Historic Houston Streets

by Marks Hinton

  PINE ISLAND: This small town is southeast of Hempstead. It was founded when settlers erected the Pine Island Baptist Church in the 1880s. This street, named for the church, is one of the main thoroughfares here. 50

  PINE VALLEY: Information from the real estate firm of Robin Elverson says this street is named for the Clementon, New Jersey country club. For his first round here, a young and not-yet-so-famous or wealthy Arnold Palmer broke par, won enough money to buy an engagement ring and eloped with his bride. 51

  PINEHURST: This small Montgomery County village was founded in 1860 under the name of “Prairie Home.” In 1871 it was rechristened as “Hunters Retreat.” With the arrival of the International-Great Northern Railroad it was renamed again to its present name. This short loop recalls the town. 52

  PINETEX: See sidebar Howdy Tex, page 263.

  PINEVIEW: In 1923 Edward L. Crane purchased this east side tract of land. Due to its proximity to the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad tracks, Crane needed all of his creative talents to make the neighborhood attractive to prospective buyers. Many trees were planted to wall off the unsightly tracks. In another marketing ploy Crane called the neighborhood “Pineview Place - The Rose Garden of Houston.” The houses here were prefabricated and were made in the Crane Ready Cut House Company plant. (See Edloe.) 53

  PINEY POINT: Records indicate that in 1824 Stephen F. Austin issued a one league land grant to John D. Taylor. The property was centered on “Pine Point” at the southernmost turn of Buffalo Bayou. Taylor called his plantation home “Piney Point.” 54

  PINO: See sidebar Learn a Foreign Language on Your Morning Walk, page 125.

  PINTO: (See Appaloosa.)

  PIPER: It makes sense that a road adjacent to an airport would be named for an airplane. William Thomas Piper developed this light aircraft in 1937. The Piper Cub was originally designed for flight training but the USAF bought 5,677 for observation planes during World War II. After the war it became very popular with civilian pilots.55

  PIPING ROCK: The Piping Rock Club, founded in 1912, is located in Locust Valley, New York. Unlike our street, that golf course is built on rolling terrain with numerous water hazards. 56

  » PIPING ROCK: ONE OF The old tile street markers

  OUR HISTORIC CURBSIDE CERAMIC TILE STREET MARKERS

  In River Oaks, Houston Heights and Montrose, to mention a few older neighborhoods, some streets still have their name and block number in tile on the curb at the end of each block. The city began using this form of identification in the 1920s and carried the practice into the early 1950s. It was cheap, attractive, durable and easy to read. Unfortunately, the growing popularity of the automobile brought an end to this naming practice. Drivers were going faster and found that street signs on poles were easier to read at higher speeds. Today while a number of these relics remain in pristine condition, most are in various states of deterioration. Age, contact with automobiles and trucks, re-paving, recurbing, name changes and destruction for handicapped access at corners have all taken their toll on this pleasant reminder of Houston’s more slower paced past. But the next time you are out for a Sunday drive (also a practice that has waned in modern times) look for these beautiful pieces of artwork and craftsmanship. 39

  PIPPINS: Oscar – A black lawman, he joined the faculty of Prairie View A & M University in 1937. Pippins worked in the Men’s Department. In addition to his 20 years of service to the university as a law enforcement officer, he was a night watchman and deputy sheriff in Waller County. 57

  PIRTLE: Jess R. – Government officials have the power to name streets for themselves and can’t resist the desire to do so. This Sugar Land alderman (1959) did just that. 58

  PITCHING WEDGE: This is a golf club. This wedge is characterized by a high loft (typically 45-60 degrees) to increase trajectory and significant sole weighting to help on grass. It is also heavier than the typical iron. 59

  PITTS: B. H. – The City of Pasadena was incorporated in 1928. This gentleman was the first city marshal. 60

  PITTS: This Katy area road is named for one of the earlier settlers in that area. The family arrived here in 1894. 61

  PITTSBURGH: The University of Pittsburgh was founded in 1787. Initially a private school known as Pittsburgh Academy, it became a state school in 1966. The school is renown for its scientific research. In 1932 the chemical structure of Vitamin C was established here. Twenty-three years later in 1955, Dr. Jonas Salk produced his famous polio vaccine. 62

  PIZNER: Nathan L. – See sidebar Houston Streets Named for Men Killed During World War I, page 22.

