by Marks Hinton
MAHAFFEY: Amos – This Scotch-Irish settler arrived in the north Harris County area from Mississippi following the War Between the States. He purchased part of the original Elizabeth Smith league and settled down with his wife and eight children. 12
MAHAFFEY: R. O. – He was a merchant who opened the first general store in Tomball in 1908. Located in a two story building, the store was on the ground floor and the family lived upstairs. His daughter, Hazel, was the first baby born in Tomball. 13
MAID MARIAN: She was the lover of the mythical Robin Hood, the English hero/ bandit who was known to rob from the rich and give to the poor.
MAIN: In the minds of Houston founders John and Augustus Allen as well as chief surveyors Gail and Thomas Borden this was to be our city’s most important thoroughfare. As a result it was platted at 90-feet wide versus 80-feet for the other 16 streets on the first map of Houston in 1836. For many years it was the king of our streets. The best merchants built their stores on it. The leading banks, hotels, entertainment palaces and restaurants were here. At the south end the city’s leading citizens built their palatial homes. The changing demographics of our city resulted in a slow process of decay for Main that began in the late 1970s and continues today. Hopefully the new Metro light rail project and other plans can restore it to something of its former glory. 14
» MAIN: Palatial homes on Main
MAISON ROUGE: Upon his arrival in Galveston, Jean Lafitte, the famous pirate, built a home and called it Maison Rouge (Red House) as that was the color he painted it. It was part residence and part fort with cannons. Legend says it was beautifully furnished with booty he captured. When the United States government demanded he depart the county, Lafitte burned Maison Rouge and sailed off into history. The ruins of this house can be seen in Galveston today. (See Lafitte.) 15
MAJESTIC PRINCE: Legendary jockey Bill Hartack (who rode five winners in 12 rides at the Kentucky Derby) won the 1969 Derby on Majestic Prince. It was the only overwhelming favorite Hartack mounted in the “Run for the Roses,” going off at 6-5. The race was close but the Prince won by a neck. 16
MAJESTIC: This Denver Harbor street recalls the magnificent Majestic Theater at the corner of Texas and Milam. Jesse H. Jones built it in 1910 at a cost of $300,000. “Actors praised it, for every comfort has been provided for them, both in the modern dressing room and the large and fully equipped stage. The public appreciates it because in the whole house there is no angle, no obstructing pillar nor column and no seat that does not furnish a good view of the stage” according to an early newspaper review. 17
» MAJESTIC: Program cover
MAJURO: See sidebar Bali Hai May Call You, page 322.
MAKATEA: See sidebar Bali Hai May Call You, page 322.
MALMEDY: The Malmedy Massacre occurred on December 17, 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. An American truck convoy was intercepted by a German Panzer tank division. The outgunned Americans surrendered. The Germans herded the 81 POWs into a nearby field and mowed them down with machine guns. Survivors were shot in the head where they fell. It was the worst atrocity against American troops in Europe. Following the war 74 Germans were tried and convicted of these war crimes. 18
MALONE: William – This Houston real estate promoter bought 3,000 acres in north Harris County in 1907. Malone paid approximately $9,100 for this acreage. A small town named Peck was located on his property. He replatted the land and changed the name to Tomball. (See Tomball.) 19
MALTBY: W. J. – Another member of Walker’s Texas Division, he was the Captain of Company G of the 17th Texas Volunteer Infantry. 20
MAN O’ WAR: This street is named for arguably the best racehorse that ever lived. Known as “Big Red” he raced 21 times and posted 20 wins during his two-year career (1919-1920). His only loss was in Saratoga where he was second to Upset, thus prompting the use of that word for a victory by an underdog. He did not run in the Kentucky Derby, as his owner did not believe it wise to run a three-year-old horse 1-1/4 miles so early in the year. He did win the Preakness, Belmont and set five world records. He went on to sire another champion for which we have a street name - War Admiral. (See War Admiral.) 21
MANASSAS: Also known as Bull Run, this small Virginia town had two battles fought over it. The first on July 21, 1861 saw the Confederates under General Pierre Beauregard rout the Union army under the command of General Irvin McDowell. Almost a year later on August 30, 1862 the result was the same with General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s Southerners defeating General John Pope’s Federals. 22
MANCHESTER: This Houston Ship Channel community was a stop on the Texas & New Orleans Railroad in the 1860s. Since the 1920s the Manchester Corporation has operated a large freight terminal on the south bank of the Channel near Brady Island. 23
MANGUM: Eugene – This gentleman owned Mangum Development Company. He was asked to attend a meeting at the Houston Planning & Development Department. When he arrived the committee informed him they were naming a road in his honor. 24
MANSVELT: See sidebar Pirates of the Caribbean, page 280.
