The real estate development called West University Place was part of a trend in the early 20th century of building affordable neighborhoods away from city centers; it was never meant to be a city on its own.
Early residents wanted Houston to annex their land, but when Houston declined, A.D. Foreman raised enough money to supply electricity, water, and phone service. Lewis and Mae Ryon took the next step by petitioning their neighbors to apply for a city charter, which was granted on January 2, 1924. Slowly, over the next century, West University Place evolved from tr... Read More
Format: Paperback
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The real estate development called West University Place was part of a trend in the early 20th century of building affordable neighborhoods away from city centers; it was never meant to be a city on its own.
Early residents wanted Houston to annex their land, but when Houston declined, A.D. Foreman raised enough money to supply electricity, water, and phone service. Lewis and Mae Ryon took the next step by petitioning their neighbors to apply for a city charter, which was granted on January 2, 1924. Slowly, over the next century, West University Place evolved from tr... Read More
The real estate development called West University Place was part of a trend in the early 20th century of building affordable neighborhoods away from city centers; it was never meant to be a city on its own.
Early residents wanted Houston to annex their land, but when Houston declined, A.D. Foreman raised enough money to supply electricity, water, and phone service. Lewis and Mae Ryon took the next step by petitioning their neighbors to apply for a city charter, which was granted on January 2, 1924. Slowly, over the next century, West University Place evolved from treeless farmland into one of the most livable small towns in Texas—but the journey was not easy. More than once, the enterprise could have failed. If not for the actions of visionary leaders and dedicated residents, things may have turned out quite differently.
Freelance science writer Richard Cunningham is on the City of West University Place Parks and Recreation Board. In 2021, he originated research into the location of the 1894 Harris County Poor Farm, which led to the approval of a historical marker on the Edloe Street pathway. Richard and his wife, Lily Ann, live on Ruskin Street in a 1948 cottage that they remodeled in 2007.
Details
Pages: 128
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Imprint: Arcadia Publishing
Series: Images of America
Publication Date: 15th July 2024
State: Texas
ISBN: 9781467161350
Format: Paperback
BISACs: HISTORY / United States / State & Local / Southwest (AZ, NM, OK, TX) TRAVEL / United States / South / West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) PHOTOGRAPHY / Subjects & Themes / Historical
Reviews
The real estate development called West University Place was part of a trend in the early 20th century of building affordable neighborhoods away from city centers; it was never meant to be a city on its own. Early residents wanted Houston to annex their land, but when Houston declined, A.D. Foreman raised enough money to supply electricity, water, and phone service. Lewis and Mae Ryon took the next step by petitioning their neighbors to apply for a city charter, which was granted on January 2, 1924. Slowly, over the next century, West University Place evolved from treeless farmland into one of the most livable small towns in Texas—but the journey was not easy. More than once, the enterprise could have failed. If not for the actions of visionary leaders and dedicated residents, things may have turned out quite differently.
"“For me, writing is like building something. The words on a page aren’t just a bunch of words. It’s a structure. It’s something you build. Part of my brain is always working on building stuff,” says Richard, 77, a freelance science and technical writer whose latest work is a labor of love, a book about West University Place. The community has been his home, all told, for 28 years. He lived here during the 1980s with his first wife and son. He loved it so much that he returned in 2007 with second wife Lily Ann."
The real estate development called West University Place was part of a trend in the early 20th century of building affordable neighborhoods away from city centers; it was never meant to be a city on its own.
Early residents wanted Houston to annex their land, but when Houston declined, A.D. Foreman raised enough money to supply electricity, water, and phone service. Lewis and Mae Ryon took the next step by petitioning their neighbors to apply for a city charter, which was granted on January 2, 1924. Slowly, over the next century, West University Place evolved from treeless farmland into one of the most livable small towns in Texas—but the journey was not easy. More than once, the enterprise could have failed. If not for the actions of visionary leaders and dedicated residents, things may have turned out quite differently.
Freelance science writer Richard Cunningham is on the City of West University Place Parks and Recreation Board. In 2021, he originated research into the location of the 1894 Harris County Poor Farm, which led to the approval of a historical marker on the Edloe Street pathway. Richard and his wife, Lily Ann, live on Ruskin Street in a 1948 cottage that they remodeled in 2007.
Pages: 128
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Imprint: Arcadia Publishing
Series: Images of America
Publication Date: 15th July 2024
State: Texas
ISBN: 9781467161350
Format: Paperback
BISACs: HISTORY / United States / State & Local / Southwest (AZ, NM, OK, TX) TRAVEL / United States / South / West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) PHOTOGRAPHY / Subjects & Themes / Historical
The real estate development called West University Place was part of a trend in the early 20th century of building affordable neighborhoods away from city centers; it was never meant to be a city on its own. Early residents wanted Houston to annex their land, but when Houston declined, A.D. Foreman raised enough money to supply electricity, water, and phone service. Lewis and Mae Ryon took the next step by petitioning their neighbors to apply for a city charter, which was granted on January 2, 1924. Slowly, over the next century, West University Place evolved from treeless farmland into one of the most livable small towns in Texas—but the journey was not easy. More than once, the enterprise could have failed. If not for the actions of visionary leaders and dedicated residents, things may have turned out quite differently.
"“For me, writing is like building something. The words on a page aren’t just a bunch of words. It’s a structure. It’s something you build. Part of my brain is always working on building stuff,” says Richard, 77, a freelance science and technical writer whose latest work is a labor of love, a book about West University Place. The community has been his home, all told, for 28 years. He lived here during the 1980s with his first wife and son. He loved it so much that he returned in 2007 with second wife Lily Ann."
