Crosby, Texas
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Crosby is a
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...
in
Harris County, Texas Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145, and was estimated to be 5,009,302 in 2024, making it the List of counties in Texas, most populous cou ...
, United States. Its population was 3,417 at the 2020 census.


History

The site north of U.S. Route 90 (according to some) was an encampment nicknamed Lick Skillet in 1823 by Humphrey Jackson, one of the 300 original Anglo colonists to settle Texas. The name "Lick Skillet" came from the phrase, "The
East Texas East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that consists of approximately 38 counties. It is roughly divided into Northeast Texas, Northeast, Southeast Texas, Sout ...
oxen team drivers sipped the spring sweet water and licked their skillets clean." Humphrey Jackson (1784–1833) moved to Texas from
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
in September 1823, and built a log cabin outside
Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
's colony on the San Jacinto River, west of the site of present-day Crosby. On August 16, 1824, the Baron de Bastrop granted him title to a league and a labor of land, including the place where he had settled, in what is now Harris County. Jackson next petitioned the Mexican government to form the San Jacinto District under control of the Austin colony; he was elected ''alcalde'' of the new district in 1824, 1825, and 1827, and served as ''ex officio'' militia captain of the San Jacinto area. Jackson was buried at Crosby. Jackson's Bayou in eastern Harris County is probably named for him. In 1860, the town was named Gentry after President of the Sabine and Galveston Bay Railroad and Lumber Company, A. M. Gentry who constructed the 41 miles of railroad from Houston to Liberty in what was called the Texas and New Orleans Railroad, Texas Division. The first general store was built in 1865 by Charlie Karcher, and thereafter the town would become a shipping and retail center for lumber and agricultural products. The railroad was eventually taken over by the
Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...
and rebuilt. The platform that had been built with a sign showing the name "Gentry" was located and a new depot built. In 1877, the town was renamed by former judge, state representative, legislator, and vice president of the railroad, Josiah Frasier Crosby, and a post office was established. By 1884, Crosby reported a population of 50, a school, a Baptist church, and a general store. In 1905, it had one school with four teachers and 122 students. As of 1929, the population was about 600, but the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
reduced this number by half.
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
brought the population to over 900, and the population continued to grow. For a brief 19 days in 1953 (from December 19 to 31), the town of Crosby briefly changed its name to Hope, Texas, to participate in a contest conducted by comedian
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...
. Reported in a news transcript from WBAP-TV in Fort Worth, Texas; "Hope recently announced that he would like to have a pretty girl from every city in the nation named Hope to appear on his television show next Tuesday. Maine, Rhode Island, Michigan, Kansas, and Indiana are sending representatives, so the folks in Crosby decided they'de icget into the act. The result: they changed the town's name to Hope and set about naming a queen. The town will keep its new name until New Years Day, then it will become Crosby, Texas, again."


Geography

Crosby is located at (29.910577, −95.060882). According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the CDP has a total area of , all land, which is located north of the historical Barrett Station.


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Crosby has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.


Demographics

Crosby was first listed as a
census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...
in the 1970 U.S. Census.


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, 3,417 people, 1,026 households, and 579 families were residing in the CDP. As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, 2,299 people lived there. As of the 2000 census, 1,713 people, 662 households, and 464 families resided in the CDP. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was 758.2 people per square mile (292.8/km,2). The 743 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 74.15% White, 12.72% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 10.79% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 18.38% of the population. Of the 662 households, 35.4% had children under 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were not families. About 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.09. In the CDP, the age distribution was 28.2% under 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 96.2 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,508, and for a family was $41,458. Males had a median income of $37,244 versus $25,500 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the CDP was $14,851. About 9.2% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 16.7% of those under 18 and 20.1% of those 65 or over.


