Historic Houston Streets

by Marks Hinton

  TEMPLE TRAIL: Located in Todd Mission the street recalls the days when a Mormon colony lived here and worshiped in their temple. 24

  TENNECO: This road leads into the Tenneco Industrial District and Dock on the Houston Ship Channel. The company was founded in 1943 as Tennessee Gas Transmission Company (renamed Tenneco in 1966) to deliver natural gas by pipeline to defense plants in Appalachia during WW II. In later years Tenneco expanded into oil and gas exploration, chemical production, insurance and foodstuffs. 25

  TENNYSON: Alfred – He was among the most famous English poets of the Victorian age. Some of his best remembered poetry includes The Lotus Eaters, Morte d’Arthur and The Charge of the Light Brigade. 26

  TERLINGUA: This small village arose on the banks of Terlingua Creek in far West Texas. In the 1880s it became a booming mining town with the discovery of quicksilver in the area. By 1922 over 40% of the quicksilver mined in America came from here. The mines began playing out in the 1930s and production ceased following World War II. Terlingua rapidly became a ghost town. It was rediscovered in the 1960s and soon became famous for its chili cook off. In 1967 Terlingua was named “Chili Capitol of the World.” 27

  TERMINI-SAN LUIS PASS: The Termini family are third generation Galvestonians. D. J. Termini owned a pharmacy or grocery store on the island years ago. His son Joe managed the Broadway Funeral Home. Today the grandson, also named D. J., owns the J. Levy & Termini Funeral Home. San Luis Pass, the body of water between the Gulf of Mexico and West Bay, lies between Galveston Island and the Texas mainland at Treasure Island. It is about two miles wide and ranges from 10 to 40 feet deep. 28

  » TERRY: Tombstone and historic marker in Glenwood Cemetery

  TERRY: Benjamin Franklin – Located just northeast of downtown in an area where many streets are named for famous Texans, it is likely that this one honors a Fort Bend planter and hero of the War Between the States. Colonel Terry saw action at the first battle of Manassas. He subsequently returned to Houston and organized a cavalry unit that became know as Terry’s Texas Rangers. Terry was killed at the battle of Woodsonville on December 17, 1861 while leading the unit’s first charge. 29

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

  TETTER CEMETERY: This pioneer burying ground is in Pine Grove just north of Bush Intercontinental Airport. There is a brass plaque on one grave indicating it is the last resting place of Caldonia Tetter (1785-1800) and stating she was the first person buried here and the cemetery is named for her. I have discussed this with other Houston historians and we think this information is at best odd and at worst incorrect (at least as to the dates). Moses Austin did not arrive in Texas until 1820 and Stephen F. Austin did not begin the colonization process until 1825. So what would a 15 year old girl be doing here twenty years earlier? 30

  TEXACO: This east side street leads to the Texaco Golf Club. This facility opened in 1924. It was one of the first clubs to become involved with the Houston Golf Association when that organization was responsible for the Houston Open PGA Golf Tournament in 1967. 31

  » TEXACO: This street leads to a private golf club

  TEXAS ARMY: Our army was of great importance to the Republic of Texas. We needed strong defenses against Mexico and Indian tribes. The size of the army put great strains on the Republic’s treasury and manpower. During much of the time from 1836 until 1845 more than 10% of the Anglo population was in the army causing the Republic to continually face fiscal crisises. 32

  TEXAS CITY DIKE: This levee extends five miles out into Galveston Bay from its start in Texas City. Construction was approved by the Texas Legislature in 1935. It was designed to reduce the impact of sediment accumulating along the lower Bay. Since then its purpose has changed. Today it protects the city from hurricane storm surge. It was worth its weight in gold when Hurricane Ike blasted into the Texas Gulf Coast in 2008. Despite structural damage to the Dike itself, Texas City reported minor damage compared to the catastrophic destruction seen at almost every other coastal town in the area. Repairs are now completed. Once again what the locals call the “world’s longest man-made fishing pier” will hopefully be back in action with its bait shops, restaurants and beer joints. 33

  TEXAS INDEPENDENCE: This freeway also known as State Highway 225 runs through some of the most historic and sacred ground in Texas. It recalls the framing, approval and issuance of the Texas Declaration of Independence at the Convention of 1836 convened at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Signed by the 59 delegates on March 2, 1836, five copies were sent to the towns of Bexar, Goliad, Nacogdoches, Brazoria and San Felipe. The highway also passes just south of the San Jacinto Battleground where our independence was won on April 21, 1836. 34

