sevfiv Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 i recently went to the Baytown Nature Center to check out the remains of the Brownwood subdivision. with a modest price to pay to get in, it was worth it just to experience being there. creepy doesn't quite sum it up... if anyone has pictures or links to what it used to look like, please post them! http://tinypic.com/erengh.jpg one of the "nature trails" aka MacArthur St. http://tinypic.com/ereo2d.jpg a driveway/slab http://tinypic.com/ereo3m.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 I only have pictures of my family's house in that subdivision. I can tell you it was a very very nice neighborhood before Alicia hit in '83. I will try to get them scanned on here for you. Lots of good memories of that place. 4th of July Fireworks over the San Jacinto monument, awesome, our house backed up to the Burnett bay, facing the Monument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 My dad grew up in Baytown, and his uncle was an exec at Humble/Exxon. I saw the other post here about Brownwood, and asked him if his uncle lived in Brownwood....indeed they had lived there. It flooded pretty bad during Carla (I think it was Carla) and statyed flooded....all the wood furniture, literally, came unglued because it was under water for so long. We lived with that re-glued furniture as I was growing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Star Rooster Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 I'm also interested in seeing pics anyone might have of Brownwood in its heyday.Several years ago, someone directed me to the houstonwet.net site. That's when I first heard about Brownwood and the subsidence problem (I'm not from Houston, but visit there a lot). Very interesting and mind-blowing stuff. I finally got to make it over to the BNC (former B'wood) site a few months ago. Well worth the $3 admission price--I think you can also get a yearly pass for something like $20. Nice views of the monument, bays, and new bridge, and some dang good bird-watching too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 not bad at $3 but should be $3 a car, not a person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted October 19, 2005 Author Share Posted October 19, 2005 not bad at $3 but should be $3 a car, not a person. eh perhaps - i wonder how much revenue they actually receive...i mean, there were several families there fishing (ew!) but otherwise it was pretty empty. hopefully they will use the $ to make it a little more user friendly, or at least pick up the old tires and crap left behind... (although, not much could probably be done with $20 ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 eh perhaps - i wonder how much revenue they actually receive...i mean, there were several families there fishing (ew!) but otherwise it was pretty empty. hopefully they will use the $ to make it a little more user friendly, or at least pick up the old tires and crap left behind... I didn't see any tires, what i did see was a swarm of mosquitos unlike any I have every seen. I was just down there last Thursday to take pics for us here. I got my old house on Lakewood, but I couldn't get my Grandfather's old Doctor's office, very Art Deco, when he owned it. The place has been converted into a house, and there were a bunch of homies hangin around out front, didn't think i should be taking mugshots at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted October 19, 2005 Author Share Posted October 19, 2005 there were a couple tires along the sides of the roads/trails...also, we saw a couple laundry-line tbars hanging out in the brush...i guess they haven't gotten around to getting those yet!and yeah, the mosquitos were HORRIBLE! i htink i spent a good portion of my time swatting them instead of looking around...next time i am bringing the bike and an old map of the area to see exactly where i am (was) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 there were a couple tires along the sides of the roads/trails...also, we saw a couple laundry-line tbars hanging out in the brush...i guess they haven't gotten around to getting those yet!and yeah, the mosquitos were HORRIBLE! i htink i spent a good portion of my time swatting them instead of looking around...next time i am bringing the bike and an old map of the area to see exactly where i am (was)I may have to go with ya, I'll try to point out the ol'homestead lot. I am still trying to locate the photos of th ehouse, should be able to locate tonight, I have narrowed down the box they should be in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted November 10, 2005 Author Share Posted November 10, 2005 any luck? i am planning on checking it out this weekend or next (depending on free time). i have a few older maps of the area that might be useful, although alot of current maps still have the streets named as they were before. i think it would be neat to match up houses that used to be there with an image of the current state (interesting...or maybe weird) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 any luck? i am planning on checking it out this weekend or next (depending on free time). i have a few older maps of the area that might be useful, although alot of current maps still have the streets named as they were before. i think it would be neat to match up houses that used to be there with an image of the current state (interesting...or maybe weird) I have some of the photos, but because of the way this system is set up i am having a bear of a time getting them loaded here, I don't nderstand why we have to use URLs. I have the photos though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted November 10, 2005 Author Share Posted November 10, 2005 I have some of the photos, but because of the way this system is set up i am having a bear of a time getting them loaded here, I don't nderstand why we have to use URLs. I have the photos though. i used to load photos on my server, but now i mostly load them at tinypic.com, and they give you a URL for the picture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 i used to load photos on my server, but now i mostly load them at tinypic.com, and they give you a URL for the pictureIs that who you are using ? If it is i will check it out. Thanks Sev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted November 10, 2005 Author Share Posted November 10, 2005 yeah, i mostly use tinypic because my server space is filling up fast. i am not sure how long the links last (maybe forever?!) but it has been reliable (as long as you remember to save the URL) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Star Rooster Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Any luck on those pics?Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 I haven't had time to use tinypic yet, i will find some today on my home computer, this Dell emachine here at work is a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 Ok sev, i am gonna start adding links for of the old Brownwood house, I have pics from 1948 or so, then some pics from a hurricane that hit in 1962 or so.http://www.tinypic.com/view/?pic=hsvw1yhttp://www.tinypic.com/view/?pic=hsvz0ghttp://www.tinypic.com/view/?pic=hsvzu8http://www.tinypic.com/view/?pic=hsw1lyhttp://www.tinypic.com/view/?pic=hsw20khttp://www.tinypic.com/view/?pic=hsw2gmhttp://www.tinypic.com/view/?pic=hsw2vdhttp://www.tinypic.com/view/?pic=hsw4rahttp://www.tinypic.com/view/?pic=hsw5e0http://www.tinypic.com/view/?pic=ht5q36Pic 1) front of house on 206 Bayshore Dr.Pic 2) back of house leading to waterfront on Burnet Bay. That's my Father and Grandmother circa 1947-48Pic 3) one of my cousins with my Great Grandmother at the waterfront, just to the left of that tree is where the San Jacinto monument sits.Pic 4) interior of house before move in circa 1946 or 47.Pic 5) another shot with my Grandmother trying to do what appears to be her best James Dean impression, but she hadn't heard of James Dean, as no one else had yet, when this pic was taken in 1947 or so.Pic 6) Hurricane Carla I believe in 1962, notice how high the water mark is.Pic 7) another pic of the aftermath.Pic 8) My Father at our summer beach house, well what's left of it after Hurricane in 1962, only the foundation was left.Pic 9) another pic of same stuff.Pic 10) House that I grew up in, sold it in 1995, 306 Lakewood is the address. See the house on the right, 2 murders and a suicide inside the house by the father who committed the murders on his wife and daughter, about a year after we sold our house. Thank goodness for us. House has been vacant ever since. Spooky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 Pic 3) one of my cousins with my Great Grandmother at the waterfront, straight across the bay there is the future site of The San Jacinto Monument. This pic is on same day in 1947 or 48.Cool pics. Looks like a couple of great houses.I heard that Brownwood was developed initially as a place for Humble managers and execs, was that the case with your grandparents? Did one of them work for the Refinery?One little issue though about your above comment. I think the monument was built in 1936. (for the centennial)I was trying to remember what the Lakewood grocery store was called when we were in Baytown. I think it was Lewis & Coker. It may have been a Big Chief before that? Does that ring any bells? Not sure what it was in the 80's or what it is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 Cool pics. Looks like a couple of great houses.I heard that Brownwood was developed initially as a place for Humble managers and execs, was that the case with your grandparents? Did one of them work for the Refinery?One little issue though about your above comment. I think the monument was built in 1936. (for the centennial)I was trying to remember what the Lakewood grocery store was called when we were in Baytown. I think it was Lewis & Coker. It may have been a Big Chief before that? Does that ring any bells? Not sure what it was in the 80's or what it is now.I will research, I am pretty sure that the picture is from the house in brownwood, although, it could be the other bayhouse on Smith Point. My Grandfather, was actually a well known doctor, well known in Baytown anyway. Brownwood, was built for Humble or Exxon execs, It wasn't quite River Oaks, more like Memorial area. Huge lots as you can see. That house was actually the last one standing after Hurricane Alicia. The grocery store was a Big Chief, on Bayway drive, it was right in front of Lakewood sub.I think you are right, that it had changed hands, I never really thouhgt about that, I just always knew where it was. I just drove by there the other day, I don't think it's a grocery store anymore. After research, I found out that the San Jac monument is actually sitting to the left of that tree just out of the shot, I will try to find some pics of the monument from back there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted November 26, 2005 Author Share Posted November 26, 2005 thanks for posting the pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 Ok sev, i am gonna start adding links for of the old Brownwood house, I have pics from 1948 or so, then some pics from a hurricane that hit in 1962 or so.us. House has been vacant ever since. Spooky...thanks for taking the time to scan, upload & catalogue those photos. that's the sort of thing that makes this forum so valuable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 TJones, Where was your grandfather's doctors office? Is your old Lakewood house still occupied even though the murders? or has it become stygmatized? Crazy as it sounds, I don't think they blocked off the streets back in there for several years after Alicia. I can remember "cruising" through there checking it out at night. All the vacant house remains and driveways where there should have been houses...very spooky. Probably why we thought it was