Map Of Houston's Wards?

[JLWM8609]

I know Houston has about six wards, I know the locations of 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th wards, but I don't know the locations of 1st and 2nd wards. It would be really helpful to see a map of Houston's wards, and what their boundaries are marked by. Does anyone have a map like that they can post?

[gonzo1976]

Try this:

http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/maps/images/map0435.jpg

Basically, the first four wards are formed from the intersection from Main Street and Congress Avenue. First Ward is sort of the NW quadrant and it goes clockwise from there.

[Vertigo58]

A little off subject...

Honestly, I have always not liked the term "Ward". I know other cities use names like Parish, but Ward to me sounds so dated. I only recall my parents and older generation using that term. I never have used it and have only referred to areas by their names like Eastwood, etc.

Just me I guess, but none of my family uses the term either or any other the people we knew growing up.

We always said something like "Oh he must be from Northside or The Heights"... but never Ward. I just think it sounds soooooo much in the past. Guess Houston will never get away from that term I suppose.

[Highway6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_six_wards_of_Houston

http://images.chron.com/content/news/photo...02/08/wards.pdf

[TheNiche]

We always said something like "Oh he must be from Northside or The Heights"... but never Ward. I just think it sounds soooooo much in the past. Guess Houston will never get away from that term I suppose.

The wards get renamed when yuppies move in. There are a lot of old black folks that still refer to Midtown and the Museum District as a part of 3rd Ward. They aren't incorrect, but developers just coined the new names to make the areas sound more urban and appealing to a new generation. "Museum District" is a natural fit, of course, but "Midtown" was entirely contrived. I always thought of it more or less as a joke.

[Vertigo58]

developers just coined the new names to make the areas sound more urban and appealing to a new generation. "Museum District" is a natural fit, of course, but "Midtown" was entirely contrived. I always thought of it more or less as a joke.

I agree. I had never heard of "Uptown" ever, until now. At least not used in Houston. Sounded more like a term spoken in Chicago et all. So basically we copied them.

Of course I totally hate "H-Town" as that too was big-time dream't up. We are not alone though, I know for fact that native San Franciscan's hate for the city to be referred to as "Frisco" even though we hear in many old songs of that city.

In any case, I am glad someone answered the original topic question. Sorry to stray folks! Bound to happen, peace!

[tmariar]

I think that some ward names have more currency than others. To me, it makes sense in some contexts to refer to the Sixth Ward (or at least the Old Sixth Ward - which is what I usually mean when I say the Sixth Ward), the Fifth Ward, the Third Ward, or the Fourth Ward. And I still hear references to the Second Ward sometimes. Sometimes these are just the handiest terms to use when you're talking about an area that is larger than a single small neighborhood or subdivision, but that still has neighborhood-like characteristics or a shared history. (Like referring to "the Heights" instead of Houston Heights or Woodland Heights or Sunset Heights, and "Mostrose" instead of Cherryhurst or Winlow Place.) Preservationist groups will often refer to wards, for obvious reasons, but so will community groups like the Fifth Ward CRC and Third Ward Community Bike Center.

I agree usage will change over time. When I first heard the term, I never thought people would start calling parts of the Fourth Ward and Freedmen's Town "Midtown" - but the term gained currency pretty quickly. I use it now, and refer to the Fourth Ward and Freedman's Town a lot less than I did, say, 10 years ago. I think it's probably because of how completely certain parts of the Fourth Ward were transformed into what they are now - those areas sure look a lot more like somewhere called "Midtown" than the Fourth Ward or Freedmen's Town.

[gonzo1976]

The wards get renamed when yuppies move in. There are a lot of old black folks that still refer to Midtown and the Museum District as a part of 3rd Ward. They aren't incorrect, but developers just coined the new names to make the areas sound more urban and appealing to a new generation. "Museum District" is a natural fit, of course, but "Midtown" was entirely contrived. I always thought of it more or less as a joke.

I don't think I ever heard anyone use the phrase "Midtown" until the mid-1990s.

The funny thing is that the only people I've heard refer to the wards are those who either live there or have strong ties to the city. I don't even think the local media use wards as a point of geographical reference.

[tmariar]

I don't think I ever heard anyone use the phrase "Midtown" until the mid-1990s.

Yeah, same here.

The funny thing is that the only people I've heard refer to the wards are those who either live there or have strong ties to the city. I don't even think the local media use wards as a point of geographical reference.

I think a lot of non-native Houstonians (and probably many natives as well) don't refer to wards much because they don't know where the different wards are or what the different wards refer to today vs. what's on the old maps. It probably does take some pretty deep familiarity with the city - I know I avoid referring to wards a lot of times when I'm not sure exactly whether a neighborhood is still considered, say, a "Fifth Ward neighborhood" or not. But it seems to me like the local media does refer to certain wards somewhat regularly - maybe not, as you say, as a point of geographical reference - but for some purposes. I can imagine a journalist being leery of using wards as geographical reference points - even on the old maps, and under the old formal definitions, don't most of the wards have some undefined boundaries? (Maybe not, but that's how I've always thought of them - as generally not fully enclosed.)