  TEXAS: This is one of the main streets in the industrial Galveston Bay town of Texas City. First known as Shoal Point, three Brothers from Minnesota, Jacob, Henry and Benjamin Myers, visited the area in the late 1890s and saw great potential as a port city. They bought 10,000 acres here and created the Texas City Improvement Company and changed the town’s name. Dredging a ship channel began in 1893. Soon railroads began arriving and Texas City was on its way. Industries poured in as well including smelting, pipe bending, refining and chemicals to mention a few. In 1947 Texas City was literally almost blown off the map when the Grandecamp, a freighter loaded with ammonium nitrate fertilizer, blew up setting off a chain reaction of explosions that killed 576 people and injured over 4,000 more. In excess of 1,000 structures were destroyed. The 10,640 pound anchor of the Grandecamp was found half a mile from the harbor. You can visit where it landed and has remained since that fateful day. Many excellent books have been written about the “Texas City Disaster.” 35

  TEXIAN: This term was used to describe citizens of the Anglo-American province of Coahuila and Texas and later citizens of the Republic of Texas. After annexation by the United States the name changed to Texan. 36

  TEXMATTI: The prairie lands west of Houston are among the most prolific rice producing areas in the world. This unusual street name is a rice. The most flavorful of the world’s rice is the Indian basmati, a short grain rice. When bred with Texas long grain rice it is called Texmati. Here is another of our misspelled names.

  THE BEAST: Houstonians like to give their freeways names. So we call I-45 South the Gulf Freeway because it leads to the Gulf of Mexico, U. S. 59 is the Southwest Freeway as it runs that direction to Richmond, U. S. 59 North is the Eastex Freeway since it will take you to East Texas and I-10 West we call the Katy Freeway because it goes to the town of Katy. Unfortunately, I-10 East earned the nickname “The Beast” due to it continually wretched construction condition and bumper-to-bumper traffic. 37

  THEISS: Johann Henrich Theis, his wife, Katherina and four children were early German settlers in the Tomball/Rosehill area, arriving in 1846. They were among the families who founded Salem Lutheran Church. Their oldest son, Jacob, was a carpenter who went on to establish Trinity Lutheran Church in Klein. In the 1890s there was confusion at the post office about mail delivery to family members in Rosehill and Klein. So the Rosehill group continued spelling their name with one “s” and the Klein clan added an “s.” 38

  THIN LIZZY: According to Jerry Wood at Planning & Development, this lane is in honor of the 1970s rock band of the same name. 39

  THIS WAY & THAT WAY: Nothing historic here, your author just got a kick out of the fact these two Lake Jackson streets intersect. 40

  THOMAS: Oscar John – This black educator was born in Trawick, Texas. He earned a B. S. and M. S. in Agriculture from Prairie View A & M University. After serving as a high school principal he joined the staff at Prairie View in about 1931. Thomas earned many honors in his life including President of the Colored Teachers Association of Texas (1937) and President of the National Chapter of the Prairie View Alumni Association. 41

  » THOMAS: Oscar John Thomas, an educator at Prairie View A & M University

  THOMAS: J. O. – Katy’s first postmaster was named Thomas. He was also a g
rocer and partner of W. P. Morrison, also a grocer and the second man to captain the city’s post office. It’s possible this street honors him. (See Morrison.) 42

  » THOMPSONS: Old general store

  THOMPSON FERRY: This ferry carried early Texas settlers across the Brazos River at Richmond. The ferry and this road are named for Jessie Thompson who operated the ferry from 1830 until 1847. Sam Houston’s retreating Texas Army used this ferry to cross the Brazos River. Santa Anna and his army crossed the river on this craft one week before his disastrous defeat at San Jacinto. 43

  THOMPSON OILFIELD: (See Rabb Ridge.)

  THOMPSONS: Hiram – Robert A. Bohannan moved to Texas from Alabama and received a land grant in 1836 south of where Sugar Land is today. When he died his widow married Hiram Thompsons. She named the town of Thompsons for him. (See photograph pge 314.) 44

  THOMPSON’S CHAPEL: Thompson’s Chapel Baptist Church is in Sugar Land. It is an independent fundamentalist KJV (King James Version) church. This sect believes the King James version of the Bible is the complete and final revelation of the will of God to mankind. 45

  THOR: See sidebar Space City U.S.A. or “Houston the Eagle Has Landed”, page 106.