MANVEL: Originally named Pomona, the name was changed to Manvel when it was discovered that a west Texas town was already know as Pomona. It was named for the president of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. The first settlers arrived here in 1857 but the town did not develop until 1890. In 1931 oil was discovered here and Manvel became a very prosperous place. Today it is known as a large rice producing area. 25
MAPLE VALLEY: This street, along with Shady River and Stones Throw, were named for streets where Mary Catherine Farrington’s classmates at Randolph-Macon Women’s College lived, according to her book, Tanglewood, The Story of William Giddings Farrington. 26
MAPLETON: This Iowa town was the home of Q. A. Wooster, Baytown area pioneer, prior to moving to Texas. (See Wooster.) 27
MARC ANTHONY: One of ancient Rome’s famous citizens, he is most remembered for his “friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears…” speech after the assassination of Julius Caesar. He was given the eastern third of the Roman Empire to govern but, following his torrid affair with Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, and a falling out with Octavian, he committed suicide after a major military defeat by other Roman forces. (See Brutus, Cassius and Caeser.)
MARCELLA: Marcella Perry was the daughter of James G. Donovan, the City Attorney of Houston Heights. She is remembered as the founder of Heights Savings & Loan as well as for her “Econo-casts” that were heard for years on radio and television. A beloved citizen of the Heights she earned the nickname of “Mrs. Heights.” (See Donovan.) 28
MAREK: This family was among the first people to settle in the small town of Guy. (See old Guy.) 29
MARIACHI: See sidebar Learn a Foreign Language on Your Morning Walk, page 125.
MARJORIE: This lady was the daughter of David C. Bintliff. Developer Frank Sharp name it for her and named Beverly for her sister. (See Bintliff and Sharpstown.) 30
MARKS: Emil Henry – Much to my regret this Addicks area road is not named for the author of this opus. However, it does remember one of the county’s more interesting men. Born October 26, 1881 in Addicks, he was the son of a German immigrant who arrived in Texas in 1833. He went to work on a ranch following the death of his father. Marks was only 10 years old. In 1898 he went out on his own and bought his first Longhorn steer. By 1913 he was leading trail drives into Houston every week. In 1917 he bought a section of land and opened the LH-7 Ranch. By the 1950s he owned the largest private herd of Longhorn cattle in the world and was known as the “Longhorn King of Texas.” 31
» MARKS: Street sign near location of E. H. Marks ranch
MARLOWE: Christopher – This 16th century English dramatist’s writings had a profound influence on William Shakespeare. His works include Dr. Faustus, The Jew of Malta and Hero and Leander. Marlow died in a tavern fight, stabbed to death by another patron. 32
MARQUETTE: Opened in 1881 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this co-educational university is operated by the Je
suit Fathers. 33
MARTEN: Rosehill’s Salem Lutheran Church is the oldest Lutheran congregation in Texas, founded in 1852. In the 1870’s another wave of German settlers arrived in north Harris County. Many of these new immigrants joined Salem including the Marten family. 34
MARTENS: The Martens were early settlers in the Tomball area. William Martens was the first justice of the peace. Family members are interred in the Seidel (Rosehill) Cemetery. (See Siedel Cemetery.) 35
MARTIN LUTHER KING: This street is named in honor of the African-American clergyman and civil rights leader. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Under his leadership the civil rights movement employed non-violent tactics to achieve racial equality. One of his greatest successes was in 1963 with 250,000 people in the Washington March. This event brought about the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts in 1965. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968.36
MARTIN: Daniel W. – A La Grange native this black student arrived at Prairie View A & M University in 1911 to study agriculture. He changed his degree to mechanical arts and graduated in 1918. The following year Martin was hired by the school as a Refrigeration Engineer. He became a instructor after earning his B. S. in Electricity in 1924. His five children also graduated from this university. 37
» MARTIN: Street sign on Prairie View A & M Campus
MARTIN: Wyly – He was born in Georgia in 1776. Under the command of General Andrew Jackson, Martin fought in the War of 1812. He arrived in Texas in the 1820s and received a league of land. He was a captain in the Texas Army during the fight for independence. Martin settled near Richmond and was elected Chief Justice of Fort Bend County. He died in 1842. 38
MARTINA: See sidebar Tennis or Golf, Anyone?, page 348.
