Historic Houston Streets

by Marks Hinton

  BLAIR: John – This Tennessee native came to Texas to fight for independence under the command of Colonel James Bowie. He died at the fall of the Alamo in 1836 at the age of 33. 105

  BLANDFORD: See sidebar All Things English, page 175.

  BLIMP BASE: The Hitchcock Naval Air Station was a World War II base for lighter-than-air craft better known as blimps. In 1942 the U. S. Navy acquired 3,000 acres of land northwest of Galveston and erected a $10 million hanger that would hold six giant blimps. It was 1,000 feet long, 300 feet wide and over 200 feet in height. The base was to protect shipping along the Texas coast from Nazi submarine attacks. Following the war the facility was used for storage of equipment and later rice. When the Navy declared the property surplus in 1950, Houston oilman John Mecom bought it. He planned to develop it as a resort called Flamingo Isle. That never happened. The hanger, clearly visible to traffic on the Gulf Freeway, was seriously damaged in Hurricane Carla in 1961 and was torn down the following year. (See Mecom.)106

  BLODGETT: According to John Raia, senior planner in the City’s Planning & Development Division and a veteran of more than half a century of working with developers naming streets, he believes this street recalls the surname of Henry MacGregor’s mother-in-law. (See MacGregor.) 107

  BLOUNT: Stephen William – He signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, fought in the Texas Revolution in Captain William D. Ratcliff’s Company, was the county clerk of San Augustine County as well as its postmaster and served as fiscal agent for the Confederate States of America. 108

  » FLAMINGO ISLE: A Galveston county resort that was never built

  BLUE RIDGE: Located near Missouri City this is the name of a geological formation where oil and gas were discovered in 1919 and a salt mine soon after. The Texas Coaster reported “Richmond was an excited town on Monday morning when news spread that a gusher had come in on the Blue Ridge Oilfield.” The discovery allowed nearby Missouri City to become the first town in Fort Bend County to use natural gas. 109

  » BLUEWATER HIGHWAY: Destruction caused by hurricane ike in 2008

  BLUE: See sidebar Neighborhoods with Interesting Stories, page 104.

  BLUEWATER HIGHWAY: Also known as County Road 257, this 16 mile stretch of road runs along the Texas coast from Surfside to San Luis Pass at Galveston Island. Much of the way drivers have an unimpeded view of the blue waters of the Gulf. The highway lost two miles of surface and experienced serious damage to another six miles when Hurricane Ike made landfall in 2008. Fortunately, it has been repaired so the almost 400,000 users can once again enjoy this beautiful drive. (See photograph on page 44.) 110

  BOBCAT: (See Cougar.)

  BOBCAT: High schools in our area love to name streets near their athletic facilities for the team mascot. In this case it is Hempstead High who are the Bobcats. 111

  BOBVILLE: This road remembers another of the many ghost towns of Montgomery County. Bobville was on the Central & Montgomery Railway and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad lines. An employee of the A, T & SF named the depot in 1878 and a town was established in 1887. By 1990 Bobville had disappeared off highway maps. 112

  BOGIE: The denizens of this west Houston development have a passion for golf and flying. They own a golf course and airstrip. Bogie is a links score that is one over par for the hole. You would think the developer would have called it birdie (one under par) or eagle (two better than par.) 113

  BOGS: Fritz William – In 1872 he was sent here by his family in Germany to avoid conscription in the army. At that time there were many wars raging in Europe. He bought 500 acres near Huffsmith on Spring Creek, an area that became the “swimming hole of Tomball” for the next 40 years. He operated a saw mill and a cotton gin on his land. It was not unusual for German families to send a son to America in the late 1800s. Mike Stude told me his great-grandfather (who developed Studewood) immigrated to the Houston area after his 11 brothers were killed fighting in European wars. 114

  BOHEME: French for “Bohemian,” this tragic four act opera by Giacomo Puccini was first preformed in Turin, Italy in 1896. It is the story about the love lives and personal relationships of four young men and two young women that we would likely call “hippies” today. 115

  BOLD RULER: After a disappointing fourth place finish in the 1957 Kentucky Derby, Bold Ruler went on to win the Preakness and was named Horse of the Year for his record of 11 wins in 16 starts. He sired the greatest thoroughbred of all modern times, Secretariat. (See Secretariat.) 116

