DUANE
Duane's take
Here's what the official marker on George Allen has to say, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Born April 12, 1812, up in New York state, George Allen was the kind of man who never seemed to stay put for long — and Texas had a way of pulling restless souls southward. He came to Texas in the 1830s, and by 1838 he had settled in Houston, showing up right when his brothers Augustus C. and John Kirby Allen needed him most, helping them establish the city itself.
Now that's a family business with some ambition behind it. George didn't come empty-handed, and he didn't sit idle once he arrived. He'd already proven himself as a soldier in the Texas War for Independence.
And if that weren't enough, he served in the Somervell Expedition against aggressors in the Republic of Texas — a man who, when trouble called, answered. Then came 1839, and George Allen stepped into another kind of history. He became the first committeeman appointed to make improvements in Buffalo Bayou — that shipping artery that ran like a lifeline through the young city.
First. Appointed. You don't get a designation like that by half-stepping.
He married Harriet E. Fenley of Nacogdoches, and together they had three sons. Three boys to carry the Allen name forward into a Texas that was still finding its shape.
George Allen died June 5, 1854 — a man who helped build a city, fought for a republic, and left his mark on the very waterway that would carry Houston's commerce for generations to come. Some people settle a place. George Allen helped make it.
What the marker says
(April 12, 1812 - June 5, 1854) Texas War for Independence soldier; served also in Somervell Expedition against aggressors in Republic of Texas. Born in New York state. Came to Texas in 1830s. Settled 1838 in Houston, to help his brothers, Augustus C. and John Kirby Allen, establish city. George Allen in 1839 became first committeeman appointed to make improvements in shipping artery, Buffalo Bayou. He married Harriet E. Fenley of Nacogdoches; they had 3 sons. Recorded - 1973