Fm 518 B from Fm 270 to Fm 518 Txdot

RECONNAISSANCE-LEVEL SURVEY REPORT FM 518 BYPASS MIDDLE ALIGNMENT: FROM FM 270 TO FM 518 GALVESTON COUNTY, TEXAS TXDOT CSJ: 0912-37-139

JULY 2008

SUBMITTED TO: QUADRANT CONSULTANTS INC. HOUSTON, TX

BY: EMILY THOMPSON PAYNE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN HARDY·HECK·MOORE, INC. 611 S. CONGRESS AVENUE, SUITE 400 AUSTIN, TX 78704-1700 512/478-8014 [email protected] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report presents the results of a reconnaissance-level survey of above-ground historic resources constructed in 1965 or earlier that may be affected by construction of the proposed Middle Bypass Alternative for FM 518 in League City, Galveston County, Texas. The proposed FM 518 Bypass would be a four-lane highway, 80-feet wide, which would be constructed along a new alignment. The proposed Middle Bypass Alternative would roughly parallel an existing canal from its intersection with FM 270 (Egret Bay Boulevard) to FM 2094, at which point the proposed roadway would trend south to its terminus at FM 518, a travelling total distance of approximately one mile. The proposed road construction project will be conducted for the City of League City, Texas, which is under contract with Huitt-Zollars Inc. and Quadrant Consultants. The TxDOT Control Section Job (CSJ) No. for the project is 0912-37-139. Based on the Programmatic Agreement for Transportation Undertakings (PATU) among TxDOT, the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), the Area of Potential Effect (APE) for the new alignment was 300 feet wide. The survey documented all historic-age resources within the APE, as well as historic-age resources located on parcels of land that extend into the APE. The reconnaissance-level survey conducted on June 5, 2008 identified 10 historic-age resources in the study area. The current study recommends that no resources within the study area are eligible for listing in the NRHP. Descriptions of each historic-age resource, including location, property type, plan, and NRHP recommendation, appear in Appendix A of this report. Maps indicating the study area and location of each historic-age resource appear in Appendix B, and photographs of identified historic-age resources as well as overall contextual views of the study area are included in Appendix C.

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INTRODUCTION This reconnaissance-level survey report identifies and assesses buildings, structures, objects, districts, and non-archaeological sites constructed by 1965 that could be affected by the proposed construction of the Middle Bypass Alternative of FM 518 in League City, Galveston County, Texas. This report is intended to provide information for use in regulatory compliance and coordination under provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, the Department of Transportation Act of 1966, and their implementing regulations. Hardy·Heck·Moore, Inc., (HHM) of Austin, Texas prepared the report for submittal to Quadrant Consultants, Inc.

Cultural resources specialists meeting the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards (36 CFR 61) conducted the reconnaissance-level survey and prepared the report with NRHP-eligibility recommendations. This report includes a description of the project, research and field methods, evaluation methods, historic context, as well as NRHP-eligibility evaluations and recommendations. In addition, the report provides detailed support documentation, including an NRHP-eligibility recommendations table that lists all identified historic-age resources in the study area, maps that depict the study area and the location of the documented properties, and photo pages of the documented historic-age resources in the study area (Appendices A, B, and C).

NRHP evaluations and recommendations for this reconnaissance-level survey rely principally on an analysis of the current condition and physical characteristics of the identified historic-age resources and the ability of these resources to convey their significance. Only a limited amount of historical research was undertaken. Supplemental and more detailed historical research may uncover significant historical associations, but such in-depth research is beyond the scope of a reconnaissance-level survey.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION The City of League City is proposing to construct a new alignment of FM 518 that would bypass the current roadway to the north, travelling roughly parallel to an existing canal from its intersection with FM 270 (Egret Bay Boulevard) to FM 2094, then trending south and terminating at the current alignment of FM 518. The proposed project is approximately one mile in length, including four lanes of traffic within proposed Right of Way (ROW).

