History of the Shepherd to Sabine project area - Buffalo Bayou Park

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middle-income residential neighborhoods, most of which were undertaken by as i n g l e developer, the Buffalo Bayou parkway threaded through nineteenth centuryneighborhoods. These were poor neighborhoods. Moreover, there was the existingindustrial enclave along the Galveston, Houston and San Antonio R a i l w a y l i n e(which retained a spur connection crossing the bayou even after the belt l i n e track hadbeen rerouted farther west, to what became the western "border of River Oaks). Thecemeteries on both sides were not necessarily to be considered advantages, andeven portions of city-owned property had been diverted to non-park use. Specifically, thethirty-five acre tract between the bayou, Shepherd's Dam Road (which Hoggsucceeded in having redesignated as Shepherd Drive) and San Felipe (which wasredesignated West Dallas Avenue) had been turned over to the Houston TuberculosisHospital in 1919.Between 1927 and 1928, Hogg created a tremendous row by attempting to get theCity and County, which jointly supported the hospital, to move it elsewhere. Criticscharged that Hogg was acting from selfish motives in wanting to dispose of tubercularpatients so as not to endanger River Oaks' property values, and the TuberculosisHospital remained in place. Although no opposition was voiced to the construction ofl i g h t industrial facilities along Buffalo Drive, the Gulf Publishing Company, theRein Company, and the Starr Engraving Company each went to extraordinary lengths toerect buildings designed to enhance the pictureseque, suburban character of theparkway and to appear as non-industrial as possible.(45) Two developments, thesubdivision of Temple Terrace on the o l d George Baker estate just west of the FourthWard, and Sears, Roebuck's new suburban store at Buffalo Drive and Lincoln, provokedHogg's concern. Each raised the issue of the kind of traffic which was to be permitted onthe drive. Hogg felt that commercial traffic of any kind would injure the scenic value of theparkway. When the City Council permitted the local bus service to operate along thedrive, at first as far as Temple Terrace and then to Sears, Roebuck and Company, Hoggattempted to use his influence to have it re-routed, but was only partially successful. TheBuffalo Drive Beautification Association did not seem to possess the internalcohesiveness (its membership consisted chiefly of property owners along the drive)necessary to guard the parkway from what Hogg clearly considered incompatible uses.(46)The Civic Center proved even more troublesome. During the 1928 mayoralelection, it was revealed that Oscar Holcombe had personally profited from theacquisition of land for the Civic Center, having bought and sold to another party for asubstantial increase a lot that was then sold to the Varner Realty Company. W i l l Hogghad become convinced that Holcombe was not seriously interested in civic planning,and he actively campaigned against Holcombe and for his opponent, Walter E.Monteith, a state district judge. Monteith won the election of 1923 and took office in thespring of 1929, only to find that the $1,400,000 bond issue of 1927, which was to havecovered the purchase of Civic Center properties, was inadequate as was the bondissue of $1,000,000 voted to build a new city hall in the Civic Center, plans for which
Southern Pacific Passenger Station at the north end of the Civic Center, w ith the newmayor favoring a less expensive alternative to that of the City Planning Commission.Hare and Hare's proposal that Bagby be extended northward to connect the C i v i c Centerto the new terminal location on Washington Avenue (formerly Washington Street), onthe north bank of the bayou, called for Washington to be realigned as a boulevard andfor Bagby to be planted with double rows of trees. (47)The Montieth administration, although characterized by probity in financialmatters, lacked Holcombe's flair for (in Will Hogg's view) exploiting civic planningprogress for political ends. Hogg resigned the chairmanship of the Commission in 1929,shortly before the publication of the Report. Following his resignation, the standing of theCity Planning Commission and its proposals declined rapidly. In an effort to introduce azoning plan for the city, the Mayor and the new chairman of the Commission planned aseries of p u b l i c hearings before the Council. They were unprepared for the concertedopposition which rapidly developed, and in the face of it simply capitulated. The GreatDepression resulted in the abandonment of the City Hall project, the further acquisition ofproperty in the Civic Center, and all but the most necessary rearrangement of streets forthe Southern Pacific Passenger Station, which was not constructed until 1933-1934. MayStreet was re-designated Memorial Drive, but was neither extended to the west toconnect with the park nor to the east to join Cleveland Park. During' Montieth's secondterm the City Council once again failed to appropriate operating funds for the CityPlanning Commission, thereby effecting its disbandment.Will Hogg died unexpectedly on 12 September 1930. Thereafter, the foremostchampion of public planning was Oscar Holcombe, who was re-elected Mayor in 1932,and served two more terms between 1933 and 1937, one more between 1939 and 1941,three more between 1947 and 1953 and a final special term during 1956 and 1957. Mostof his effort was expended upon realizing elements of the 1929 plan. Public relieffunds were used to carry out the improvements to Memorial Park between 1934 and1937. They were also employed to construct the Civic Center. In 1935, a Public WorksAdministration grant was obtained to build a combined coliseum and music hall. Thisbuilding, called the Sam Houston Coliseum and Music Hall, was completed in 1937, onthe site of the temporary Democratic Convention Hall erected in 1928. This was locatedon Bagby between Rusk and Capitol Avenues on what had been the old Waterworks site.The Hare and Hare Civic Center proposal had called for this site to be open parkland.(49)In 1937 planning also began for a new City Hall.In 1933, Houston voters had authorized construction of a new City Hall in MarketSquare but this was not carried out. When a Public Works Administration grant wasreceived to construct the building in 1937, a dispute broke out over its siting. A newCity Planning Commission had been constituted under the direction of Hugh Potter,principally to propose another zoning plan. In locating the new City Hall, the CityPlanning Commission recommended conformance to the 1925 Civic Center plan,which had designated a site on Bagby Street, between Walker and McKinney Avenues
Page 1 and 2: The Buffalo Bayou Parkway, stretchi
Page 3 and 4: Houston's ruling grid pattern. Howe
Page 5 and 6: oth as a place for adult resort and
Page 7 and 8: described in a newspaper interview
Page 9 and 10: 1912, stated that the old Masonic C
Page 11 and 12: Major projects had to be financed b
Page 13 and 14: for laying out River Oaks eventuall
Page 15: city. Reflecting the mandate which
Page 19 and 20: town street system, and a series of
Page 21 and 22: property was purchased for a new po
Page 23 and 24: 1926 library building, which contin
Page 25 and 26: Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive- a

History of the Shepherd to Sabine project area - Buffalo Bayou Park

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