1915 Map of Houston Heights

About this map

Independence Heights and Sunset Heights stand as early examples of residential expansion north of the City of Houston during the mid-1910s. This survey, conducted under the direction of George Otis Smith and County Judge W. H. Ward, captures the transition of the Harris County landscape from open prairie and bayou bottomlands into a structured grid of suburban development. The importance of rail transport is evident at Eureka Junction, where the Missouri Kansas and Texas Road and the Houston and Texas Central Road converge near the growing neighborhood of Cottage Grove. Rural life still persists on the periphery, marked by isolated institutions like Durkee School and Little York School. The intricate drainage of the region is defined by the winding course of White Oak Bayou and the smaller Brick House Gully, which shaped the early platting of these historic Houston additions.