Texas Historical Commission staff (BB), 9/29/2008 18" x 28" Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Marker with post Harris County (Job #08HR03) Subject (Atlas) UTM: Location: Houston, 1835 Cortlandt St

MATTHEWS-JOHNSON HOUSE WILLIAM AND REGINA (MEYERS) MATTHEWS HAD THIS HOUSE BUILT IN 1915. WILLIAM, A CIVIL ENGINEER AND CHIEF DRAFTSMAN FOR THE SUNSET CENTRAL LINES, CONTRACTED WITH W.T. CARTER LUMBER AND BUILDING CO. TO ERECT THE HOUSE. THE HOUSE IS A WELL-PRESERVED EARLY CRAFTSMAN BUNGALOW WITH LATE VICTORIAN INFLUENCES. SIGNIFICANT ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS INCLUDE A HIPPED ROOF, GABLED FRONT ENTRY, L- SHAPED PORCH WITH TAPERED SQUARE WOOD COLUMNS, TRACERY WINDOWS AND EXPOSED RAFTER ENDS. IN 1930, THE MATTHEWS SOLD THE HOUSE TO ERNEST AND GERTRUDE JOHNSON. ERNEST WAS A PUMPER AND LABOR LEADER FOR THE SINCLAIR OIL CO., AND THE JOHNSONS CONVERTED ATTIC SPACES TO BEDROOMS WITH DORMER WINDOWS FOR THEIR FIVE DAUGHTERS.

RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK – 2008 MARKER IS PROPERTY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS

RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK MARKERS: 2008 Official Texas Historical Marker Sponsorship Application Form Valid November 1, 2007 to January 15, 2008 only

This form constitutes a public request for the Texas Historical Commission (THC) to consider approval of an Official Texas Historical Marker for the topic noted in this application. The THC will review the request and make its determination based on rules and procedures of the program. Filing of the application for sponsorship is for the purpose of providing basic information to be used in the evaluation process. The final determination of eligibility and therefore approval for a state marker will be made by the THC. This form is to be used for Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (building marker) requests only. Please see separate forms for either Historic Texas Cemeteries or subject markers.

Proposed marker topic (official title will be determined by the THC):Matthews-Johnson House

County: Harris

Town (nearest county town on current state highway map): Houston

Street address of marker site or directions from town noted above: 1835 Cortlandt St.

NOTE: Recorded Texas Historic Landmark markers must be placed at the structure being marked.

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark markers definition: Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) markers are awarded to structures deemed worthy of preservation for their historical associations and architectural significance. RTHL is a legal designation and comes with a measure of protection; it is the highest honor the state can bestow on a historic structure, and the designation is required for this type of marker. The RTHL designation becomes effective upon approval by the THC. Official Texas Historical Markers signify the RTHL designation, which comes only through application to and approval by the THC and must include public display of an Official Texas Historical Marker. Owners of RTHL- designated structures must give the THC 60 days written notice before any alterations are made to the exterior of the structure. RTHL status is a permanent designation and is not to be removed from the property in the event of a transfer of ownership. Only the THC can remove the designation or recall the marker. The marker must remain with the structure and may not be removed or displayed elsewhere until or unless the THC gives express approval in writing for such action. Once designated as RTHL, properties are subject to provisions of Texas Government Code, Section 442.006(f).

Criteria: 1. Age: Structures eligible for the RTHL designation and marker must be at least 50 years old. 2. Historical significance: Architectural significance alone is not enough to qualify a structure for the RTHL designation. It must have an equally significant historical association, and that association can come from an event that occurred at the site; through individuals who owned or lived on the property; or, in the case of bridges, industrial plants, schoolhouses and other non-residential properties, through documented significance to the larger community. 3. Architectural significance: Structures deemed architecturally significant are outstanding examples of architectural history through design, materials, structural type or construction methods. In all cases, eligible architectural properties must display integrity; that is, the structure should be in a good state of repair, maintain its appearance from its period of significance and be considered an exemplary model of preservation. Architectural significance is often best determined by the relevance of the property to broader contexts, including geography. Any changes over the years should be compatible with original design and reflect compliance with accepted preservation practices, e.g., the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. 4. Good state of repair: Structures not considered by the THC to be in a good state of repair are ineligible for RTHL designation. The THC reserves the sole right to make that determination relative to eligibility for RTHL markers.

