The West Houston Archives

   Back when most of Harris County's roads were originally established in the late 19th and early 20th century, they were required to respect the boundaries of private land owners.  The property lines for much of what is now West Houston were drawn out in squares and rectangles, for the most part.  The first roads, which were little more than dirt paths or pulverized oyster shell paving, were laid out in 90 degree turns all over the county.  Roads would make these sharp turns to skirt around property lines, and it resulted in a very inefficient way to get from place to place.  

   As long as the area remained rural with little traffic, this was not a problem.  However, as new communities and commercial developments began reaching out into the west and northwest parts of Harris County, some serious changes had to be made to improve the existing road infrastructure.  Rather than politely going around property lines, TxDOT preferred the method of buying out sections of land from land owners to build the roads wherever they needed them to go.  This allowed newer roads to be smoother and wider with higher speed limits.  It eliminated congestion and excessive turns, as well as offsets (often seen in rural areas where a road ends, and then resumes several yards or blocks down the road).  

   

   In many cases, these realignment or expansion projects would leave behind a section of the original road that no longer fit the modified design.  Sometimes these orphan segments were abandoned and left for mother nature to reclaim; other times the old road would be kept open to provide access to nearby residential or commercial interests that were in place before the realignment.  I like to seek out these old portions of road to see a small sliver of history that managed to survive the times.  While some are more preserved than others, all of them seem to tell the story of settlement in West Houston in their own way. 

   I first learned about these ghost alignments in 2011 while trying to find out the story behind a small stretch of road in Addicks Reservoir that ran into the forest near the intersection of Eldridge Parkway and Patterson Rd.  I learned that it was actually a remaining section of Addicks-Fairbanks Rd., a two lane rural road that pre-dated Eldridge Parkway.  The newer parkway was built over the original road, but smoothed out to avoid a sharp turn near an old cemetery.  The newer parkway became the normal route for traffic, and the old corner of road was closed off on both ends.  Using websites like NETR Online (Historicaerials.com) and Google Earth, I confirmed this discovery, and went on to discover many more locations where roads had been realigned, leaving behind old segments of road.

   The roads I have covered are listed on this page alphabetically.  In the case of Farm-to-Market roads, I used their alternate name to fit them in alphabetical order.  (FM529=Spencer Rd).  I can safely say I have not found every single realignment in the city, but I think I've found the majority of them, at least the ones that still contain evidence of the original alignment. 

 

The text for this chapter has been temporarily suspended for review based on some new information that has required revision of this subject.

(Above photo: Facing west along part of the old Addicks-Fairbanks alignment that was bypassed in 1982)   

   Addicks-Howell Rd. is one of West Houston's oldest roads that really didn't survive, except for a small section of it running south of Addicks town site for several blocks.  Originally, this was like a sister road to Addicks-Satsuma in the days before State Highway 6 was established.  While Addicks-Satsuma handled the route from Addicks north to Hempstead Rd., Addicks-Howell handled the southbound route to nearby Howellville (another forgotten town site on the Houston map).  The two roads did not join as one until the mid 1960's when State Highway 6 was built, taking over most of the original alignments of Addicks-Satsuma and Addicks-Howell.

  In the image above, you can see how SH-6 (left) makes a swooping curve to the east where it overtook most of Addicks-Howell.  The portion of the road that survived the overtaking is now just a secondary street serving a few neighborhoods and schools. While SH-6 is poured reinforced concrete, Addicks-Howell remains a two-lane asphalt alignment as it always was.  

Aug 2012a 066.jpg : This is all motorists will see of Addicks-Howell when traveling north on SH-6 between Memorial and I-10, Aug. 2012.

Aug 2012a 067.jpg : Facing back south along SH-6 from Addicks-Howell, where the old road was given a dead end, Aug, 2012.

Aug 2012a 068.jpg : Facing north at the split-off between SH-6 and Addicks-Howell Rd., Aug, 2012.

