Texas Avenue By: Kassey Wright

Texas Avenue has been a part of Baytown’s history since 1917, but this part of Baytown hasn’t always been called Baytown, but Pelly. Texas Avenue was the center of Pelly, the road housed many different local stores, such as, clothing, barber shops, and other frequently used places. I believe Texas Avenue is a huge symbol of Baytown, it represents the growth and the belief of a bigger and better Baytown, Texas.

When I think of Texas Avenue, I picture myself driving down the long narrow road with my grandmother. When I was much younger, I remember her taking me to all the local shops, we used to be gone for hours enjoying the little things around the road strip, but now my grandmother has past, and every time I drive on Texas Avenue I imagine my grandmother and I walking the sidewalks. Texas Avenue to me symbolizes much more than just a road that developed Baytown, but as a memory for everyone. Texas Avenue symbolizes a joyful memory in all of Baytownians life for just enjoying the little things.            

Recently in the past couple of years, Baytownians have been renovating Texas Avenue, bringing the road back to its former glory by building new buildings and fixing the older ones who needed it the most. Many Baytownians are ecstatic about the new buildings on Texas Avenue, it is in hope that these new improvements will bring the “life back” to Texas Avenue, as it was when my father was in high school. Texas Avenue represents more than just a road, but symbolizes the wonderful memories of local Baytownians.

In 1917, Texas Avenue brought the three surrounding towns, Pelly, Goose Creek, and East Baytown, all into one area to shop. With Texas Avenue technically in Pelly, it still drew all three of the town locals to one. Texas Avenue housed many different local shops, such as clothing, barber shops, and a theater for entertainment. Therefore giving Texas Avenue the life of the future Baytown.

Texas Avenue has been through almost a century of Baytown’s history, therefore the grand street has had many different looks with continuous remodeling going on throughout the years. One of Baytown’s biggest landmarks is sitting right in the middle of Texas Avenue; The Big Oak tree, going back to the early 1920’s the Goose Creek Ku Klux Klan used Texas Avenue to host their weekly parades. Another great landmark on Texas Avenue is the Brunson Theatre, in 1929 this theatre became the first and now the oldest theatre in Baytown.

As I was trying to recall Texas Avenues glory days, I got a chance to interview Paula Avila, a life long resident of  Baytown. In the interview she stated “ Texas Avenue used to be the party place, there were so many people on that street it took at least an hour and a half to reach the opposite side of the street, in a car. Picturing this in my head, I developed of the idea that maybe one day this glory could be restored.

Slowly, Texas Avenues shops closed due to the rapid growth of population more towards I-10, local business got put out of business and one by one, Texas Avenue became dead. Recently, in the past couple of years, the city of Baytown have started to return this old glory, by renovating buildings ;like Texas state optical, and allowing new stores to come in and bring in crowds. Hopefully in the near future, this glorious return will boom and make Texas Avenue what it used to be,

           

As I walk along the sidewalk of Texas Avenue, I feel a sort of abandonment, as if I’m the only one out here, which I am, that there isn’t a soul within miles of me. As I walk a little faster, I walk into a new café called Cork Grinders, this café is refreshing. It feels nice have a build surrounding engulf me, you can tell where the old building met the new ceiling. It was very pretty and accented both the old and new part of the building. As I walk out, I am brought back to the abandonment of before. I feel sad to know that this place used to be such a lively area for everyone in Baytown to enjoy, and now it’s just the remains of what it used to be. As I walk a little further I see that the city is finally starting to fix part of Texas Avenue, the part by TSO and Dirty Bay.

It is very enlighten to see these renovations, to see that Baytown is finally restoring what it had once lost. I get super excited when I see the Baytown Remembers building. I see the glorious painting of soldiers from Baytown, which have bravely gone off to protect their homeland. It is very depression seeing some of the painting, because they show such detail in each paint brush. As I continue my walk, I start to see some of Lee College’s building, and finally I see the remarkable Oak Tree of Texas Avenue, that shows such great symbolism of Baytown. The tree covers the entire road with it enormous limbs, and it is very breathe taking to see. As I reach my truck, I feel a sense of hope on Texas Avenue, that hopefully one day it will be restored to its former glory.
Works Cited
Avila, Paula. Personal Interview. 1 November 2013.
Bert, Baytown's. "Baytown Texas!  Pelly-Goose Creek-Old Baytown Our History!" Baytown Texas!  Pelly-Goose Creek-Old Baytown Our History! N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
"The City of Baytown." History of Baytown. N.p., 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.