  BOLING: Located in Fort Bend County this community which was originally called Floyd’s Lane was established in 1900 when the New York, Texas & Mexican Railway was constructed through here. Robert E. Vineyard who surveyed the town renamed it Bolling for his daughter Mary Bolling Vineyard. However, the post office altered the spelling to Boling. In 1925 oil, gas and sulfur were discovered at the Boling Dome and the little village became a boomtown overnight. A subdivision established at that time named its streets for oil companies operating there including Sinclair, Gulf, Magnolia, Sun, Texas and Humble. 117

  » BOLING MURAL: Artwork telling the history of Boling, Texas

  BOLIVAR: Simon – Known as “The Liberator,” this South American hero was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1783. His life was dedicated to the independence of Spanish colonies on that continent. Between 1810 and 1830 he succeeded in gaining freedom for the people of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama. In addition he founded the Republic of Bolivia that is named for this statesman. Closer to home Boliver Peninsula and Port Bolivar on the Texas Gulf Coast also recall this important man. (See Boyt.) 118

  » BOLIVAR LIGHTHOUSE: historic 1872 Structure on Boliver peninsula

  BOLSOVER: See Southampton’s English Streets, page 255.

  BONAPARTE: Napoleon – One of the greatest military geniuses of all time, he is most remembered for the battle he lost, Waterloo, than the hundreds he won. He named himself Emperor of the French Empire in 1804. Bonaparte was forced to abdicate in 1814. He spent the rest of his life in exile on Elba and later St. Helena. 119

  BONHAM: James Butler – This South Carolinian became one of the most revered of Texas heroes. Bonham came to Texas in 1835 to help fight in the Revolution. He arrived at the Alamo with Jim Bowie on January 19, 1836. He died at the Siege of the Alamo on March 19, 1836 while manning one of the mission’s cannons. The town of Bonham was named in his honor also. 120

  BONNARD: Pierre – This French painter was born in Fontenay-aux-Roses. His father insisted he become a lawyer but after practicing for a short time he enrolled in art classes and decided to become an artist. He is known for his complex compositions and intense use of color. His friend, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, arranged for Bonnard to show his works at the Societe des Artistes Independants in 1891. 121

  BOONE: Sylvester – This gentleman arrived in Alief, Texas in 1908. Boone along with A. J. Martin and S. A. Brasfield were responsible for establishing an independent school district here. In 1910 the first school opened. The Boone clan has lived in the area for almost a century. Boone Park and Boone Elementary School also are named in their honor. In June 2006 the Alief Old Timers Group hosted a reunion presided over by 104-year old Mora Boone who moved to Alief in 1921 to marry James L. Boone Sr. (See Alief-Clodine.) 122

  » BOOT HILL: Lester Moore’s tombstone

  » BOOTH SCHOOL: Ruins of 1912 Structure

  BOOT HILL: The Wild West is still alive in this subdivision called Stagecoach Farms in Montgomery County. The original Boot Hill was the cemetery in Dodge City, Kansas where outlaws and gunfighters were buried with their boots on. The most famous Boot Hill is in Tombstone, Arizona. A grave marker there has one of the all-time great epitaphs: “Here lies Lester Moore, Four slugs from a 44, No Les, No More.” Other colorful street names in this neighborhood are Stagecoach, Cimarron, Westward Ho, Tomahawk and Broken Spoke. 123

  BOOTH: This site was originally part of the league of land Stephen F. Austin granted to Henry Jones in the early 1830s. The town was fo
unded by Freeman Irby Booth in the 1890s. Booth was a wealthy resident, who operated a general store, lumber yard, cotton gin, hotel, bank and a cane syrup mill here. The syrup, Open Kettle Pure Ribbon Cane brand, won awards for its excellent taste. He had the first telephone line in the county strung from his home in Richmond to the store in Booth. Booth owned Fort Bend County’s first automobile (1907). In 1912 he erected Booth Public School. Its architecture is based on the famous San Jose Mission in San Antonio. (See photograph on page 47.) (See Jones, Henry.) 124

  BOOTH: W. R. – He lead a group of settlers to this Brazoria County area in 1857. They were farmers and ranchers who settled along the banks of Chocolate Bayou. (See Chocolate Bayou and Manvel.) 125

  BORA BORA: See sidebar Bali Hai May Call You, page 322.

