Settegast, Houston

Settegast is a neighborhood in northeast Houston with a person/acre average between 1-5.[1] The community is bordered by the 610 Loop, the Union Pacific Railroad Settegast Yard,[2][3] and the old Beaumont Highway. The community has many small wood-frame houses and empty lots. Habitat for Humanity has a prominent stake in the area,[4] and a community garden is underway. There are few commercial and industrial uses within Settegast.[5] Also, contemporary housing has started to show itself within new construction in the area. The City of Houston designated Settegast as a Houston HOPE neighborhood.[6]

Settegast

History

Settegast was first developed in 1892 by German immigrants William J and Julius J. Settegast, who had become interested in land speculation back in 1872.[7]

Settegast was further developed as a planned community in the 1940s, had streets and lots that were platted during the same decade.[8] Settegast was settled by African Americans seeking land in the northeast side of Houston.[5]

The City of Houston annexed Settegast in 1949 and began providing sewer trunk lines in 1965.[9]

In 1966 the H-HCEOO (Houston-Harris County Economic Opportunity Organization) conducted a survey of the Settegast neighborhood termed "The Settegast Report" which was conducted to, "gain a better understanding of the problems and issues in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods," (pgs 125-126).[10]

Surveyors found, "even though 80 percent of respondents in Settegast owned their home, 'the term ownership must be used in the loosest possible sense...[because] contracts for deed were designed in such a way that borrowers found it impossible to reach the agreed upon amount because of a multitude of hidden fees and exorbitant finance charges," (pg. 127).[11]

Surveyors found that streamlined sanitation was non existent as, "70 percent of residents received their water from shallow wells that were often contaminated from septic tanks and sewage backups from outhouses," (pg. 128, ibid). After neighbors found that contaminated well water was being sold to residents, residents, "went to City Hall and demanded a city water supply to replace their contaminated one," (pg. 132).[12]

Similarly, surveyor's found Settegast was a food desert and that two-thirds of the population did not have a high school education, (pg. 128).[13]

According to Wesley G. Phelps book A People's War on Poverty: Urban Politics and Grassroots Activists in Houston an arsonists set fire to the H-HCEOO community center in Settegast on January 17, 1967, moreover, "two thousand completed voter registration forms that had yet to be turned over to the tax assessor-collector," (pg. 93).

In 1967 a deputy constable ordered a pregnant resident out of her home due to an eviction order, which the resident claimed the deputy constable, "shoved, cursed, and handcuffed' her and 'unfairly booked [her] for aggravated assault'" (A People's War on Poverty: Urban Politics and Grassroots Activists in Houston, pg. 152).

Two thousand Settegast residents joined at a local Baptist church and signed a petition, "calling for the immediate dismissal of the said deputy constable," (A People's War on Poverty: Urban Politics and Grassroots Activists in Houston, pg. 152).

The deputy constable was not dismissed though a protest had happened as a response to the resident's eviction, (A People's War on Poverty: Urban Politics and Grassroots Activists in Houston, pg. 154).

When Mayor Welch and Congressman Bush, "erroneously charged H-HCEOO with using federal funds to stage the protest, the local newspaper repeated the charge and provoked a firestorm of criticism aimed at the organization...[which made] Settegast suff[er] a major setback," (A People's War on Poverty: Urban Politics and Grassroots Activists in Houston, pg. 154-155).

"In the wake of the demonstration at City Hall against the treatment of Betty Gentry, members of the Settegast Civic Club, an organization that had existed longer than the poverty program and included several business and religious leaders, expressed fear that protest activity in Settegast was going too far and Earl Allen and his staff were encouraging violence," (A People's War on Poverty: Urban Politics and Grassroots Activists in Houston, pg. 156).

Cityscape

Settegast is bounded to the south by the 610 Loop and the Beaumont Freeway, and to the west by a Union Pacific Railroad switching yard.[6]

Rafael Longoria and Susan Rogers of the Rice Design Alliance said that Settegast could be described as "rurban," a word coined in 1918 which describes an area with a mix of urban and rural characteristics.[14] Longoria and Rogers said that the original frame houses, described by the two as "modest," are "sparsely" distributed throughout Settegast. As of 2008 much of the area remained undeveloped, and guinea hens and horses graze on the open fields.[8] Many churches are located in the neighborhood; as of 2008 there is one church per 60 residents.[15]

Economy

Union Pacific operates the Settegast Yard, an intermodal terminal.[16] The large terminal bounds Settegast to the west.[5]

Government and infrastructure

Settegast is in Houston City Council District B.[17]

The Harris County Hospital District operates the Settegast Health Center.[18] The center opened on January 28, 1967.[19] The commissioner that represents Settegast is Rodney Ellis, Precinct One Commissioner,[20] while Jerry Davis serves as Settegast's council member, District B.[21] Settegast is also a Super Neighborhood and has merged with East Houston, Super Neighborhood #49.[22]

Settegast is under Texas House 142,[23] and is represented by Harold V. Dutton Jr., a native of Fifth Ward.