Aug 2012a 069.jpg : Facing north along SH-6 from the Addicks-Howell Rd. tie-in, Aug. 2012.

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 Back in the 1960's, the re-establishment of State Highway 6 (SH-6) through the Bear Creek & Addicks area overlayed most of what was originally Addicks-Satsuma Rd.   The original two-lane road ran north from US-90 in Addicks up to a northern terminus at FM 529, with a few bends and hooks along the way.  When the highway was re-established, it consumed most of Addicks-Satsuma Road, but left behind a few traces of the original right-of-way that were not part of the new and improved plan.  The biggest one is actually still in use today under the name Addicks-Satsuma Rd.  Though today it is little more than a back street that parallels SH-6, this road is actually part of the original alignment of Addicks-Satsuma Rd.  It was decided that the new highway would run a more direct path between US-90 and Hempstead Rd., diverting from the original alignment, and cutting a path through the prairie towards what would eventually become US 290. The rest of Addicks-Satsuma Rd. was left behind as a secondary street.  The point where the above photo was taken is where Addicks-Satsuma and SH-6 parted ways.

     From there, it makes a series of 90 degree turns, and the familiar winding turn where it resumes its path north towards FM 529.  The road was never widened, and there are still lots of tall, knotty trees lining the road that help proclaim the age of the road in comparison with the relatively young trees that line Highway 6. 

  Another trace of the old alignment can be found further south at the intersection of Patterson Rd., beside the Addicks-Bear Creek Cemetery.  The slab of pavement where people park their cars to go walking is actually a chunk of the old Addicks-Satsuma road alignment that was left behind when the new highway skirted right past it.  Originally, this cemetery had no real parking lot.  Most likely, cars would just parallel park on the side of the road when visiting the cemetery.  It wasn't until this slab of the old road was left behind that it became a good idea to utilize it as parking.  And of course, the third major trace of the old road is the abandoned South Mayde Creek bridge segments in the reservoir, but they have a chapter of their own...

ASR 001.jpg : The big curve near the bayou

ASR 002.jpg : The big curve near the bayou

ASR 003.jpg : Facing north from the big curve towards West Little York.

ASR 004.jpg : Facing north at the West Little York intersection.

ASR 005.jpg : A single residence that survived after construction of Truitt Middle School just behind it.  The home was finally acquired and demolished in 2014.

ASR 006.jpg : Facing north along Addicks-Satsuma running through Hearthstone Place.

ASR 007.jpg : The terminus of Addicks-Satsuma Rd. at FM 529, facing north.

PR 001.jpg : The present day parking lot for the Addicks Bear Creek Cemetery, closely bordered by the newer SH-6 to the left.

PR 002.jpg : Facing south across Patterson, you can see a wider grass shoulder where the road once ran.

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 Aldine-Westfield Rd. in the Spring area was realigned during the 1970's between Cypresswood and Hirschfield Rd.  The original alignment of the road, which was among some of the oldest in the area, had a pretty nasty dead-man's curve.  It wasn't the sudden 90 degree turn in direction like most roads in the area, but a "beveled" curve that got tighter as it progressed.

   Just east of Wilcrest Dr., very close to the Abundant Life Cathedral and directly off the shoulder of the Westpark Toll Road near a toll tag reader, sits a section of abandoned railroad bridge left behind after the tollway was completed.  The railroad corridor gave way to the toll road, and was removed completely from its original alignment.  This bridge is a surviving remnant of this railroad alignment.  I originally thought it to be part of the old Alief-Clodine alignment, but the lack of adequate side barriers indicates that it was probably a railroad bridge that ran parallel to Westpark.

Coordinates for locating the bridge segment: 29 degrees 43'02.61" N, 95 degrees 33'58.01" W.  

Sep 2014a 002.jpg : The abandoned railroad bridge.

Sep 2014a 003.jpg : Another view of the bridge, facing east along the Westpark Tollway.

