Houston's Hermann Park: A Century of Community

Appendix One: Hermann Park and Houston Chronology of Significant Events

Year Hermann Park Houston 1910 Mayor H. Baldwin Rice appoints Board of Park Commissioners July 12: George H. Hermann signs Last Will and Testament leaving property for Hermann Park Houston population: 78,800 (68th largest US city) surpasses Galveston Federal government agrees to pay one-half of the cost of building the Houston Ship Channel Mexican Revolution begins; displaced Mexicans begin to pour into Houston 1912 Arthur Coleman Comey retained to create a general plan for Houston Classes begin at the Rice Institute 1913 March 1: Comey Report delivered Ben Campbell elected mayor (1913–1917) Clarence Brock becomes first Park Superintendent. Houston Symphony established 1914 April: J. S. Cullinan meets George Kessler June 7: George Hermann formally donates land for Hermann Park October 21: George Hermann dies Houston Ship Channel opens World War I begins in Europe Texas Company Building completed 1915 Maxcy Plan for Hermann Park published July 4: Dedication and Opening of Hermann Park George E. Kessler commissioned to plan Hermann Park First deep water vessel docks in Houston 1916 Cullinan begins development of Shadyside Major roadways in Hermann Park built March 15: Houston Department of Public Parks created Titanic sinks 1917 Shelter House built near entrance to Hermann Park—first structure in the park Sunken Garden at Main and Montrose built Site for Museum of Fine Arts secured Joseph J. Pastoriza elected mayor (1917) Joseph C. Hutcheson elected mayor (1917–1918) US enters World War I Camp Logan and Ellington Field built 1918 A. E. Amerman elected mayor (1918–1921) APPENDIX ONE Hermann Park and Houston Chronology of Significant Events 212 Appendix One 1919 18th Amendment to US Constitution institutes prohibition beginning in 1920 19th Amendment to US Constitution grants women’s suffrage 1920 200 Memorial live oaks planted Earl the Buffalo donated to the City of Houston Houston population: 138,276 (45th largest US city, 3rd largest city in Texas) 1921 Bridle and foot paths laid out and cleared William Ward Watkin commissioned to design new Miller Memorial Theatre Oscar F. Holcombe elected mayor (1921–1929) 1922 Automobile Tourist Camp National Guard asks for property in park for armory Forty zoo animals move to Hermann Park Golf Course construction begun Houston gets first motorized fire-fighting vehicles 1923 May 12: Miller Memorial Theatre opens 1924 Central block of Museum of Fine Arts completed 133.5-acre Hogg Tract sold to city Hare & Hare landscaped Sunken Garden Golf Course completed Port Terminal Railroad organized Parks Department budget is $216,604.22. The department’s goal is to have a park within a 1/2 mile of every house. The Recreation Department believes a park should be within a 1/4 mile of every home. River Oaks lot sales begin 1925 Excavation of Grand Basin Hermann Hospital completed April: Sam Houston Monument installed Houston–Dallas bus line begins KPRC, Houston’s first radio station, begins broadcasting 1926 Flanking wings of Museum of Fine Arts completed Peggy MacGregor donates MacGregor Tract (108 acres) to the city Warwick Hotel opens adjacent to Hermann Park 1927 Botanical Gardens planned Niels Esperson Building completed Houston Junior College and its African American counterpart (forerunners of UH and Texas Southern University) open on separate campuses 1928 Bayou Bend completed Airmail service in Houston begins Democratic National Convention held in Houston 1929 Walter E. Monteith elected mayor (1929–1933) Gulf Building completed Stock Market Crash Appendix One 213 1930 Hare & Hare General Plan Museum of Natural Science opens Houston Population: 292,352 (26th largest US city, largest in Texas) 1933 Hermann Park Clubhouse constructed Oscar F. Holcombe elected mayor (1933–1937) 21st Amendment to US Constitution repeals prohibition 1934 Intracoastal Canal system links Houston with the entire Mississippi River system of navigation Houston Junior College becomes a four-year institution and changes its name to the University of Houston 1935 Braniff Airways begins passenger air service in Houston Buffalo Bayou overflows, causing the worst flood in Houston history up to that time 1936 Pioneer Memorial Obelisk donated Pioneer Memorial Log Cabin donated Texas and Houston Centennial celebrations 1937 Central Lions Club propose George Hermann Memorial Hermann Park has a donkey trail with fourteen donkeys at the zoo R. H. Fonville elected mayor (1937–1938) Houston Municipal Airport (Hobby) opens Became illegal to pasture cows on city esplanades The Parks Department was re-created after the Depression with a board of six park commissioners 1938 2nd golf course proposed for Hogg Tract Houston Conservatory...