by Marks Hinton
BREMOND: Paul – A New Yorker who came to Texas in the 1840s, he had a successful general merchandise business. He wanted to build a railroad connecting Houston to North Texas. Bremond said he got the idea from a ghost. In 1856 he took over the Galveston & Red River Railroad and changed the name to the Houston & Central Texas Railway. After the Civil War he became interested in narrow gage railroads and started the Houston, East & West Texas Railway to build such a line from Houston to Laredo and Texarkana. He died in 1885 before the project got off the ground. 149
BRENTWOOD: Developers of River Oaks named many streets in that exclusive neighborhood for well-known country clubs around America or famous golf links in Scotland. It is likely this street was named after the New York club of the same name that was founded in 1900. 150
BRIAR HOLLOW: This lane was laid out paralleling the Texas & New Orleans railroad tracks and the Harris Count Flood Control Ditch in the 1940s. It went north from San Felipe, made a sharp left, a sharp right and ended in a cul-de-sac. On a Sunday the developer took his wife for a drive to see his latest project. A large gully or hollow ran through the property (still visible today). She mentioned the large number of briar bushes lining the estuary, inspiring the husband to name the street Briar Hollow. In 1971 the section paralleling the tracks was renamed East Briar Hollow and the east-west portion was renamed South Briar Hollow. Your author has lived on Briar Hollow Lane for many years. 151
BRIEFWAY: Developer B. F. Sturman called this street Briefway because it is only three blocks long. (See Southway.) 152
BRIG-O-DOON: This is another example of the lack of spelling ability on the part of our real estate developers. Famous American lyricist Alan Jay Lerner wrote the musical play Brigadoon in 1947. It became a film seven years later. It is the fanciful tale of a Scottish village that went to sleep in 1754 and only awakens for one day each century thereafter. 153
BRILEY: Felix H. - See sidebar Houston Streets Named for Men Killed During World War I, page 22.
BRILL: This family emigrated from Germany and settled in the Klein, Texas area. In the mid-1870s they, along with a number of other people, organized the Trinity Lutheran Church. Johannes Brill, his wife, Anna Schafer, and their daughter, Emilie arrived here in 1873. 154
BRINGHURST: George Hunter – This veteran of the Texas Revolution arrived in Houston in 1836. Captured at Goliad he was a prisoner of war until after the Battle of San Jacinto. Following the war he became a surveyor for Harris County and was eventually elected Wharf Master when the Port of Houston was still at the foot of Main Street. 155
BRITTMORE: Brit Moore was a dairy farmer in the area now called Denver Harbor. As urbanization closed in on his operation Moore sold it and moved west. He purchased a tract of land off Katy Road, cut a street through it and called it Brittmore. However he did not return to farming but chose real estate development, opening a “Red Flag” subdivision. (See sidebar “Red Flag” Subdivisions on page 81.) 156
BRITTON: Whitney – This New York native came to Texas in the early 1830s to fight in the Texas Revolution. He owned 300 acres near what is Baytown today. Britton died in 1841. 157
BROADMOOR: See sidebar Tennis or Golf, Anyone?, page 348.