  PIÑATA: See sidebar Learn a Foreign Language on Your Morning Walk, page 125.

  PLEAK: This small village south of Richmond developed as a result of an oil discovery in the Pleak Oil Field in the 1920s. A cotton gin built by Wilber Krenek in 1934 was still in operation in the 1990s. 63

  PLEASANTVILLE: This black Houston neighborhood was developed by Judson Robinson Sr. in the early 1950s. His son later became a Houston city council member. 64

  PLEDGER: Stephen F. Austin’s colonists began settling near what would become Pledger between 1824 and 1827. John Walton Brown, the town’s first postmaster, named it for the family of his deceased wife, Narcissa Pledger, in 1880. Pledger became a boom town in the 1920s and 30s with the discovery of sulfur at Newgulf. The area has always been used for agriculture. Today the main crops are turf grass and pecans. (See Newgulf Access.) 65

  PLUM GROVE: This is the main street of the small (population 480) Liberty County town of the same name. Unlike many villages in this area Plum Grove is a relative newcomer, being incorporated in 1968. 66

  PLUMB: Preston R. – This gentleman was a real estate developer in Houston. He began building homes in West University Place in 1925. Preston Place Addition in that area is named for him also. Plumb, along with Manuel Meyerhoff and Charles Coskey, began developing the Rice Village shopping center in 1932. Plumb was also a city commissioner. 67

  PLUMTEX: See sidebar Howdy Tex, page 263.

  POCAHONTAS: She was the daughter of American Indian chief Powhatan. Legend has it that when her father was about to kill Captain John Smith, leader of the Jamestown settlers, she saved Smith’s life by placing her head on his chest and begging for mercy. Pocahontas married settler John Rolfe in 1614. In her native tongue her name translates as “playful one.” 68

  POINT CLEAR: See sidebar Tennis or Golf, Anyone?, page 348.

  POLARIS: See sidebar Starry Night, page 111.

  POLK: James K. – James Polk was president of the United States during the annexation controversy. In 1837 the Van Buren administration had opposed Texas joining the Union. By 1841 President Tyler was worried about British intentions concerning the state. These fears reached a fever pitch during the presidential campaign of 1844. Polk won the election. Because of his support for Texas annexation Houston honored him with a street. 69

  POLLEY: Joseph H. – This veteran of the War of 1812 was born in 1795. He accompanied Stephen F. Austin on his first trip to Mexico. Polley was awarded a land grant in 1824 and named a member of the Old 300. He established a ranch near Richmond and raised a herd totaling 150,000 head of cattle. 70

  POLO PONY: Located on the property of the Houston Polo Club this street is named for the hardy equines that are critical to that game. Polo ponies are of no special breed. Most are thoroughbreds or three-quarter thoroughbreds. These brave animals must be able to stop on a dime, accelerate rapidly, turn quickly and have no fear of colliding with other fast moving animals.71

  » POLO PONY

  POMEROY: This family settled in Pasadena, Texas, in 1901. Payson Pomeroy has the distinction of being the first person interred in Crown Hill Cemetery, an old burying ground on the banks of Vince Bayou. C. David Pomeroy Jr. is the author of Pasadena: The Early Years, the definitive text on the city’s history from 1890 until 1937. 72

  PONCHARTRAIN: See sidebar Laissez les bon temps roulez (Let the good times roll), page 188.

  PONCE DE LEON: Born
in Spain in 1460, this sailor joined Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World in 1493. As a reward for his service to the Spanish crown De Leon was given the right to search for Bimini, an island in the Bahamas chain, rumored to be the location of the Fountain of Youth. Legend said if you drank its waters you would never grow old. In 1513 his expedition set out. He completely missed the Bahamas and landed on the east coast of what he would name Florida, from the Spanish word for flower, flora, because of its tropical beauty. In 1521 de Leon set sail again. Unfortunately, upon arriving in Florida the landing party was attacked by Indians and the great explorer died of his wounds. 73

  POOR FARM: This road ran south of the town of Wharton to the Wharton County Poor Farm. For many years most counties in Texas established communities where indigents could live. In Houston there is a ditch that runs through the posh neighborhood of West University that is still called Poor Farm Ditch which was on Harris County’s farm. 74

  PORT ROYAL: See sidebar Tennis or Golf, Anyone?, page 348.

