Located only about 30 miles southeast of downtown Houston, TX, is the town of Alvin. Its most notable claim to fame is being the hometown of Nolan Ryan, the baseball pitching superstar. Throughout his long career, he played for the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and the Texas Rangers. He holds many major-league records and in 1999 was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Learn more here.
History
The land where Alvin lies was originally granted by the U.S. Government to the Houston Tap and Brazoria Railroad. In the 1860s the Santa Fe Railroad built a station in the area. In 1872 they hired Alvin Morgan to supervise the cattle stock pens. He built a house there and officially became the first settler. Learn more about Kemah Boardwalk near Alvin, TX.
Name
When the settlement got a post office in 1881, they named it Morgan. But then they found out there already was a Morgan in Texas. So, being determined people, they were keen to name it after Alvin Morgan. Since they couldn’t have Morgan, they named it Alvin.
Hurricanes
Most of Alvin’s businesses and homes were destroyed or damaged in the Galveston hurricane of 1900. Then in 1979 tropical storm Claudette stalled over Alvin and dumped 43 inches of rain within 24 hours.