BROADMOOR: The Broadmoor Corporation developed this neighborhood and thoroughfare off Telephone Road. 158
BROM BONES: Abraham “Brom” Bones is the town rowdy in Sleepy Hollow. He is competing with Ichabod Crane for the hand of the farmer’s daughter, Katrina. The story leads the reader to believe that Bones dressed up as the Headless Horseman and ran Crane out of town. (See Washington Irving, Crane, Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown.) 159
BROOKSHIRE-FULSHEAR: Captain Nathan Brookshire received a land grant here from Stephen F. Austin in 1835. He was a member of Austin’s fifth colony. The town became a booming agricultural area when the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad arrived allowing farmers to easily transport their crops to market. Since 1900 rice has been a major crop in Brookshire. (See Katy-Fulshear.) 160
BROOKSIDE VILLAGE: This community sprang up on the banks of Clear Creek in north central Brazoria County in the 1930s. It was once served by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. Today the population is about 2,000. 157
BROOKSIDE: This road leads to Brookside Village, a residential community that sits south of Houston on the Harris and Brazoria County lines. It was once a stop on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. Maps show this village as early as 1936 but it did not incorporate until 1959. 161
BROWN: Jonel Leonard – This black gentleman was Chairman of the Department of Economics, Social Sciences and Geography at Prairie View A & M University from 1944 until 1969. Brown earned his degrees at Morehouse College (A. B.) and University of Wisconsin (A. M.) and (Ph.D.) He authored books including Money and Banking (1957) and Principals of Economics (1959). He earned many honors during his long career including a Distinguished Service Award from Prairie View. 162
» BROWN: Street sign on the prairie View A&M campus
BROWN: This Providence, R.I. university was chartered in 1764 as Rhode Island College. It was renamed in 1804 for philanthropist Nicholas Brown. 163
BROWNE: John T. – This Fifth Ward resident was elected mayor of Houston (1892-96). His residence was one block off Lyons Avenue at Odin and Gregg. One of his civic projects was to pave Lyons with bricks. He succeeded in the task but had the paving halted when it went one block past his intersection, leaving the rest unpaved. 164
BROWNING: Robert – This famous English poet was the husband of another great poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. His masterpiece, The Ring and the Book, is a four-volume murder mystery. 165
BROWNWOOD: This upscale Baytown neighborhood and street are named for Edwin Rice Brown Sr. who purchased the property from Quincy Adams Wooster’s heirs. (See Wooster.) 166
BRUSHY CREEK: This Waller County road is named for this watercourse. It runs 10 miles and empties into Spring Creek. The name is derived from the abundance of elm, hackberry, loblolly pine and short leaf pine trees that line its banks. On February 13, 1687 the French explorer Rene La Salle crossed this creek on his way to the Trinity River. 167
BRUTUS: Marcus Junius – This Roman, along with Cassius and other conspirators, assassinated Julius Caesar on the Ides of March 44 B.C. He and Cassius fled Rome and took up arms against Marc Anthony who defeated them at the Battle of Philippi in 42 B.C. Brutus committed suicide after the battle. (See Cassius, Caesar and Marc Anthony) 168
BRYAN BEACH: This Gulf of Mexico coastal village is named for James Perry Bryan, a landowner in Brazoria County in the 1880s. Today it is principally a State Recreation Area used by beachgoers and fishermen. 169
BRYAN: John L. – This gentleman practiced dentistry in the Baytown area in the 1850s when he charged $1 to extract a tooth. He was a founder of Texas Methodist Church. 170
BRYAN: Louis R. Sr. (See Angleton.)
BRYAN: See sidebar Brazoria County’s Old Plantation Streets and Roads, page 258.
BRYN MAR: Bryn Mar College, located in the small Pennsylvania town of the same name, is credited with introducing “historic gothic” architecture to the U.S. The campus is modeled after Oxford and Cambridge in the U.K. 171
BUCCANEER: See sidebar Pirates of the Caribbean, page 280.
BUCKINGHAM: Located in a neighborhood with English street names, it is most likely named for Buckingham Palace in London. Built as a house in 1705 for John Sheffield, the duke of Buckingham, it was converted into a palace in the 1820’s. Since that time it has been the principal residence of the reigning English monarch. Today it draws huge crowds of tourists to witness the pomp and circumstance of the changing of the guard. 104
BUCKNER: B. P. – He was mayor of Houston in 1847-1848. Buckner served two terms during a financially difficult time for the city. Our treasury was broke and creditors were owed $1,300. However he was popular enough to be re-elected and have a street named for him. 172
BUDDE CEMETERY: This road leads to the historic old Budde family cemetery, also known as
the Budde-Holzwarth cemetery. Among the early pioneer families buried here are the Lemms, Mittelstaedts, Haudes, Holzwarths and Tautenhahns. 173
BUETEL: Louis and Mary – This couple arrived in the Spring Valley area in the 1840s from Germany. Their property was near where Campbell and Westview intersect today. 174
BUFFALO RUN: This road runs in front of Thurgood Marshall High School in Missouri City. Their mascot is the buffalo. 175
BUFFALO SPEEDWAY: Urban legend says there was an automobile racetrack located south of where St. John’s School is on the corner of Westheimer and Buffalo Speedway that has long ceased to exist, as have the stock car racetracks at Arrowhead Park on Old Spanish Trail and at Playland Park on South Main. However, this is not true. The street earned its name when a mile long strip of concrete was laid where Buffalo Speedway is today. It seems every boy with a hot rod wanted to see how fast he could go on this smooth, straight strip, thus the name. 176
BUFORD: See sidebar Texas Heroes’ Names for Houston Streets Urged in 72 Proposed Changes, page 96.
