Almeda
Houston, Harris County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1892 Illinois investors bought land here, near a pre-Civil War railroad line, and platted the town of Almeda. With its mild climate, the town was marketed as a citrus farming community, but unusually severe freezes caused many farmers to turn to dairy production by the 1920s. Almeda became a prosperous dairy farming town. In 1893 residents founded a school district that served children from parts of three counties. Although Almeda became part of the city of Houston in 1959, it remains a part of local history. (1992)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1892 Illinois investors bought land near an old railroad line and platted the town of Almeda, marketing it as a citrus-farming community. When severe freezes killed the citrus dream, farmers turned to dairying by the 1920s and Almeda grew into a prosperous dairy town, with a school district that drew children from parts of three counties. The city of Houston absorbed Almeda in 1959, but its name and story endure in local memory.
Why it matters
Almeda's shift from citrus boosterism to dairy farming, then absorption by a growing city, mirrors how many independent towns were folded into America's expanding metropolises.
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Themes & tags
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