Special National Register considerations for RTHL marker applications: If a structure has been individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under either Criterion A or B and Criterion C (Architecture), the historical text compiled as part of the National Register nomination process may be submitted as part of the marker process, provided it includes the required reference notes and other documentation. Acceptance of the National Register information for the purposes of the marker process will be up to the sole determination of the THC. Listing in the NRHP does not guarantee approval for an RTHL marker. See the THC web site at http://www.thc.state.tx.us/markerdesigs/madnrcrit.html for National Register criteria.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS Any individual, group or county historical commission (CHC) may apply to the THC to request an Official Texas Historical Marker for what it deems a worthy topic. Only complete marker applications that contain all the required elements and are submitted online as required can be accepted or processed by the THC. For RTHL markers, the required elements are: sponsorship application form; narrative history; documentation; online map (see details below); site plan; floorplan; historic photograph; and current photographs clearly showing each side of the structure. • Completed applications must be duly reviewed, verified and approved by the county historical commission (CHC) in the county in which the marker will be placed. • The sponsorship application form, narrative history and documentation must be submitted as Microsoft Word or Word-compatible documents and sent via email attachments to the THC by no later than January 15, 2008. • Required font style and type size are a Times variant and 12-point. • Narrative histories must be typed in a double-spaced (or 1.5-spaced) format and include separate sections on context, overview, significance and documentation. • The narrative history must include documentation in the form of reference notes, which can be either footnotes or endnotes. Documentation associated with applications should be broad-based and demonstrate a survey of all available resources, both primary and secondary. • Applications for RTHL markers must include a current city or county map through TopoZone.com that clearly denotes the proposed marker location. Instructions for using TopoZone.com are available on the THC web site. • Upon notification of the successful preliminary review of required elements by the THC, a non- refundable application fee of $100 is required. The fee shall be submitted to the THC within ten working days of application receipt notification.

APPROVAL BY COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION The duly appointed marker representative (chair or marker chair) noted below for the county historical commission will be the sole contact with the THC for this marker application. To ensure accuracy, consistency and efficiency, all information from and to the THC relative to the application—and throughout the review and production processes—will be via direct communication with the CHC representative. All other inquiries (calls, emails, letters) to the THC will be referred to the CHC representative for response. By filling out the information below and filing the application with the THC,

2 the CHC representative is providing the THC with notice that the application and documentation have been reviewed and verified by the CHC and that the material meets all current requirements of the Official Texas Historical Marker program.

As chair or duly appointed marker chair, I certify the following: Representatives of the CHC have met or talked with the potential marker sponsor and discussed the marker program policies as outlined on the THC web site. CHC members have reviewed the history and documentation for accuracy and made corrections or notes as necessary. It is the determination of the CHC that the topic, history and documentation meet criteria for eligibility.

CHC comments or concerns about this application, if any: Name of CHC contact (chair or marker chair): Patrick Van Pelt Mailing address: 1218 Webster Street City, Zip: Houston 77002 Daytime phone (with area code): 713-289-6252 Email address (required): [email protected]; J. K. Wagner [[email protected]]

PERMISSION OF PROPERTY OWNER FOR MARKER PLACEMENT

Property owner: Jeffrey L. and Martha L. Brailas

Address: 1835 Cortlandt St. City, state, zip: Houston, TX 77008

Phone: 713 864-5787 Email address: [email protected]

Legal Description of the property (metes and bounds, lot and block, etc.): Lot 5, Block 105, Houston Heights

Upon receipt of the application, the THC will provide the owner with a letter that outlines the legal responsibility of ownership under the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark statute. The letter must be signed by the owner and returned to the THC before the evaluation can be completed.

