Channelview was given its name since it is located on the northeastern curve of the Houston Ship Channel. The site of Channelview was home to Lorenzo de Zavala, one of the founding fathers of the Republic of Texas. During World War II the area south of Market to the Ship Channel, and what is now DeZavala St. to the tollway, was part of the U.S. Army Ordnance Depot. Channelview was the site of a notable murder plot occurring in 1991. Wanda Webb Holloway was upset that her daughter, Shanna, had failed two consecutive years to make her junior high school's cheerleading squad. Holloway came to believe that the fault lay not with Shanna's inability to make the squad, but with Verna Heath, whose daughter, Amber Heath, was a main rival of Shanna's. Holloway asked Terry Harper, her former brother-in-law, to find a hit man to murder Verna Heath, hoping that Amber would be distraught and perform poorly in tryouts, thus allowing Shanna to make the squad. However, Harper notified authorities of the plot, and an undercover police officer arrested Holloway. Holloway argued that Harper was guilty of entrapment, saying that she never intended anyone to get killed. A jury sentenced Holloway to 15 years for attempted murder. The story was made into a 1993 HBO movie, The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom. Channelview is also home to Houston Astros pitcher Chris Sampson and former outfielder Glenn Wilson. Another famous athlete to come out of Channelview is former Chicago Bears wide receiverJohnny Knox. He graduated class of 2005 from Channelview High School. In 1997 Coy Wayne Wesbrook committed mass murder in Channelview, killing five people.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Channelview has a total area of, of which is land and, or 18.46%, is water. It is about east of Downtown Houston.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,685 people, 9,189 households, and 7,369 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,831.2 people per square mile. There were 9,874 housing units at an average density of 609.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the CDP was 63.15% White, 13.03% African American, 0.55% Native American, 2.03% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 18.29% from other races, and 2.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.11% of the population. There were 9,189 households, out of which 48.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.4% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.8% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.22 and the average family size was 3.60. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 33.7% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $42,968, and the median income for a family was $45,638. Males had a median income of $35,592 versus $26,423 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $15,115. About 11.5% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.
Harris County Precinct 2 operates the V.V. Ramsey Community Center and the M.L. Flukinger Community Center at 16003 Lorenzo Street. Also the Old River Terrace Park on Market St.