BULL RUN: This is a small stream in northeast Virginia where two battles in the War Between the States occurred. On July 21, 1861 the Battle of Bull Run, or Manassas as Southerners call it, occurred. It was the first major engagement of the Civil War and was a victory for the Confederate States of America. The second battle, also a win for the Confederacy, took place on August 29, 1862. 177
BUNKER HILL: There are two possibilities for this street. First, there was a landowner in the area in the 1840s named Isaac Bunker. Second, another story says that prior to WW I this road was called Bunker, again possibly for the early settler. Later the name was changed to Bunker Hill to honor the June 17, 1775 battle between the British and the American Colonists during the War of Independence. 178
BURGUNDY: See sidebar Laissez les bon temps roulez (Let the good times roll), page 188.
BURKETT: John Robbins – Since many Houstonians killed during World War I had streets named in their honor in the 1920s it’s possible this one is named for a U. S. Army captain killed in France on September 18, 1918. He was the only attorney from our city who perished in the Great War. He was remembered with a tribute by the Harris County Bar Association that stated “A gallant knight without fear and without reproach.” Burkett Street first appears on the city map in 1924. 179
BURKHARDT: Take a look at a map of northwest Harris County to see how many family and church cemeteries are located there. Most of these were started by German immigrants who settled here and built Lutheran churches and dug burying grounds. The Burkhardt family arrived in the late 1800s and members are buried in the Siedel (Rosewood) cemetery including William Burkhardt (1837-1915). (See Siedel Cemetery.) 16
BURLINGTON: The developer of the Westmoreland Addition, W. W. Baldwin, named this street for his hometown of Burlington, Iowa. 180
BURLINGTON: This Montgomery County street recalls the Burlington Railroad. Started in 1849, over the next 150 years the line bought more than 390 other rail lines including such famous names as Great Northern, Frisco and Santa Fe. Today it is known as the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. (See Santa Fe.) 181
BURMA: This is one of many streets in Houston’s South Park Addition relating to World War II. This one most likely recalls the Burma Road, a lifeline used to transport military supplies, gasoline and other war materials to China. However, in May 1942 the Japanese Army seized the road cutting off the supply line. In order to continue re-supplying the Chinese Army cargo planes began flying materials over the Himalayas. Needless to say, this was a very dangerous operation with very high incidents of accidents. Called “flying the Burma Hump,” it was successful airlifting over 650,000 tons of war materials. It was the largest air bridge in the world until the 1949 Berlin airlift. Such legendary military figures as Generals Orde Wingate and Joseph Stillwell, Lord Mountbatten and Merrill’s Marauders saw action there. 182
BURNET: David Gouverneur – Burnet, a lawyer, came to Texas in 1826. He was President of the Republic of Texas in the difficult period following independence. Burnet opposed succession. Elected to the U. S. Senate in 1866, he was not allowed to be sworn in because Texas was a slave state. Burnet County was named for him following his death. Burnet Elementary School on Canal Street also honors this early Texan. 183
BURNET: Hannah Este – This early Baytown resident was the wife of David G. Burnet. Born in Morriston, N. J. in 1800 she died in 1858. Baytown honored her with this street. (See Burnet.) 184
BURNETT: John H. – This gentleman, who helped in drawing the plan for our neighboring community of Pasadena in 1893, once owned more than 3,000 acres that comprise the town today. 185
BURNING TREE: This hilly Bethesda, Maryland golf club was founded in 1924. It has been a favorite course of American Presidents because of its proximity to the White House. Its signature 16th hole is a 412-yard par four. Linksters must clear an elevated fairway and negotiate a small, well-bunkered green to score well here. Exclusively a men’s club, ladies are not allowed on the course. 186
BURRELL’S CHAPEL: Located on Bailey’s Prairie in Brazoria County this road leads to this small chapel. It was built in 1900 and is named for the first pastor Reverend Burrell. (See Bailey.) 187
BURTON CEMETERY: This far west Harris County road leads to the Burton-Mathis-Canon cemetery. At first this burying ground was solely used by the Burton and Mathis families. Some of the older tombstones here are W. T. (1833-1910) and Judge J. (1882-1947) Mathis. It appears that the Canon name was added much later as the Canon Funeral Home of Waller, Texas became associated with this property. (See Mathis) 35