NOTE: The property owner will not receive any additional copies of correspondence from the THC. [All other correspondence—notice of receipt, request for additional information, payment notice, inscription, shipping notice, etc.—will be sent via email to the CHC representative, who is encouraged to share the information with all interested parties as necessary.] Given the large volume of applications processed annually and the need for centralized communication, all inquiries about applications in process will be referred to the CHC for response. The CHC is the sole liaison to the THC on all marker application matters.

SPONSORSHIP PAYMENT INFORMATION Prospective sponsors please note the following: • Payment must be received in full within 45 days of the official approval notice and must be accompanied by the THC payment form. The THC is unable to process partial payments or to delay payment due to processing procedures of the sponsor. Applications not paid in the time frame required may, at the sole discretion of the THC, be cancelled or postponed. • Payment does not constitute ownership of a marker; Recorded Texas Historic Landmark markers and other Official Texas Historical Markers are the property of the State of Texas.

3 • If, at any time during the marker process, sponsorship is withdrawn, a refund can be processed, but the THC will retain the application fee of $100. • The Official Texas Historical Marker Program provides no means of recognizing sponsors or property owners through marker text, incising or supplemental plaques.

Marker sponsor (may be individual or organization): Jeffrey L. and Martha L. Brailas

Contact person (if applicable):

Mailing address: 1835 Cortlandt St. City, zip: Houston, TX 77008

Email address (required): [email protected] Phone: 713 864-5787

SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS In order to facilitate delivery of the marker, neither post office box numbers nor rural route numbers can be accepted. To avoid additional shipping charges or delays, use a business street address (open 8 a.m.—5 p.m., Monday through Friday).

Name: Jeffrey L. and Martha L. Brailas

Street address: 1835 Cortlandt St. City, zip: Houston, TX 77008

Daytime phone (required): 713 864-5787 Email (required): [email protected]

TYPE AND SIZE OF RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK MARKERS As part of its review process, the THC will determine the appropriate size marker and provide options, if any, for the approved topic based on its own review criteria, including, but not exclusive of, historical significance, replication of information in other THC markers, relevance to the Statewide Preservation Plan and the amount of available documented information provided in the application narrative. In making its determination, however, the THC will also take into account the preference of the CHC, as noted below.

The sponsor/CHC prefers the following size marker: 27” x 42” RTHL marker with post ($1500) 27” X 42” RTHL marker without post* ($1500) 18” x 28” RTHL marker with post ($1000) 18” x 28” RTHL marker without post* ($1000) RTHL medallion and 16” x 12” plaque with post ($750) RTHL medallion and 16” x 12” plaque without post* ($750)

*For an RTHL marker without post, indicate to what surface material it will be mounted: wood masonry metal other (specify)

SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION (via email required) When the CHC has determined the application is complete, the history has been verified and the topic meets the requirements of the Official Texas Historical Marker Program, the materials should be forwarded to the THC via email at the following address: [email protected].

4 . The CHC or marker chair should send an email containing the following attachments (see attachment function under file menu or toolbox on your computer): ▫ This application form ▫ A TopoZone.com map of the proposed marker location ▫ The narrative history (including documentation)

RECORDS RETENTION BY CHC: The CHC must retain hard copies of the application as well as an online version, at least for the duration of the marker process. The THC is not responsible for lost applications, for incomplete applications or for applications not properly filed according to the program requirements. For additional information about any aspect of the Official Texas Historical Marker Program, see the Markers page on the THC web site (http://www.thc.state.tx.us/markerdesigs/madmark.html).