  TIEL: This curvy River Oaks lane was given its name by developer Hugh Potter. It is the nickname of his wife. This area was the second-to-last part of this neighborhood to be opened for development in 1946. 46

  TIERWESTER: This gentleman was a Houston surveyor at the end of the 19th century. He surveyed the area where this street is today in 1890 according to an old city map. As was often the case, the surveyor would name a street for himself when filing the plat. By 1912 Tierwester appeared on Houston maps. 47

  TIFCO: This short northwest side road leads to the headquarters of TIFCO Industries. Founded in 1961, TIFCO is a single source stocking distributor of over 45,000 quality, expendable maintenance and repair products for industrial, fleet and heavy duty equipment. 48

  TIGRIS: One of the two principal rivers of ancient Mesopotamia (now Iraq), it, along with the Euphrates, is considered the cradle of civilization.

  TIMBERLANE: Herbert A. Kip was a vice-president of the River Oaks Corporation and the landscape and consulting engineer. Prior to the River Oaks project he worked on the development of Shadyside and Southampton. He named this street. It is interesting that it is spelled four ways in just nine blocks (Timberlane, Timber Lane, Timber Ln. and Timber). Planning and Development says that most likely when the street signs were ordered the correct name was misunderstood by the sign makers. 49

  TIN HALL: On a street of the same name this country and western honky-tonk opened in Cypress in 1889 and has operated continuously since. It claims to be the oldest reception venue in Texas. (See Glen Cheek.) 50

  TITAN: See sidebar Space city U.S.A. or “Houston the Eagle Has Landed”, page 106.

  TOBRUK: A Libyan port city on the Mediterranean Sea, it was captured by the British on January 22, 1941, was recaptured in a counter attack by German General Edwin Rommel, the “Desert Fox,” in March and April of 1942 and retaken by British forces on November 30 of that year. 51

  A NEIGHBORHOOD FOR LINKSTERS

  If golf is your passion you might consider buying property near the old line Pearland golf links course called Golfcrest Country Club. Here you can live on Augusta (as in Augusta National), Birdie, Lofting Wedge, Five iron or pitching Wedge. 49

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

  TODD MISSION: This Montgomery County village was established in 1900 when a Mr. Todd, who owned a saw mill nearby, erected a station on the International-Great Northern Railroad. In 1919 a congregation of Mormons arrived and built a school and called it Todd Mission. At that time the town name was changed from Todd. In 1957 the congregation moved to Navasota. For more than 25 years the Texas Renaissance Festival has been held in Todd Mission. This is eight fun filled weekends where you can go mingle with kings, queens, magicians, court jesters, dragons and knights and their ladies. 52

  TODD: (See Todd Mission.)

  TODVILLE: Paralleling the western rim of Galveston Bay and passing through the towns of Pasadena and Seabrook is a road named for the former beach town of Tod or Todville. John G. Tod, Jr established it in 1900. Prior to that date it was called Morristown in honor of Ritson Morris, the owner of the original land grant. 53

  TOMBALL: Originally called Peck, Texas, when it was founded in 1906 as a station on the Trinity & Brazos Valley Railroad, a year later it was renamed to honor Thomas H. Ball. Tom Ball was a lawyer and congressman from Harris County. He is also remembered for his support of the Houston Ship Channel project. According to The Heritage of North Harris County, Ball lost his run for governor in 1914 on the Prohibitionist ticket when photographs of saloons he owned were made public by his opponent (see River Oaks.). 54

  TOP GALLANT: Not all of our thoroughfares named for racehorses are in honor of Kentucky Derby winners, Triple Crown champions or world record holders. This nag barely earned enough purses to pay for his oats. His one claim to fame is he was the son of 1957 Derby loser, Gallant Man (see Iron Liege.) 55

  TORREY Pines: This beautiful golf course is located in San Diego, California and is home to the PGA’s Buick Open every January. Known for its dramatic ocean views the links derives its name from the many Torrey Pine trees that line the course. These trees are the rarest of pines only existing here and Santa Rosa Island off Santa Barbara, California. 56

  TOSCA: This is another Gaywood street named for a famous opera. Composer Giacomo Puccini premiered this three-act classic at Rome in 1900. 57

