Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Thursday Thirteen #13



I am in the mood to reminisce a little, thinking about my birthplace and my hometown, where I have spent most of my life. I still live within a 45 minute drive of Humble, Texas, and my mom still lives there as do many of my friends. I miss living there, so here is a bit of historical trivia about my hometown.
1. Humble is located 18 miles northeast of Houston, Texas.
2. George Bush Intercontinental Airport is 5 minutes away.

3. Humble is named for Englishman Pleasant S. Humble, a San Jacinto River ferry operator whose family settled there before the (US) Civil War.
4. The “H” is silent (pronounced “umble” not “humble”).
5. Located on the Texas and New Orleans Railroad, later the Houston, East, and West Texas Railway.

6. The station was once known as “the rabbit” because railroad passenger
s shot rabbits when the train stopped on its way from Houston to Shreveport.
7. The First United Methodist Church of Humble was established in 1886. (Click on the link for an inside look at the historic chapel.) This is where both my sister and I were baptized, confirmed, and married.
8. The first school in Humble was established in 1890 and had 50 students, and I taught for the school district from 1993-2004.
9. Humble became a pioneer oil “boom town” in 1904 when oil was discovered in an area known as Moonshine Hill (figure that one out).
10. In 1905, Humble had the largest producing oilfield in Texas.


11. Ross Sterling (later, a governor of Texas) founded the Humble Oil and Refining Company in 1911.
12. Humble Oil became known as Exxon over two decades ago.
13. In 1912, during a drill, what was supposed to be oil turned out to be a free-flowing artesian well which later provided water to the bath houses and private homes. It is still flowing today and is located across the street and half a block from the Church.


Historical Information about Humble, TX can be found here and here and here.
I hope you enjoyed my brief history lesson!






18 comments:

  1. I now know not to pronounce the H when I visit your hometown. :-D

    Happy TT!

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  2. Very interesting, I didn't know that Exxon was former Humble Oil.

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  3. Cool list, thank you! I love learning about different parts of the country. We're in Portland, Ore. My grandparents lived in Galveston and Midland, I think?

    Thanks for stopping by.

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  4. Sounds like a great hometown you have :)

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  5. Very interesting. Thank you.

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  6. I've been there. Really. I have family in League City. I mention the small town in Lousyanna I am from in my Freaks and Geeks edition this week.

    Happy New Year and TT!

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  7. See there, I learned something, and it's only 7am!
    Happy tt, my friend!

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  8. Cool T13, now you have made me home sick..lol

    Happy T13

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  9. Very informative. I've only been to Grapevine in Tx. so this list was fun. I live 3000 miles from where I was born. We kept going West! LOL. You sound very very busy! Best of luck.

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  10. A wonderful tribute.
    thanks for sharing and visiting my blog.

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  11. I have been to Humble - thanks for the history - very nice! See you soon. Kellan

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  12. Very interesting TT. I don't know why, but I am very tickled by the 'silent H', LOL

    Happy TT

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  13. What a great idea for a post. Do ya'll make fun of the tourist who pronounce the H or do you let them in on the secret? :)

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  14. To live there do you have to be .....humble:?

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  15. We have great friend in Humble that run Humble skatepark, Pipeline Church and Fuel Cafe. We LOVE to come to Humble.

    Enjoyed your list. God bless!

    ~Katy

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  16. What a great name for a town! Aren't you lucky!

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  17. Very neat idea. I may steal it for one of my Thursday Thirteens. Have a great day!

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  18. I do TT on 2 blogs...come check them out on the 10th
    kerith
    http://cathicollins.blogspot.com
    http://kerithskorner.wordpress.com

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