Camp Killkare, Armand Bayou, Clear Lake Area

[Cemeterywolf]

Has anyone heard of Camp Killkare owned by John Henry Kirby.

It was located on Armand Bayou (Middle Bayou), above Clear Lake.

Is there any photos or history of this place. It shown on a 1929 map of the Clear Lake area.

Thanks.

[sak]

Has anyone heard of Camp Killkare owned by John Henry Kirby.

It was located on Armand Bayou (Middle Bayou), above Clear Lake.

Is there any photos or history of this place. It shown on a 1929 map of the Clear Lake area.

Thanks.

Camp Killkare may have been the name of John Henry Kirby's private 'bay' estate, which was located in that area.

[plumber2]

Kirby Rd. and portions of Old Kirby Rd. are still there, from Red Bluff to NASA Rd 1.

[bred]

I would like to see that 1929 map of the Clear Lake area, or any other early maps of the area, if you have them handy to post.

[jordanmills]

Only a few years late.  I was searching for more information on Killkare and found this thread.  I've been looking at old USDA aerial imagery from TNRIS.  The oldest imagery available of the area appears to be from 1938.  Attached is a small clip from the mosaic available for download (a mosaic they made by laying photos out on a table and stapling them together when they were lined up close enough to meet their needs).  You can get more from TNRIS at https://data.tnris.org/collection/c3f08d6a-6bd3-445c-ac85-b1aeef2e4742 (for Harris county, 1938, or go up and search for other years/counties).  Unfortunately I have no ground-level images of it.

For maps, you can use the USGS topoview site.  Killkare is on the 1916 topo map (earliest I find available for that section).  https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#15/29.5847/-95.0630

[Gurgis]

I used to live in Clear Lake, and came across those same old maps showing Camp Killkare. It was on several updates of essentially the same map. I also did research into aerial photography and old USGS maps.

 

I once went over to that area, as close as I could get to the site, to see if I could see anything. There were thick trees in the way, and private property beyond. Another way to view the area is from the piers at the park on Taylor Lake, and you can look north to the bend (as shown above).

 

The site still remains a mystery to me. More than likely, it was just a feature recorded on the original map, as something special to the cartographer, or something that was planned to be significant, but never turned out to be. Maybe it was something of temporary use, and just happened to be active when the map was first being prepared.

 

Perhaps there is some information in the Clear Lake or Seabrook libraries...

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by Gurgis