Historic Houston Roads

[Perimeter285]

Many of the major thoroughfares west of Bellaire used to have letter names (e.g., Chimney Rock was Ave. D, Renwick was Ave. E, Hillcroft was Ave. F, etc.). And of course Bissonnet was called Richmond Road at this time because it was the road that led to Richmond.

[fortbendtomontrose]

I believe several streets with German-sounding names were changed during World War I.

A look at the 1913 Houston Street Map shows that Waugh Drive through Hyde Park was called Euclid Avenue.

I'm not certain, but I believe "Waugh" was the name of a WWI veteran from Houston.

[Watchful]

?? to Sgt. Macario,

I believe that used to be 69th St. (running one-way parallel to Wayside).

If Will Clayton had retained the name "Jet Era Blvd." perhaps it could now could have been renamed "Regional Jet Era Blvd."

[Croberts]

While on 18th street traveling west crossing North Durham... you can see a concrete street post that shows NASHUA STREET. i recall looking at an old map and it showed North Durham was Nashua past 17th street.

i'll try to post a picture soon on the concrete post.

Durham drive was named for Dr. Charles Edward Durham (Sr.), who i think founded Durham clinic in the heights. He was active until the 1950s, I was told that I was the last child that he delivered (I am named after him) in Heights hospital in 1953. Likely the drive was renamed some time during or after his active period, which it seems ended in the 1950s.

[FilioScotia]

I'm not certain, but I believe "Waugh" was the name of a WWI veteran from Houston.

Actually, I heard Waugh was named for WWI. So many guys from that neighborhood came home from France telling stories about that "waw" they fought in "over there", they put that word on a street. They spelled it "Waugh" to make it look like it was named for somebody, instead of being named for the "waw".

Edited December 15, 2007 by FilioScotia

[porphyrula]

Actually, I heard Waugh was named for WWI. So many guys from that neighborhood came home from France telling stories about that "waw" they fought in "over there", they put that word on a street. They spelled it "Waugh" to make it look like it was named for somebody, instead of being named for the "waw".

My recollection is that the Waugh family money came from lumber. They had a mansion in the Westmoreland area which was still there the last time I looked (a couple of years ago) with a historical marker of some sort on the iron railing surrounding the house. I need to go see if I can find it again.

[tmariar]

Marks Hinton's street names book says Waugh is named after Thomas Terrell Waugh, a Marine killed during WWI. Not saying that makes it so, but for what it's worth.

[Firebird65]

Marks Hinton's street names book says Waugh is named after Thomas Terrell Waugh, a Marine killed during WWI. Not saying that makes it so, but for what it's worth.

just out of curiousity, what does it say about Gulf Bank? I've always wondered about that street name. And I've heard that West Road is named for a farmer. Does the book shed any light there?

[sabasushi]

Also, here is the Westheimer-Hathaway-Elgin alignment (which was a little disjointed) c. 1925:

This brings up a question I've been meaning to ask for a while. If you look at what is now Westheimer on the map above, you'll see that it runs west and all of a sudden, it runs diagonally, to southwest. It goes like that for several blocks and then turns west again And it's not just Westheimer -- streets north of Westheimer, going up to just near Gray Street -- also run diagonally. I've always wonder why that area is like that. I don't see any obvious reasons (like bayous, et cetera) that might dictate that kind of layout. Does anyone know?

[musicman]

I don't see any obvious reasons (like bayous, et cetera) that might dictate that kind of layout. Does anyone know?

those areas were all developed independently and in order to connect, sometimes things like this have to be done.

[westguy]

This brings up a question I've been meaning to ask for a while. If you look at what is now Westheimer on the map above, you'll see that it runs west and all of a sudden, it runs diagonally, to southwest. It goes like that for several blocks and then turns west again And it's not just Westheimer -- streets north of Westheimer, going up to just near Gray Street -- also run diagonally. I've always wonder why that area is like that. I don't see any obvious reasons (like bayous, et cetera) that might dictate that kind of layout. Does anyone know?

I think it was realigned when Montrose was built as a suburb.

[sabasushi]

I think it was realigned when Montrose was built as a suburb.

Ah, okay.....that makes sense. I didn't realize that the area to the west of the "diagonal" area might be older than the "diagonal" area. I was kinda assuming that Montrose was built, progressing in a westernly direction (not sure if that sentence makes sense, but you know what I mean. :-) )

[sidegate]

Are Houston and the surrounding burbs the only places in the nation with what can most charitably be described as an endearingly quirky approach to naming roads? I went to a wedding last weekend in Richmond. Now admittedly I'm only an occasional visitor to the burbs and local knowledge was lacking, but both Google Maps, as well as the one on the invitation, referred to SH99 as Grand Parkway. There was no sign for Grand Parkway anywhere en route, and I was looking. And even the SH99 sign was smaller than most COH street signs, it was seriously tiny (as I saw on my way back). I was several miles through the intersection before I figured out what was wrong.

I'm sure people have discussed Eastex/59 and Katy Freeway/I10, and North/South Freeway/I45 at length elsewhere so I won't start again on those. But come on, is it too much to ask to pick a name and run with it?

Edited February 6, 2008 by sidegate

[JLWM8609]

Numerous road names is a way of life in Houston, it's how we keep ourselves entertained. We like to take tourists and confuse them with things such as Clay Rd/ W. 43rd/Crosstimbers/E.Crosstimers/Ley Rd, and Westheimer/FM 1093.

[sevfiv]

For road name changes, Houston is such a patchwork of different places that have been swallowed.

Freeway names on the other hand are just for vanity and to simplify directional language - Rad Sallee wrote about it a couple of years ago here.

