Houston Stage Coach Stops

[Heightsite]

The elderly man that lived in the house that once stood at the NE corner of Oxford and I-10 said that property was a stage coach stop. I haven't been able to find much on-line and hope a co-HAIFer might have resources. Anyone know where stops were in Houston?

[Firebird65]

The old man may well be right. But Oxford and I-10, while most definitely very much inside Houston now, was outside of town in the era of the stagecoach. I seriously doubt there was anything around there of any consequence at that time. Why stop there when it was only a mile or so further into Houston?

 

Of course, I wasn't around then, so I could be wrong. But that just doesn't seem to be a good place for a stagecoach stop in the 1860s and 1870s.

 

Might I suggest you visit the Texas Room at the Julia Edleson Library downtown? They've got a lot of stuff on the city of Houston going back to the very beginning. I would think they might have something that would either help you answer your question or give you a good clue as to where to look next.

 

I'd sure be interested to know if anyone else has any other information, or if you can find anything else yourself. Keep us informed!

[Michelle C]

There were stage stops about every twenty miles or so. I know of two hear in the Smithville area that are closer than that. Probably about 12 to 15 miles apart. He may well be right. My grandpa rode to Houston on horseback in 1890 From Mississippi. I remember him talking about Houston when I was about 16 or 18 years old. He said When he first come to Houston that you could walk across City in less than thirty minutes.

[Firebird65]

There were stage stops about every twenty miles or so.

 

I've heard the same thing. And that makes sense. About the length of time before a team of horses would tucker out. Which means if that criteria were used in the Harris County area going west from Houston to San Antonio, the first stop out of Houston (provided they followed the current 1-10, which is reasonable) would be between what was then Addicks and Katy. Could have also been Barker, which was between Addicks and Katy.

 

As for the old man's recollection in the original post, maybe there was a hotel or something in the area of I-10 and Oxford? Maybe that's why there was a stagecoach stop there (if his memory or information is accurate)?

[august948]

I don't know if this will help or not, but I found this map resource for Houston...

 

http://houstorian.org/maps/

 

They've got some pretty cool maps.

[sixthwardguy]

I've heard the same story.  I used to do some research into the history of the Old Sixth/First Ward area and there were only two major roads leading west and northwest from downtown Houston prior to the railroad era (1870's) and they were Washington Avenue and W MontgomeryRd/North Main St.  These roads began life as stagecoach routes, there is a map at the Texas Transportation Archive showing early Texas stagecoach routes, and these two roads are on it. That map is not available online yet. Washington Avenue led from downtown to Washington on the Brazos, following pretty much of today's Hempstead Highway. W Montgomery Rd/North Main St obviously led to the town of Montgomery and beyond. The area where Oxford and I-10 was part of the Brashear farm and located a a bit too far from either one of the main routes and too close to downtown Houston to be a stop.   There are two historic markers in the Cypress/Jersey Village area that marked early stagecoach stops and they followed the stagecoach route from Houston to Washington on the Brazos.  If there indeed was a stagecoach stop at the Oxford/I-10 location, it would have been a private one serving the large Brashear farm.

[Michelle C]

When I was a kid of probably about ten or twelve there was a man that lived a block south of Washington Ave on Lillian street at Leverkhun. He was an old timer then and he build stage coaches from the ground up. Mr. Knepples had learned the trade from his father.

[NenaE]

When I was a kid of probably about ten or twelve there was a man that lived a block south of Washington Ave on Lillian street at Leverkhun. He was an old timer then and he build stage coaches from the ground up. Mr. Knepples had learned the trade from his father.

 

Michelle C, Is the house still standing?

[Michelle C]

Michelle C, Is the house still standing?

I think the house is still standing, he also had shop across the street that was torn down some years ago.

[Materene]

I lived on Oxford in the early 50's and I can't say much about the stage stops but I can tell you it was still legal to use a drawn wagon on city streets specifically in the heights.  Maybe some of you might remember the old colored gentleman that sold vegetables and had two mules that pulled his wagon.  I'm remembering back to 56 in this case and that old man was very old at that time.  There were still lots of empty places in the Heights, even a place you might have mules and horses without anyone complaining.  Since Heights Blvd ran into town I would think stage stops may have been on that route as well.

 

[NenaE]

I think the house is still standing, he also had shop across the street that was torn down some years ago.

 

Michele C...One of these the house? 

 

1. Lillian

2. Leverkuhn x Lillian (corner)

 

 

Materene... nice story. 

[Materene]

Well I'm happy to say our old house is still standing and in very good shape, it was lightly remodeled by the family that purchased it and an upstairs in the rear was added.  In my day there was a garage apartment in the rear, I guess it was torn down, I couldn't really tell looking at Google Earth.  In the back yard there was a pear tree and a nice sized fig tree and you can bet they were used and not wasted, my family is depression era people and fruit was not wasted, it was canned. In the front yard there was a very tall Pecan, it too was not wasted, I can still see the pecan candies made at christmas.  It is one of the few things that makes my heart feel good knowing that house will still be here a long time after I'm gone, the fruit trees may be gone and my family may be gone but something remains.

[Michelle C]

Nena, it has been so long that I can't remember for sure what the house looked like, but I suspect it was the one on the right #2 because it was on the corner.