Sealy: A Sad & Dying Little Texas Town

While the G-man was playing in a golf tournament nearby I thought I'd check out another cute little Texas town, but I was very disappointed in the old downtown area. It is disintegrating at a steady pace. There were a few stores open, but with the exception of a few trucks at a meat market there seemed to be few people visible. There is no lovely courthouse nor is there a town square which one many times finds in these small Texas towns.

Sealy, TX is just about 20 miles west of Houston on Interstate 10 in Austin County. The population is somewhat under 10,000 people (it was 5,248 in the 2000 census). There is no notable industry in the town. A Walmart is on the outskirts of the town which seems to be the largest single business.

Crossroads at the center of downtown.

Cars & trucks are lined up near a quick shop & a meat market. There is an antique store and a resale shop across the street from each other, but there were few customers to be seen.

One young family out for a Saturday of shopping.
Antiques for sale in this little falling-down business.

This is a long deserted warehouse of some kind; perhaps a cotton gin as I feel this part of Texas could have grown cotton at one time.

Even though the businesses look sad and dilapidated the homes are rather pretty with immaculate lawns. Some of the photos below are of the older homes in the town. I suspect that being so close to Houston there are many people who commute to the big city to work.

This is the first home I photographed. The photo below is a detail of the porch.

The G-man & I love porches and swings but have neither at our own home. Pity.
We continue to mull over ways to make that change, but so far have not come up with a suitable arrangement.

Many people have swings hanging from trees in their yards.
I thought this one particularly pretty.

Pretty, well kept homes and gardens.

These pretty homes make one wonder why the downtown area isn't in better condition.

Below is an interesting little grouping of birdhouses.
They were in the corner yard of the house pictured above.

This pretty little cottage had a historic marker at the curbside although I did not stop to read it.

Another swing in the garden at a group of rather new town houses.

Even the most modest home has a pretty yard.