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BNH 004.jpg : Standing at the north end of the old alignment (cul-de-sac) facing north towards Beltway 8, Dec. 2011.

BNH 009.jpg : Sign labeled "Old Bammel-North Houston Rd." hanging above the old alignment, Dec. 2011.

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   The realignment connected the gap between Saums Rd. and present day Kieth-Harrow Blvd.  Kieth Harrow originally was known as Gertie Rice Farm Rd. until around 1980.  I am not sure of the origins of the names Kieth & Harrow at this time.  To follow the original path of Barker Cypress Rd. using modern street names, here is the way you would have to drive:

1.)North on Barker-Cypress to Saums Rd. (@ Cullen Park).  Turn left on Saums. Mar 2016a 008.JPG

2.)West on Saums Rd. to Greenhouse Rd.  Turn right on Greenhouse. Mar 2016a 011.JPG

3.)North on Greenhouse to Clay Rd. (Originally an offset intersection, you once had to turn right on Clay, and immediate left back on Greenhouse). Mar 2016a 013.JPG

4.)North on Greenhouse to Old Greenhouse Rd.  Turn right on Old Greenhouse Rd.

5.)East on Old Greenhouse Rd. Mar 2016a 019.JPG

6.)Old Greenhouse turns left now heading north on Old Greenhouse Rd., passing Kieth Harrow Blvd (Gertie Rice Farm Rd.) Mar 2016a 021.JPG

7.)Road ends at Gummert Rd.  Turn right on Gummert. Mar 2016a 023.JPG

8.)East on Gummert Rd. to Barker-Cypress Rd.  Turn left on Barker-Cypress Rd. (meeting present day alignment).

What a hassle!!!  I can see why they built the bypass and straightened out Barker-Cypress.  I am planning on adding some photos to this chapter soon if I can get some good lighting.

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Album 20 Pic 33.jpg : The split between new and old Bauer Rd. alignments near 290, Jan. 2012.

Album 20 Pic 34.jpg : Facing south along the original alignment of Bauer, bypassed in the 1990's, Jan. 2012.

Album 20 Pic 35.jpg : At the old intersection of Bauer with 290, facing east towards the newer intersection, Jan. 2012.

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   Around 1980, Telge Rd. was extended south of 290 to West Rd., and Cameron Rd. was closed off, in favor of a new factory entrance off Telge Rd.  The perimeter fence was built over the old road, and piece by piece, Cameron's intersection with 290 was slowly erased from the map.  Today, there is a big pond and fenced off area, and a fairly young cross street (visible in the above photo) that cut right through the old road alignment at some point.  

   The road never ran all the way to West Rd., because West Rd. didn't exist when it was first built in the 1960's. It came to a dead end after you passed all the buildings.

   When the Sam Houston Tollway was constructed during the late 1980's, the southern end of Cutten Rd. received a realignment.  Before all the construction, Cutten Rd. ran directly south where it intersected FM 149.  In the above photo, you can see the intersection of the tollway and SH 249 (formerly 149) from the dead end of the old Cutten alignment.  The new alignment took a turn to the west where it intersected SH 249 just north of the tollway.  The remaining section of road was a dead end, as the above photo shows.  At some point, the Shell station went up, and they poured cement all the way to this dead end, so it could be accessed via Cutten Rd.  You can see the different toned pavement on the left versus the asphalt paved Cutten Rd.

CUT 005.jpg : A link to the same photo above

CUT 006.jpg : Facing south at the split between the new alignment (right) and the original alignment (left), Jan. 2012.

CUT 007.jpg : Standing at the south end of the old alignment facing north, Jan. 2012.

   In late 2012, Cutten Rd. was altered yet again.  The new extension of West Greens Rd. from Hollister to Cutten would reshape the intersection.  This site was just a few blocks north of this old realignment from the 80's.  Now, traffic on Cutten must turn to stay on Cutten, or the road will just continue on to Hollister Rd.  