neat to drive in there. Man, I wish I could go back in time and give myself a camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 TJones,Where was your grandfather's doctors office? Is your old Lakewood house still occupied even though the murders? or has it become stygmatized? Crazy as it sounds, I don't think they blocked off the streets back in there for several years after Alicia. I can remember "cruising" through there checking it out at night. All the vacant house remains and driveways where there should have been houses...very spooky. Probably why we thought it was neat to drive in there. Man, I wish I could go back in time and give myself a camera. The house to the right, that brown one story, is where the murders occured, that is not in my old house. A very nice German couple, the husband is an exec with Exxon, lives there in the grey house(that's my house). The brown house where the murders occurred is indeed stygmatized, it has been vacant since the murders in 1996 or 97. My grandfather's first office was back off of one of the state named streets. I'll have to drive there again to get the exact address. He moved offices around 1973 or so, over to the Baytown Nursing home, that is closed up now, because it got flooded out during Alicia, then again about 3 yrs. later. The streets weren't closed off until about 1995 or 96, all through in the 80's all of us high schoolers would throw the wild parties back there with bonfires going and such. A car of mine was stolen and was found back there, stripped. I am sure there are a couple of bodies back there that haven't been discovered yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 The house to the right, that brown one story, is where the murders occured, that is not in my old house. A very nice German couple, the husband is an exec with Exxon, lives there in the grey house(that's my house). The brown house where the murders occurred is indeed stygmatized, it has been vacant since the murders in 1996 or 97. Ahh...misunderstood that. Well I guess no neighbor is better than having bad neighbors. My grandfather's first office was back off of one of the state named streets. I'll have to drive there again to get the exact address. He moved offices around 1973 or so, over to the Baytown Nursing home, that is closed up now, because it got flooded out during Alicia, then again about 3 yrs. later. Wasn't Baytown Nursing Home on Park? Did he have his second office actually INSIDE the home? I guess that was pretty convenient for his patients. The streets weren't closed off until about 1995 or 96, all through in the 80's all of us high schoolers would throw the wild parties back there with bonfires going and such. A car of mine was stolen and was found back there, stripped. I am sure there are a couple of bodies back there that haven't been discovered yet. Wow, I guess I did not realize that Brownwood stayed "open" that long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 My Grandfather's office was inside, he actually ran the Nursing Home for some time.I can't remember if that road was Park or not. I need to look at a map. The Nursing Home was tucked in right there to the left on Decker drive, just after you get to the Spur on Decker as you travel east.. He passed away in 1977 at age 82. His funeral was reported to have the longest procession in the history of Baytown, to this day.I remember being in the "family" car and looking out the rear window, and the line of cars literally went all the way as far as I could see down Garth Rd. That man was well thought of in the community. He helped establish San Jacinto Hospital in Baytown when it first opened. The City of Baytown used to have a memorial of Crepe Myrtles trees, his favorite, out in front of City Hall, I have newspaper clippings of the event, the memorial is now gone though. I was a little upset about that, but alas I have done nothing about it as of yet, to try to find out why.(edit)Hey Gnu, it is Park. tah-dah, good memory chief ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Star Rooster Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 Thanks much for the pics, TJones! Very attractive houses. That home in Lakewood is about what I imagine Brownwood looked like in its heyday--large homes, lots of trees, manicured lawns. Wish I had a time machine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 Thanks much for the pics, TJones! Very attractive houses. That home in Lakewood is about what I imagine Brownwood looked like in its heyday--large homes, lots of trees, manicured lawns. Wish I had a time machine... Yeah!, There are probably 7 pecan trees left on that patch of land in Lakewood, used to be alot more. It is a 32,000 sq. ft. lot. Lakewood was modeled after Brownwood, so there are some similarities. I looked on HCAD.org to get the house sq.ft. and it says 2600, I am sure it is at least 3000, there is a utility room added on behind that den on the left side of the house. You are welcome for the pics, it was my pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Star Rooster Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 Quick question for anyone out there:I read somewhere that National Geographic once did a story on Brownwood. I've searched the local library's collection of NG's, including NG indexes, and can't seem to find anything on it.Does anyone know if Nat'l Geo ever really did a feature on Brownwood? If so, when did it appear? I'd like to find it if such an animal exists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 14, 2006 Author Share Posted April 14, 2006 i've checked ebsco and the sort and didn't come up with anything on brownwood in national geographic...i'll check a couple more databases when i can, though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Star Rooster Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Thanks, sevfiv! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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