The Hollywood Trail Project

What is Comey's 1913 Report To Park Commissioners
In 1910, Mayor Horace Baldwin Rice, established the city’s first park commission and appointed three men to the commission, attorney Edwin B. Park, an amateur Horticulturist; George H. Hermann, real estate investor; and William A. Wilson, the developer of Woodland Heights. In 1912, the three commissioners, at their own expense, hired landscape architect Arthur C. Comey to prepare a park report for the City. Comey’s plan released in 1913 titled, "Houston: Tentative Plans for its Development” not only provided plans for park development but included a plan for the City itself.

Hollywood Bayou - Connecting Neighborhoods
Recently a grassroots coalition of local organizations and residents, inspired by Comey’s report and mention of Hollywood Bayou “as a key natural and community resource” within that report, launched the Hollywood Trail Project.  Its goal “to reconnect neighborhoods like Independence Heights, Woodland Heights, and Northside Village through an accessible trail that celebrates the area’s natural beauty and rich cultural history.”

According to the coalition, it is “backed by over one hundred community members and organizations” including the Friends of Woodland Park, the newly formed Friends of Moody Park, the Independence Heights Civic Association, and the White Oak Bayou Association.

Hollywood Bayou - Photo Courtesy Hollywood Trail Project Coalition

“This is a pivotal moment to come together as a community to shape the future of Little White Oak Bayou,” said Kelli Fereday, one of the project’s co-founders and FWP President. “The trail will offer much more than just a path; it will be a living history of the neighborhoods it passes through, from Independence Heights to Northside Village, Glen Park, and Woodland Heights. Interactive displays would share stories of the people, places, and events that have shaped these communities.”

The trail being proposed by the group would run along sections of the ecologically rich Little White Oak Bayou, where 180 species of birds have been documented, and intersects to a City of Houston Nature Preserve at the lower portion of the Bayou.

With the TXDoT North Highway Infrastructure Improvement Project (the I-45 North project) set to move forward, the group sees the development of the Hollywood Trail Project to be at a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure the Hollywood Trail is included in the project’s planning, providing a vital green corridor, and preventing further fragmentation of neighborhoods.

The coalition continues to engage key stakeholders, including the City of Houston HPARD and District H, TXDoT, Harris County, the Greater Northside Management District, TIRZ 5 and TIRZ 21, and local civic organizations, to bring the project to fruition. For more information or to support the Hollywood Trail Project, visit hollywoodtrail.org.

Historic Woodland Heights

Did you know the Woodland Heights neighborhood is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Houston? It was originally created by The William A. Wilson Realty Company, which began developing Woodland Heights in 1907 on 136 acres of land that was once part of John Austin's Mexican land grant. In 2011, the Woodland Heights neighborhood became a Historic District for three significant reasons: it illustrates Houston's development between 1907 and 1925, its association with William Wilson and other notable residents, and its architecture. According to the COH Planning and Development Department's Historic Preservation Manual for the Woodland Heights:

"Most of the buildings in Woodland Heights are one-story and two-story houses. The neighborhood also contains a few duplexes and four-plex apartment buildings. The most common type of house is a wood-framed bungalow. A bungalow is a one-story house with a low-pitched roof, wide eaves, and a large front porch. The bungalow was one of the most common house forms in Houston's suburban neighborhoods between 1905 and 1925. Some bungalows have Craftsman details."

Preservation Houston will conduct a Woodland Heights Architecture Walk on Sunday, September 15, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. As the name suggests, this is an exterior-only walking tour designed to highlight the 20th-century architectural styles in our neighborhood. If you're interested in taking the tour, be aware that advance tickets are required, as no tickets will be sold on the day of the tour. You can find more information, including ticket prices for this event, on Preservation's Houston website.

Is your home one of the historic-style homes found in our neighborhood (foursquare, cottage, or bungalow)? During this tour, you can learn more about your style of home and understand why so many residents work hard to preserve it. Hall, one of Woodland Heights residents, created and leads the WHCA Venerable Home Program (also referred to as the 100+ Club) to recognize homes over 100 years old,

"Working together, I believe we can preserve this community...Fortunately, we have lots of original homes, and we want to recognize and encourage others to preserve and care for them. That is the thought behind the WHCA historic site designation."

One hundred and thirty homes currently carry the proud designation of being members of the 100+ Club; you can see their signs proudly displayed in their homeowner's yards. To add your home to the 100 Club+ list, you must meet the following criteria 

1. A home must be at least 100 years old (to verify your home's age visit HCAD)

2. Homeowners must be current members of the WHCA (to join or renew your membership, visit the WHCA website)

Then contact Debbie Hall at debhall945@gmail.com. Is your home a candidate for the 100 Club+ list? Our neighborhood has homes built as early as 1881. Join us!