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Cypress-Rosehill Rd. originally began at Hempstead Rd. right in the heart of Cypress, and ran north to the small settlement of Rosehill.  The route formed in the later 1800's and later, when cars and trucks replaced the horse, became a two-lane paved blacktop running between the two towns.  In 2005, TxDOT extended Fry Rd, which at the time, came to a dead end just a few blocks north of FM 529 after Cy-Springs high school.  The extension ran all the way north up to US 290, and would align with Cypress-Rosehill Rd.  Everything north of 290 would remain as Cypress-Rosehill, everything south would be Fry.  But Fry Rd. didn't align perfectly with the original intersection at Hempstead Rd.

 

   Duncan was a narrow, two-lane, asphalt paved road that started at FM 1960 in the Champions Forest area, and ran south/southeast through the trees where it came to a dead end at what is now the northern end of Champions Crossing (a recently constructed suburb). It was named after a local resident whose descendants were none too happy about the road carrying their namesake being taken over and erased from history.

   I was working in the area at the time of the expansion, and watched them slowly attempt to widen the narrow corridor to contain a four lane thoroughfare.  Because of the age of Duncan Rd., many establishments and property fencing, etc. had already been built close to the roadside.  Lots of driveways were shrunk, and over the course of several months, all the nearby utilities and poles were relocated.  They expanded the road slowly until it finally connected with the upcoming extension of Hollister, and was eventually opened to traffic in early 2013.  Though the Duncan Rd. street signs were removed, the family was given the consolation prize of a street sign along Hollister that paid honorable mention to Duncan Rd.

   I got a few pictures of the road before it was expanded to four lanes, though some construction efforts can be seen in the photos, taken in Dec. 2012.

Dec 2012a 052.jpg : Intersection of Duncan & Theall, facing west along Theall

Dec 2012a 053.jpg : Intersection of Duncan & Theall, facing south along Duncan.

Dec 2012a 055.jpg : Facing north along Duncan Rd. towards FM 1960.

Dec 2012a 056.jpg : Facing south along Duncan Rd. between Theall and FM 1960.

Dec 2012a 057.jpg : FM 1960 and Duncan Rd. as it looked before Hollister took over.

Dec 2012a 058.jpg : FM 1960 and Duncan Rd. as it looked before Hollister took over.

Dec 2012a 059.jpg : Facing south on Duncan Rd. from FM 1960 (still two lanes).

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   The east/west part of Gertie Rice Rd. was overtaken by Kieth-Harrow Blvd. (circa 1980), and at the corner where the road turned south (present day Wilson Elementary School), the road is now known as Windsong Trail, a gift from 1980's residential developers.  

Mar 2016a 021.JPG : This is Old Greenhouse Road where it turns from east to north, near the intersection of Gertie Rice Farm Rd.

Mar 2016a 022.JPG : The intersection of Kieth-Harrow with Old Greenhouse.  At one time this would have been the intersection of Barker-Cypress and Gertie Rice Farm Road.

Mar 2016a 030.JPG : Eastbound on Kieth-Harrow, following the Gertie Rice Farm Rd. path.  The intersection of Barker-Cypress ahead is just part of the bypass that went in around 1980, and was not always there.

Mar 2016a 031.JPG : The intersection of Windsong Trail is where Gertie Rice Rd. made a turn to the south, heading back towards Clay Rd.

Mar 2016a 033.JPG : Traveling south on Windsong Trail heading towards Clay Rd.  

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Aug 2015a 052.jpg : Facing north along the Hayes Rd. corridor where it dead ends at a barricade, Aug. 2015.

Aug 2015a 053.jpg : Facing north beyond the barricade, where the asphalt road surface vanishes into the grass, Aug. 2015.

