. . about Lake Jackson - from Wikipedia . . . .
History
The city was built in the early
1940s as a
planned community in support of a new plant of the
Dow Chemical Company. The City of Lake Jackson was incorporated
March 14,
1944, and voted for
home rule ten years later in
1954.
[edit] Streets
The layout of the streets in Lake Jackson was the whimsical vision of
Alden B. Dow, the city’s original planner. In order to keep Lake Jackson from simply being another boring
company town, Dow designed an unusual plan for the streets:
- All streets radiating from downtown end in the word “Way”. Among the streets are Center Way, Winding Way, Circle Way, and Parking Way. There is even an intersection of two streets named “This Way” and “That Way”. In the same spirit, a local church near Bess Brannen Elementary placed a small sign in their driveway named "His Way". You will also find an "Any Way".
- Most other streets not ending in “Way” were named after some form of flora. As the city grew and common names such as Pine, Mulberry, and Oak were taken, developers had to become more creative; thus, among the plants used are Jalapeño, Tangerine, Mango, and Habanero. The highways running through Lake Jackson (Texas Highways 288 & 332) and Oyster Creek Drive are exceptions to the naming conventions. The naming convention of "Drive" meaning a route into or out of town is less honored today than in the beginning.
- Because of an irrepressible urge to do evil, Dow intentionally laid out the streets so that they seldom follow straight paths. Part of the basis for the winding streets was Dow's insistence that as few trees as possible should be removed in construction of the original street layout (which is still in practice today with the building of new subdivisions). Lake Jackson is a part of the the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA list. Also, many of the streets follow Oyster Creek, which twists and winds through town. As a result the streets, even main thoroughfares, twist and wind throughout the city. In many areas of town one can travel in any of the four compass directions and have the same commute time and distance to a destination across town.
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