asubrt Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 What is the story/history behind the numbered streets in Houston? As far as I can tell, the numbers go from 65th to 81st east of downtown around where the East End light rail line is being built. Are there other higher or lower numbers that I can't see or don't know about? If not, why does it start at 65th? Just wondering about this strange arrangement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Interesting question.. The streets in Magnolia Park and Central Park were originally numbered from east to west - 1st being the Navigation curve/Ship Channel and 16th (the highest maybe) being near 66th. The 1st-16th configuration is close to the current 81st-65th.The lettered streets weren't changed. Why? I'm not sure. Also, here is a block book map of 74th/Canal/75th/Ave F where the old names were crossed out:http://books.tax.hctx.net/v025/AE1997_25-26_0163.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I believe I've seen mentioned on here that the East End and the Heights were essentially sister neighborhoods established at the same time. Wiki articles seem to indicate the East End residential neighborhoods slightly predated the Heights. Can anyone, sevfiv, firm up the timeline here?I wonder if the change from 1st-16th to 65st-81st had anything to do with the fact that another numbered street grid was taking root in the Heights and spreading north, currently 4th-43rd.Maybe it got to the point that the City decided they didn't want a dozen plus streets with the same name in two parts of town.Still, seems strange to have two areas, on opposites poles of a city, established approx the same time, share street names.Interesting topic._____________Guess I've answered some of my own question here.Forgot that Harrisburg, current East End, was originally its own town and annexed in '26. Looks like the Heights, also a separate municipality, was annexed in the 20s as well.Makes sense, Houston takes over 2 towns with numbered street grids, one of them has to be changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Appears that the numbered streets in Houston proper were renamed as well; Bissonnet used to be known as West 11th - see this and the following couple of posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 as hwy6 mentions, I believe that the numbered streets out here on the east side were a part of the town of Harrisburg, and then changed when it was incorporated into houston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 The one I've always wondered about is 14th Street, on the SW side of town. It runs from Westpark down to Harwin. As far as I know, there are no numbered streets within a couple miles...there are 1st-5th streets in Bellaire, but no 6th-13th, then a random one-block segment of 14th street a couple miles away.Anyone know the story there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 as hwy6 mentions, I believe that the numbered streets out here on the east side were a part of the town of Harrisburg, and then changed when it was incorporated into houstonMagnolia Park, actually, was the municipality responsible for the numbered streets, however I concur that the numbering was most likely changed after annexation.Harrisburg never had numbered streets; mostly they just used Texas rivers and the names of original settlers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 What is odd is that between Yoakum and Montrose, off of Bissonnet, there is a West 11th Street, with no other numbered streets for miles around. How did that get there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arisegundo Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 There's also 92nd through 97th Street in Manchester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted November 26, 2010 Share Posted November 26, 2010 Appears that the numbered streets in Houston proper were renamed as well; Bissonnet used to be known as West 11th - see this and the following couple of posts.What is odd is that between Yoakum and Montrose, off of Bissonnet, there is a West 11th Street, with no other numbered streets for miles around. How did that get there?See above and this and following posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Magnolia Park, actually, was the municipality responsible for the numbered streets, however I concur that the numbering was most likely changed after annexation.Harrisburg never had numbered streets; mostly they just used Texas rivers and the names of original settlers.never knew that, for some reason, I am fascinated by the history of our streets? thanks for the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 I found a small set of numbers in Sunnyside (Sunnyside Courts) while looking up information about Coma St. (yeah, just curious - it actually was called Loma St. on a 1950 Sanborn map: http://i55.tinypic.com/mv58hk.jpg). Starting at the northeast corner of Scott and Bellfort heading east, Southview was 1st, Vera Lou was 2nd, McLean was 3rd, and Coma was 4th.Also, heading north from Bellfort (which was Leonard Ave.), Shelby Circle was Yates, McKinley was unchanged, Rosemont was Garfield, and Stassen was Roosevelt. Scott and Bellfort weren't completed in that area until at least after the mid 1950s, maybe 1960s (Scott dead-ended at Rosemont/Garfield).Coma/1st is such a tiny street and I guess it always has been. Fwiw, Comal St. is two blocks west of Scott..http://books.tax.hctx.net/v051/AE1997_51_0143.jpghttp://books.tax.hctx.net/v035/AE1997_35-36_0045.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 Aallsooo, there is an 18th St. off of Calhoun just south of the loop - all of those streets were numbered as well (Jarmese was 19th, Lingonberry was 20th, Mayflower/21st, Edfield/22nd, Teton/23rd, Red Bud/24th, Bricker/25th, Briscoe/26th, White Rock/27th, Sunflower/28th). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 I found a small set of numbers in Sunnyside (Sunnyside Courts) while looking up information about Coma St. (yeah, just curious - it actually was called Loma St. on a 1950 Sanborn map Coma Street? Really?Along with Gross and Hazard Streets, it's a contender for the ugliest street name in Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 Coma Street? Really? Along with Gross and Hazard Streets, it's a contender for the ugliest street name in Houston. Don't forget Worms St. in 5th Ward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 Coma Street? Really?Along with Gross and Hazard Streets, it's a contender for the ugliest street name in Houston.At least Hazard St. was earning it's name up until they replaced the bridge.Believe it or not, I was kinda' bummed about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 Don't forget Worms St. in 5th Ward. Worms is a town in France, and the street most likely commemorates a World War I battle near there. What's gross about that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 Worms is a town in FranceGermany Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Here is the tiny Coma (less than 200 ft long I'd say): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroMogul Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Hazard and Gross have nothing on Woodhead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 Another set of numbers in Genoa/Gulf Palms - looks like 20th, 21st, and 22nd are still around. There is also a 1st and 2nd just west of Shoppe Rd. (going in opposite direction of the Gulf Palms numbers) that are still there today. This is c. 1958: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronald120 Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Another set of numbers in Genoa/Gulf Palms - looks like 20th, 21st, and 22nd are still around. There is also a 1st and 2nd just west of Shoppe Rd. (going in opposite direction of the Gulf Palms numbers) that are still there today. This is c. 1958: I'm looking at a modern map of this area (Yahoo Maps) and I'm wondering what happened to the grid below Almeda-Genoa Road? It appeared a lot more dense then than it does now. Also, why was Burnett changed to Gulfpalm Street? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.