Aug 2015a 051.jpg : Facing south along Hayes Rd. from the barricade.  It is a back alley road to a strip center, and then the open road begins in the distance, headed towards Westheimer, Aug. 2015.

Aug 2015a 054.jpg : A close-up of the aged asphalt pavement along the abandoned part of Hayes, Aug. 2015.

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 Hiltonview Rd., in North Houston, is what I would consider to be a genuine abandoned road;  remnants of an old road that has been completely forsaken as a viable roadway, and left to return to nature with no realignment at all.  Hiltonview sits largely on the northwest corner of Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8) and Hollister Rd., but it also can be traced south of the tollway making a left turn into SH 249.  On Google Earth, the road is labeled both Hiltonview and Mazen, and marked by a gray line, but today there is no road accessible to traffic.

   Most of the realignment was done very neatly, leaving behind no portions of abandoned road to discover, so going to the location to take photographs was rather pointless, however I felt the need to at least give Old Holzwarth honorable mention, because thousands of drivers pass by it every day.  I'm sure I wasn't the only one who wondered what the difference was between Old Holzwarth and new Holzwarth Rd.

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 Jackrabbit Rd. is a small road with a big story to tell.  The road, which runs north/south in outer Northwest Houston, was named for the many jackrabbits that were seen in the area during the early 20th century.  The area was predominantly rice and dairy farms as recently as the 1970's, before heavy settlement in the area really began.  Jackrabbit originally began at FM 529, and ran north to Hempstead Rd. in the days before the 290 freeway.  

 

 

  

 Kuykendahl Rd. in North Harris County runs north from I-45 all the way to Research Forest Dr. in the Woodlands.  Originally, it appears to have ended at Schweinie Lake back when it was actually a lake.  The road is well known as being a main road to the town of Bammel, which has long since been absorbed by the City of Houston, but once sat at the intersection of FM 1960 and Kuykendahl.  The Bammel General Store was a familiar sight throughout the 20th century up to the end of the 1970's when it was finally torn down and replaced with a modern shopping center.

     The southern end of Kuykendahl was realigned in the 1970's to relocate the intersection with I-45 (then known as US-75).  Kuykendahl was curved south where it would intersect Rankin Rd., which would then lead to the freeway.  The original section of Kuykendahl left behind after the realignment was left open to traffic as a side street, and given the name Mercedes Drive, no doubt in relation to the multitude of car dealerships that dot the area near Rankin and I-45.

   Mercedes Drive, or Old Kuykendahl, whichever you like to call it, continues to exist in its original state, as most of Kuykendahl was until the late 1970's.  Two lanes of asphalt paving with no curbs, only ditches on the sides, and tall trees that were once the common sight along Kuykendahl.  It is not abandoned, just not well traveled.  The dealerships use it to conduct vehicle brake tests for inspections.

KUY 024.jpg : The split between the old alignment (left) and the new alignment of Kuykendahl near Rankin Rd., 2011.

KUY 025.jpg : Some of the older infrastructure along the old Kuykendahl road, 2011.

KUY 026.jpg : The treeline that originally ran alongside the road before the realignment, 2011.

KUY 029.jpg : The southern tip of old Kuykendahl where it merges onto the I-45 frontage lanes just north of Rankin, 2011.

   In 2007/08, construction began on a project to make Kuykendahl pass beneath FM 1960, relieving some traffic congestion that had been building since the late 1990's.  It was finished some time in 2009, and though traffic on FM 1960 is always in bad shape, at least Kuykendahl traffic heading to and from I-45 doesn't have to be affected by it.  

KUY 013.jpg : Kuykendahl Rd. at FM 1960 in 2008, before the digging beneath FM 1960 was done, facing north on Kuykendahl.

KUY 016.jpg : Kuykendahl Rd. at FM 1960 in 2008, facing north from the northbound lanes of Kuykendahl.

KUY 001.jpg : Kuykendahl Rd. at FM 1960 in 2009, same as previous photo after digging beneath FM 1960.

