturing center. The population was 51,898 at the 2020 census, making it the third-largest city in Galveston County, behind League City and Galveston. It is a part of the Houston metropolitan area. The city is notable as the site of a major explosion in 1947 that demolished the port and much of the city.
The Galveston Bay Area, also known as Bay Area Houston or simply the Bay Area, is a region that surrounds the Galveston Bay estuary of Southeast Texas in the United States, within Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. Normally the term refers to the mainland communities around the bay and excludes Galveston as well as most of Houston.
For a period of over 7000 years, humans have inhabited the Galveston Bay Area in what is now the United States. Through their history the communities in the region have been influenced by the once competing sister cities of Houston and Galveston, but still have their own distinct history. Though never truly a single, unified community, the histories of the Bay Area communities have had many common threads.