PROJECT SETTING The project is located in League City, near the northern boundary of Galveston County, Texas. League City is approximately 20 miles north of Galveston Island, and approximately 20 miles south of Houston. Galveston County is located on the Gulf Coast in southeast Texas, approximately 80 miles southwest of the Louisiana state line. The county’s nearly 450-square mile area includes the mainland, Galveston Bay, and Galveston Island. Galveston County’s soils range from heavy clays to sandy loams and its terrain is a nearly flat prairie that gently slopes

Reconnaissance-Level Survey Report—July 2008 2 FM 518 Bypass: FM 270 to FM 2094 to FM 518 League City Galveston County, Texas CSJ: 0912-37-139 towards the gulf. Native timber includes pine, ash, magnolia, pin oak, live oak, water oak, hackberry, cottonwood, and sycamore. Just north of the study area, Clear Creek flows northeast into Clear Lake and forms the boundary between Galveston County and Harris County. The topography is flat marsh land, and Robinson’s Bayou runs from north to south through the study area. The area was settled circa 1900, and early land use in the area took advantage of the silty soils to grow oranges, cotton, corn, potatoes, sugarcane, and truck crops. Some experimental rice farming also took place in the early twentieth century near Webster, just northwest of the study area. During the mid- to late twentieth century, the area began to grow as oil was discovered, and as oil production accelerated in the Galveston Bay area. Population growth increased further in the early 1960s as NASA constructed the Johnson Space Center along Clear Lake on the north bank of Clear Creek, just northeast of the study area. Today, the character of League City and the study area is suburban, with low-density commercial development along the major transportation corridors formed by FM 518, FM 270, and FM 2094 and single-family residential subdivisions radiating off from these corridors. Some land remains undeveloped along Clear Creek, Robinson Bayou, and the canals, but there does not appear to be ongoing agricultural land use in the area.

RESEARCH DESIGN The research design served as the basis for documenting, researching, and assessing the historic- age resources in the study area. By including specific questions that guided and directed research efforts and subsequent historical analyses, the research design laid the foundation for gathering information that would be critical for documenting and assessing the relative significance and NRHP eligibility of the historic-age resources. The research design identified data sources, as well as principal historical themes and topics that influenced developmental patterns. The following research design was submitted to Quadrant Consultants, Inc. for approval in July 2007.

AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS (APE) AND STUDY AREA Based on the Programmatic Agreement for Transportation Undertakings (PATU) among TxDOT, the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), the project will have a 300-foot APE. The survey will include all historic-age resources in the study area. The study area will also include historic-age resources that may be located outside the APE but are historically associated with parcels/tracts of land that extend into the APE. These historic-age resources may be part of a historic landscape that may be affected by the proposed project and thus will be subject to NRHP eligibility assessment.

SURVEY CUTOFF DATE HHM professional staff will conduct a reconnaissance-level survey to document all resources constructed in 1965 or earlier within the project’s APE. The survey date of 1965 was recommended to comply with TxDOT guidance requiring identification of all buildings, structures, and objects 50 years of age or over at the time of contract letting for proposed project construction.

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RESEARCH QUESTIONS How would identified resources be significant within a local context and how would they help us understand the history of the area? Was the canal historically associated with the electric power plant located northwest of the project area? If so, does it represent a significant aspect of the history of electric power generation and conveyance in the area? Does the canal exhibit noteworthy design features or physical characteristics? Are there any other components associated with the canal in the study area? Are the canal and its accompanying features associated with early agriculture and rice cultivation in Galveston County?

PREVIOUSLY DESIGNATED SITES (NRHP, SAL, RTHL, OSHM) Based on review of information from the Texas Historic Sites Atlas (online), there are no OSHMs, NRHP-listed properties, SALs, or RTHLs located within the project’s APE.

RESEARCH PLAN Per HHM’s contract with Quadrant Consultants, research for the project will be limited to a cursory literature review to establish appropriate historical and cultural contexts for the project area, determine information requirements, and direct the survey effort. Sources will include: Texas Expressway Highway Designation Files (online) Texas State Library (online)-for historic maps of the area Texas Highway Department maps University of Texas/Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection and Geology Map Collection Historic USGS maps of the area Control Section Job (CSJ) Log Books, on file at the Environmental Affairs Division office, Cultural Resource Management Section, Historical Studies Branch in Austin, Texas The Handbook of Texas (online), including Galveston County League City, Texas

METHODOLOGY RESEARCH METHODS At the outset of the project, and prior to any field investigations, project historians examined the Texas Historic Sites Atlas online, a website maintained by the THC, to identify any properties within the study area that had been previously listed in the NRHP, documented as part of the Texas Historic Sites Inventory or other local survey, designated as Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks (RTHLs), are the subject of Official State Historical Markers (OSHMs), or are designated State Archaeological Landmarks (SALs). The project historians also consulted The Handbook of Texas Online for regional historical information. Project historians also obtained historic USGS maps, current tax appraisal maps, current aerial photographs, and project schematics to inform fieldwork.