Government and infrastructure

The community is within Harris County Precinct 2. As of 2021, Commissioner Adrian Garcia is the head of the precinct. The precinct operates the Crosby Community Center at 409 Hare Road. The community is served by the
Harris County Sheriff's Office The Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is a local law enforcement agency serving the over four million citizens of Harris County, Texas, United States. It is headquartered on the first and second floors in the 1200 Baker Street Jail in Downt ...
. Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated Baytown Health Center in Baytown for ZIP code 77532. The nearest public hospital is Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital in northeast Houston. Harris County Eastgate Cemetery, which started operations in 2014, is a
potter's field A potter's field, paupers' grave or common grave is a place for the burial of unknown, unclaimed or indigent people. "Potter's field" is of Biblical origin, referring to Akeldama (meaning ''field of blood'' in Aramaic), stated to have been pur ...
operated by the county. It is near the CDP and has a Crosby postal address.


Crosby Volunteer Fire Department

Crosby Volunteer Fire Department, funded by Harris County Emergency Services District #80, was formed in 1942. Their official website i
crosbyvfd.org
The Crosby Volunteer Fire Department is dedicated to protecting life and property by providing effective public education, fire prevention, and emergency services. Crosby Volunteer Fire Department protects the unincorporated communities of Crosby and Barrett Station, Texas. The district consists of and 30,000 people, about east-northeast of Houston. The protection area is split into two response districts covered by five stations staffed entirely by volunteers from the community.


Parks and recreation

Crosby Park an

are located at 419 Hare Road. It is a facility with two lighted baseball fields, two lighted soccer fields maintained by Crosby Youth Soccer Club, two lighted tennis courts, one basketball pavilion, a playground, a paved trail of , picnic tables, barbecue grills, a barbecue pavilion, and restrooms. Th
Barrett Station/Riley Chambers Community Center
is located at 808 Magnolia Ave. Facilities include restrooms, picnic, playground, trails, open shelter, basketball, baseball, riding arena, and football fields. Crosby Sports Complex is located at 8600 Miller-Wilson Road. It is a facility of with two lighted softball fields, four lighted baseball fields, picnic tables, and restrooms. Crosby Sports Complex softball fields are maintained by the Crosby Sports Association.


Education


Primary and secondary schools


Public schools

Crosby students attend school in the
Crosby Independent School District Crosby Independent School District is a public school district based in unincorporated area, unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States within the Greater Houston, Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Crosby ISD serve ...
. Most of the CDP itself is zoned to Crosby Elementary School and Newport Elementary School, while some portions are zoned to Barrett Elementary School. Public schools serving all of Crosby ISD include Crosby Kindergarten Center, Drew Intermediate, Crosby Middle School, and Crosby High School. According to the Texas Education Agency AEIS report in 2007–2008, Crosby ISD served 4,855 students in ZIP code 77532; 21% were African American, 22.2% Hispanic, 56.1% White, 0.3% Native American, and 0.4% Asian.


Private schools

Th
Crosby International Academy
serving K – 12th, th
Crosby Christian Academy
serving infants – elementary, an
Sacred Heart Catholic School
are in Crosby.


Colleges and universities

Residents of Crosby ISD are zoned to
Lee College Lee College is a public community college in Baytown, Texas. Lee College's main campus occupies near downtown Baytown and extension campuses throughout its service area. The school has an enrollment of over 7,773 total students as of Fall 2018 ...
.


Public libraries

Crosby is served by the Crosby Branch of Harris County Public Library, adjacent to and outside of the CDP.


Notable person

* Steven Hobbs - murderer and suspected
serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
, sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life impr ...
for sexually assaulting multiple prostitutes and killing at least two


Media

*''Star Courier'' *'' The Lake Houston Sentinel'' *'' The Lake Houston Observer''


Transportation

Harris County Transit operates public transportation.Routes / Maps
" Harris County Transit. Retrieved on January 15, 2010.


References


External links

*
Texas Directory: Crosby
* {{authority control Census-designated places in Harris County, Texas Census-designated places in Texas Greater Houston