Alief Cemetery

The first permanent settlers in this area were Dr. John Magee and his wife, Alief, who came from Ellis County in 1896. The community originally was known as Dairy, but was renamed in 1897 for Mrs. Magee, the town's first postmistress. By 1899, there was a small but growing community here, with most families involved in ranching and farming. In 1900, the need for a cemetery became evident, and this property was deeded for use as a graveyard by Francis I. Meston to Dr. John Magee, Newton Gentry, and Hardy Price. Many of the early settlers are buried here, including Alief Magee (1851-1899) and cotton farmer John D. Cook (`1867-1954). About one-half of the approximately 100 graves are those of babies, pointing to the hardships resulting from childbirth and infant diseases. The 1900 hurricane caused much property damage in Alief, and many families became discouraged and left the community. Most of them later returned to help fight the problem of area flooding, including organization of the first Harris County Flood Control District. Although little evidence of the original community remains, the Alief Cemetery stands as a reminder of its pioneer heritage. The graves are maintained by the Alief Cemetery Historical Association. (1984) Historic Texas Cemetery medallion (2009).

Alief Cemetery is a historical marker in Houston, Harris County, dedicated in 1984. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 849 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7030, -95.6048 near Houston. The nearest cataloged historic site is Dairy (Alief) (historical marker), about 1.0 miles away. Others within a short drive include Prairie Grove Cemetery, Alief Brethren Church Cemetery, and Forest Park-Westheimer.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5201010589. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.