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FIELD INVESTIGATIONS The project historians undertook field investigations in the study area June 5, 2008. During field investigations, the survey team identified non-archaeological, historic-age resources in the study area and plotted the location of each resource on a USGS map with delineated APE boundaries using a Sokia Axis 3 GPS system. The survey team also recorded important physical features of the identified resource and associated landscape and used digital cameras to photo-document existing conditions. Following field investigations, resource site locations were incorporated into a GIS-based mapping system based on recent aerials provided by Quadrant Consultants.

NRHP EVALUATION CRITERIA All surveyed resources were evaluated for NRHP eligibility through application of the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, as codified in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations 800, Chapter 60.4. In addition, surveyed resources were evaluated for designation as SALs, as specified in Title 9 of the Texas Natural Resource Code, Chapter 191 and Title 13 of the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 26.

To be eligible for inclusion in the NRHP, a property must meet at least one of the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. These criteria are:

A. Associations with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; B. Associations with the lives of significant persons; C. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or possess high artistic values, or represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; and D. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

In addition to possessing significance under one or more of the National Register Criteria, a property must also retain sufficient integrity and historic character to convey its significance in order to be considered eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. The National Register Criteria recognize seven aspects that, in various combinations, define integrity. These aspects of integrity are Location, Design, Setting, Materials, Workmanship, Feeling, and Association.

The historic context provides a means of evaluation for the significance of a resource within a local framework. Once a historic context has been developed and historical patterns established, the information serves as a basis for applying the National Register Criteria to the evaluations in this report.

HISTORIC CONTEXT Although the study area is located within Galveston County, because of its proximity to the county line the area historically has been linked to both Galveston County and Harris County.

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Prior to permanent Anglo-American settlement, Native American Indian groups, including the Karankawans, Coahuiltecans, Atakapans, Lipans, Tonkawans inhabited the area. Archeological deposits found in the area around Clear Lake indicate settlement from 1400 B.C. to A.D. 950. Spanish and French explorers came to Galveston Island in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but no permanent settlement took place until circa 1820, when a community of Mexican, French, and Anglo-American settlers emerged. Settlement in Harris County began around the same time, when the Mexican Republic granted land near the mouth of the San Jacinto River to Anglo-American families in return for their support against Spain in the Mexican Revolution. During the 1830s, commerce in the region grew as a result of riverboat trade with Nacogdoches. In 1836, the Republic of Texas formed Harrisburg County (later changed to Harris County), and two years later Galveston County was established. The counties’ founding coincided with construction of the massive wharves on the Galveston Bay. Primary imports during this period included cotton, cottonseed oil, sugar, molasses, cattle, hides, and pecans. With the construction of the port and the concurrent growth in population, Galveston emerged as the state’s most populous city. Galveston County, however, experienced an economic and population decline during the 1840s following outbreaks of yellow fever. The county’s fortunes were soon reversed when the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad was extended from Galveston to Houston from 1853 to 1859. As a result, the lumber industry, cattle ranching, and farming thrived. Prosperity led to additional infrastructural improvements during this period, including a fourteen-mile canal that connected Oyster Creek, West Bay, and the Brazos River, and the first bridge from Galveston Island to the mainland, which further buoyed the county’s prominence within the state.

By 1860, two-thirds of the cotton exported from the state was shipped from the Galveston port, and exports totaled 11 million dollars. However, in 1861 a blockade of the port caused a precipitous drop in the county’s income. With the end of the Civil War, the removal of the blockade, and the reestablishment of the customhouse in Galveston, shipping was once again restored and the county’s economy was quickly revived. For example, in 1867 exports totaled $23 million, up from $11 million in 1860. In addition to shipping, during the late 1860s and early 1870s farming and ranching thrived in mainland Galveston County and Harris County. A number of small farm towns sprung up in the Clear Lake area, especially along the Galveston, Houston, and Henderson rail line. In 1873, the town of Butler’s Ranch was established in at the fork of the Clear Creek and Chigger Bayou, just east of the railroad. Gardentown (now know as Webster) was formed just north of Butler’s Ranch by a group of English settlers in 1879. League City was founded two years later near Butler’s Ranch as a speculative railroad town. In 1895, a group of Quakers founded the community of Friendswood just northwest of League City. During the late nineteenth century, these small communities were supported by cattle ranching and farming oranges and cotton.

