Alfred is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
northeast of
Alice in
Jim Wells County,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, United States.
Its population was 291 as of the
2010 census.
[ It is known for the outdoor flea markets held on the first whole weekend of the month.
]
History
Alfred is on State Highway 359 twelve miles (19 km) northeast of Alice in northeastern Jim Wells County. The community was founded in 1888, when the site was in Nueces County
Nueces County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 353,178, making it the 16th-most populous county in the state. The county seat is Corpus Christi. The county was formed in 1846 from portions of S ...
, and was originally named Driscoll. A post office was established there in 1890. In 1904, when the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway built through the Robert Driscoll ranch to the east, Driscoll wanted the station to be named after himself. Since there could not be two post offices with the same name, N. T. Wright, the postmaster of old Driscoll, agreed to change the name of his post office to Alfred, in honor of his father, Alfred Wright, the first postmaster of the community. The Texas and New Orleans Railroad
The Texas and New Orleans Railroad was a railroad in Texas and Louisiana. It operated of railroad in 1934; by 1961, remained when it merged with parent company Southern Pacific.
Location
The Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad was a partl ...
built through the area in 1907. In 1912 a school district was formed there, and in 1914 the town had a population of fifty, a general store, and six cattle breeders. The population of Alfred peaked in 1927, when it was estimated at 300. In 1936 Alfred comprised a school, several dwellings, and surrounding farms. During the 1940s and 1950s the community's population continued to decrease, and by 1969 it was estimated at twenty. In 1979 and 1990 Alfred was a dispersed rural community with a population of ten.
Education
Alfred is served by the Orange Grove Independent School District
Orange Grove Independent School District is a public school district based in Orange Grove, Texas (USA).
In addition to Orange Grove, the district also serves the communities of Alfred, K-Bar Ranch, Sandia, South La Paloma, Westdale,and the J ...
.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the community has an area of , all of it land.[
]
See also
* Alfred-South La Paloma
References
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in Jim Wells County, Texas
Unincorporated communities in Texas
Census-designated places in Jim Wells County, Texas
Census-designated places in Texas