  PORTER: This rural Montgomery County road intersects FM 1314 that leads to the small town of Porter (sometimes referred to as Porters). Founded in the late 1800s Porter was the county seat from 1896 until 1915. The town’s most famous resident was astronaut Robert L. Crippen who piloted the space shuttle Columbia in 1981. 75

  PORTER: William – He was an attorney in the Nathaniel H. Davis law firm in the town of Montgomery beginning in 1849. L. D. Jones (1861) and Charles Jones (1855) were also lawyers in that firm. 76

  POST OAK: The post oak (also known as the cross or iron oak) occurs in all areas of Texas except the High Plains and the Trans-Pecos. It can reach 75 feet high with a dense, rounded canopy. The leaves have a distinctive cross shape while the bark is thick with plate-like scales thus the other two names for this deciduous tree. 77

  POTOMAC: See sidebar America the Beautiful, page 176.

  POWELL POINT CEMETERY: (See Powell Point School.)

  POWELL POINT SCHOOL: In the 1890s Powell Point, the school and the cemetery were named for Elizabeth Powell. She was given a land grant here by Stephen F. Austin in the early 1830s. In 1869 William E. Kendle purchased thousands of acres of farm land here to sell to Freedmen following the War Between the States. He subdivided the plots into 100 acre sections and sold these for $0.50-$1.50 per acre exclusively to the freed slaves. Telly B. Richardson, a native of Kendleton, established the two-room schoolhouse in 1904. Kendleton remains principally a black community. (See Braxton.) 78

  POWER: James – An Irish merchant and adventurer, Power came to Texas in 1826. He was very active politically and was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Power served as a representative in the 2nd Congress of the Republic. 79

  PRAIRIE VIEW-WALLER: This road recalls these two Waller County towns. Prairie View was originally named Alta Vista, for the plantation owned by Jared E. and Helen M. Kirby. It was one of four owned by that family in the area in the 1860s. Kirby died in 1867, leaving his wife in debt. To make ends meet, Mrs. Kirby opened a boarding school for young women in the plantation’s mansion house. Nine years later she moved to Austin and sold the school to the State of Texas. In 1876 the state legislature established the first institution of higher learning for black Texans in the Alta Vista mansion. It opened with eight students. In 1879 the name was changed to Prairie View Normal and Industrial Training School. Today we know it as Prairie View A & M University. (See Waller.) 80

  PRAIRIE: On the original plan of the City of Houston, as surveyed by Gail and Thomas Borden in 1836, this southern-most street was named because beyond it, there was nothing but open grassland or prairie. 81

  PREAKNESS: The second jewel in the horse racing’s Triple Crown is the Preakness Stakes. Sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club, this race is held at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The first Preakness Stakes was held on May 23, 1873, two years before the inaugural Kentucky Derby was run at Churchill Downs. (See Pimlico and Triple Crown.) 82

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

  PRENTISS: Henry Bowdoin – This businessman and land speculator was born in Massachusetts in 1792. He sailed to Texas in 1831 to trade in real estate. As an early settler he received a land grant (where this street is located) from Stephen F. Austin in 1833. He then went to New York where he sold the property in 1834. He returned to Texas once more but his health declined rapidly and he died in 1836. 83

  PRESIDIO: Although the developer of Mission Estates misspelled this word (Presedio), correctly spelled it means a garrison fortress similar to those erected in the southwestern United States by the Spanish to protect their land holdings and missions when they still controlled this region. 84

  PRESSLER: Herman P. – Located in the Texas Medical Center, the street is named for this great Houstonian. Mr. Pressler was a founding board member of the Texas Children’s Hospital. He was chairman of the board from 1976-1982. During his tenure, Texas Children’s grew from a small regional health facility to the nation’s largest pediatric hospital. The west tower lobby of the hospital was named for him in 1995. His philanthropic efforts also extended to the Salvation Army, Sheltering Arms and the United Way. A highly respected attorney, he served as president of the Houston Bar Association. 85