  BORDEN: Paschal Paolo – He was born in New York in 1806 and came to Texas in 1839 to fight for independence from Mexico. Borden settled in the area where Stafford is today. He saw action during the Siege of Bexar and the Battle of San Jacinto. 43

  BORDERS: Edgar – This is an example of sometimes it’s better not to have a street named after you. In 1927 a sawmill in Humble closed down. This put a number of people, many of whom were black, out of work. Borders opened a new mill, hired many of the workers and gave them some shacks to live in. He was forced to close his operation in 1941 and Borders sold or rented the land near the mill to his ex-employees. Borders died in 1963. By the time Houston annexed what became known as Bordersville in 1965 it was one of the most destitute neighborhoods in the city. 126

  BORDLEY: Developer William Farrington’s wife Bernice, affectionately known as “Birdie,” named this street for a branch of her family, according to her daughter. 127

  BORG BREAKPOINT: Swedish born Bjorn Borg accomplished one of the greatest feats in modern tennis history. He won five consecutive men’s singles championships at the All-England matches at Wimbledon between 1976 and 1980. On his way to victory in 1976 he did not lose a set. Borg also won the French Open championship six times between 1974 and 1981. Breakpoint is a tennis term indicating the server has lost his advantage and is in danger of losing his service game. 128

  BORGESTEDT CEMETERY: The family settled in the area along Cypress Creek. Many are buried in this graveyard off Huffmeister Road. Johann Peter Borgestedt was born in 1826 and died in 1891. Descendents interred here include Peter (born 1867), Benjamin, Bernice, Anna and Alma. The cemetery is still in use with the latest burial I noted dated 2005. 102

  BOUDREAUX: In the late 1830s French settlers began arriving in the Willow Creek area south of what is today Tomball, Texas. Louisiana Cajuns including the Boudreaux family joined them. Prior to construction of the Catholic Church, services were held in the Boudreaux home. 129

  BOUNDARY: Although the story behind Boundary may be more urban legend than fact, several Houston historians and street naming experts agree that it could be true. It seems an early city map showed this street as the last one to the north when the map was drawn, thus marking the city limit or boundary. 130

  BOURGEOIS: Since this French word means typically middle class we question why a developer would christen a street with this name. However, in the neighborhood where it is located it represents truth in advertising. 131

  BOWLING GREEN: Bowling Green State University in the Ohio town of the same name was founded in 1914, became a college in 1929 and was chartered as a university in 1935. 132

  BOY: See sidebar Neighborhoods with Interesting Stories, page 104.

  BOYCE: Albert Gallatin – A veteran of the War Between the States, he was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863. He was a rancher and became the general manager of the famous XIT Ranch. A strict Methodist, he rode moral herd over the ranch hands, forbidding them to wear six-guns, to drink alcohol or gamble. Later in life he founded Midway Bank and Trust of Dalhart where he was president until he was shot to death. It seems Boyce’s son Al ran off with the wife of John B. Sneed. Sneed didn’t take this lightly, so he killed the senior Boyce. Tried and acquitted, Sneed then hunted Al Boyce Jr. down and murdered him in Amarillo. 133

  BOYS COUNTRY: In the early 1960s T. A. “Tom” Robinson donated 10 acres of land near Hockley to establish this unique home for at risk boys. Later Girls Country was added. Today the campus is nearly 200 acres with over 20 buildings. The facility has been home to more than 1,200 children from the greater Houston area. 134

  BOYT: E. W. – This gentleman purchased the historic Bolivar Lighthouse on the west end of the Bolivar Peninsula in 1947 when the U. S. Government declared the property surplus. It was built in 1872 out of brick, sheathed in cast-iron plates that were riveted together. Standing 117 feet high, it has survived every hurricane to strike the Texas coast over the last 138 years and served as a place of refuge in most of those storms. The lighthouse was retired in 1933 when it was replaced by the South Jetty Light. (See Bolivar.) 135

  BRADFORD: This family was one of the two major landowners in Kemah, Texas in the late 1890s. Early on, the city was called Shell Siding because the Southern Pacific Railroad established a station there to haul oyster shells for construction materials. The Bradfords sold the shell to the railway for $0.75 per car. There was a shell reef in front of the Bradford home that extended hundreds of feet into Galveston Bay and was 20 to 30 feet thick in some locations. (See kemah and kipp.) 136

  BRADLEY: (See Bhandara.)