KUY 002.jpg : Another shot of the excavation work on Kuykendahl just south of FM 1960, March 2009.

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Apr 2013a 076.jpg : Facing east along the old alignment, east of JFK Blvd.

Apr 2013a 077.jpg : Facing east along the old alignment, zoomed in.

Apr 2013a 078.jpg : The pavement condition of the old alignment.

Apr 2013a 080.jpg : The abandoned road segment in relativity to the new Lauder alignment, facing east.

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   Along the sides of Old Louetta, there are some small businesses and a few older homes that clearly existed before the realignment.  Some of them appear vacant, but on the day I went out to get photos, I saw a truck coming and going from one of the derelict homes nearby.  

The following photos were taken in April 2014:

Apr 2014a 006.JPG : Link to the image above

Apr 2014a 007.JPG : A zoomed in view of the same as above

Apr 2014a 008.JPG : The dead-ended east end of the old Louetta segment.  Note the old house behind it.

Apr 2014a 005.JPG : Another view of the east dead-end of the old Louetta segment.

Apr 2014a 009.JPG : This view of the old road from new Louetta gives the illusion of how it probably looked forty years ago.

Apr 2014a 001.JPG : Facing east along the Old Louetta loop segment.

Apr 2014a 002.JPG : Facing west along the Old Louetta loop segment.

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   All that remains today is a small, nameless slab of asphalt covered in litter, but this was once part of Mangum Rd. long ago.  I photographed it in early January of 2015.

Jan 2015a 001.JPG : Facing south along Mangum Rd. across W. 43rd St.  Beyond the barricade lies the abandoned segment of old Mangum Rd.

Jan 2015a 002.JPG : The intersection of W. 43rd St. and Mangum, facing east/northeast along W. 43rd.

Jan 2015a 003.JPG : The view of the abandoned road segment as it appears from W. 43rd St.

Jan 2015a 004.JPG : Facing south along the abandoned strip of Mangum.  The road continues on the other side of the tracks.

Jan 2015a 005.JPG : Another view south along the abandoned strip.

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  If you have spent enough time in the Heights area, you should be familiar with the part of North Shepherd that dips beneath the railroad corridor between 34th and 38th Streets, near the old Garden Oaks Theater.  Surrounding this underpass on all four corners are the remains of what looks to have been an older configuration of North Shepherd Dr.  These road segments are at ground level, and closed off at the railroad tracks on all corners.  The northeast corner was erased by a parking lot, but the other three corners still have old road alignments that survived to the present day.  But they no longer cross the railroad, or serve as viable thoroughfares.  

   After the FM 1960 intersection with FM 149 was opened, the original northern end of the Jackrabbit corridor was renamed Perry Road.  There was also a slight offset of Perry Road at Mills Road, which was smoothed out in the early 1980's.  It left behind a short stub of road at the northeast corner of Perry & Mills, but the 2011 expansion of Perry Rd. into four lanes erased the last remaining evidence of the old offset.  

PER 001.jpg : Facing north from FM 1960

PER 002.jpg : Facing south towards FM 1960 from Perry

PER 003.jpg : Facing north on Perry from Pine Pass

PER 004.jpg : Facing north of Perry from Pine Pass

PER 005.jpg : USA Car Care on Perry Rd., which lost some real estate to the expansion

PER 006.jpg : Construction workers working on the new southbound lanes of Perry

PER 007.jpg : Facing north on Perry at Lou Edd Rd.

PER 008.jpg : Perry & Mills Rd., facing south on Perry from Mills Rd.

PER 009.jpg : Facing south along Perry from Mills Rd.

PER 010.jpg : Perry & Mills Rd., June 2011, facing the north side of the intersection.

