Our History
The site south of highway 90 is historical Barrett Station. Barrett's Settlement was founded by a former slave, known as Harrison Barrett (1845-1917) and has been registered in the Texas Family Land Heritage as “Texas Century Farm”. Born into slavery, Barrett was the son of Simon and Lisa Barrett who came to Texas from Louisiana. He had three brothers and two sisters.
Following the emancipation of Texas slaves in 1865, Barrett spent several years gathering his family together. He eventually found all of them except one sister, and they settled on part of Reuben White's league east of the San Jacinto River and purchased the land for fifty cents an acre in 1889. It became one of the largest holdings in Harris County to be acquired by a former slave. Barrett named the property Barrett's Settlement. Harrison Barrett's homestead (as seen in the above photo), twice rebuilt by his descendants, stands on its original location.
The community began with seven houses, which Barrett helped to build with lumber from his land. He helped members of his family to set up farms, established a saw mill, gristmill, and coffee mill and granted others open access to fish and crayfish in the spring and gully near his homestead. Harrison donated land for Shiloh Baptist Church, which also served as a school. In 1947, a high school and a post office branch, known as “Barrett Station” opened. Barrett, who died in 1917, was buried in Journey's End Cemetery in the settlement, and a museum and park were later named in his honor.
State highway maps in 1936 showed a school, St. Martin Cemetery, and a camp at the town site. The population reached 2,364 in 1960. U.S. Highway 90 was built through the area in the 1970s, and by 1990 the population rose to roughly 3,800 persons.
Barrett Station Today
Barrett, Texas, as it is now referred to in modern day time, is primarily an African-American community with a rich heritage and known for its dedicated civic participation. Central to the community are area churches and key organizations such as the Barrett Station Community Development Organization, Inc., the Barrett Station Civic League, the Barrett Station Ministerial Alliance and the Barrett Station Health Advisors. A census-designated place in Harris County, Texas USA, this community is approximately 12.66 square miles in size, with a population totaling 3,199 according to the 2010 US Census.
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosby,_Texas#Demographics
Ref: Diana J. Kleiner, The Handbook of Texas Online, Digital Gateway to Texas History At the University of Austin, 5/12/04
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