Sherman Eagleton is the constable for Settegast (Precinct 3).[24]

Education

The area is within the Houston Independent School District. Residents are zoned to Bennie Carl Elmore Elementary School,[25][26] Key Middle School,[27] and Kashmere High School.[28]

Elmore Elementary School has thirty-nine teachers with an average of four years experience, also the school has all four performance index indicators with one distinction designator, "Top 25% Student Progress."[29]

Key Middle School has forty-five teachers with an average of three years of experience, also the school has three-out-of-four performance index indicators with no distinction designators.[30]

Kashmere High School has thirty-nine teachers with an average of nine years, also the school has two-out-of-four performance index indicators with no distinction designators.[31]

History of education

Prior to July 1, 2013,[32] the North Forest Independent School District (originally Northeast Houston Independent School District) served the community.[5]

When Northeast Houston ISD was segregated, Settegast had its own high school.[5] A grade 1-8 school called Settegast High School opened in 1951 to serve black students. It had a student body of 300. B.C. Elmore High School opened in 1957.[33] After Elmore High's opening, Settegast School and Hilliard School served as the community grade schools.[34] Elmore High was converted into a junior high school on when Forest Brook High School opened in 1972. The building was razed and replaced with a new middle school structure in 1999.[33]

The new Elmore Middle school building opened in 2000.[35] The 40 classroom, 130,000 square feet (12,000 m2) facility had a multi-million dollar cost.[36]

As of 2010 as an NFISD territory Settegast was zoned to Hilliard Elementary School, B. C. Elmore Middle School, and North Forest High School.[37] The Elmore campus joined HISD and was converted into an elementary school during the merger of North Forest ISD into HISD on July 1, 2013.[38]

Parks and recreation

The City of Houston operates the Settegast Park.[39]

The Northeast Family YMCA serves residents of Settegast.[40]

The former Lakewood Church is in the northeast portion of Settegast.[6] It was established in a converted feed store. On July 16, 2005, the church moved into the former Houston Summit.[41]

Environmental Violations

According to the EPA's ECHO, McCarty Road Landfill Gas Recovery Facility (located on 9416 Ley, Houston, TX 77078) has a compliance status of "High Priority Violation" owing $27,282 in penalties.[42]

Similarly, EPA's ECHO found The Queen Ready Mix (located on 8702 Liberty RD, Houston TX 77028) has a compliance status of "Significant Noncompliance".[43]

Also, EPA'S ECHO found Magellan East Houston Terminal (located on 7901 Wallisville RD, Houston TX 77029) has a compliance status of "Significant Noncompliance".[44] Magellan has shown positive growth in VOC emissions, measured in pounds per year (2008/65,829; 2011/138,238.40; 2014/167,801.20).[45]

