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I am doing research on the Santa Rosa Subdivision. Does anyone know any history/details about the ceramic tile street signs located at curb intersections in this area?

See if this link works. Topic was in that very hood titled "1940's Era military homes Reveille/Santa Rosa

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=3049

these folks maybe able to answer

Sevfiv/Marmer/nativeHou/Nena/Kittysmith

good luck

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I am doing research on the Santa Rosa Subdivision. Does anyone know any history/details about the ceramic tile street signs located at curb intersections in this area?

The blue & white ceramic curb street signs are found in many older neighborhoods all over Houston. There is actually a link on HAIF dedicated to old street signs. Have you seen it?

link: http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...mp;#entry179106

There is a written publication about street names you might also try, believe it's through the Houston Heritage Society.

link: http://www.heritagesociety.org/links.html

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The blue & white ceramic curb street signs are found in many older neighborhoods all over Houston. There is actually a link on HAIF dedicated to old street signs. Have you seen it?

link: http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...mp;#entry179106

There is a written publication about street names you might also try, believe it's through the Houston Heritage Society.

link: http://www.heritagesociety.org/links.html

Yes, the blue & white ones, now thats a rarity! I havent seen those around in Houston for decades. If memory serves well those specific decorative kind were normally seen in the cities more afluent nabes? correct? yes, no/maybe? :)

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The affluent comment makes sense, as the more affluent neighborhoods were developed with curbs and gutters. Less affluent neighborhoods had ditches.

Most neighborhoods used blue & white tiles. The only exception I know of is Broadmoor, which has black and white tiles.

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The affluent comment makes sense, as the more affluent neighborhoods were developed with curbs and gutters. Less affluent neighborhoods had ditches.

Most neighborhoods used blue & white tiles. The only exception I know of is Broadmoor, which has black and white tiles.

Just noticed that our own Munger street IS blue & white tiled.

So we were affluent and didn't even know it. :D

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How much rain has the East End gotten in the last several weeks. Even through that dry spell they would seem to get showers almost daily. I now call it the 'wet spot'. I have a southeastern view from downtown. Right now, they're getting their second round of showers today.

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How much rain has the East End gotten in the last several weeks. Even through that dry spell they would seem to get showers almost daily. I now call it the 'wet spot'. I have a southeastern view from downtown. Right now, they're getting their second round of showers today.

The rain amounts vary from street to street. My Broadmoor neighborhood got about an inch a week or so ago and two inches yesterday. This was the only decent rain we've had since May. Needless to say, the ground soaked it up immediately.

Lots of thunder today, but no rain so far.

An uncle of mine used to say that if you nail a dollar bill to a tree, it will rain. Has anyone else heard this bit of folklore?

Sadly, I can't seem to find a dollar bill in my pocket anymore...

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Kind of glad someone raised this question about tiled signage of streets.

Take a close look, just think how they were placed in the curb. Was it done one by one and or was it in a certain shop in the city or was it created out of state? I bet nearby prisoners had to make them like they used to make licencse plates for cars....

These could not have been done on site for every street. That would have taken years and been major back breaking?

So the next mystery question is:

Where and how were these tiled curb street signs created and by whom and what years did it start and end???

Haif mystery detectives? :ph34r::D

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I think the practice of using tiles for street signs stopped in the 1940s, possibly even earlier.

I heard that the reason for the change was that the pole-mounted signs are easier to read from an automobile.

I'd like to learn a little more about the concrete obelisk street signs, like the ones in Norhill. Were these originally painted? If so, was there a standard city-wide color scheme?

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When I was a child, we lived at the intersection of Oakland and Edgewood streets in East End and there was a concrete post street sign at the corner. The city painted it white with black incised letters when it was installed. That was sometime in the late 1940's - early 1950's.

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I think the practice of using tiles for street signs stopped in the 1940s, possibly even earlier.

I heard that the reason for the change was that the pole-mounted signs are easier to read from an automobile.

I'd like to learn a little more about the concrete obelisk street signs, like the ones in Norhill. Were these originally painted? If so, was there a standard city-wide color scheme?

The practice of using the tiled signs ending in the 40's makes sense.

Most of the homes on Munger were already built by then. I know ours on Munger street, was built approx 1937. Our elderly neighbor told great stories of the early years. Her home was the 2nd to be built and she says as a young girl, she rememebers ours being built next door. Said there were only 2 houses on that now densly populated street rest was just open field. I find that amazing. :)

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  • 4 months later...
I'd like to learn a little more about the concrete obelisk street signs, like the ones in Norhill. Were these originally painted? If so, was there a standard city-wide color scheme?

There are some existing obelisk signs in Garden Villas. I'm guessing they were put in around the time of the neighborhood - 1929ish?

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