In 1900, the economy of Galveston County was decimated by a powerful hurricane, but recovery came quickly as the county’s residents rebuilt buildings at a higher grade and new infrastructure, including a protective seawall. With the reconstruction of the ports and the recommencement of shipping, the mainland residents in Galveston County and Harris County also revitalized the agricultural economy. In 1904, a group of Japanese farmers were settled in Webster to begin experimentally farming rice, and thereafter it became a significant crop in the area. In 1908,

Reconnaissance-Level Survey Report—July 2008 6 FM 518 Bypass: FM 270 to FM 2094 to FM 518 League City Galveston County, Texas CSJ: 0912-37-139 farming on the mainland experienced a major boost with construction of the American Canal, an irrigation system erected to provide water for agricultural uses.

The growth of the region’s economy accelerated when oil was discovered in Harris County in 1903. The discovery spurred industry and enabled better transportation between Houston and Galveston via the study area. The Galveston-Houston Interurban rail line (also known as the Galveston-Houston Electric) was constructed in 1911. The Interurban line ran roughly along the current alignment of the Gulf Freeway (Interstate 45), to the west of the Galveston, Houston, and Henderson line. The Interurban was one of the first electric-powered rail lines in the nation, and a power plant located in Webster generated electricity for the line. By the early twentieth century, the extensive railroad network in the area included the Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, Missouri- Kansas-Texas, International-Great Northern, Gulf and Interstate, the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railroad.

The oil industry became a major component of the region’s economy in the 1920s and 1930s. The Humble oil field had been discovered in northeaster Harris County in 1905, and by 1913 deep wells were producing 2.8 million barrels of oil annually. Pipelines were constructed to transport crude oil from the Humble fields to storage tanks and refineries. Oil pipelines were laid through Webster in 1919. The pipelines extant in the study area today terminate at the Humble Tank Farm. Additional oil was discovered in Webster and Friendswood in the 1930s. By 1946, the Humble Oil Tank Farm had been constructed in League City, just west of the study area.

Meanwhile, the county’s mainland production of cash crops including hay, pecans, figs, potatoes, strawberries, citrus fruits, and other fruit continued to remain steady, necessitating the expansion of the American Canal system in 1931. By the close of World War II nearly 16,000 acres of land were utilized for rice cultivation within the county. This period also witnessed an increase of beef production and ranching within the county.

The population in League City and the surrounding areas continued to grow in the 1950s as a result of the oil boom and continued agricultural and industrial activity. Farming in Galveston County and Harris County continued to expand, as the new highway system made truck farming a major economic activity. Crops included fruits, vegetables, and rice. State CSJ logs indicate that FM 518 was added to the state highway system in 1948. By 1955, USGS maps of League City showed that the Gulf Freeway (Interstate 45) had been constructed along the former alignment of the Interurban rail line and FM 518 (a portion of which is designated FM 2094) been improved as part of the state highway system1. Clear Creek High School (Resource ID # 5) had also been constructed to accommodate the growing population, along with the residential subdivision north of the high school along FM 2094.

Oil production also enabled the construction of additional power plants to support the growing population in the region. The 1922 USGS map denoted a power plant in League City, near the

1 In 1949, TxDOT extended FM 518 into League City. In 1968, TxDOT added 4.1 miles to FM 518 from SH 146 in Kemah to FM 518. This portion was designated as FM 2094 and is within the APE (see http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/fm0500/fm0518.htm for more information).