BUTE: James – This son of a Scottish immigrant inherited the family business, Bute Paint Company, that still exists. In addition he was a landowner whose holdings included the area today near the street known as Westmoreland. He was very interested in gardening and became the first treasurer of the Texas Horticultural Society. 188
BUTLER: George W. – He settled in the Houston area in 1873. His land was located at the confluence of Clear Creek and Chigger Creek in northern Galveston County. The town was called Butler’s Ranch or Clear Creek until it was renamed League City in 1893. (See League.) 189
BUTTERFIELD: The Butterfield Overland Mail was a stagecoach line that ran from St. Louis to Memphis, across Texas to El Paso, through New Mexico, on to Tucson and Fort Yuma in Arizona, turned north at San Diego and ended in San Francisco. It commenced service on September 15, 1858. The line was created to speed up mail service from the East coast to California. Travel time for a letter from St. Louis to San Francisco was less than 25 days. Maritime delivery of mail either around Cape Horn or through the Caribbean, across Panama on horseback and by ship to San Francisco took considerably longer. The line was named for its founder John Butterfield of Utica, New York. 190
NOW THAT’S A SPICY MEATBALL
If Julia Childs, Marcella Hazen or Diana Kennedy were to move to our area I suspect they would gravitate to a small suburb of Baytown named Preston Place. The reason – the culinary street names. In this little neighborhood we find Caraway, Thyme, Tarragon, Cinnamon, Cilantro, Ginger and Taro. And just in case someone burns a finger on a hot skillet you could treat the blister with Aloe. 7
BUTTERFLY: Along with other operatic related street names in this Memorial neighborhood, this lane honors the two-act Italian opera by Puccini, “Madam Butterfly.” It premiered in Milan in 1904. It is the story of a beautiful Japanese heroine who is deserted by an American naval officer. This opera contains a musical error in that the samisen is a lute-like stringed instrument that is plucked with the fingers and not a gong as Puccini made it. 191
BYRNE: Hugo O. – See sidebar Houston Streets Named for Men Killed During World War I, page 22.
BYRON: George Gordon Noel – This troubled soul, considered one of England’s greatest poets and satirists, made great contributions to the literature of the Romantic Era. His downfall was the result of his prodigious sexual appetite. Byron’s outcast status caused him to le
ave Britain in a self-imposed exile. Late in life while living with his mistress in Venice he became involved in the cause to gain Greek independence. He died of a fever in 1819. 192
C
C.E. KING: This gentleman was a large landowner in Harris County. He developed Southpark following World War II. Many of the streets in this neighborhood are named for famous battles of that conflict and their histories are detailed elsewhere in this book. These starter homes could be bought for $50 per month in the 1950s. King said his goal was to build houses “young people may buy and be proud of.” Old timers may recall the twin screen King Center Drive-In. Once located near where Loop 610 South and M. L. King intersect, it has been closed for years. The theater became infamous in it final days. With the popularity of drive-in theaters waning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, economic considerations forced operators to adopt drastic measures to keep the gates open. The King Center began showing pornographic films that evening commuters on the Loop could not help noticing. But even the likes of Deep Throat and Debbie Does Dallas couldn’t save the King. 1
CABELL: William Louis – A graduate of West Point he resigned his commission in 1861 to fight for the South in the War Between the States. He was a brigadier general in the Army of the Potomac. Cabell saw action in more than 30 battles. He was wounded at Hatcher’s Creek in 1862 and captured at Mine Creek in 1864. Following the War he graduated from law school and moved to Dallas. He was elected mayor of that city in 1874 and served several terms until 1883. 2
CADENZA: See sidebar It’s Music to My Ears, page 218.
CADUCEUS: It is only appropriate that a city like Galveston with its long association with the University of Texas Medical Branch would have a street named for this insignia symbolizing a physician. The symbol is a staff with two entwined serpents and two wings. The caduceus dates back to 1577. 3