BTW - Probably a topic for a separate thread, but I've read that the creation of the Fifth and Sixth Wards (only the first four were original) was somewhat contentious at the time. Sort of like redistricting would be today, I guess.

[Subdude]

I think "Midtown" was indeed a latecomer from about the 1980s. The historical name for the area was the South End. Calling the Galleria area "Uptown" was an ever later idea (1990s) that was dreamed up by the local business promotion group but many people picked up on it quickly. The original Uptown was on South Main and Holcombe. I have seen ads that refer to it as Uptown through the 1980s.

Of the ward names, it seems Fourth Ward and Third Ward are still fairly commonly used.

[gonzo1976]

Of the ward names, it seems Fourth Ward and Third Ward are still fairly commonly used.

Same goes for the Sixth Ward, or even the strange term Old Sixth Ward, as if there's a New Sixth Ward out there somewhere.

These days, I don't hear much reference to the First and Second Wards at all.

[dbigtex56]

The wards get renamed when yuppies move in. There are a lot of old black folks that still refer to Midtown and the Museum District as a part of 3rd Ward. They aren't incorrect, but developers just coined the new names to make the areas sound more urban and appealing to a new generation. "Museum District" is a natural fit, of course, but "Midtown" was entirely contrived. I always thought of it more or less as a joke.

The area now known as Midtown had been so thoroughly decimated by the 1980s that it had lost all identity, and renaming it caused little confusion. I agree it's contrived, but at least there's some justification.

A more obnoxious example was the attempt to rename the various neighborhoods collectively referred to as the Montrose. In the late 70s and early 80s yuppies started pushing the name 'Neartown' as a replacement, presumably because they were ashamed of their neighborhood's reputation. In protest, some people started displaying bumper stickers saying "Neartown is Montrose". Now that the Montrose has become respectable the name Neartown seems to be fading away. Good riddance.

[Vertigo58]

A more obnoxious example was the attempt to rename the various neighborhoods collectively referred to as the Montrose. In the late 70s and early 80s yuppies started pushing the name 'Neartown' as a replacement, presumably because they were ashamed of their neighborhood's reputation. In protest, some people started displaying bumper stickers saying "Neartown is Montrose". Now that the Montrose has become respectable the name Neartown seems to be fading away. Good riddance.

Even funnier is that in Montrose, Colorado it is pronounced:

Mont - rose. Like in ROSE as the fragrant flower. They don't group it as one name like we do.

City name pronounciations whole new thread for sure.

[TheNiche]

I think "Midtown" was indeed a latecomer from about the 1980s. The historical name for the area was the South End. Calling the Galleria area "Uptown" was an ever later idea (1990s) that was dreamed up by the local business promotion group but many people picked up on it quickly. The original Uptown was on South Main and Holcombe. I have seen ads that refer to it as Uptown through the 1980s.

Jeez. Why was it that people decided to stop making sense at right about the time that I was born?

[dp2]

Thanks for the map, I found wards 1-6. But where is the Dave Ward?

[RedScare]

Hmm...

[dbigtex56]

I live in the Heights.

Jeez. Why was it that people decided to stop making sense at right about the time that I was born?

I believe it's because you drove them all crazy.

[Subdude]

The area now known as Midtown had been so thoroughly decimated by the 1980s that it had lost all identity, and renaming it caused little confusion. I agree it's contrived, but at least there's some justification.

A more obnoxious example was the attempt to rename the various neighborhoods collectively referred to as the Montrose. In the late 70s and early 80s yuppies started pushing the name 'Neartown' as a replacement, presumably because they were ashamed of their neighborhood's reputation. In protest, some people started displaying bumper stickers saying "Neartown is Montrose". Now that the Montrose has become respectable the name Neartown seems to be fading away. Good riddance.

Midtown was contrived but it also made some sense in that it lay between Downtown and (what was then) Uptown, so there was some geographical continutity. The name of the current "Uptown" (Galleria) was selecteded purely as a marketing gimmick.

Thanks for the explanation on "Neartown." I had wondered what that was about. Doesn't the Chronicle frequently use that as the neighborhood name?

[dbigtex56]

Midtown was contrived but it also made some sense in that it lay between Downtown and (what was then) Uptown, so there was some geographical continutity. The name of the current "Uptown" (Galleria) was selecteded purely as a marketing gimmick.

Thanks for the explanation on "Neartown." I had wondered what that was about. Doesn't the Chronicle frequently use that as the neighborhood name?

Now I have to backpeddle a bit. To clarify:

(from the Neartown Association website):

"The Neartown Association was established in 1963 by a group of dedicated individuals seeking to improve the quality of life in Houston's unique and historic inner-city neighborhoods. Undaunted by the time-consuming community-building process, they were not willing to wait for someone else to save and restore their home front, nestled between downtown Houston and the Houston Medical Center.

