Bordersville, Houston facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bordersville
Location in the state of Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Harris County
Area
• Total	9.4 sq mi (24 km2)
• Land	7.6 sq mi (20 km2)
• Water	2.2 sq mi (6 km2)
Population  (2007)
• Total	951
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)

Bordersville is a community in Harris County, Texas, United States. Most of its residents are African American. It is located on Farm to Market Road 1960. The community is very close to George Bush Intercontinental Airport. About 80% of Bordersville is part of the city of Houston. The rest is an unincorporated area, meaning it's not officially part of any city.

History of Bordersville

How Bordersville Began

Bordersville started in 1927. It was created in an area of Harris County, Texas that wasn't part of any city. This happened after a sawmill in nearby Humble closed. Many African-Americans who worked there lost their jobs. A man named Edgar Borders opened his own mill close by. He hired some of these former workers. Mr. Borders also built simple wooden homes for them to live in.

Early Years and Challenges

By 1940, about 100 people lived in Bordersville. The community was served by the Aldine Independent School District. However, the closest public schools were five miles away. Important places like hospitals, grocery stores, and libraries were about 35 miles away.

Edgar Borders closed his mill in 1941. That same year, he rented and sold the land in Bordersville to its residents. Mr. Borders passed away in 1963. Even then, most Bordersville citizens did not officially own their land. But no one forced them to leave their homes.

Community Efforts and Growth

In the 1960s, A. W. Jones and other residents formed a civic club. This group later became the Bordersville Neighborhood Council. Many citizens also joined the Houston Junior Chambers of Commerce. People worked together to improve their community. Some built a water well, and others helped paint houses.

In 1965, the City of Houston took over about 80% of Bordersville. This process is called annexation. At that time, many homes were very basic. There were no paved streets, running water, or sewers. Some people in Houston thought Bordersville had the most serious poverty in the city. Even though residents paid city taxes, they did not get city services. A city official, Jerry Wood, said in 1998 that the city followed survey lines when annexing. He said they did not mean to leave out any part of Bordersville.

Improving Services and Life

The Three H Service Center opened in 1974. "Three H" stood for Houston, Humble, and Harris County. This center helped people living within 20 miles. It opened with a grant of $196,000 from the United States Department of Commerce. Architect John Zemanek designed the center, which had nine small buildings. The center got money from Houston, federal agencies, and local churches.

With volunteers, the center offered many services. These included day care, tutoring, and a health clinic. They also had public bathing for homeless people, a senior citizen center, and reading classes. The center helped young people and older adults find jobs. They also organized summer fun activities.

By 1975, Bordersville had 550 residents. Their average yearly income was between $2,500 and $3,500. During that year, Houston Fire Department trucks delivered water twice a week. This water was for bathing, cooking, and drinking.

Water service lines finally opened in 1981. In the 1980s, the Three H Service Center helped get money. This money was used to install sinks, bathtubs, and toilets in Bordersville homes. By 1985, about 700 people lived in 120 homes. Many of the original homes had been damaged by cooking and heating fires. Maps from the 1980s showed four churches in the area. Most residents still cooked on wood stoves or with outdoor appliances.

The community did not have public transportation. This made it harder for people to find jobs. Social Security was the main source of income for many. The community had many very young and very old residents. In 1985, some homes still used outhouses. Some residents also did not have bathtubs, sinks, or toilets inside their homes.

Recent Times and Future

In 1996, Thomas Phillips, a Bordersville resident, joined others in a lawsuit. They sued the City of Houston in a federal court. They argued that the city could not annex new areas if it didn't provide services to its existing areas, like Bordersville. In 1998, Phillips wanted Humble Heights, a nearby area, to be annexed by Houston. If annexed, residents could use the city sewer system instead of septic tanks. As of 2008, that area was still not part of Houston.

A presentation from Lone Star College–Kingwood suggests that Bordersville "may possibly disappear." This is because commercial buildings are being built on much of the land.

Education in Bordersville

Schools for Younger Students

Nimitz High School

Students in Bordersville attend schools in the Aldine Independent School District.

Younger students go to schools outside of Bordersville. These schools are in areas not officially part of any city.

• Jones EC/PK School serves early childhood education and Pre-Kindergarten.
• A. W. Jones Elementary School serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th Grade. Jones Elementary opened on November 2, 2008.
• Townsen Middle School in Humble serves grades 6–8.
• Nimitz High School and Nimitz Ninth Grade School serve grades 9 through 12.

Before Jones Elementary opened, De Santiago EC/PK & Head Start Center and Magrill Elementary School served Bordersville. Parker Intermediate School used to serve grades 5 and 6. Teague Middle School used to serve grades 7–8.

Community Colleges

The Lone Star College System serves the Bordersville area. This system was formerly called the North Harris Montgomery Community College District. In 1972, people in Aldine ISD and two other school districts voted to create the North Harris County College. The community college district started in the fall of 1973.

Lone Star College-Kingwood has a program called Service Learning. This program created the Bordersville Literacy Project.