Deer Park, Texas, Harris County. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

It is said that at one time a private park was set aside for deer, here, hence the pastoral name. It became a subdivision of Houston in the 1890s and in 1894 a depot was built on the tracks of the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad.

It was granted a post office in 1893 but that was closed by 1919. Reestablished in 1930, it has been open ever since.

From a population of only 40 residents in 1896 it would seem as though it had no way to go but up. But the Depression hit the town hard and by the end of the 30s the population had dropped to a mere 25.

But after WWII, the region exploded with construction. Oil refineries, tank farms and petro-chemical factories sprang up like mushrooms along the Houston ship channel.

From a population of 736 in 1950, Deer Park increased to nearly 5,000 in just ten years. The next census (1970) counted 12,773. It has since increased to over 32,000.

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