Texas Historical Commission History Programs Division 5 P.O. Box 12276, Austin, TX 78711-2276 Phone 512/463-5853 Fax 512/475-3122 Email [email protected]

THE MATTHEWS-JOHNSON HOUSE 1835 Cortlandt Street, Lot 5, Block 105 in “The Heights” Houston, Harris County, Texas

Applicants: Jeffrey L. & Martha Brailas

I. CONTEXT Houston Heights, developed in 1892, was the vision of millionaire Oscar Martin Carter from Omaha, Nebraska. O. M. Carter’s dream was to build a new type of town, where successful entrepreneurs and working people could live side by side. It would become one of the first “planned communities” in Texas.1 With a group of investors, the Omaha and South Texas Land Company, Carter bought 1,175 acres in the Brashear League, which was originally part of the two-league John Austin Survey. Carter divided the property into city lots, named the streets and alleys for American colleges and universities, macadamized Heights Boulevard (the main street of the Heights), and laid an electric street railway system to connect the suburb to downtown Houston, four miles away. “The Heights,” as it was often called, became known as one of the early “streetcar suburbs.”2 “Compared to Houston, a city plagued by yellow fever and devastating annual floods, Carter chose the ideal spot. Houston Heights, with an elevation twenty-three feet higher than downtown Houston, a natural sandy soil, rich vegetation, mature trees and artesian water sources, promised a sanctuary of health and well-being.”3 The Heights developed many early unique features including Victorian mansions lining Heights Boulevard, streetcars to shuttle workers to downtown, and the Natatorium, which was a large community swimming pool and amusement park. On September 25, 1912, the Heights was also declared a “dry” area that prohibited the sale of alcohol, thus driving out several saloons.4 Annexed into the City of Houston in 1918, the Heights is still dry today, making it especially attractive to young families, as it continues to retain many of its small-town characteristics despite its location in a major metropolitan area and the struggle to fend off developers and urbanization. In addition to its annual Spring Home Tour, the Houston Heights Association organizes a Christmas Season Tour and, when possible, includes the older original bungalows and cottages.

1 In 1991 a Texas Historical Marker detailing the neighborhood’s history was placed at 1302 Heights Boulevard. It is in this setting that the Matthews house was built.

II. OVERVIEW The extended Kroning family was an enterprising and prosperous German family involved in several businesses, and they had the financial means to buy and later sell adjacent lots to their family and associates. In 1914 Carlton V. Kroning purchased Lot 5, Block 105 from O. M. Carter for $490.00.5 On September 1, 1915, Kroning sold the lot to William J. Matthews, a civil engineer and chief draftsman, and Kroning’s co- worker at the Sunset Central Lines, a Southern Pacific subsidiary.6 W. J. Matthews was 26 at the time, and married to the former Regina Anna Meyers, age 25. Their daughter, also named Regina, was 4 years old.7 On September 6, just five days after purchasing the lot, W. J. Matthews contracted with W. T. Carter Lumber and Building Company to erect the house.8 In 1915 Carter’s Lumber and Building Company advertised in the Houston Heights Suburbanite, “We can build your house,” and in the Houston City Directories, “Homes on Easy Payments.” The company had $250,000 in capital and W. T. Carter was both President and Director. His son, W. T. Carter, Jr., was Vice President, and also on the board of directors along with J. J. Carroll, Thomas H. Ball, C. I. Carter. The office and yards were in the Fifth Ward at Maury and Nance streets, a few blocks from the Southern Pacific railroad lines.9 The Carters were a prominent family whose wealth had not only been made in the lumber business, but also in the financing of homes and later in the banking business.10 A number of homes in the Houston Heights during the period from the 1900s to the 1920s have been attributed to published designs. Although there has been a lack of documentation on the abundant use of these designs, historians have documented examples of bungalows, Victorian cottages, and larger homes that were built according to plans or catalogues. W. T. Carter Lumber and Building Company would have had access to these designs. “The Dernier brothers made a special effort to market Ye Planry’s Designs through retail lumber yards, supply lumber yards across the state with their complete plan