  BRADY: John Thomas – This Houston pioneer was a substantial landowner with holdings between Houston and Harrisburg. In addition, he was an attorney, owned a brick-manufacturing kiln and was a founder of Bayland Orphans Home. An early advocate of making the Port of Houston accessible to ocean going traffic Brady attended the “Deep Water Meeting” in Galveston on January 6, 1890. Following the gathering, he led a contingent of businessmen up Buffalo Bayou, docking at Magnolia Park, land he had given to the city. Brady led a tour of his property, proudly pointing out the park’s 3,750 blooming magnolia trees. His colleagues must have been impressed for soon the Houston Belt & Magnolia Park Railway was incorporated. It ran from Brady’s land to Constitution Bend on the Channel. Partly through Brady’s efforts, President Benjamin Harrison signed the Rivers and Harbors Bill that led to substantial Port improvements. Brady Island on the Ship Channel is also named for this Houstonian. 137

  BRAEBURN: Braeburn Country Club is one of the oldest in Houston, being founded in 1926. The 150 acre property has a 6,808 yard, par 72 golf course originally designed by John Bredemus. From 1936 until 1941 the golf professional here was the great Jimmy Demaret. During his tenure many of his Hollywood friends, including Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, could be seen playing a round. 138

  BRAESWOOD: Braes is the Scottish word for hillside. 139

  BRAHMAN: In the western themed neighborhood of Southfork near Pearland a number of streets recall cattle breeds including this one. They originated in India. Due to centuries of inadequate food supplies, insects, parasites, diseases and extremely tropical weather the breed developed an ability to survive under very adverse conditions. They were shipped to the U. S. in 1849 and soon arrived in Texas where conditions were somewhat similar to those of India. The beast is easily recognized by the large hump over the shoulders and neck. 15

  BRAHMS: See sidebar It’s Music to My Ears, page 218.

  BRANARD: George A – The Branard family lived on this Montrose area street. Mr. Branard was a plumber for the city of Houston. 140

  BRANDT: (See koch.)

  BRANDT: Gustavus – Located in the James Bute Addition, this street is named for a gentleman who was a manager of the James Bute Paint Company. 141

  BRANIFF: T. E. – Bordering the south end of Hobby Airport this street is named for the founder of the now departed Braniff Airways.

  BRASHEAR: Isaac or Sam H. – There are two excellent possibilities here. Isaac Brashear was a surveyor whose name appears on the 1890 map where this street is first mentioned. It was commonplace at that time for surveyors to name a street for themselves in an area they were mapping.
Sam H. was what we would call today an environmentally in-touch mayor of Houston. He is best remembered for his strong position on acquiring land for green spaces. During his term (1898-1900) Sam Houston Park and Brashear Park (no longer on the city plats) were purchased. He could have been well enough known in 1890 to be honored with a street. 142

  BRAUTIGAM: Christoph and Martha Peter – These German immigrants settled near Tomball in the 1850s. They were cattlemen and ranchers. Their descendants operated a very successful grocery store in the area named Brautigam & Froelich. 143

  BRAXTON BRAGG: See sidebar the Antebellum Streets of River Plantation, page 122.

  BRAXTON: Warner – This freed slave was one of the first black men to purchase land in Texas. William E. Kendle, the wealthiest man in Fort Bend County, knew the emancipated slaves would need somewhere to live. So, in 1867 he purchased thousands of acres of land where Kendleton (named for Kendle in 1884) is today and sold 100 acre plots to them for $0.50-$1.50 per acre. (See Powell Point School and Gin.) 144

  BRAY: James – This gentleman was one of the area’s first Anglo settlers. He was a surveyor who worked for the Mexican government before Texas independence. In the 1820s he lived near the mouth of the bayou that now bears his name. (See Bray’s Bayou.) 145

  BRAY’S BAYOU: Rising just north of Clodine in northern Fort Bend County, Bray’s Bayou flows 14 miles to its mouth on Buffalo Bayou. (See Bray.) 146

  BRAZOS: Named for the longest river in Texas at 840 miles, its full name in Spanish is Brazos de Dios or Arms of God. Most historical accounts credit Francisco Vazquez de Coronado for naming the river when his men, almost dying of thirst in the Llano Estacado, were led to the headwaters by a band of Indians. 147

  BRAZOSPORT: This is a 214-acre urbanized industrial and port development near the mouth of the Brazos River south of Freeport. In was built in 1947. The name was taken from 18th century nautical charts. Today it services the marine, sulfur and chemical industries that dominate the area. 148