ALIEF, HOUSTON, TEXAS

'Alief' is an area in Harris County that is mostly within the city limits of Houston, Texas. A small portion of the community is in unincorporated Harris County, which is in Houston's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Although this portion is an ETJ, local laws and essential services are primarily governed at the county level. This area is within the Houston zip codes of 77072, 77082, and 77083. The Alief Post Office still maintains a non-Houston zip code of 77411.
Alief mostly consists of Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans. Portions of New Chinatown are within the Alief area.

Contents

History

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Public libraries

Emergency services

Police services

History

The site was first settled in 1861, when Reynolds Reynolds claimed 1,250 acres of land at the headwaters of Bray's Bayou. Alief was called 'Dairy' when it was first settled in 1894 by Jacamiah Seaman Daughtery. The Dairy name lives on in the name of Dairy-Ashford Road. Application for a post office in 1895 resulted in changing the town name to Alief in honor of Alief Ozelda Magee, the town's first postmistress. The decision to change the name came about because the post office claimed there would be confusion with the town of Daisy, Texas.
Alief initially was a rural community. Corn, cotton, and rice were grown in Alief. Cattle were also raised in Alief. A single schoolhouse served the areas of Alief, Addicks, and Barker until 1906. In 1911, a three-story building served as a school and community center for church services and community events. Alief's second general store opened in 1915; the stores were popular gathering places for residents. By 1920 a few Alief residents had automobiles. Electric service was not available until 1935, and residents had to wait several more years for telephone lines to be installed.
Alief became heavily urbanized during the 1970s and 1980s—the population quadrupled between 1970 and 1985. The city of Houston annexed large portions of the city starting in 1977. METRO established bus routes to Alief. During Hurricane Katrina many displaced residence evacuated to Houston were several enrolled in Alief ISD schools, further increasing the population. Many Alief residence are said to live in the "S.W.A.T", which is an acronym for South West Alief Texas.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

The Alief Independent School District serves the area. High schools in Alief ISD are assigned by a lottery, which can result in the student going to either Alief Elsik High School, Alief Hastings High School, or Alief Taylor High School. They can also choose to apply for admission to Alief Kerr High School.
Despite being located in Houston, it is ''not'' served by the Houston Independent School District.
Alief Montessori Community School, a PreKindergarten through 3rd grade charter school, is also located in Alief.
operates several charter schools along KIPP Way, within the boundaries of Alief ISD; the schools are not affiliated with Alief ISD.

★ KIPP SHINE Preparatory School (Elementary school)

★ KIPP Academy Middle School

★ Kipp Sharpstown College Preparatory School (Middle school)

★ KIPP Houston High School [1]

Public libraries

Alief is served by the Henington-Alief Regional Branch of Houston Public Library.

Emergency services

Residents of the City of Houston receive fire services from the Houston Fire Department. The 76 Alief Community Station is located at 7200 Cook, 77072.
For residents of unincorporated Harris County, fire and EMS services are provided by Community Volunteer Fire Department, a combination career and volunteer fire suppression and EMS provider based out of three stations covering parts of unincorporated Harris County and Fort Bend County, heading west into the Cinco Ranch area.

Police services

Residents within the City of Houston receive police services from the Houston Police Department, which has Alief in the Westside Patrol Division [2].
Harris County Sheriff's Office serves unincorporated sections of Harris County.