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History in
a Pecan Shell
The community dates
from 1830 when Asa Brigham was given a land grant from the Mexican
government. Except for the turmoil of the Revolution, Brigham's grant
remained relatively undisturbed except for the day to day activities
of the inhabitants. Things picked up in 1878 when the Gulf, Colorado
and Santa Fe Railway arrived. Local farmers now had a way to ship
their produce (pears, figs and oranges) to distant markets. The Alta
Loma Improvement and Investment Company encouraged settlement and
took on the responsibility of building permanent infrastructure. A
depot was built, followed by a school and churches.
A post office was granted in 1894 and the following year an artesian
well was brought in, the first of what was to become 30 separate wells.
The wells became a welcome source of drinking water for nearby Galveston.
The population in the late 1890s was only 200 but by 1915 it had grown
to 500. Besides fruit production, dairy farming, and the raising of
beef cattle added to the economy.
Alta Loma's fortunes during the Great Depression mirrored most of
the country and the community may have benefitted from its proximity
to Galveston. The
development of nearby oil fields boosted the population to 1,350 by
1940.
While population growth was slow, by the time of the 1970 census,
Alta Loma counted 1,536 residents served by 30 separate businesses.
In January of 1978, the town of Santa
Fe incorporated Alta Loma into its own city limits. Four years
later, another piece of Alta Loma's identity disappeared when the
name of the post office was changed to Santa
Fe. |
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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