Houston is First City to Adopt Children's Bill of Rights in Sports

The Mayor’s Office of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence (MOHT&DV) announced the City of Houston's adoption of the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports.

This initiative builds healthy children and communities through sports, by working with local organizations on the positive physical and mental health benefits needed for young people to thrive and learn.

Organizations may be eligible for grant funds to implement new programs and services. See the media release here.

Houston Welcomes 10 New Historic Landmarks

In advance of Historic Preservation Month in May, Houston welcomed 10 new historic landmarks spanning the city in five different City Council Districts. Houston City Council approved the new landmarks on April 20. There are two landmarks and eight protected landmarks including Third Ward's Eldorado Ballroom built in 1939 and located at 2310 Elgin St. in Council District D.

Learn more about historic landmark designations. View this presentation to see photos of all the new landmarks.

Read this Texas State Historical Association article about the Eldorado's rich history in Houston.

How old is my house?

Tracing the history of your house can be interesting and time-consuming. Here are some basic resources to help you determine the age of your home and get you started. Check these to determine the age of your home:

1. Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD)

You can do a quick search by address and you should find a date for your home and possibly a remodeling date (not 100% accurate but will provide a starting place).

https://hcad.org/quick-search/

2. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

These neighborhood maps were created by an insurance company and many libraries provide online versions to search. One of the easier collections to search is found at the University of Texas in the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection. For the Woodland Heights homes, you should look for Houston and use the Key page to locate the area of interest. The book from 1924 has many of our homes in it. You will see a drawing of the home identified with the street address. Most of Woodland Heights can be found on these sheets: 253,254,256,259,260,263,267,268,271, and 272.

There are bound copies at the Houston Metropolitan Archives.

http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/sanborn/texas.html

3. Houston Metropolitan Research Center

Closed for now due to pandemic but it has many archival papers related to Houston history. Some items are digitized, but some require you to research the files in person. This collection is located downtown at 550 McKinney in the Julia Ideson building and in the same block as the Central library. Here are some examples of what you might find:

• The plat of the Woodland Heights as offered by the William A. Wilson Company https://cdm17006.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/archival/id/1201/rec/1

• City Directories – There are directories from many early years. You might be able to search for your street name, find your address and see who lived there in a certain year. Below is a link to a city directory from 1920-21: https://cdm17006.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/citydir/id/11660/rec/40

4. City of Houston Preservation Guide

This source gives a bit of history and examples of notable homes in the neighborhood.

https://www.houstontx.gov/planning/HistoricPres/HistoricPreservationManual/historic_districts/woodland_history.html

5. Recollections: a history of Woodland Heights and surrounding communities by Omar Holquin Jr.

This book is available from Amazon and was written around the centennial of the Woodland Heights. The author lives in the neighborhood.

- Debbie Hall

Announcing the Woodland Heights 100+ Club

The 100+ Club is a recognition of the oldest homes in our neighborhood as we enter the new decade. One hundred years ago, the Woodland Heights was only 13 years old, having been established in 1907 by William Wilson.

The oldest and most historic homes in our neighborhood are primarily located on the east side of our neighborhood in the original Woodland Heights section. However, there was a significant building boom in 1920's and we have many homes that can claim 1920 as their birth year thus reaching the venerable age of 100 in 2020.

Much of the charm of our neighborhood comes from these older homes. As we arrive at this decade marker, the WHCA will be providing a special recognition of our neighborhood’s oldest homes in conjunction with our annual membership drive.

The WHCA has created a yard sign (pictured above) to designate homes that have achieved 100 years or more. This sign is available at no cost to owners of such homes when they choose to join WHCA with an auto renewing membership.

If you are a current member (but not auto-renewal) you can purchase a sign for $15 by contacting Debbie Hall who will deliver your sign and collect payment. 

Part of the charm of our neighborhood is the architecture and age of bungalows and Queen Anne’s. WHCA sees 2020 as a good time to recognize our homes that have achieved this distinction.

- Debbie Hall, WHCA Historic Homes Committee

Book Review: A history of the Woodland Heights and Surrounding Communities by Omar Holquin, Jr.

Want to catch up on Neighborhood History? Check these out these titles.

Recollections: a history of the Woodland Heights and Surrounding Communities by Omar Holquin, Jr.

