Deer Park, Texas

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.

History

Deer Park was founded in 1892 by Simon Henry West, a settler from Illinois. The town was named for a park of privately owned deer 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 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. 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. A public library was begun in 1962. Population was 12,773 in 1970, and 28,520 in 2000. 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. Today, Deer Park has approximately 9,000 homes and more than 30,000 residents.

Deer Park is bounded by the cities of Pasadena and La Porte to the east, south, and west, and by the Houston Ship Channel—the dredged out Buffalo Bayou—to the north. It is near the site of the San Jacinto Battlefield, where, on April 21, 1836, Texas won its independence from Mexico. Because the initial surrender treaty after the Battle of San Jacinto was signed in Dr. George Moffitt Patrick's cabin, Deer Park bills itself as the "Birthplace of Texas." The original cabin was located on Buffalo Bayou where Rohm and Haas Texas Incorporated has a chemical plant in Deer Park today. A replica of Dr. Patrick's cabin in front of the Theatre/Courts Building on Center Street.

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.

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.

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service Deer Park Post Office is located at 200 East San Augustine Street.^[5]

Education

Primary and secondary education

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.

Colleges and universities

Deer Park is also served by the San Jacinto College District, Central Campus.

Public libraries

Deer Park operates the Deer Park Library at 3009 Center Street.That is the only library in Deer park^[6]

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]

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]

References

1. ^ "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&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
2. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. ^ "Post Office Location - DEER PARK." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
6. ^ "Hours." Deer Park Library. Retrieved on December 6, 2008.
7. ^ http://www.icis.com/Articles/1998/06/22/87831/tcc-meeting-hears-details-of-deer-park-shell-explosion.html
8. ^ "Former Gators Pettitte And Clemens Come Home". Gators Baseball History. San Jacinto College. http://www.sjcd.edu/north/athletics/mensbaseball/history.shtml. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
9. ^ "Titleholders". Miss Universe. http://www.missuniverse.com/history/titleholders.html. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
10. ^ "Texas Most Beautiful Woman, 1996". Texas Best.com. http://texas-best.com/texasbest/people.html. Retrieved 2008-02-06.

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

Categories: Cities in Texas | Harris County, Texas | Greater Houston