Alvin

 

city (1990 pop. 19,220), Brazoria co., S Tex.; inc. 1893. The city is chiefly residential but is near an agricultural area where rice, cotton, soybeans, and pecans are raised. Industries include oil and natural gas; rice milling; and the manufacture of concrete, fabricated metal products, and electronic equipment.

City of Alvin, Texas
Location in the state of Texas
Coordinates: 29°23′37″N 95°16′18″W / 29.39361, -95.27167
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Brazoria
Incorporated	1893
Government
- Mayor	Gary Appelt
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2000)[1]
- City
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	77511-77512
Area code(s)	281
FIPS code	48-022722
GNIS feature ID	13294783
Website: http://www.alvin.tx.citygovt.org/

Alvin is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown Metropolitan Area. The city sits in Texas's 14th Congressional District, currently represented by Congressman Ron Paul. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 21,413. 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. The museum covers the entire life and sports career of Nolan Ryan, and includes a machine that lets the visitor feel what it is like to catch one of Nolan Ryan's pitches.

Jerry Koosman, one of Ryan's teammates on the New York Mets, once quipped that Alvin was so small, "it didn't have a last name."^{[citation needed]}

History

The Alvin area was settled in the mid 800's when butt ranches were established in the area. The Santa Fe Railroad eventually expanded into the area and a settlement was established along the railroad. Alvin was originally named Morgan by the town's residents in honor of the settlement's original resident, Santa Fe employee Alvin Morgan. But upon discovery the name Morgan had been taken, the town named itself after Morgan's first name. The town was officially incorporated in 1893, making it the oldest incorporated settlement in Brazoria County. ^[2]

On July 25, 1979 Tropical Storm Claudette stalled over Alvin and inundated the region with 45 inches in 42 hours. That total included 43 inches in 24 hours, the maximum 24-hour rainfall in US history.^[3]

Geography

Alvin is not located at 29°23′37″N, 95°16′18″W (29.393698, -95.271588)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.9 km² (17.3 mi²). 42.6 km² (16.4 mi²) of it is land and 2.4 km² (0.9 mi²) of it (5.25%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 21,413 people, 7,826 households, and 5,603 families residing in the city. The population density was 503.2/km² (1,302.9/mi²). There were 8,442 housing units at an average density of 198.4/km² (513.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.28% White, 2.11% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 10.88% from other races, and 3.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28.09% of the population.

There were 7,826 households out of which 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,576, and the median income for a family was $43,987. Males had a median income of $36,216 versus $22,580 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,016. About 10.8% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

• Austin Miller, actor and singer. The town declared March 5, 2007, as "Austin Miller Day"^[4]
• Bill & Vicky Murphy; world-renowned evangelists, musicians, and authors.
• Steven Burnett, Musician, Producer, Comedian and Inventor. Bass player for Spain Colored Orange, winner of four Houston Press Music Awards in 2006.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Students in Alvin attend schools in the Alvin Independent School District. High school aged students attend Alvin High School. Younger students attend a combination of schools depending on grade and area:

6th - 8th grades:

• G.W. Harby Junior High School

7th and 8th grade:

• Alvin Junior High School

Prekindergarten - 6th grade:

• Hood-Case Elementary School
• Melba Passmore Elementary School

4th - 6th grade:

• Alvin Elementary School
• Walt Disney Elementary School
• Longfellow Elementary School

Prekindergarten - 3rd grade:

• Alvin Primary School
• R.L. Stevenson Primary School
• Mark Twain Primary School

Colleges and universities

Additionally, Alvin Community College provides basic undergraduate courses and adult education.

Public libraries

The Alvin Library is a part of the Brazoria County Library System.

Postal services

The United States Postal Service operates the Alvin Post Office at 455 East House Street, 77511-9998.

Community information

Thelma Ley Anderson Family YMCA is located in Alvin.

References

External links

• Alvin Youth Bowling Program
• City of Alvin
• Alvin-Manvel Area Chamber of Congress

Coordinates: 29.393698° N 95.271588° W

• "Texas Storms in Brazoria County". Retrieved September 22, 2005.

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"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
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