Mykawa, Houston facts for kids
Mykawa is an area located within Houston, Texas, United States. It was once a separate community in Harris County.
Contents
History of Mykawa
How Mykawa Got Its Name
The Mykawa area is named after a Japanese nurseryman named Shinpei Mykawa. Around 1906, he started growing rice in this area. The community was first called Erin Station. After Shinpei Mykawa passed away, the Santa Fe Railroad Company renamed the station to Mykawa. Many Japanese immigrants in Texas felt this name made the place seem welcoming to Asian Americans. Interestingly, the name "Mykawa" (for the area and Mykawa Road) is pronounced differently from the original Japanese name, Maekawa.
Japanese Rice Farmers in Mykawa
For a while, Mykawa was home to a group of Japanese rice farmers. These farmers had to leave the area before World War II. This was because salt water and waste oil from a nearby oil field damaged their rice crops. Some people mistakenly thought the farmers left because of the war. By 1951, the closest Japanese farmers were living near Minnetex. Many of the Japanese farmers who used to live in Mykawa had moved to northern Harris County.
Changes and Growth in Mykawa
In the 1940s and 1950s, new neighborhoods were built near Mykawa, especially in areas like Sunnyside. Some residents of Mykawa, who were mostly white, were unhappy about these changes. This was because a Supreme Court decision in 1948, called Shelley v. Kraemer, meant that neighborhoods could no longer have rules that stopped people from living there based on their race. This meant that people of all races could now live in these new areas. Some people tried to scare the Sunnyside community to stop these changes.
By 1951, Mykawa was starting to become part of the larger city of Houston. A writer from the Houston Post, John M. Moore, noticed that Mykawa was "gradually losing its individuality." He even found that a store clerk in the area didn't know there was a community called "Mykawa."
Mykawa's Location and Look
Mykawa is located south of the Sims Bayou. The main part of the Mykawa area is where Mykawa Road and Almeda-Genoa Road meet. In 1951, the Mykawa School and the Mykawa Railroad Station were at this spot. You could also see the Pearland water tower and the Houston Municipal Airport (William P. Hobby Airport) from here.
Most residents, besides the original settlers, lived on small farms in 1951. Some people had enough money to build large Colonial-style houses. Land in the area cost about $1,000 per acre back then. Even though the flat land could easily flood, it was not considered cheap. A leading citizen of Mykawa, W. B. Schulte, was selling land for new houses. This development was slowly making Mykawa less of a separate community.
Education for Mykawa Students
Mykawa is part of the Houston Independent School District.
Elementary Schools Serving Mykawa
Some of the elementary schools that serve parts of the Mykawa area include:
- Frost Elementary School
- Mitchell Elementary School
Secondary Schools for Mykawa
Students in Mykawa attend these secondary schools:
- Thomas Middle School
- Sterling High School
The Historic Mykawa School
The community was originally served by Harris County Common School District 45. The Mykawa School was a one-room schoolhouse built in 1923. It served students from Mykawa for many years. The red brick building sits on about 6.5 acres of land.
By 1951, the family of Henry May, a school bus driver, was living in the old school building. Several school buses were parked in front of the school. At that time, Mykawa students went to Garden Villas Elementary School in Garden Villas, Houston. Older children attended high schools in Houston.
Today, the Minnetex Civic Club rents the Mykawa School building from the Houston Independent School District. They use it as a meeting place. In 2002, the club wanted the school to become a historical monument. This would help protect the building from being torn down and allow it to be restored. The school district, however, was hesitant because it would make it harder to sell the building. In 2003, the civic club held a festival at the old schoolhouse to raise awareness about its importance. By then, part of the school's roof had fallen in.
Community Activities
In 1951, the Mykawa Home Demonstration Club was one of the main community groups in the area. This club worked with other clubs from Minnetex and South Acres to try and create a civic club in Allison Park, near Minnetex.