Reconnaissance-Level Survey Report—July 2008 7 FM 518 Bypass: FM 270 to FM 2094 to FM 518 League City Galveston County, Texas CSJ: 0912-37-139 intersection of the Interurban line and Main Street (which would become FM 518 and later FM 2094). By 1955, USGS maps of League City depicted a power plant just west of the study area. At that time, the power plant was owned and operated by Houston Electric Light and Power, which was one of the first companies in the nation to build electric power plants.2 The proximity of the power plant to the Humble Oil Tank Farm suggests that the power plant generated electricity by burning oil. The 1955 USGS map also showed that two canals were associated with the League City power plant with one canal traveling from the power plant to the north, then veering east parallel to FM 528 to Clear Lake (at the future site of the NASA space center), and another canal traveling south-southeast from the power plant, emptying into Clear Creek just east of the Galveston, Houston, and Henderson Railroad line. By 1969, USGS maps of League City showed that a third canal had been built leading from the power plant toward the east. The eastward-traveling canal and its associated gates and culvert remain extant in the study area today (Resource IDs 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d). (The associated power plant, however, was demolished in 2006.) Similarly, the Texas Legislature created the Galveston County Water Authority (GCWA) in the late 1960s to provide water utilities for the growing population. The flumes extant in the study area today may be associated with the GCWA water utilities, or they may facilitate drainage (Resource IDs 3a and 3b).

From 1961 through 1964, NASA constructed the Manned Spacecraft Center (renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center) on the west bank of Clear Lake, northeast of the study area. The site was selected because of its proximity to Rice University, the availability of water power and existing utilities, accessibility to transportation networks, the temperate climate, and ample space for housing construction. During the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space missions, the Manned Spacecraft Center housed NASA engineers, astronaut training, and mission control. The construction of the Manned Spacecraft Center also encouraged private aerospace companies to locate in the area, and Boeing built facilities nearby in the early 1960s. With NASA and related private industries as prominent employers in the region, the population of the towns of Friendswood and League City continued to boom during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1984, the Johnson Space Center was listed as a National Historic Landmark (NHL) for its association with these significant historic events.

The surrounding areas in Galveston County and Harris County continued to prosper during the late twentieth century as well. In the 1970s, Galveston County reported sizeable expansion in its waterborne commerce, petroleum and petrochemical products, medical services, financial services, and tourism sectors. In Houston, the petrochemical industry prospered alongside the oil industry through the 1970s. Agricultural production also remained as a viable sector within the region’s economy during this period, as nearly 40 percent of Galveston County’s land was dedicated to farming or ranching. By the 1980s, Galveston County’s population rose above 200,000 making it one of the state’s most populous counties. Population increases in addition to pressure from agricultural and industrial enterprises led the GCWA to purchase the Canal

2 In 1999, Houston Electric Light and Power became part of the Reliant energy conglomerate, which was renamed CenterPoint Energy in 2002. In 2004, CenterPoint Energy sold its subsidiary Genco Energy, along with the League City power plant. In 2006, Genco Energy sold the property to Cherokee Webster Development.

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Division of the Brazos River Authority in 1988. The acquisition included 150 miles of canals, including the American Canal and the Briscoe Canal systems, that extend from the Brazos River near Richmond, across Fort Bend and Brazoria Counties to the GCWA’s raw water reservoir located near Highway 146 in Texas City. The acquisition of the Canal Division not only enabled the GCWA to supply water to industrial facilities at Chocolate Bayou and rice farmers along the canal system, but also added 212 million gallons per day to the county’s capacity. The population of Houston, however, began to decline in the 1980s. This downturn resulted from a drastic decline in domestic oil production, but it also was due in part to suburbanization and the development of bedroom communities in outlying towns like League City. A number of residential subdivisions bordering the study area date from this era.

By the 1990s, the number of commercial enterprises in Galveston County reached nearly 3500 and its waterborne commerce, petroleum and petrochemical products, medical services, financial services, and tourism sectors continued to expand and prosper. Petrochemical industries continued to prosper in Houston as well, taking advantage of the low oil prices that were hindering the oil industry. In League City in 1990, the population numbered 18,996, with 189 businesses. Today, in 2008, the population of League City has skyrocketed to approximately 68,000 residents.

This economic growth subsequently led to the redevelopment of land that was formerly dedicated to rural/agricultural uses to suburban commercial and residential uses, especially in the communities of Friendswood and League City. Within the study area, the parcel of land south of the canal and east of FM 270 currently is being developed for mixed commercial and residential use. Just west of the study area, the League City power plant was demolished in 2006 so that the site may be redeveloped as a mixed-use community. Expanding commercial and residential growth has, in turn, created the need to improve the study area’s transportation network. Specifically, the proposed construction of the FM 518 Bypass in League City aims to improve area-wide mobility and accessibility for local residents, commuters, and the traveling public by circumventing the dense traffic and stop lights in the commercial district along FM 518 and FM 2094.