2 services, including books of photos, advertising copy, and detailed plans and specifications.”11 Floyd and L. T. Dernier published the first bungalow plan book from the state of Texas, entitled Beautiful Homes, in 1914. Carter’s company would have had access to this and other catalogues such as Henry L. Wilson’s Bungalow Book of 1905. “There was a great deal of borrowing of designs among bungalow book producers, with many of the same designs appearing in the catalogues of completely different firms, a practice that makes definite attribution of build houses to specific catalogues source problematic.” 12 Although builders followed the same patterns they commonly altered minor details such as window selection or ornamental details. Two different contractors using the same published design would likely produce slightly different homes. All facts point to the use of a published plan as opposed to hiring an architect to build something unique. “The published designs in the nineteenth and early twentieth-century Texas and the resulting houses were outstanding examples of domestic architecture, and the people who built them included prominent members of the upper middle class, small-scale developers, and the middle-class individuals with a wide range of occupations.”13 William John Matthews was educated as a civil engineer and moved to Houston in 1910. In 1911-1912 he was working in the right of way and tax departments for the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio line (GH&SA) and the Texas and New Orleans line (T&NO),14 both being part of the Southern Pacific system. He was in Houston during a period when rail activity was paramount to the city and its connection to the port and other developing Texas cities. By 1915, when he built the house, he was chief draftsman of the right of way and tax departments of the Sunset Central.15 In 1919 he was listed as the assistant to the right of way department for Southern Pacific.16 “A right of way agent has charge of all company property, contracts for sidetracks, and, on some roads contracts with the public and other railroads.”17 By 1930 he had attained a law degree and was considered an official of the Southern Pacific Lines.18 William and Regina Matthews were established residents of Houston Heights for about 15 years, later moving to Garden Villas, a neighborhood close to Hobby Airport.19 He and his family were members of the Heights Presbyterian Church.20 Their only child,

3 Regina Alice, graduated from Rice University21 and married Frank Cantelmi, moving to Midland, Texas.22 Regina Anna Matthews, who was a member of the Pennsylvania Hershey family and very active with the Martha Washington Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and community activities,23 sadly met her tragic and untimely death on Thanksgiving Day 1937. Earlier that same day, William J. Matthews had suffered a serious heart attack and was admitted to the Southern Pacific Hospital in Houston. The paper kindly asked readers to not tell her husband of his wife’s drowning because they feared the shock would kill him.24 Sadly, he died nine days later on December 5, 1937, from coronary thrombosis.25 They are both buried in Mount Joy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.26 In 1930 Matthews sold Lot 5, Block 105 to Ernest W. Johnson and wife Gertrude, who assumed the loan with W. T. Carter Lumber and Building Company.27 He was a pumper for Sinclair Oil Company28 and became involved in the Oil Workers International Union, Local 227, and was one of the Convention delegates of 1939.29 The Johnsons had five children, all girls: Betty Jean (B. J.), Elva, Helen, Vera, and Judy. The attic room was finished off, the stairs added in the kitchen, and the north and southside dormers added in the 1940s to better accommodate the family. B. J. was the oldest, a tomboy, and served in the army for thirty years, eventually attaining the rank of Major. The Johnson family occupied the house for 29 years.30 In 1959 Fred and Ella Brockermeyer resided at the house with their four children, Oradell, Gladiola, Ruth Marie, and Floyd. Fred had worked as a blacksmith. After Ella was widowed the children bought the house for their mother. The photographs show (1) Oradell marrying [unknown] Hagan, (2) Ella in front of the porch, (3) Christmas decorations with moveable bookcases by the front window, (4) Oradell in front of the house, and (5) a niece demonstrating cheerleading. 31 In 1973 the Brockermeyers sold the house to Jack Patton and K. Mathews, and the house later became a rental property for a time.32 “The perception of the Heights was that of poverty, and was characteristic of the decline of inner city neighborhoods and the exodus to the suburbs.” 33

