ROAD TRIP: A BBM Game

[jpwagoneer1964]

Nassau Bay, Tx

Nassau Bay Takes Root - Nassau Bay was built in the middle of raw acreage ranch land. The early pioneers seeking to develop Nassau Bay had ambitious visions. The speed at which the City went from concept to reality is truly remarkable.

After having only conceived the development in the summer of 1962, by fall residential construction became a reality when Ernest W. Roe Building Company of Houston, purchased the first home sites with plans to build 3 and 4 bedroom homes ranging from $20,000 - $30,000 in price. Now, over thirty years later these same homes often sell in the $125,000 - $160,000!

early
Nassau Bay - 1963

By the spring of 1963, construction of office buildings was underway with the awarding of a contract to H. A. Loft Construction Co. for the construction of the 3 building "U" shaped clusters located near NASA Parkway. Their design was intended to accommodate the changing needs of NASA tenants.

At this same time, the sewerage and water plant, dredgng of an initial channel from Nassau Bay (not to be confused with Lake Nassau) to Clear Creek, initial paving of streets and laying of utilities were commenced by Brown and Root. Interestingly, the sewerage and water plant was intended to serve half of the development with water wells and pump facilities to be installed by Texas Water Wells, Inc. intended for the rest. Chicago Bridge and Iron Contractors contracted the construction of the 3,000 gallon elevated water tower still in use today. The Nassau Bay Regional Center, considered one of the major shopping centers of Houston (no longer in existence), and the Nassau Bay Bank Building and the Professional building were designed and contracted.

[belbbmfan]

Yondrese El Grande, Mexico

[MaineWriter]

Egypt, TX

John C. Clark was the first settler in the area in 1822.

Robert Kuykendall, Thomas Rabb and John Clark were the three landowners for a large part of what is now Wharton, Colorado and Fayette Counties. They were among the first of the "Old 300".

The land along the Colorado River was Karankawa Indian Country and these three men became Indian fighters - making settlement of the land possible.

A timeline of significant historical events in Egypt
1829: Eli Mercer established Mercer's Crossing - a plantation and ferry on the Colorado. After providing corn to the drought-stricken area, people started calling it Egypt for the biblical reference.
1832: William J. E. Heard started Egypt Plantation on land he purchased from John C. Clark and built his home in Egypt. The land is still owned by his heirs today.
1835: The Republic of Texas opened a post office with Eli Mercer as postmaster. Egypt became a central point since four different Texas mail routes were passing through the town.
1836: Heard established a cotton gin and Captain Thomas Rabb recruited a company of men that became Co. F of the First Regiment of Texas Volunteers. At San Jacinto, Company F captured the Mexican artillery.
1837: The republic opened Post Colorado at Egypt.
1839: a stagecoach line, operated by Andrew Northington, served Egypt. Northington was the son-in-law of Heard.
1846: Egypt becomes part of the newly established Wharton County breaking away from Colorado County.
1848: Entrepreneurs in Egypt built a mule (or horse) drawn railroad to Columbus
1881: George H. Northington and Green C. Duncan built a large general store in Egypt. The post office moved to the new store when it was built and remained there for 100 years.

During the 1930s until World War II - a racetrack operated in Egypt.

Leslie

[moremojo]

Tepic, Mexico

--founded in 1542, this is the capital of the State (estado) of Nayarit.

[jpwagoneer1964]

Chugwater, Wy

Chugwater, Wyoming, in Platte county, is 42 miles N of Cheyenne, Wyoming and 139 miles N of Denver, Colorado. The town has a population of 244.

You can stay at the Diamond Guest Ranch.

Mark

[Fran]

Riesel, TX

[MaineWriter]

Lois, TX


Lois developed in the late 1800s and prospered enough to be granted a post office for the years 1897 to 1904.

In 1936 Lois was thriving although the population was a mere 50 persons. It had two churches, and three businesses. In 1943 the Lois school was consolidated with another school district.

Population: Estimated 60 in 1963

Leslie

[belbbmfan]

Saddle Lake, Alberta

The community of Saddle Lake takes its name from aboriginal folklore, which speaks of a time when no buffalo could be found, so the people were forced to ice fish. From a distance, the crouched figures on the lake resembled saddles. Attractions include the Manitou Kihew Centre, a cultural community centre built in the shape of an eagle with its wings spread. Saddle Lake is northeast of Edmonton.

[jpwagoneer1964]

Eastland, Tx

[MaineWriter]

Diddy Wa Diddy, TX

(also known as Juliff)

Prior to the Civil War the area had been part of the Arcola Plantation and was a shipping point for area cotton. It throve until the arrival of the Houston Tap and Brazoria Railroad in 1858. The town was named for early settler John J. Juliff ("Triple J" to his friends).

The town was granted a post office in 1891. It closed in 1908, reopened in 1914, and then closed permanently in 1958.

During the Great Depression several saloons and a dance hall were opened alongside the railroad tracks. The landlord was one Thurman "Doc" Duke.With these unsavory businesses serving as the community's nucleus, things went from bad to worse. Juliff did have a church, but the congregation was outnumbered by drunks, gamblers and prostitutes - with some residents performing combinations of these roles. Needless to say, they weren't often called for jury duty.

According to the Handbook of Texas, around 1934 a local musician was sober enough (or drunk enough) to write a song (supposedly) about Juliff. The lyrics "Diddy Wa Diddy - "ain't no town - ain't no city" don't mention Juliff by name and folklorists say that Diddy Wa Diddy is a reference to a mythical place (like the Big Rock Candy Mountain was to Hobos) where there's abundant food and no work. Other sources attribute the song to Arthur "Blind" Blake, a guitarist from Jacksonville (Florida, not Texas) who recorded at least two versions of the song before disappearing around 1931. Since Blind Blake's recordings are still around, we have to assume that the unnamed musician in Juliff was just one in a long string of people who used the lyric.

In one version of the song, the singer declares "I just found out what Diddy Wa Diddy means" while in another the singer pleads: "Won't somebody tell me what Diddy Wa Diddy means?" The words were also used as a title (Diddy Waw Diddy) by Texas Author/ Journalist Billy Porterfield (who was no stranger to places like old Juliff).

Despite the tenuous link to that well-known song, the town was down to 40 residents by 1940. It reached its high-water mark in the late 40s with about 150 people. By the early 60s, the saloons had all moved to Richmond's notorious Mud Alley or the Wards of Houston. Today only bloodweed and a few scattered houses occupy the area.

Perhaps the old saying about the mythical town is true: "Everybody would live in Diddy Wa Diddy - if only it wasn't so hard to find." And if only Juliff could've collected royalties...it might still be there as a tourist attraction.

Leslie