This lovely and informative book was published as part of the Centennial Celebration of the Woodland Heights in 2007. Many of the contributors to this neighborhood history continue to live here and may be your next door neighbors.

The contents of this book include a history of the area before it was developed by the Wilson Company describing notable sites like Beauchamp Springs School, the Klunkert Farm, and the Bayland Orphanage. We all might be living in Beauchampville, not Woodland Heights if William A. Wilson had not selected this prime location for his real estate enterprise.

The neighborhood looked very different at the turn of the century. What we now know as Woodland Park had a hotel, beer garden, 50 foot roller coaster, plus a pair of ostriches purchased by school children through a collection of pennies. Containing pictures of early settlers, businesses, and other landmarks, this book is a historical gem.

It is for sale on Amazon (of course) and also at www.createspace.com/3582355 if you would like a copy for your shelf.

Marcia DeBock Is Retiring The Yard Sharks

Marcia DeBock has been teaching swim lessons in the backyard pool of her home on Woodland street for 26 years.  By her own estimation she has taught some 1200 neighborhood children how to swim through her program the Yard Sharks.  The last week in June marked the final chapter of the Yard Sharks as Ms. Marci has elected to retire. 

The shark that gave Yard Sharks its name.

Ms. Marci has delighted generations of young sharks and inspired their parents. With abounding patience, an admirable aptitude for remembering the name of each swimmer, and a gift for teaching as enviable as her vegetable garden Ms. Marci is dually energetic and warmhearted.

Incredibly, given that she teaches preschoolers, I’ve never seen an unhappy swimmer in Ms. Marci’s class. Her heated pool, flanked by towering bamboo and generously shaded by a large palm tree is welcoming to children and adults alike. 

In fact, the DeBock’s entire backyard, (which children enter by passing beneath a giant shark sculpture and through the metal gate crafted from a bicycle seat) is a wonderland. There children can delight in observing a chicken, “Blue”, (who by Marci’s account does not lay eggs) dragonfly, frog, and feline yard art, and an elephant fountain that spouts water through its trunk and currently houses hundreds of tadpoles, while they wait for their lessons to begin.  (Ms. Marci teaches 30 minute classes M-TH from 3 pm to 7 pm offering makeup classes on Fridays in the event of a thunderstorm earlier in the week).   This environment fosters relaxation in the children and helps diffuse any fear of the water newcomers may have. 

Ms Marci with students Parker, Carrie, and Luke June 2018. 

Ms. Marci breaks swimming down into a series of analogies including pizza strokes, rocket ship arms making it both accessible and interesting to children as young as 3 years old.  Her playful approach to class almost guarantees it is the children’s favorite half hour of the week. Few if any traditional swim lesson moments can be observed in Marci’s classes. Rather, her allegories are punctuated with games of water baseball, fishing, and, much to the envy of small siblings not yet old enough to participate in swim classes, rides on her oversized inflatable whale.  By the end of the season children who were reticent to put their toes in the water have been transformed and emerge as confident and capable young swimmers who’ve made new friends and joyful  memories in the process.  

Thank you Ms. Marci for 26 years of enthusiastically nurturing our neighborhood’s children.  Thank you for helping them to uncover an innate love of swimming and for instilling them with self-confidence and pride that will serve them far beyond the walls of the pool. Congratulations on your retirement! 

- Andrea Gorney

Most beautiful outdoor site for hiking, biking and contemplation? Gorgeous (and close by) Glenwood Cemetery

Only a few feet from the intersection of Washington Avenue and Sawyer is Glenwood Cemetery, 84 acres of history, serenity, and beauty (natural as well as man-made).

Glenwood Cemetery

Glenwood Cemetery is an open history museum. You can learn a lot just by strolling its grounds. Family enclosures provide genealogy information.

Vista at Glenwood Cemetary

Road inside Glenwood

Giant tree inside Glenwood

Since it was established in 1871, Glenwood Cemetery has been recognized as one of Houston’s special landmarks. Enclosed within Glenwood’s confines is a priceless collection of Victorian statuary that is available for all to enjoy. Glenwood’s horticultural specimens rival those of many arboretums, and its gently rolling landscape, unique in Houston, provides a place for quiet refuge and peaceful meditation amid inspiring natural beauty.

Designed in the tradition of other romantic rural cemetery parks of the 19th century, Glenwood’s beautiful landscape and towering trees provide the visitor a place of quiet respite just one mile west of downtown Houston. Glenwood’s collection of statuary and monuments are reminders of Houston’s history and the people who shaped it. Among those buried at Glenwood are the last President of the Republic of Texas, four Governors, and more than 20 Houston Mayors, along with founders of major oil companies, religious and professional leaders, and celebrities of their eras such as Howard Hughes and movie star Gene Tierney (known in later life as Gene Tierney Lee).