  TOWER BRIDGE: Located on the Thames River next to the Tower of London, it is often confused with the less impressive London Bridge that was eventually moved to Lake Havasu, Arizona, in the 1960s to grace a man-made lake in a retirement community. 58

  TOWN & COUNTRY: This upscale shopping center was built in the 1960s and anchored by major department stores that are no longer with us like Sakowitz and Joske’s. Real estate developer Moody Rambin did a major renovation of the property in the 1990s. 59

  TOWNE CENTER: This street leads into Pearland Towne Center, a 718,000 square foot shopping center with approximately 100 retail outlets. The owner is CBL & Associates Properties, a company that operates malls around the U. S. It is architecturally interesting because the mall is designed like the center of a small Texas town. Each store front is different. But instead of the stores being a local café, antique shop, hardware store, etc. they are Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer and the like. 60

  TRACK: In the 1890s the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad laid a line through the middle of Cat Spring. Thus the main street was named Track. Although the M K & T line is now the Union Pacific Railroad the street name remains the same. 61

  TRAMMEL-FRESNO: This highway ran between the small agricultural towns of Trammels (somehow the “s” was lost when the road was named) and Fresno (see Fresno.) 62

  TRAVIATA: This three-act Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi premiered in Venice in 1853. 63

  TRAVIS: William Barret – He arrived in Texas in the early 1830s following the failure of his marriage. He was a leader of the Anahuac Disturbances of 1832 for which he was arrested. At that time the Mexican authorities did not look favorably on the Texans’ grievances. In February 1836 he was sent to reinforce the garrison at the Alamo. It is for his stand there and ultimate death for which he is remembered as one of Texas’ greatest heroes. Songwriter Jane Bowers sings his praises in Remember the Alamo: “One hundred and eighty were challenged by Travis to die, with a line that he drew with his sword when the battle was nigh, the man who will fight to the death cross over but him that would live better fly, and over the line came one hundred and seventy nine.” The line in the sand may be mythical, but what a great story. 64

  TRAWEEK: Phillip B. and/or M. B. – These men were land developers in Spring Valley. Phillip’s wife was named Bonnie. He named a subdivision, Bonnie Oaks, for her. 65

  TREICHEL: In the mid-1800s ma
ny German immigrant families settled around what is now the Tomball, Texas area. The Treichel’s were among them. A number of family members are buried in the historic St. John Lutheran Cemetery off of Mueschke Road. (See Lutheran Cemetery.) 79

  TREMONT: Henry Greenwall, a German immigrant, arrived in Galveston following the War Between the States. He and his brother Morris opened a stock brokerage firm. In 1867 a client and actress of note, Augusta L. Dargon, owed the Greenwall brothers money. In exchange they took over management of her career. Henry became a theater manager. He convinced Willard Richardson, owner of the Galveston Daily News, to build the Tremont Opera House which Greenwall immediately leased. What happened to the distressed damsel Augusta is shrouded in the mists of time. Henry went on to own opera houses all over America. When he died in 1913 he was the oldest active theater manager in the country. 66

  TREVINO: Lee – Located on the grounds of the Friendswood Golf Club, this street recalls one of the most talented and colorful golfers to pick up a set of clubs. This El Paso native was born in 1939 and took to the links as a young man. He won the U.S. Open (1968, 1971), British Open (1971, 1972) and the PGA (1974, 1984). He was named Player of the Year on the PGA tour in 1971 and the Senior tour in 1990, 1992 and 1994. Remembered for his quick humor Trevino was once struck by lightening. Asked how to avoid such an unfortunate accident again he said “I’ll carry a one iron from now on.” When the writer asked why, Trevino quipped “Even God can’t hit a one iron.” 80

  TRI-CITIES: This road recalls when Baytown, Goose Creek and Pelly, Texas were three separate towns on Galveston Bay. In 1947 citizens of the latter two voted to merge into one town and call it Baytown. 67

  TRINITY: (See Colorado.) 68

  TRIPLE CROWN: The three-year-old thoroughbred that wins the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes is known as the Triple Crown winner. Only 11 horses have achieved this lofty goal in the last 135 years of competition. Winners such as Affirmed (1978), Secretariat (1973), Whirlaway (1941) and War Admiral (1937) earn legendary status in the pantheon of thoroughbred racing. It was Gallant Fox’s victories in 1930 that resulted in the name. (See Affirmed, Secretariat, Whirlaway, War Admiral and Gallant Fox.) 69