Since its founding, the Neartown Association has supported, and often sponsored, the formation of small civic clubs and neighborhood associations within its borders, generally along original plat lines. These 20-plus smaller groups hold their own meetings and deal with more localized issues such as problem properties, heavily weeded vacant lots and citizen patrols. They call on Neartown for support with neighborhood issues and, in turn, Neartown rallies these civic associations when issues of larger community concerns develop. With a population of over 30,000, Neartown's strong advocacy on positions of interest to the area is well known at both the local and state level."

In other words, it's an umbrella organization which facilitates smaller neighborhood associations.

From their bylaws:

"the Neartown area shall mean the area approximately bounded by just south of Bissonnett to Graustark to Highway 59 to the south, then to Shepherd Drive to the west, then to Allen Parkway to the north and then to Taft to Fairview to Bagby to Highway 59 to Main to the east."

I find it interesting that the word 'gay' appears nowhere on their website. Still, sounds like Montrose to me...

[NenaE]

Ran across this 1920's Houston map thru the J.R. Gonzales Bayou City History link. I especially like this one for the shaded boundary areas for each ward, as well as details I've never seen before.

1. Lists "Eden Park" in the East End

2. Shows Brady Place (East End)

3. Shows first neighborhood streets layed out.

4. Shows the division of Woodland Heights, Heights, Sunset Hts.

5. Downtown Exposition Grounds

6. Southland Terrace subdivision (south end w/ elaborate circular layout) (x's Brays Bayou)

link:

http://www.divshare.com/download/5020790-131

[Subdude]

Nice, but no Brunsville?

[gnu]

Nice, but no Brunsville?

Yeah! We want Brunsville!

It looks like Southland Terrace was replatted before construction.

Check out the blockbooks online and it seems they red-lined the new plat right on the same page.

BTW. I think this is the map poster that used to be on sale in the Texas Room of the Ideson Library for $20

Also, anybody who is familiar with the Sanborn maps will realize that this is the same map (or at least the same cartographer) that was used at the beginning of each section.

[Jeebus]

AWESOME! Thanks!

[NenaE]

Yeah! We want Brunsville!

It looks like Southland Terrace was replatted before construction.

Check out the blockbooks online and it seems they red-lined the new plat right on the same page.

BTW. I think this is the map poster that used to be on sale in the Texas Room of the Ideson Library for $20

Also, anybody who is familiar with the Sanborn maps will realize that this is the same map (or at least the same cartographer) that was used at the beginning of each section.

...sorry, no Brunsville w/ the circle racetrack layout in this one, there is a similar looking circle thing in the Rice Institute area, must be a sports track.

I was checking Southland Terrace out, falls along OST. Looks like it was cut thru w/ MacGregor Dr. Don't know if all those circle layouts were actually executed. May have been modified from draft to actual platting.

http://books.tax.hctx.net/v033/AE1997_33_0192.jpg

http://books.tax.hctx.net/v033/AE1997_33_0230.jpg

that first link has many business names in it, as well. It even has one of those round arch things, see the farthest s/east corner tip, under Bert Wheeler & Loop 610 name.

I've spent a lot of time w/ those Sanborn maps, didn't catch that it was the same one. Good eye, Gnu.

[sevfiv]

Great map - between Sanborn, block books, historic aerials, and others, I need to find a way to get paid for zoning out looking at them!

[JLWM8609]

I was checking Southland Terrace out, falls along OST. Looks like it was cut thru w/ MacGregor Dr. Don't know if all those circle layouts were actually executed. May have been modified from draft to actual platting.

Nope, none of those circle layouts were built. The actual Southland Terrace was built in a slightly different location. Riverside now lies where the circle layouts are on the map.

What's interesting is that the Riverside streets kept the "Southland" theme with streets named after towns in the Southern States. Ardmore is on the map in the general configuration that it's in today, Charleston and Tampa were circular, Dixie and Bowling Green were plotted in the same alignment they're in today, Allegheny was plotted to run all the way up to S. MacGregor, but S. MacGregor was called Savannah St. on the map. I also see Atlanta Avenue running where today's intersection of Parkwood and Ardmore are roughly located. With street names like Atlanta and Savannah, the original developer must've had Georgia roots, because there's also an Athens St., a Macon St., Monroe St., and a La Grange St. There's also one more street name on there, but I can't make out what it says. It's the northern most circle.

[NenaE]

http://images.chron.com/content/news/photo...02/08/wards.pdf

a quick link to the wards, w/ interesting tidbits of each.

(didn't realize, this was posted already, above, in 2007)

[NenaE]

http://www.hctx.net/archives/Img.aspx?Img=1

map of Houston with wards - 1904

very unique, have never seen some of these listings before on a Houston map. I like the block no's listed, as you follow Main St., as well as the business names.

It's a good map to zoom in on.

and here's the parent link , with more good maps.

http://www.hctx.net/archives/Maps.aspx

[Original Timmy Chan's]

and here's the parent link , with more good maps.

http://www.hctx.net/archives/Maps.aspx

Great link there...

Just looking around at the 1947 Houston map, check out the "De Loroc" subdivision at A7 on the map.

[cactusneedle]

I've lived in this area my entire life and I didn't start hearing the terms "Midtown" and "Uptown" until about 10 or so years ago. And I still refer to them as the "_ Ward".