As of the 2020 United States census, there were 27,098 people, 9,710 households, and 6,895 families residing in the city. He further explained that the load would not deliver until 8 a.m. the next day despite the fact that he had arrived at 5:30 p.m. the prior evening. A sundown town is a community that for decades kept non-whites from living in it and was thus "all-white" on purpose. "Sundown towns" were historically all-white communities that enforced segregation through discriminatory policies and practices, often including explicit or implicit exclusion of non-white people after dark. He writes about music and film for Forbes, Billboard, and the Austin American-Statesman. High schools: Alvin Community College provides basic undergraduate courses and adult education. "My night in a sundown town," Black truck driver Gideon captioned a video about his stop-over in Vidor. They move Black families into the housing projects in Vidor, but these families were harassed and threatened, forcing them to move out. I will be their fifth employee at that location from what they told me. Alvin is a city in Brazoria County, Texas with a population of approximately 27,000 people, with about 1,000 of them being Black. Alvin is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area and Brazoria County. A Sundown towns in Alabama (2 P) Sundown towns in Arkansas (12 P) C Sundown towns in California (9 P) F Sundown towns in Florida (3 P) G Sundown towns in Georgia (U.S. state) (4 P) I Sundown towns in Illinois (19 P) Sundown towns in Indiana (45 P) I was taken aback, surprised the sound of prejudice could emerge so easily. The Alvin Library is a part of the Brazoria County Library System. At least one alleged resident of Vidor even left a comment regarding the towns poor image. Alvin is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area and Brazoria County. In 1933, Roy S. Lapham was murdered in a mysterious ax slaying on Christmas morning. You must go there. Newsweek reached out to Gideon for comment. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city population was 27,098. The historic Alvin Train Depot was built in 1907 and has remained a staple in the communitys long history involving the railroad. The trucker details how he was told leave sundown town quickly during an unload. "He said, 'Well, let me tell ya -- you boys better wrap and get out of here, because I'm going to go to that next exit and come back around. The small community of 500 residents has a history for setting curfews for African Americans and forbidding them from church meetings and using the railroad station or post office around 1919. Many were simply shocked to hear that such areas still existed in the country. A Black truck driver shared the story of his night in Vidor, Texas, a notorious "sundown town.". By 1900, the census showed that of a 23,000 population, every person was white. The only good thing about Alvin is Joes BBQ. Step back in time and learn about the citys history by visiting the museums and historical sites. I thought you might be interested in this story from the Tour Texas web site: Get your copy of the Texas State Travel Guide, the comprehensive guide to all that the Lone Star State has to offer. This makes it difficult for black people to find employment or forces them into service positions like cooks, maids, and butlers. Greyhound Bus Lines operates the Alvin Station at Yellow Jacket Grocery-Citgo. For those who don't know, it's a place called Vidor, Texas.". If you prefer to stay away from busier cities, alvin is a good choice. The Green Book was published between 1936 and 1966 by New York City travel agent and mailman Victor Hugo Green. But some residents are more committed to change. Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, are all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States that practice a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combination of discriminatory local laws, intimidation or violence. I want to live in Alvin or south Houston. Above, a "colored" sign over a drinking fountain in Halifax, North Carolina, in 1938. (Even overnight!) The historic Alvin Train Depot was built in 1907 and has remained a staple in the community's long history involving the railroad. Sundown towns are rare in the South but common in the rest of the country. And to a great extent, that explained why Vidor has not quite escaped its past. I travel into town (Houston) every day for school and work. For those unfamiliar, a sundown town is a city, town, community, municipality, or county that is deliberately and strategically all-Caucasian, using a variety of tactics to keep out other. There is also TikTok video from a black traveler explaining his experience in Vidor in the Summer of 2022, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29356056/the-courier-gazette/, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29073587/the-galveston-daily-news/, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29070944/the-courier-journal/, https://books.google.com/books?id=abhIDwAAQBAJ, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29070745/weekly-charlotte-observer/, 25 Black History Facts You Probably Never Knew. Located twenty five miles southeast of Houston in northeast Brazoria County, on land originally granted to the Houston Tap and Brazoria Railroad, Alvin is home to 26,474 residents and has much to offer our citizens and visitors alike. Malone and Baaheth coordinated with local EMS and police to ensure order at the march, which will also feature speakers from the NAACP Beaumont Branch, about 10 miles west of Vidor. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 21,413. He told the driver, "Dude, you might want to get up out of here as soon as possible, we're at sundown, you want to leave here now. In some of these towns, signs -- handwritten or printed -- were posted, saying things like "Whites Only After Dark." In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. Wow, one commenter added. African-Americans often live in one neighborhood, whites in another. ALL POCSTAY OUT OF VIDOR, @Lex_Lu wrote. [5] Upon reaching his destination, Gideon says that he was approached by a security guard who immediately alerted his fellow workers that they were experiencing a code red. The security guard expressed that he did not want to be responsible for the truck drivers safety by allowing him to drive further into the business to drop off his delivery. Alvin was officially incorporated in 1893, making it the oldest incorporated settlement in Brazoria County. If there was a party, she often wasnt invited; even if her classmates wanted to, their parents wouldnt allow it. Not. Apparently the weird vibes did not stop there. Posted on Jun 5, 2020Updated on Jun 5, 2020, 1:28 pm CDT. Living in Alvin means you'll be driving a lot because all the entertainment options are elsewhere. The Alvin area was settled in the mid-19th century when bull ranches were established in the area. According to the Kppen Climate Classification system, Alvin has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The Nolan Ryan Museum is in the Nolan Ryan Foundation and Exhibit Center on the campus of Alvin Community College. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males. You can't ever put that aside.". The term "sundown town" goes back to segregation-era signs that said colored people had to leave by sundown. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The Daily Dot reached out to Gideon to inquire further about the video but did not immediately receive a reply. " Jones recalled. We need an updated Green Book, one viewer commented. Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock The United States Postal Service operates the Alvin Post Office at 455 East House Street, 77511-9998. Our coaches used to threaten to drop the black kids off in Grand Saline (as a sick joke) for misbehaving on the school bus to and from games. [5] Alvin's claim to fame is Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who moved with his family to the city in 1947 as an infant and lived there until he moved to Round Rock in 2003. De Leon is one of the sundown towns in Texas linked to Comanche County. 102 Produce Farmer's Tractor", "Alvin, Texas Kppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alvin,_Texas&oldid=1141842537, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 02:44. During a drive to his destination he details seeing a bunch of Confederate flags as well as a doll of a Black man wrapped in a Confederate flag hanging from a tree by his neck.. Klan members frequently marched through town and burned crosses on the hills to intimidate Blacks, causing many to flee. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 24,236 people, with a population density of 1,475 people per square mile. Im not even sure how that happens.. The law outlawed people of color from being out of their home after 9pm. Learn why sundown cities, towns, suburbs, and neighborhoods developed-and how they continue to shape the lives and relationships of black and white Americans today. Ep. The Weekly Charlotte Observer mentions, In Terrell also very few negroes are barely tolerated, and in many sections everything is done to discourage negro immigration.. You better be gone!' [8][9], On July 25, 1979, Tropical Storm Claudette stalled over Alvin and inundated the region with 45 inches (1,140mm) of rain in 42 hours. Even after the Civil War ended and slaves were emancipated, many Texas towns remained segregated. For every 100 females, there were 106.5 males. In some cases, Sundown signs were even posted at the town limits to warn non-whites that they were not welcome after dark. Yet others are reluctant to believe the town has changed that muchand theyre not keen on finding out with their own eyes. Call them anyway. Do. Evidence says otherwise, @erinnthered tweeted. Do yourself a favor - live in Friendswood or Pearland. Pearland is very close to Alvin, so you should look there, too. Here, visitors will find historical sites, antique style shopping and family-friendly adventures. Today, there are very few people of color in the town. Alvin was destroyed in the Great . Vidor, Twitter user @MsDyna85 implored in a post that has been retweeted nearly 6,000 times. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://www.huntingtonwoodsapts.com/home.asp. City leaders also point out that Vidor reached out to African-American victims of Hurricane Katrina, and provided temporary shelter. Enjoy your adventures and remember to EAT, STAY & PLAY in ALVIN. "They think when you go through Vidor, you better be very careful, and most blacks still refuse to stop.". Obama on fiscal cliff: Congress, I warned you, Ebola toll rises in 'unprecedented' outbreak. According to Newsweek, "Sundown towns are all-white parts of the United States considered to be unsafe for Black people after dark." Coined during the segregation-era, certain areas of the nation had signs indicating that "colored people" were to leave places by sundown. On a phone call, he said the guard could be heard saying that he did not want to "be responsible for this guy's safety" because "we stop taking loads at 4 o'clock. In a 'sundown town' in Texas, white vigilantes forced Black residents to leave home By Bud Kennedy (From a column published Feb. 16, 2002.) "Soon as you said Texas I knew it was Vidor," said one comment. One Black truck driver details his experience at one located in Vidor, Texas. If you have to live in Alvin, you want to check out The Kenton. Into. I highly recommend you go to Friendswood or Pearland as others have mentioned. Here, visitors will find historical sites, antique style shopping and family-friendly adventures. It is important to note that this practice is illegal and unconstitutional. ', Black truck driver told to leave Texas sundown town, saw Black dolls hanging from nooses. Sundown towns started as a way to keep African Americans from moving into all-white neighborhoods and taking white jobs. In many cases, the towns unwritten rules are enough to keep minorities out. The term goes back to segregation-era signs that said "colored people" had to leave by sundown, but continues to describe communities that retain a wholly or predominantly white population by systemically keeping out minorities. POV: Youre from TX and knew he was talking about Vidor before he said it, one user wrote. Gideon said he had heard stories about the town. The town was officially incorporated in 1893, making it the oldest incorporated settlement in Brazoria County. Posted on May 11, 2022 Updated on May 16, 2022, 9:36 am CDT. Texas State Highway 6 crosses Highway 35 and passes through the center of Alvin, leading southeast 30 miles (48km) to Galveston and 28 miles (45km) northwest to Sugar Land, According to the United States Census Bureau, Alvin has a total area of 25.6 square miles (66.4km2), of which 24.3 square miles (62.9km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.5km2), or 5.26%, is water.[5]. Sundown towns are all-white parts of the United States considered to be unsafe for Black people after dark. The book advised Black drivers of areas to avoid for their safety while traveling in the United States. http://www.huntingtonwoodsapts.com/home.asp Edit: Just checked; The floorplan we had is $920 now. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city population was 27,098. Other Travel Brochures you may be interested in that are nearby your selection: Texas State Parks near El Paso & Big Bend, Texas State Parks near Abilene, Amarillo & Midland. 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