MARY BATES: This Sharpstown area thoroughfare is named for the wife of W. B. Bates, a real estate developer. 39
MARY LOU: Mary Lou Henry of Vernon G. Henry and Associates Planning Consultants worked for the Planning & Development Department of Houston in the 1960s. A developer brought in a plat with a duplicate street name on it. Since duplication is prohibited, a senior officer, whom everyone called Miss Mack, decided to rename the street Mary Lou. Mrs. Henry’s expertise on our city’s street names was of great value to your author in writing this book. 40
MARY MOODY NORTHEN: Born in Galveston in 1892 she was the granddaughter of financier William L. Moody. She was very active in business and philanthropy. Northen was president of American National Insurance Company, Moody Bank, Galveston News and W. L. Moody Cotton Company to mention some of her interests. She chaired the Moody Foundation, commissioned the outdoor historical drama, Lone Star, established the Railroad Museum and helped to found Texas A& M Maritime Academy. Moody was so critical in the Galveston Historical Society’s acquisition of the Elissa that the figurehead on the vessel has her face on it. (See Moody and Elissa.) 41
MARY’S CREEK: Also known as Mary’s Bayou, the two forks of this stream join near Pearland and flow 12 miles to its mouth on Clear Creek. (See Clear Creek.) 42
MASONIC PARK: This Brazoria street recalls a March 1835 day when six Masons met under a large oak tree, since known as the “Masonic Oak,” and founded the first Masonic Lodge in Texas. 43
MASSEY: Charles D. – He was a Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner from 1927 until 1935. Among his accomplishments during this eight year term were: opening Market Street to Houston Street and completing the Hog Island Causeway to the Morgan’s Point Ferry. He also had a ferry named for him that could carry 20 cars from Hog Island to Morgan’s Point. 44
MASTERS: This most prestigious golf tournament in the world was originally named the Augusta National Invitational Tournament by founder Robert “Bobby” Trent Jones in 1934. Five years later it was changed to The Masters. Many of golf’s greatest players have triumphed here including Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. 45
MATCH POINT: See sidebar Tennis or Golf, Anyone?, page 348.
MATHIS: This road runs south from Waller, Texas into Fort Bend County. The Mathis family were early settlers in this area. Many of the family members are interred in the Burton-Mathis-Canon Cemetery at the corner of Burton Cemetery and Mathis roads. (See Burton Cemetery.) 46
MATISSE: Henri – The Memorial area neighborhood of Gaywood is filled with streets associated with artists, composers and operas. One of the most famous French painters of the 19th century, Matisse was greatly influenced by the Impressionists. He was an important member of the “les fauves” group. He is renown for his unique treatment of light in his paintings. 47
MATZKE: (See Koch.)
MAUI: See sidebar Bali Hai May Call You, page 322.
MAXEY: The Maxey Lumber Company named this road in the 1930s. 48
MAY: Pam, Holli and Sandy – These three women own May Airport, a private landing strip in northwest Harris County. The elevation here is 166 feet and the runway is 3,440 feet long. 49, 50
MAYDE CREEK: South Mayde Creek is a 16-mile watercourse with headwaters north of Katy, Texas that meanders southeast, emptying into Buffalo Bayou. 51
McASHAN: Samuel Maurice – This Virginian came to Texas in 1844. He moved to Houston in 1863 where he was hired as the cashier of Thomas W. House’s private bank. David Bintliff, one of the city’s well-known financiers and philanthropists, was a young man when he went to work for McAshan. Bintliff says, “I was the flunky auditor. When he heard I was engaged to be married, he called me into his office and gave me a big raise, I mean a whopper: a five-dollar a month raise.” McAshan was a founder of the Houston Cotton Exchange & Board of Trade. 52, 53
McCABE: This family were early settlers in the La Porte area. 54
McCALL: Andrew - See sidebar Houston Streets Named for Men Killed During World War I, page 22.