4 In 1990, K. Matthews sold to E. Fekcte and Lois Philippus, and in 1995 the house was sold again to Patrick Burns and Patricia McMahon, followed by still another sale in 1997 to Bryan and Colleen Colby. In 2000 Monte and Charlotte Elliff purchased the house, and in February 2002 the house on Lot 5, Block 105 was sold to Jeffrey and Martha Brailas, the current owners.34

III. SIGNIFICANCE The Matthews-Johnson House, on its small lot now in an inner city neighborhood, is an example of high craftsmanship from the early 1900s. Most of its original features are intact and in good condition.35 This house represents the homes of most of the middle-class working residents of the time. The house is a well-preserved, raised, early Craftsman Bungalow with late Victorian influence. It has a hipped roof with a gabled entry on the front façade. The main elevation is three bays wide and includes an “L” shaped porch. There are nine tracery windows, eight of which are double hung, six that are tracery over single-pane, and two sets that are paired. Three tracery windows face out to the porch to emphasize the stepped bay effect. The porch also includes four tapered square wood columns and a square wood stick balustrade. The gabled entry has a prominent, decorative horizontal trim board and two eave brackets. The roof has exposed rafter ends. The exterior has a trim board just below the windows that encircles the house to divide the upper double- drop siding from the lower beveled siding. The foundation is pier and beam, approximately three feet above the ground. The interior is trimmed in yellow pine and has 10-1/2 foot ceilings. In the dining room are the original built-in window seat, common in houses of this type and era, and the built-in pine china cabinet with upper and lower tracery window cabinets and the original beveled mirror backsplash that divides the dining room and kitchen. The rooms contain the original two-piece, pine baseboards, original doors, and three original light fixtures. There is no longer a wood- burning stove in the dining room and its chase has been removed. The attic room dormers were added in the 1940s (see Johnson’s period).36 Architectural styles represented in the Heights, in addition to the Craftsman Bungalow, include Victorian, Prairie, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival. While there

5 were some high-style Craftsman homes built, most examples of this style are found in middle-class neighborhoods, and few homes of this type remain in the city of Houston.37 The house demonstrates quality workmanship, as it has survived the powerful 1915 hurricane with 80 mph winds, Hurricane Carla in 1961 with 150 mph winds, Hurricane Alicia in 1983 with 115-130 mph winds, and Tropical Storm Allison that flooded many parts of Houston in 2001.38 Recent history demonstrates rapidly rising home values in the Heights fueled by developers for tear-down and replacement by larger, more modern homes, and often placing more than one structure to an existing lot. Some of the larger ones are being converted into single-office space. The 77008 zip code area saw a 7% increase in the median price per square foot in 2006. The close proximity to downtown Houston is also a contributing factor for growth. While 2.4 houses a week are being lost in the Heights area to the bulldozers,39 the current owners are committed to preserving and maintaining this example in its historical condition.

DOCUMENTATION

1 Randle Pace and Deborah Markey, The Houston Heights 1891-1991, Tribune Publishing Company, Houston, 1991, Preface, p. 1. 2 Diana J. Kleiner. “Houston Heights,” Handbook of Texas Online, (accessed March 23, 2007). http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/HH/hvhab.html 3 Randle Pace and Deborah Markey. op.cit. 4 Sister M. Agatha. The History of Houston Heights 1891-1918, Premier Printing Company, Houston, 1956, p. 22. (Rpts. 1975, 1976, 1981). 5 General Warranty Deed, Harris County Grantor/Grantee vol. 325, p. 416. 6 Harris County Archival Records. Direct Index to Contracts: Grantor, Book 31, p. 60, Mechanics Lien. 7 1920 Census, 14th Census of the United States, District 8, Enumeration District No. 105, Sheet 13B. 8 Harris County Archival Records. Contracts Records, Mechanics Liens, vol. 39, p. 299, 300. 9 Houston City Directory, 1915, Advertisement, p. 33 and Houston and Harris County Atlas, 31st Edition, p. 493, Key Maps, Inc. 10 Marguerite Johnson. Houston, The Unknown City, 1836-1946. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, 1991, p. 131. 11 Margaret Culbertson. Texas Houses Built by the Book, the Use of Published Designs, 1850-1925. Texas A&M University Press, 1999, p. 74. 12 Ibid., p. 60, 61, 62, 75. 13 Culbertson, op.cit., Introduction, xvii. 14 Houston City Directory, 1911-1912, Texas Publishing Co., 1911, p. 809. 15 Houston City Directory, 1915, Morrison & Fourmy Directory Co., 1915, p. 674. 16 Ibid., 1919. 17 S. G. Reed. A History of the Texas Railroads and of Transportation Conditions Under Spain and Mexico and the Republic of Texas and the State. St. Clair Publishing Co., 1941, p. 659.