PROPERTY TYPES Property types are tangible links to the principal themes and topics discussed in the historic context and are grouped into broad categories. Based on the shared physical characteristics among the documented resources, these property type categories provide a means for comparing and analyzing the many kinds of historic-age resources included in the survey. Property types are based on the original or intended function of the resource. The following table provides a summary of the historic-age resources identified and documented for the survey.

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Table 1. Property type analysis of historic-age resources within the study area.

Property Type Property Subtype Form / plan No. Conveyance Irrigation Systems Canals/Ditches 1 Structures Flumes 2 Distribution Check Gates 2 Structures Transportation Culverts 1 Infrastructure Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipeline Pipeline Foundation Head 1 Facilities Reinforced Concrete T- Transportation Systems Bridges 2 Beam Slab Educational Buildings High School Irregular 1

IRRIGATION SYSTEMS Irrigation resources move water to agricultural fields and are unique to certain geographic areas that support large-scale agricultural operations and have limited water availability, such as Harris and Galveston Counties. Irrigated farming was introduced in 1908 with construction of the American Canal System. In 1927, the Briscoe Irrigation Company was formed to construct irrigation canals for rice irrigation in and around the Houston area3. The American Canal system underwent improvements in the 1930s, but there is no detailed accounting of those renovations as the structures have changed ownership over the years. The bulk of Briscoe’s historic-age components can be found in the Friendswood and Sugarland area, while components within the vicinity of FM 518 are more than likely related to the American Canal System and not Briscoe. In 1965, GWCA purchased both irrigation systems and they came under the cognizance of the local power and water entity. GWCA used the existing structures to provide water for agricultural and industrial uses. In all, there are six irrigation structures within the APE and their property type classifications are:

Conveyance Structures: The purpose of conveyance structures is to move water throughout the irrigation system, agricultural fields, or industrial facilities. These structures form the skeleton of an irrigation system and are an integral feature of its overall design. Canals/Ditches: canals and ditches carry water from the primary source and distribute it throughout the irrigation system and to other conveyance structures. Ditches tend to be linear shallow channels usually of earthen construction that are either lined with masonry (concrete or brick) or is unlined.

3 There are conflicting dates of construction for canals within the Briscoe Irrigation System, which was formed to serve rice farmers in Fort Bend, Brazoria and Galveston Counties. The irrigation company itself was founded in 1927 and sold to the American Rice Growers Association in 1930. According to GWCA’s website, the actual canal system was constructed in 1940. No primary source information has been located to confirm the date of construction of this canal system. The components within the APE are more than likely not from this system.

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Flumes: Flumes are fully enclosed or partially open structures used to convey water over depressions (in South Texas, most commonly, drainage ditches or resacas), thus preventing any loss of water velocity in a gravity flow system. Flumes are most commonly semi-circular, V-shaped, or box-like in shape. These structures are constructed of wood, metal or concrete. Flumes commonly include both headworks and tailworks to provide a transition between the slower moving water of the canal and the faster velocities within the flume. Headworks channel the water into the flume and commonly include a concrete apron to prevent erosion of the canal at this point. Tailworks also feature a concrete apron, commonly a larger such area, to allow the turbulent water to settle before it continues into the canal. o Full-round flumes refer to elevated pipelines constructed of sheet metal or corrugated pipes, generally carried on trestles of wood or concrete. These flumes are totally enclosed.

Distribution Structures: The purpose of distribution structures is to direct/divert water throughout the irrigation system. Check gate: A check gate is placed across a canal to raise the level of the water in the canal in order to divert it into a lateral upstream from the check gate. The check gate spans the entire width of the canal and must be engineered to their specific placement along a canal.

Transportation Infrastructure: The infrastructure components of an irrigation system refer to those elements and public works features that support the functioning of an irrigation system but do not play a direct role in the delivery of water. An exception to this definition is the levees, which are very broad in their definition. They are included here as they are continually undergoing a great deal of change due to their temporal nature. Infrastructure components of irrigation systems may contribute to the overall integrity of an irrigation system. As they play only a supporting role, however, these features will not adversely impact the overall historic integrity of the resource when they lack integrity. Culverts: Culverts are underground passageways or channels covered with fill above commonly used under roads or railroads. Commonly constructed of concrete pipe permanently set into the ground, modern variations utilize corrugated metal pipes or concrete box constructions.

PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS FACILITIES This property type category includes structures used to drill, extract, and store oil and gas from underground reserves. Pumping and extracting equipment is rarely enclosed, while storage structures are often metal cylindrical vessels raised on a metal frame. Because oil was not in abundant demand until after the industrial revolution, nearly all oil-related industrial resources date from twentieth century, and most date from the mid-twentieth century or later. Oil-related resources typically are metal. Because of the dangers of combustion and gas leaks, oil-related resources typically are well marked and painted a visible color.

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Pipelines: pipelines are systems of metal pipes that carry oil underground. Oil pipelines move unrefined oil to a refinery, then to move refined oil to storage tanks or to the facility where it will be used. Above-ground, typically only a portion of a pipeline is visible. Pipeline foundation head: pumps bring oil from an underground pipeline up to ground level. TRANSPORTATION-RELATED RESOURCES Transportation resources include a wide variety of structures with varying roles in the movement of people and goods. These systems embrace rail and vehicular traffic and include structures such as bridges and culverts. These elements either help to overcome natural and/or man-made obstacles that impede traffic or are designed to improve the flow of traffic. Bridges: Within the study area, examples of bridges are constructed of reinforced concrete and follow the T-beam slab form. The horizontal slab in the T-beam bridge is supported on either end by reinforced concrete piers. The structure of T-beam bridge seldom can support a horizontal slab longer than 50 feet in length. Reinforced concrete T- beam slab bridges began to be constructed along the growing highway system in the 1920s into the 1960s. T-beam bridges are among the most common type of bridge in Texas and nationwide.

EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS: Educational resources are related more by their common function than by a set of unified architectural characteristics. In the study area, educational resources include ca. 1950 public high schools constructed using a utilitarian Modern design. Besides schools, this category also includes ancillary buildings, structures, and landscape features that are typically used for athletics, maintenance, or storage. Theses buildings are utilitarian in character and typically are constructed with concrete or metal.

PREVIOUSLY DESIGNATED RESOURCES NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES (NRHP) No properties in the study area are officially listed in, or under nomination to, the NRHP.

RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARKS (RTHL) OFFICIAL STATE HISTORICAL MARKERS (OSHMS)/ LOCAL HISTORICAL MARKERS There are no RTHLs or OSHMs within the project’s study area.

STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL LANDMARKS (SALS) No properties located in the study area are designated SALs.

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EVALUATION FRAMEWORK The National Register Criteria for Evaluation define the scope of the NRHP; they identify the range of resources and kinds of significance that will qualify properties for listing in the NRHP. Decisions concerning the significance, historic integrity, documentation, and treatment of properties can be made reliably only when the resource is evaluated within its historic context. The historic context serves as the framework within which the National Register Criteria are applied to specific properties or property types. For a property to qualify for the NRHP, it must meet one of the National Register Criteria by being associated with an important historic context and retaining historic integrity of those features necessary to convey its significance. Information about the property based on physical examination and documentary research is necessary to evaluate a property's eligibility for inclusion in the NRHP.

Evaluation of a property is most efficiently made when following this sequence:

1. A property must be classified as a district, site, building, structure, or object for inclusion in the NRHP. 2. Determine which historic context(s) the property represents. A property must possess significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, or culture when evaluated within the historic context of a relevant geographic area. Historic contexts are those patterns or trends in history by which a specific occurrence, property, or site is understood and its meaning (and ultimately its significance) within history or prehistory is made clear. 3. Identify the period of significance and determine which associated theme(s) the property represents. A theme is a means of organizing properties into coherent patterns based on elements such as environment, social/ethnic groups, transportation networks, technology, or political developments that have influenced the development of an area. A theme is considered significant if it can be demonstrated, through scholarly research, to be important in American history. 4. Determine whether the property is significant under the National Register Criteria. This is done by identifying the links to important events or persons, design or construction features, or information potential that make the property important. 5. Determine whether the property retains integrity. Evaluate the aspects of location, design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling, and association that the property must retain to convey its historic significance. 6. Delineate the boundaries of the property based on the applicable National Register Criteria and the reasons for which it is eligible for inclusion in the NRHP and retains the ability to convey its significance.

