John Kirby Allen

Founders Memorial Cemetery

Houston, Texas

  John Kirby Allen, one of the Allen Brothers who co-founded the City of Houston in 1836, is buried in Founders Memorial Cemetery in Houston, Texas. The memory of John Kirby Allen has been honored with both a Texas State Historical Marker (1968) and a Texas Centennial Monument (1936). Founders Memorial Cemetery is located just west of downtown at 1217 West Dallas in Houston, Texas.  The entrance is located at the intersection of West Dallas and Valentine Street.

John Kirby Allen - Texas State Historical Marker

John Kirby Allen (1810-1838)

Close-up of John Kirby Allen Texas State Historical Marker

 Gravesite of

John Kirby Allen (1810-1938)

Co-Founder of Houston

  HOUSTON IN 1836 WAS A HUMID SWAMP OVERGROWN WITH SWEET GUM TREES AND COFFEE BEAN WEEDS. IN THIS SPOT, HOWEVER, TWO BROTHERS FROM NEW YORK RECOGNIZED THE FUTURE "COMMERCIAL EMPORIUM OF TEXAS."

  JOHN KIRBY ALLEN WAS BORN AND LIVED IN NEW YORK UNTIL MOVING TO TEXAS IN 1832 WITH HIS OLDER BROTHER AUGUSTUS CHAPMAN ALLEN, A PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS.

  A NATURAL LEADER WITH A MAGNETIC PERSONALITY, J.K. ALLEN WAS AN ASTUTE BUSINESSMAN AS WELL. HE AND HIS BROTHER SOON SAW THAT THE AREA AROUND BUFFALO BAYOU COULD READILY BECOME A MAJOR SEAPORT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO (APRIL 21, 1836), J.K. ALLEN CAREFULLY CHOSE THE SITE OF FUTURE HOUSTON.

  ON AUGUST 24 AND 26, THE BROTHERS PAID $9,428 FOR 6,642 ACRES OF LAND ORIGINALLY GRANTED BY MEXICO TO JOHN AUSTIN, A PIONEER COLONIST. FITTINGLY, THEY NAMED THE TOWN FOR SAM HOUSTON, LEADER OF THE TEXAS ARMY.

  IN GLOWING WORDS, THE BROTHERS ADVERTISED THEIR INFANT TOWN ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, AND J.K. ALLEN WHO WAS SOON ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE TO THE TEXAS CONGRESS, WORKED UNCEASINGLY TO MAKE HOUSTON THE CAPITAL OF TEXAS, AS IT BECAME - 1837-1839.

  AT 28, J.K. ALLEN DIED OF CONGESTIVE FEVER, BUT THE TOWN HE FOUNDED HAS SINCE BECOME TEXAS' LARGEST CITY.

(1968)

Texas Centennial Monument

JOHN KIRBY ALLEN

BORN IN CANASAREAUGH, NEW YORK

1810. CAME TO TEXAS IN 1832.

DIED IN HOUSTON AUGUST 18, 1838.

Erected by the State of Texas

1936

Founders Memorial Cemetery Index