  PRESSWOOD: Austin and Sarah - This couple settled in the New Caney area in 1862. This agricultural community became a major shipping point for livestock. Originally the town was called Presswood but the name was changed to Caney Station in the late 1870s (as it was on the Houston & East Texas Railroad) and changed again to New Caney in 1882. The Caney name refers to the large number of canebrakes on the nearby Caney Creek. (See Caney Creek.) 86

  » ANNE PRESTON: She was a professor at Prairie View A & M University

  PRESTON: Anne C. – Born in Petersburg, Virginia, this black professor earned two bachelors degrees from Virginia State University and a Masters at Columbia University. Preston began teaching at Prairie View A & M University in 1937. She was supervisor of the campus laboratories, taught elementary education and was director of student teaching. Preston retired in 1967. 87

  PRESTON: W. C. – In our early history we were very good at remembering our friends by naming streets in their honor. Preston was a U.S. Senator from South Carolina who was one of the major supporters of Texas annexation. Since there was significant opposition in Washington D. C. to adding our state to the Union, it took strong leadership in Congress to win approval. 88

  PRICE: (See Pruett.)

  PRINCETON: One of the greatest universities in America, Princeton opened in 1746 in the New Jersey town of the same name. The campus was occupied by both American and British troops during the Revolution and a number of its buildings suffered damage as a result of the fighting. 89

  PRISON: This private road runs through the former site of the Jester State Prison Farm. Established in 1885 this 5,005-acre facility was operated by convict labor and produced sugarcane and bricks for the Texas Prison System. The farm’s original name was Harlem Prison Farm but it was changed in the 1950s to honor Texas governor Beauford H. Jester. (See Harlem.) 90

  PRODUCE ROW: At the end of this street is the Houston Produce Center where many grocers in the area buy their fresh fruits and vegetables. 91

  PRUETT: Price – This early Baytown pioneer laid out the original site of Goose Creek, Texas. He was a major land owner in the area. 92, 93

  PRUETT: Rolland “Red” H. – Under his watch as Baytown mayor the Baytown-La Porte Tunnel under the Houston Ship Channel was constructed. Started in 1950, this 4,110 foot tunnel cost $10.2 million. It was officially opened September 22, 1953. It has since been closed, removed and replaced by the Fred Hartman Bridge. (See Hartman.) 94

  PUGH: Located just north of Clinton Drive and East of Loop 610 North is Pugh Street. These early settlers were land owners in the area. Their family cemetery was nearby and contained 16 graves. (See Zuber.) 95

  PULTAR: Vaclav – Born in Russia in 1896, h
e moved to Rosenberg in 1912. Pultar was a large landowner in Fort Bend County including land on the Brazos River near Rocky Falls. As a boy he remembered hearing the riverboats firing cannons at the rocks. In 1961 he sold 200 acres of land to the George Foundation on which to build the Richmond State School. Pultar donated the $100,000 purchase price to his church. (See Rocky Falls, A. P. George Ranch and Richmond State School.) 96

  PURDUE: Opened in 1874, Purdue University is a land grant college in West Lafayette, Indiana. It is famous for its engineering school. 97

  SOUTHAMPTON’S ENGLISH STREETS

  Houstonians have always loved English things. Some of us might be described as “English-Lite.” We adore English muffins, English bulldogs, English tea, English saddles, English walnuts and English sheepdogs to mention a few. This fascination with our friends across the great pond has never been lost on our real estate developers. Southampton was one of our city’s earliest neighborhoods to pay homage to “Jolly Olde England.” In 1922 real estate developer E. H. Fleming teamed up with the great Houston architect William Ward Watkin to create this residential area to the north of Rice Institute. The target market for this 160-acre tract was middle-income families, many of whom were on the faculty at Rice. Watkin developed the plan and Fleming named the streets. In my opinion, the provenance of the neighborhood street names is as follows:

  Albans – St. Alban was England’s first martyr. He was a prominent citizen of the village now called St. Albans in Hertfordshire. During the persecution of Diocletian, Alban hid a Christian priest in his home. He was so impressed by the priest he converted to Christianity. Diocletian’s forces did not appreciate this change of faith and tortured and beheaded Alban in 304 A. D.

  Ashby – This village plays a large role in Sir Walter Scott’s oh so medieval English novel, Ivanhoe. One of the country’s finest horse markets started there in 1219. Mary, Queen of Scots, was held prisoner in Ashby Castle in 1569.