Crosby, Texas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Crosby is a census-designated place (CDP) in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,714 at the 2000 census. On June 1, 2005, a drilling rig exploded in Crosby that was owned by Louisiana Oil and Gas Company.

1 Geography
2 Historical development
3 Demographics
4 Education
5 Black Hope Curse
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Geography

Crosby is located at 29°54′38″N, 95°3′39″W (29.910577, -95.060882)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.9 km² (2.3 mi²), all land.

[edit] Historical development

This site (according to some) was an encampment nicknamed “Lick Skillet” back in 1823 by an original settler named Humphrey Jackson.^[1] The name came from the phrase "The East Texas oxen team drivers sipped the spring sweet water and licked their skillets clean." Near what is now the Southern Pacific Railroad, the town was named for G. J. Crosby, a railroad construction engineer. In 1861, the Sabine and Galveston Bay Railroad & Lumber Company (SGBR&L), installed tracks through this site.^[2] The first general store was built in 1865, and thereafter the town would become a shipping and retail center for lumber and agricultural products. Several years later, the post office was established in 1877. As of 1929, the population was about 600, but the Great Depression reduced this number by half.^[3] World War II brought the population to over 900, and the population would continue to grow to the present.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 1,714 people, 666 households, and 464 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 292.8/km² (758.2/mi²). There were 743 housing units at an average density of 126.9/km² (328.7/mi²). 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.38% of the population.

There were 666 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 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 non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 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 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,508, and the median income for a family was $41,458. Males had a median income of $37,244 versus $25,500 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $14,851. About 9.2% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Education

Crosby students attend school in the Crosby Independent School District.

It is served by the Crosby Branch of Harris County Public Library.

[edit] Black Hope Curse

The Newport subdivision at Crosby was the center of an Unsolved Mysteries feature story known as the Black Hope Curse.^[4] According to the story, after a couple bought their home in 1982, they decided to have a pool installed in their backyard the following year. A stranger visited the homeowners to point out that there were human bodies buried in crude wooden coffins there. A contractor was able to confirm this with earth moving equipment. Wanting to give these humans a proper burial elsewhere, their search led to a former gravedigger who told them that their home and other nearby houses rested on top of the Black Hope cemetery, which contained mostly bodies of former slaves. As the couple could not locate the deceased living relatives to make re-burial arrangements elsewhere, they decided to leave the bodies where they were and they restored the topsoil. Paranormal activity followed which plagued the couple, along with strange activity occurring at a dozen other houses as well.^[5] The foremost families of the story were the Haneys and Williams, who were affected in similar ways. Both families experienced health problems, and the Williams family lost a daughter due to a heart-attack. Exhausted of funds due to failed lawsuits, the Haneys lost their home. The Williams left their home as well. A short while later, this peculiar activity ceased for the remaining residents of Newport as no one else has reported anything strange since.