The Real History Of 3rd Ward

[hbcu]

San Felipe was the major street in 4th ward - not sure where it’s on the map now but that was the busy thoroughfare.

A large area off Westheimer and Jeanetta was a black area also.

At that time Jews and Italians weren’t considered normal white but had access to capital and real estate as they self segregated themselves. Blacks didn’t have a head start nor access to capital knowing the history they were dealt and even if they moved to areas it was hell to own commercial properties. If they got property the city didn’t play fair.

That’s why it was so easy to take back certain areas as landlords in the hood never sold property or make it so hard for some to obtain land and once it was time to cash out, they did easily.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by HookTheBrotherUp

'Sorry, I thought you produced it! 'Still would like to hear it though. When I purchased my home in Montrose, I went to the County Records department to get information about the house/area, and that lead me to the downtown library where I went to the old part of the building and the staff there were great and brought me all sorts of information about the area near my home which is next to the Fourth Ward. What a history, and a shame it is all gone now. I wish people knew more about the history of the areas around Houston... 'we' seem to just tear shyt down without regard to historical importance. My best friend's grandfather owned a convenience store on Andrews where the tram used to run... he's Italian, and many Italians also lived in the area. Anyway, I'll check back now and again. Thanks!

Italians owned many of the properties in the Fourth Ward, which was one reason it had such a quick decline, as their heirs sold out and absentee landlords quit taking an active interest in managing the properties for the descendants of the Freedmen who originally moved their.I recall that as far back as the early 80's, there was much talk about how the 4th was wasted on poor people, given it's proximity to Downtown.

Back in the day, I drove through the area, as there were some interesting details on some of the buildings and houses. I was pretty careful, as a white guy alone in a car, driving through the heart of the area was looked upon with interest. The sense of community, though, was amazing, as most folks spent a lot of time on their small porches, talking with neighbors, etc. And then, bam, it was pretty much gone.

Originally Posted by hbcu

San Felipe was the major street in 4th ward - not sure where it’s on the map now but that was the busy thoroughfare.

A large area off Westheimer and Jeanetta was a black area also.

At that time Jews and Italians weren’t considered normal white but had access to capital and real estate as they self segregated themselves. Blacks didn’t have a head start nor access to capital knowing the history they were dealt and even if they moved to areas it was hell to own commercial properties. If they got property the city didn’t play fair.

That’s why it was so easy to take back certain areas as landlords in the hood never sold property or make it so hard for some to obtain land and once it was time to cash out, they did easily.

San Felipe Road is now Dallas Street.

The properties not owned by absentee landlords ended up with other issues as Black owners died without wills(the reasons for that are a mix of culture, racism, and a lack of understanding about the law), and generations went by without any probate activity to create clear title to properties. This happened in the Third Ward as well, as evidenced by the number of properties with falling down buildings - a title search sometimes shows 50 or more presumed owners. This happened in Midtown as well. I had a Perry Homes guy tell me there were properties they wanted to buy and develop, but the titles were so clouded it was more work than they were willing to do.