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Countless gravestones in Glenwood Cemetery, tell stories in a few words (lacking details that you know are painful. This gravestone memorializes the short lives of little brothers, laid to rest in the same grave. The little boys died together in a fire. Later that same year (1877) in December, the family lost a baby girl who died at eight months of age.

The cemetery gates are open every day from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. When Daylight Saving Time is in effect, the gate closing is extended to sunset or 5:30 p.m., whichever is earlier. The cemetery is protected by security guards, and no visitors are permitted when the gates are closed.

- Rosie Walker

Little Free Library on Highland: Inspiration and creativity in a box

When the Little Free Library on the corner of Highland and Michaux (946 Highland) opened for service in 2014, the first books donated came from the collection of the library’s founder, Laura Meadows. Her title in the Little Free Library movement is “steward.”

The Little Free Library movement began in 2009. Today, there are some 50,000 Little Free Libraries in the U.S., and in 70 other countries. In addition to Laura’s library, there are two others within the boundaries of Woodland Heights, with others located in nearby neighborhoods.

The operating concept of the libraries is simple: “Take a book. Leave a book.” Stewards like Laura operate the exchanges and maintain the libraries’ premises (usually, but not necessarily, a wooden box). Laura’s library is decorated for Halloween and has recently undergone roof repairs and a refreshing paint job inspired by the Jackson Pollock technique.

Creativity and innovation by way of community involvement have kicked in for Laura’s library. When she sorts donations, she finds not only books, but other objects as well, especially toys. “It’s become like a toy exchange,” she said. Toys that have been donated range from GI Joe dolls, stuffed animals and toy vehicles to finger puppets. People sometimes leave videos. Donated books have not been limited to English. There have been books donated in Spanish, French and Korean, among other languages.

In the sorting process, Laura sets aside materials that are not suitable for placing in a Little Free Library. She does not circulate books of a religious nature or X-rated publications, for example.

When someone leaves an actual library book belonging to a public library (we cannot refer to such a book as a donation), Laura tries to get the book back to its proper place. Books belonging to Houston Public Library and Harris County Public Library systems have turned up in her library, as have books from other states.

Due to the volume of donations, Laura has added “an annex” (a box on her front porch) to house classics. An anonymous library supporter installed a set of steps to help small kids reach the library’s entrance. Big kids like to visit the library, too. “Skateboarders stop on their way to wherever they’re going and check out the library,” Laura said.

Children’s books are donated and withdrawn in greatest quantity. Weekly circulation (book turnover) is normally 20 to 30 units. “But occasionally, I get an entire library.” That happened when a woman donated the library that had belonged to her recently deceased mother.

Anyone may take a book from her library, but what you may not do is request a “hold,” a service provided by Houston Public Library. If you are hoping to find a favorite title or genre, it will be up to you to visit the Little Free Library frequently.

Little Free Library is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, whose mission is to promote a sense of community, reading for children, literacy for adults and libraries around the world. Most Little Free Libraries are placed in front yards, parks, gardens and other easily accessible locations. They are built to withstand weather and to hold 20 to 100 books. To learn more, visit littlefreelibrary.org.

P.S. - In the pictures you'll notice a small stool. This was donated by a patron of the little library. They needed it to get access to the books, and felt that other might appreciate it as well. It's become a permanent feature of the installation.

Birthday bash on Bayland: 101 years ago

Young Zolene Matzinger was feted at a party on her sixth birthday at her family’s home: 411 Bayland Avenue in Woodland Heights. The date was September 25, 1916. What a party it was: dozens of kids (several of them her cousins), as well as clowns and a calliope

The honoree is the girl seated on the banister at the far right of the picture (in front of the porch column).

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Among Zolene’s party guests were her “Foley cousins,” Carrie Mae Foley and James Foley. Their father was founder of Foley Bros., later to be known as the Foley’s department store chain. Carrie Mae Foley is the fourth child from the left on the second row. James Foley is the second boy from the right on the second row.

The party for his cousin made such an impression on one little boy, Francis Wead (the last little boy on the right, top row), that he still talked about the event when he grew up and became a father. Each child who attended the party was later sent a copy of the group picture. Francis Wead held on to the image the rest of his life.

This image and story shared is shared with WHCA, courtesy of Jimmy Wead, son of Francis Wead. The site of the party, the house at 411 Bayland, is still standing and in good shape.

- Rosie Walker