Street Names As Historic Snapshots

[Guest danax]

I saw an appraisal yesterday for a house built in 1947 on Doolittle Blvd. in Houston for 70K. Not knowing the street, I located it in a subdivision just south of the South Loop near Mykawa. The subdivision is called South Crest. Looking at the street names in the subdivision, it was obvious that they were mostly named for people and events from WWII, not surprising since all of that would've been fresh in the minds of most Americans in 1947.Here's a small map.

http://i4.tinypic.com/102l0uu.gif

The names read like something from The History Channel.

Malmedy;The location in Belgium of the massacre of American POWs during the Battle of the Bulge.

Bataan: The famous "Bataan Death March", another scene where Allied POWs suffered and died.

Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima...very famous battlegrounds.

Then the people; Pershing, Doolittle, Chennault, Eisenhower etc, etc.

The place is alive with the blood and guts of that most important period of world history.

There are other examples of street names as history around town. I know on the East End there's a small section with Roosevelt, Harding and Coolidge.

As the townhomes march in waves along both sides of the South Loop like so many battalions, these old homes in South Crest will eventually surrender like old soldiers and their remains will be buried and forgotten in unmarked landfill graves. No flag-drapped caskets, no monuments. The erasure will be complete but the street names will likely remain for relative eons.

We in Houston know perhaps better than most US city dwellers that architecture is temporary. At least we can take some kind of pathetic solace in knowing that some of our streets will forever remain as time markers once all traces of original architecture have been vanquished.

[Jeebus]

The place is alive with the blood and guts of that most important period of world history.

Considering its Southpark, I'd agree - in more ways that one.

[torvald]

The subdivision is called South Crest. Looking at the street names in the subdivision, it was obvious that they were mostly named for people and events from WWII, not surprising since all of that would've been fresh in the minds of most Americans in 1947.

wow --- interesting post danax!

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

A few other streets are many of the streets in 3rd ward. Some examples....Holman-Hutchins-McGowen-Ennis-Elgin, all former and early mayors of Houston, with James S. Holman being the first mayor of Houston. Dowling street is another...named after Dick Dowling, a famous saloon owner and war hero. There are others but i dont remember the persons significance like Truxillo-MacGregor-Scott-Cullen-Dennis-Wheeler and Blodget.........

[ssullivan]

And then there are all the streets downtown that echo days of the Texas Revolution -- Fannin, Travis, San Jacinto, Austin, Bastrop, and Bell.

[nmainguy]

...and in the Heights: Oxford, Tulane, Harvard, Columbia, etc...however, one of the saddest examples is the one block strech of Lincoln behind the Stop n' Rob at Westhiemer and Montrose.

Edited May 19, 2006 by nmainguy

[musicman]

i dont remember the persons significance like Truxillo-MacGregor-Scott-Cullen-Dennis-Wheeler and Blodget.........

OK i have to defend my man Hugh Roy Cullen here. Very instrumental in many areas including the med center, university of houston, oil industry, education etc.

Hugh Roy Cullen bio

[KDubRedRaider]

Don't forget the high schools in Aldine:

Eisenhower, Nimitz, MacArthur--All WWII generals

[Heights2Bastrop]

One of my favorite areas is Memorial Bend with opera names like Traviata, Butterfly, Tosca, Figaro and Boheme.

[editor]

I like the northeast corner of your map better..

Southurst

Southwell

Southmund

Southlark

Southington

Southgood

Southford

Southtown

Southseas

I wonder if there's an equivalent "north" neighborhood.

[dbigtex56]

one of the saddest examples is the one block strech of Lincoln behind the Stop n' Rob at Westhiemer and Montrose.

It's really beside - not behind - the Stop & Rob (now known as Diamond Shamrock...oops, Velero. Jeez.)

Mr. Lincoln was originally given a little more respect; the street continued northward to Bomar Street Lincoln was eliminated except that one block north of Westheimer, then the two western lanes of Montrose Blvd bend to follow its original path.

Other presidential streets in the neighborhood include(d) Madison (joined with and renamed Yoakum), VanBuren and (further east) Taft. Oddly, Pierce and Washington seem to stand on their own further north.