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18 Census for 1930, Fifteenth Census of the United States, Harris County, Texas, Enumeration District No. 102-167, Sheet No. 6A, p. 245, April 8, 1930, Supervisor’s District No. 26. 19 Ibid. 20 Heights Presbyterian Church records, Members No. 345, 346. 21 The Campanile, 1931 Yearbook, Rice Institute, Houston (Rice University). 22 Oral history. Interview with Daniel Cantelmi, grandson of Regina Alice Matthews Cantelmi, University of Long Beach CA March 2007 and Rebekah Waits, Director of Alumni Relations, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth TX, March 2007. 23 “Flora Myers Gillentine lineage,” Lineage Book, National Society of the DAR, vol. CXII, 1914, Washington, D.C., 1930, p. 198. 24 “Body of Woman Found Floating in Ship Channel,” Houston Chronicle, sec. 1, p. 1, Nov. 27, 1937, vol. 37, no. 45; “Channel Dragged for Woman’s Body,” The Houston Post, sec. 1, p. 1, vol. 53, no. 237, Nov. 27, 1937; “Woman’s Body Found in channel, Peace Justice says Mrs. W.J. Matthews Died by Drowning,” The Houston Post, vol. 53, no. 238, Nov. 28, 1937. 25 Certificates of Death, #60547-3967, Filed 12-06-37, Texas Dept. of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, microfilm, Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research; “W. J. Matthews, 49, Railroad Man Dies,” Houston Chronicle, Monday, Dec. 6, 1937, sec. A, p.4. 26 Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Standard Certificate of Death, Registrar’s No. 55650 filed Nov. 27, 1937. 27 Harris County General Warranty Deed No. 449063, Grantor/Grantee Books, vol. 832, p. 426 and Book of Liens, vol. 831, p. 650. 28 Houston City Directory, 1935. Microfiche at Clayton Library and Interview with Elva Johnson of Houston, 2007. 29 Harvey O’Connor. History of Oil Workers International Union-C.I.O. The Oil Workers International Union, July 1950, p. 228. 30 Oral history. Interview with Elva Johnson, daughter of E. W. and Gertrude Johnson. Houston, 2007. 31 Oral history. Interview with Earline Brockermeyer, daughter-in-law of Ella Brockermeyer. Houston, 2006-2007. 32 Harris County Archival Records, Grantor/Grantee Index; Interview with Dean Sullivan, previous tenant, Houston, 2003. 33 Randle Pace and Deborah Markey. The Houston Heights 1891-1991. A Historical Portrait and Contemporary Perspective (Houston: Houston Heights Association, 1991). 34 Harris County Archival Records, Grantor/Grantee Index. 35 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of 1924, vol. 7, sheet 31. 36 Consultation and walk-thru with Thomas McWhorter, Preservationist with the City of Houston, 2006. 37 Ibid. 38 George W. Bomar. Texas Weather. University of Texas Press, Austin, 1983. p. 72. 39 “Bungalow Revival, Heights resident respecting the past,” Houston Chronicle, 4/12/2007 featuring Gilbert Perez of Bungalow Revival of Houston, Texas.

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Website. Houston Heights Association: http://www.houstonheights.org/index.htm

Map Reference: http://www.houstonheights.org/map.htm accessed on January 28, 2007.

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