I still like how Beechnut starts in the west as Canal street (by 99/GP), turns to Beechnut, then North Braeswood around Stella Link, hooks up with South Braeswood between Main and Greenbriar, and turns in to Macgregor at Holcombe -

and Holcombe how it starts as Bellaire in the west (bits and pieces of it near 99), then Holcombe at Buffalo Speedway, then merges to OST which later curves into S Wayside which is also 69th which is also Macario Garcia, which then reverts back in to Wayside (N) (and according to the map is sometimes called Settegast).

Of course if you take the Griggs offshoot from OST, it's Griggs (why is the actual Griggs continuation in the shape of a V?) then Long then Park Place (all in under six miles).

[marmer]

This is my wife's single worst pet peeve about the Houston area. It drives her absolutely crazy because she navigates sequentially (do this, then this, then this, etc.) rather than by landmarks or spatial relationships.

[jgriff]

I refuse to acknowledge names like Katy Freeway or Gulf Freeway. This kind of thinking just doesn't fit into my brain. It's borderline dangerous when you think about directions given to someone during an emergency.

[sidegate]

For road name changes, Houston is such a patchwork of different places that have been swallowed.

That makes sense. But at some point presumably a new stretch of pavement had to join at an existing one at an intersection, so why on earth would whatever civic authority with jurisdiction not just give the newly intersecting road the same name as the existing road? it's arbitrary and capricious beyond belief.

Edited February 6, 2008 by sidegate

[sevfiv]

That makes sense. But at some point presumably a new stretch of pavement had to join at an existing one at an intersection, so why on earth would whatever civic authority with jurisdiction not just give the newly intersecting road the same name as the existing road? it's arbitrary and capricious beyond belief.

I agree - would have to study more about the origins/original purposes and links of current streets to get some possible insight on the inconsistencies.

[sidegate]

This is my wife's single worst pet peeve about the Houston area. It drives her absolutely crazy because she navigates sequentially (do this, then this, then this, etc.) rather than by landmarks or spatial relationships.

That works in the city by and large but the problem is the suburbs are lacking in landmarks. It's prairie.

And I agree with jgriff, most of the time it's an irritating inconvenience, but in emergencies it takes on a different character. The city is here to govern, and predictability and structure in street naming is fundamental to interactions of its citizens.

[Mark F. Barnes]

Hell we've come a long way from, "Go down to the third tree on the right, just past the two tomato cans on the fifth fence post, down across the third creek bridge, past the red horse barn on the left, headed out towards Field Store Rd." Don't you think?

[ricco67]

I agree - would have to study more about the origins/original purposes and links of current streets to get some possible insight on the inconsistencies.

Sev and Rad Sallee both have it on the nose.

Houston is made up of several municipalities that were acquired, one of which is The city of Harrisburg on the east side of the city which still bears the name of the street, and was also the original name of the county, BTW.

Another example is Westheimer, which used to be nothing but a dirt road leading to a ranch (where lamar High school currently stands) owned by a Mr. Westheimer.

As far as the highway systems and such, they can be rather confusing to people when they first get here, but its a quick shorthand to describe that particular part of town. The only parts that give me trouble is when it comes to dealing with the loop.

[CDeb]

While it's nice to have a street not changing names as you drive on it, changing the name of a street after the fact is often opposed by businesses along the street due to the burden of having their address changed.

[Subdude]

I always kind of liked the multiple street names. Gives a little character. There are some cases where street names have been consolidated. Westheimer-Elgin used to have a section called Hathaway, and Bellaire-Holcombe-OST had a Marlborough part near the Med Center.

[Zippy]

Also Studewood -> Studemont -> Montrose .. essentially the same..

[sevfiv]

As far as street changes, Sanborn maps and especially the block book maps sometimes have changes recorded by hand on them.

This map of Montrose/Fairview area shows how Montrose was Lincoln St. and also maybe "Fan Buran," but that looks like it was a mistake.

http://books.tax.hctx.net/v018/AE1997_17-18_0308.jpg

Speaking of Montrose, here's a little map showing the divide between Montrose Blvd. and Studewood (c. 1925).

It shows from the south Montrose changing to Lincoln at Westheimer, Lincoln ending at W Dallas, then Studewood starting just north of White Oak bayou.

Studemont was the link between Studewood and Montrose.

http://i25.tinypic.com/wwj1uu.png (green is Montrose route, yellow on street names)

[jgriff]

City streets that change like Voss/Hillcroft, Blalock/Piney Point/Fondren don't bother me so much. None of those have overlapping names. I-10/Katy Freeway can be called either for the same section. The road doesn't change in the middle, it's both names in one place.

[memebag]

Chill. All the roads are, like, connected. Totally.

It's only our limited perception of time and space and vibrancy that keep us from seeing that all roads are the same road.

And you can't step into the same road twice, because, like, the road is always changing and so are you.

Dig it.

[jgriff]

memebag:

That post nearly gave me a seizure....

Edited February 6, 2008 by jgriff

[apocatastasis]

For what it's worth, Grand Parkway's exit on I-10 in East Houston is signed as both SH 99 and Grand Parkway. Funny though, considering it might be Houston's next loop, it's barely a step above being a dirt road.

What confused the hell out of me, before I moved to Montrose from New Orleans, was Westheimer -> Elgin and Richmond -> Wheeler, while West Gray and West Alabama became just Gray and Alabama. All that combined with all the one ways and the fact that the Spur messes up the Midtown grid pattern used to mean that as soon as I saw the Midtown street sign logo, I knew that I was hopelessly lost.

Now that I live on West Alabama almost at Main, I'm used to it, but when my native Houstonian friends let me drive around Midtown, they're amazed that I know where everything is. I guess after the thousandth time you learn. But I still refuse to drive downtown, cuz that's just crazy talk.