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Areas Houston Annexed


IronTiger

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With rumblings of College Station's proposed takeover of Wellborn, I'm sure that Houston has probably sucked up independent suburbs that were once not in Houston city limits. While some have been surrounded (West University Place, Jersey Village), I'm sure others didn't survive. Does anyone know some of the old cities?

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Read through the "Sole of Houston" series at Houston Press. I recall John Lomax mentioning some long lost places in his treks up and down major roads.

Another curiosity along these lines is that the phone calls from my home phone in west Houston between Westchase and the Energy Corridor used to list Buffalo, TX on one of the bills. Think I've seen that on bank statements for some charges at local businesses, too. Looked up Buffalo and it's nowhere near the Houston area.

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With rumblings of College Station's proposed takeover of Wellborn, I'm sure that Houston has probably sucked up independent suburbs that were once not in Houston city limits. While some have been surrounded (West University Place, Jersey Village), I'm sure others didn't survive. Does anyone know some of the old cities?

Sunnyside was its own town until Houston annexed it in 1956. There's also Bordersville (located on old FM 1960 between Lee Rd. and U.S. 59), Almeda, Alief and Riceville (SW Houston).

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I'm not sure if all the places on the list were incorporated at some time before annexation. One that was is the Park Place neighborhood. My recall of the dates may be inexact but I believe it was from about 1909 to 1921. I visited the Park Place Branch of the Houston Public Library back in the late 1980's, before its latest renovation. At that time it was a 1950's building wrapped around the original early 20th century library. The staff librarian at the time showed me a box of old documents and photographs giving evidence the early property owners wanted to incorporate so they could pass ordinances prohibiting their neighbors from letting their livestock run free. Apparently, incorporation had the desired result but only a decade later the citizens of Park Place decided to dis-incorporate and allow themselves to be annexed by the booming City of Houston. Their thinking at the time was they would get better municipal services (police and fire protection primarily) from the larger CofH. I wonder what would be the result if a similar vote was taken today. Just think Park Place could have been "The Other West University Place."

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Just north of Houston Heights was Independence Heights. It was the first black municipality in Texas and incorporated in 1915 with a population of 600. Independence Heights had shell paved streets, plank sidewalks, and a municipal water system. Their City Hall/Courthouse was located at or around 700 E. 34th. There's a structure standing at N. Main and Link that looks to be a ringer for it or another structure from that time period. Independence Heights was annexed by Houston in 1929.

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I found this building on the east side of town just off of Harrisburg

DSCN0601.jpg

I think it is the old Harrisburg fire department and city hall building.

How about Frost town which was located near Minute maid park is down town is and 59 runs right over it now. About all that is left of the place is one road and a bridge.

Clinton Park on the far east side of Houston was also once a stand aloe community until anexed by Houston.

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  • 2 years later...

I found this building on the east side of town just off of Harrisburg

DSCN0601.jpg

I think it is the old Harrisburg fire department and city hall building.

How about Frost town which was located near Minute maid park is down town is and 59 runs right over it now. About all that is left of the place is one road and a bridge.

Clinton Park on the far east side of Houston was also once a stand aloe community until anexed by Houston.

 

Where is this building located?

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