Details for Dairy (Alief)

Historical Marker — Atlas Number 5201010644

Data

Marker Number 10644
Atlas Number 5201010644
Marker Title Dairy (Alief)
Index Entry Dairy (Alief)
Address
City Houston
County Harris
UTM Zone 15
UTM Easting 248984
UTM Northing 3289523
Subject Codes settlements
Marker Year 1990
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark No
Marker Location 7th Street, south side between F and G streets (near Youens Elementary School)
Private Property No
Marker Condition In Situ
Marker Size 27" x 42"
Marker Text 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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