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   Looking at the two-lane asphalt road, it should give an idea of what the rest of it probably looked like in the days before we had the tollway.  At this time I don't have any pictures of Roark Rd. to share, but I plan to add some of what remains today.  As for the little tie-in street called Rogerdale, it remains in use today because it was out of the path of the tollway construction, thanks to it having been jogged slightly west of West Belt & Roark.

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 Farm to Market Road 529, originally known as Spencer Rd., begins at US 290 and goes west to Bellville, TX.  The original road began at Hempstead Road in the days before the 290 freeway.  It crossed some railroad tracks, passed the Farmers Rice Drier on the left, and made a straight line for Bellville.  It was only two lanes wide and paved with asphalt.  In the late 1980's, the construction on the 290 main lanes had reached the Jersey Village area, and the intersection of FM 529 was moved south, where it would bypass the railroad crossing, and intersect 290 below grade level. 

  

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   The plans for a railway leading from Houston to San Antonio were already in the works as early as 1870.  The railway was intended to travel west to San Antonio via Bellville, La Grange, Lockhart, and New Braunfels.  On August 4th, 1870, the railway was chartered as the Western Narrow Gauge Railroad Company.  In 1872, ground was broken on the corridor, though actual construction did not begin until 1875.  The railroad right-of-way began in town off W. Alabama, following a straight line out west.  In March 1875, the company received their first locomotive, and the charter was amended to change the name of the railroad to Texas Western Narrow Gauge Railroad Company.  By 1877, the first 42 miles from Houston to Pattison, TX were complete.  The company ran two locomotives, 15 freight cars, and one passenger car.

   In 1881, the company changed names again to the Texas Western Railway. Another 10 mile extension of the railroad to Sealy, TX was completed.  Up until this point, the railroad corridor had all the marks of a growing enterprise, but in 1893, the Missouri, Kansas & Texas (K-T) Railway built a railroad into Houston along the projected route of the Texas Western Railway, coming in from the opposite direction.  This move basically put an end to any further progression by Texas Western Railway, and sealed its fate.  The K-T railroad corridor is where the name of the town Katy is said to have originated, and the railroad corridor running through downtown Katy is the very same one which put an end to the Texas Western Narrow Gauge.

In 1895, the existing right-of-way for the Texas Western Narrow Gauge Railroad was sold to a man named Elijah Smith, and the railroad was said to have ceased all operation by the end of June 1896.  By 1899, the railway had been abandoned entirely, and the following year the rails were removed and the corridor completely vacated.

In the early 20th century, the abandoned railroad corridor was repurposed.  There was vacant right-of-way extending west from Midtown Houston all the way past Addicks-Howell Rd. into what is now the Barker Reservoir.  Part of the corridor evolved into Westheimer Road, which turned south and rain directly into Alief along a road known as Alief-Houston Road (today known as West Houston Center Blvd.).  Continuing west from that branch-off was a segment of abandoned railway that was turned into a crushed shell road known as Beeler, which appears to have ended at Addicks-Howell Rd. All of the remaining railroad corridor would not be used for roads, as it was going to find itself swallowed up by the boundaries of the planned Barker Reservoir.

  

   So to clarify, Beeler was only a stretch running approximately between Addicks-Howell and Alief-Houston Roads.  The grass-covered clearing inside the Barker Reservoir, which sits on the same line of latitude as Westheimer; that's all that remains of the Texas Western Narrow Gauge railroad.  It makes a shallow turn to the northwest, heading for the town of Katy, but residential development has erased the remaining path once carved out by the old railroad.  For the longest time, I had no idea that Westheimer Road had its beginnings as a failed railroad corridor.  I find it even more interesting that there is any sign of it at all today.  Everything outside the reservoir has been turned into something else; but this empty path cutting through the trees on the south side of Barker Reservoir was actually an old train corridor from the old West!

   

   West Belt Dr. ended at Westheimer, but just to the west was a little road called Rogerdale that continued south to Westpark Dr.  Another jog to the east would meet up with Roark Rd., which also suffered the same fate as West Belt Dr.  

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