See also

References

  1. "COH, PDD: Council District B: Person/Acre" (PDF). March 2017.
  2. "Houston (Settegast) - Kirkpatrick Blvd., Houston, TX". www.up.com. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  3. "Wrecks and Redemption: Houston's Built Environment" (PDF). Welcome Wilson Houston History's Collaborative. 15: 14. Fall 2017.
  4. "City of Houston > CitizensNet". www.houstontx.gov. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  5. "SN#50." City of Houston. Retrieved on February 20, 2010.
  6. "Settegast." (Archive) Houston HOPE. Retrieved on February 20, 2010.
  7. "Houston Hope Settegast". City of Houston. (Archive)
  8. Longoria, Rafael and Susan Rogers. "The Rurban Horseshoe." (Archive) Cite 73. The Rice Design Alliance, (Northern Hemisphere) Winter 2008. Page 20. Retrieved on February 24, 2010.
  9. Fisher, Robert. "Urban Policy in Houston, Texas." Urban Studies, 1989. 150. Retrieved on February 24, 2010.
  10. Phelps, Wesley (May 2010). "A Grassroots War on Poverty: Community Action and Urban Politics in Houston, 1964-1976" (PDF). Proquest, Rice University: 325.
  11. Phelps, Wesley (May 2010). "A Grassroots War on Poverty: Community Action and Urban Politics in Houston, 1964-1976" (PDF). Proquest, Rice University: 127.
  12. Phelps, Wesley (May 2010). "A Grassroots War on Poverty: Community Action and Urban Politics in Houston, 1964-1976" (PDF). Proquest, Rice University: 132.
  13. Phelps, Wesley (May 2010). "A Grassroots War on Poverty: Community Action and Urban Politics in Houston, 1964-1976" (PDF). Proquest, Rice University: 128.
  14. Longoria, Rafael and Susan Rogers. "The Rurban Horseshoe." Cite 73. The Rice Design Alliance, (Northern Hemisphere) Winter 2008. Pages 18-19. Retrieved on February 24, 2010.
  15. Longoria, Rafael and Susan Rogers. "The Rurban Horseshoe." Cite 73. The Rice Design Alliance, (Northern Hemisphere) Winter 2008. Pages 21. Retrieved on February 24, 2010.
  16. "Houston, Texas (Settegast)." (Archive) Union Pacific. Retrieved on February 20, 2010.
  17. City of Houston, Council District Maps, District B." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.
  18. "Settegast Health Center." Harris County Hospital District. Retrieved on February 20, 2010.
  19. "A Proud History of Caring for More Than 45 Years." Harris County Hospital District. Retrieved on February 9, 2012.
  20. "Harris County Precinct One - About Precinct One". hcp1.net. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  21. "City Council District B". www.houstontx.gov. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  22. "Super Neighborhood 50 - Settegast". www.houstontx.gov. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  23. "House District 142" (PDF).
  24. "Harris County Constables Precinct Map". www.harriscountytx.gov. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  25. "Agenda Board of Education Meeting July 18, 2013." Houston Independent School District. Current Attendance Boundaries Attachment E-1 June 2013 (20 of 77). Retrieved on July 10, 2013. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013.
  26. "Agenda Board of Education Meeting July 18, 2013." Houston Independent School District. Proposed Attendance Zones for the North Forest Transition Attachment E-1 (21 of 77). Retrieved on July 10, 2013. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013.
  27. "Agenda Board of Education Meeting July 18, 2013." Houston Independent School District. Proposed Attendance Boundaries Attachment E-2 June 2013 (26 of 77). Retrieved on July 10, 2013. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013.
  28. "Agenda Board of Education Meeting July 18, 2013." Houston Independent School District. Proposed Attendance Boundaries Attachment E-3 June 2013 (31 of 77). Retrieved on July 10, 2013. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013.
  29. Inc., HRIS. "Elmore Elementary School". www.har.com. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  30. Inc., HRIS. "Key Middle School". www.har.com. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  31. Inc., HRIS. "Kashmere High School". www.har.com. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  32. Barajas, Erik. "North Forest ISD officially closes today." KTRK-TV. July 1, 2013. Retrieved on July 1, 2013.
  33. "The History of B.C. Elmore." B.C. Elmore Middle School. Retrieved on December 13, 2016.
  34. Volumes 1-2 of "Public hearing at San Antonio, Texas, September 12, 1966 [and at 3 other cities in Texas, through Oct. 13-14, 1966]." Texas Finance Commission Consumer Credit Study Committee. p. 25. (See Google Search page text) - "The children of Settegast attend schools in their immediate vicinity. B. C. Elmore is the Senior High School, while the lower grades attend Hilliard School and Settegast School."
  35. "Chapter 5 FACILITIES USE AND MANAGEMENT NORTH FOREST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT." (Archive) Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Retrieved on November 21, 2011.
  36. "The History of B.C. Elmore." (Archive) B.C. Elmore Middle School. Retrieved on November 14, 2011.
  37. "Settegast." (Archive) Houston HOPE. Retrieved on February 25, 2010. "North Forest ISD Hilliard Elementary offers an Accelerated Reading program, and the 21st Century Mayor’s After School Program. B.C Elmore Middle School has a summer enrichment program for students that want to get a head start on the next school year. North Forest High School offers after school tutorials for students."
  38. "Principals selected, changes proposed for North Forest schools." (Archive) Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on June 14, 2013.
  39. "Our Parks O-Z." City of Houston. Retrieved on February 25, 2010.
  40. McTaggart, Brian. "Fernandez fails to bolster status with Astros." Houston Chronicle. April 3, 2004. Retrieved on July 17, 2013. "The Northeast Family YMCA was built in 1960 and services 370 households from the neighborhoods of the Fifth Ward, Scenic Woods, Fontaine, Settegast, Lakewood, Wood Glen, Shady Timbers and Riverwood."
  41. Hlavaty, Craig. "8 years ago today: Lakewood Church moves into Compaq Center." Houston Chronicle. July 16, 2013. Retrieved on July 17, 2013.
  42. "Detailed Facility Report | ECHO | US EPA". echo.epa.gov. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  43. "Detailed Facility Report | ECHO | US EPA". Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  44. "Detailed Facility Report | ECHO | US EPA". Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  45. "Air Pollutant Report | ECHO | US EPA". Retrieved 2018-07-19.

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