By Cheryl Skinner

Sugar Land is richly steeped in heritage and long-time residents are proud of their humble beginnings, but strangely enough, few written records are known about the history of one of the city’s most beautiful subdivisions- Alkire Lake. Nestled on the edge of the city of Sugar Land is the picturesque subdivision of acreage properties that still remain somewhat obscure from the mainstream of the hustle-bustle life just outside the fringes.

According to historical records on file, the incorporation of Alkire Lake was filed on August 2, 1948, by the Belknap Realty Group which was owned by Sugar Land Industries. Sugar Land Industries owned the land in Sugar Land along with a 10% interest by the workers of the Imperial Sugar Company, or as it was known at that time “the sugar company.” In July of 1946, the records show, the company began working on streets and in 1948 the land was divided into plots and deed restrictions were set. Residents of the subdivision today say the land parcels range from one-acre to five acres.

The entire Alkire Lake subdivision was built around the charming and scenic Alkire and Horseshoe Lakes. Legend has it that the lakes were originally dug to serve as retention ponds for farmers in the area. Developers and property owners were protective of the lakes as indicated in the deed restrictions. Homes constructed near the lakes excluded all livestock, holding pens, outhouses and outbuildings from lake front property and were required to be situated at the front of the home.

Cyril Hosley, a newcomer to the subdivision, says the property she and her husband purchased in the 1990’s was once owned by a couple with four young boys. She envisions the youngsters enjoying the rural acreage in much the same fashion of the famed Huckleberry Fin. “There is still a chain on one of the trees that held a swing the boys used to swing on to jump into the water. “Perhaps in this quiet and secluded area there were alligators and snakes in the lake but the children played as if there was no fear.

Former Sugar Land Mayor Lee Duggan lives on the very border of Alkire Lake and is considered a newcomer – has been there “for about 40 years.” Duggan, like Hosley loves the quiet and still somewhat remote feel of the development. Duggan says he raised his children there and they had livestock. “We had roping pens and horses. It was a wonderful place to raise our children and is still a wonderful place to call home,” Duggan stated.

Four roads wind pristinely around ancient trees and foliage, birds sing boldly and squirrels jump from branch to branch. It is like stepping into a serene setting, just minutes away from major shopping malls and the hustle and bustle of the burgeoning city which Sugar Land has become. The homeowners enjoy nature in their neighborhood and claim that it is like traveling to a different time and place.

Once the subdivision had iron ore roads, no street lights and a small “rickety bridge” that linked the segments together and provided an outlet for those residents on the far side of the development. While many purchased the property to have a secluded daily life in a time of unprecedented changes and growth, others were known to have purchased the land and build “summer or vacation homes”. A few influential Houstonians built homes and escaped the city atmosphere, residents say. Highway 90-A was a two lane rural road with sparse businesses between Richmond and Houston and Alkire Lake was nestled unobtrusively off 90-A.

Hosley remembers when she first went to visit a friend who lived in the subdivision and wondered aloud after crossing the “rickety bridge” into the heavily wooded subdivision, why in the world would anyone want to live “here of all places”. But, like the other 50-60 families who now make Alkire Lake their home it didn’t take her long to realize why her friend chose the location.

“I absolutely fell in love with the area and decided that someday I would find a piece of property there,” Hosley recalled. She and her husband eventually made that move and have never regretted the decision.

“I have it all--the quiet; the seclusion; my little piece of heaven. Where else can you live that offers a natural setting, wildlife and still be just seven minutes from Town Square,” Hosley stated.

The “company town” long gone has lost that aura that permeated the city for decades. Today, Sugar Land is one of the fastest growing cities in America. The growth has been carefully planned and residents enjoy today’s convenience and amenities.

Today, life may be a bit more complex than early residents remember. No company store or company homes are provided to sugar factory residents as in yester-year. Few families that staked out a homestead on the fringes of the “city” in Alkire Lake, where life is somewhat symbolic of the by-gone era with one added attraction – the new Sugar Land and all it has to offer with much more to come.

Currently there are plans to create a beautiful addition to the city in the location where the towering old sugar refinery is still a reminder of the city’s roots and beginnings. The Imperial Project will bring new homes, built in a style reminiscent of the 40’s and 50’s, businesses and entertainment to the old central portion of the city. Early residents still have a warm spot in their hearts for the sugar company and all the memories it brings.