McCALL: Screven Aaron – This attorney was born in Georgia in 1861. He moved to Texas in 1876 and opened a law office in Willis. McCall served as District Attorney for Montgomery County from 1899 until 1906. He was appointed a District Judge in 1929. His office was eventually moved to Montgomery where it is now open to the public. 55
McCARTY: J. C. – This gentleman was a railroad surveyor in the late 1800s. The proximity of this road to the huge Englewood Rail Yard south of U. S. 90 leads me to believe McCarty is named for him. In 1904 he gave up surveying and partnered with James B. Earthman Sr. to found Earthman & McCarty Undertaking Company. Upon his death the firm’s name was changed to J. B. Earthman Company. This long time Houston family still operates Earthman Funeral Directors and Cemeteries today. 56
McCORMICK: See sidebar Brazoria County’s Old Plantation Streets and Roads, page 258.
McCRARY: The McCrary’s owned a considerable amount of acreage where this Fort Bend County road is located. They were farmers and ranchers. 57
McDONALD: Allen J. – See sidebar Houston Streets Named for Men Killed During World War I, page 22.
McDONALD: R. D. – He was a land developer in Sweeny during the early 20th century who was president of Bernard River Land Development Company. McDonald donated a plot of land to every church denomination in Sweeny. The town was named for John Sweeny, a plantation owner in the area. 58
McENROE MATCH: John McEnroe was one of America’s greatest professional tennis players. He won the U. S. Open in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1984. McEnroe added the men’s singles crown at Wimbledon to his trophy case in 1982, 1983 and 1984. He was also a great doubles player winning three of those championships at the U.S. Open and four more at Wimbledon. McEnroe is also remembered for his bad temper and penchant for screaming at referees and linesmen. 59
McGOWEN: Andrew – McGowen was a tinsmith. He also owned a general store that sold copperware, cooking stoves and hardware, much of which he manufactured. Elected mayor in 1867, the election was remarkable, according to a newspaper account, because it was “unmarred by a single fight.” During his term, enough wooden rails were laid on McKinney Avenue to operate the city’s first mule-drawn streetcar in 1868. The fares were a dime for
adults and a nickel for children. 60
McHARD: This family were early settlers of Fort Bend County. 61
» MclLHENNY: The Mcllhenny home was known as “The Gables”
McILHENNY: Samuel K. – Named for an early Houston merchant, McIlhenny Company’s offices were at Franklin and Fannin. He was also a director and organizer of the Houston Cotton Exchange and Board of Trade in 1874. He served as president of the Exchange on several occasions. (See Anita.) 62
McINTOSH: John McK. – See sidebar Houston Streets Named for Men Killed During World War I, page 22.
McKEE: Frostown expert Kirk Ferris believes McKee was a freed slave who owned property in this historic area following Emancipation. The McKee Street Bridge is one of Houston’s architectural jewels. Built in 1932 under the direction of City Bridge Engineer James G. McKenzie, this colorful, undulating span’s beams demonstrate how the design carries the weight of the bridge and its traffic. Ferris was responsible for the renovation and painting of the bridge in 1985. (See photograph on page 214.) 63
» McKEE: McKee Street Bridge
McKINNEY: Collin – This gentleman was a signatory of the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836. His grandsons, who owned the Milam Brothers Brickyard in Baytown, named the street for him. 64
McKINNEY: Thomas F. – As one of Stephen F. Austin’s Old Three Hundred colonists, McKinney was given a league of land in what is today Brazos County. He became wealthy through trading, lumber and agriculture. In 1834 he partnered with Samuel M. Williams and established the largest commission-merchant firm in Texas. That company helped finance the Texas Revolution by advancing the Republic $150,000 and issuing notes that circulated as legal tender. McKinney became a famous thoroughbred breeder. He was opposed to Secession but reluctantly accepted it. Employed as an agent for Simeon Hart, the Confederate quartermaster for Texas, McKinney sold cotton to Mexico to purchase arms, ammunition and other necessary war supplies. The Civil War and a disastrous speculation in cotton ruined McKinney and he died broke. 65