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National Register Criteria for Evaluation The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and:

A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or B. That are associated with the lives of significant persons in or past; or C. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or D. That have yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.

National Register Criteria Considerations Ordinarily cemeteries, birthplaces, graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, properties primarily commemorative in nature, and properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years shall not be considered eligible for the NRHP. However, such properties will qualify if they are integral parts of districts that do meet the criteria or if they fall within the following categories:

A. A religious property deriving primary significance from architectural or artistic distinction or historical importance; or B. A building or structure removed from its original location but which is primarily significant for architectural value, or which is the surviving structure most importantly associated with a historic person or event; or C. A birthplace or grave of a historical figure of outstanding importance if there is no appropriate site or building associated with his or her productive life; or D. A cemetery that derives its primary importance from graves of persons of transcendent importance, from age, from distinctive design features, or from association with historic events; or E. A reconstructed building when accurately executed in a suitable environment and presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan, and when no other building or structure with the same association has survived; or F. A property primarily commemorative in intent if design, age, tradition, or symbolic value has invested it with its own exceptional significance; or

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G. A property achieving significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional importance.

APPLYING THE NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA For a historic-age resource to be eligible for the NRHP, it must meet at least one of the four National Register Criteria and retain sufficient integrity to convey its significance. The resource should reflect and/or be associated with the historic context developed for the report AND be significant within that context. A property need not retain all of its historic physical features or characteristics to be eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. However, the property must retain the essential physical and character-defining features that enable it to convey its historic identity. The essential physical features are those attributes that define both why a property is significant (Applicable Criteria and Areas of Significance) and when it was significant (Periods of Significance). They are the features without which a property can no longer be identified as a significant example of its type, for instance, a late nineteenth-century agricultural complex. To that end, the following paragraphs apply the National Register Criteria to the historic context and associated property types and provide the foundation for assessing the significance and NRHP eligibility of identified historic-age resources.

Criterion A: Association with Significant Trends and Patterns of History. Properties in the study area can be eligible for the NRHP if they have significance with their association with important events, trends, or patterns in history. Properties that are significant for their historical associations should still retain the essential physical features that were present when they achieved significance for their association with an important event or historical pattern. Properties in the study area that are recommended as eligible for the NRHP could be significant for their association with the following trends and patterns in local history.

Criterion B: Association with Significant Persons of the Past. Properties in the study area can be eligible for the NRHP if they are significant for their association with individuals who were important in local, regional, state, or national history. A significant personage would be someone who played a key, influential role in establishing or developing the trends and patterns of history.

Criterion C: Exhibits Noteworthy Physical Attributes or Design Qualities Properties in the study area can be eligible for the NRHP if they are associated with the work of a master architect or craftsman, or are good examples of a particular style, workmanship, or type within the locality, region, or state. A property that is noteworthy because it illustrates a particular architectural expression or construction technique must retain most of the physical features that constitute that style, type, form, or technique. A property that has lost some historic materials or details can be eligible if it retains the majority of the features that illustrate its style in terms of the massing, spatial relationships, proportion, pattern of windows and doors, texture of materials, and ornamentation. The property is not eligible for the NRHP, however, if it retains some basic features conveying massing but no longer possesses the majority of the features that once distinguished as a good example of its style, type, or form.

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ASSESSING INTEGRITY Integrity is the ability of a property to convey its significance and is another requisite for NRHP eligibility. A property must not only be shown to be significant under at least one of the National Register Criteria, but it also must have integrity grounded in an understanding of a property's physical features and how they relate to its significance. Within the concept of integrity, the National Register Criteria recognize the following seven aspects or qualities that, in various combinations, define integrity.

Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred. The relationship between the property and its location is often important to understanding why the property was created or why something happened. The actual location of a historic property, complemented by its setting, is particularly important in recapturing the sense of historic events and persons.

Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. Design includes such elements as organization of space, proportion, scale, technology, ornamentation, and materials. A property's design reflects historic functions and technologies as well as aesthetics. It includes such considerations as the structural system; massing; arrangement of spaces; pattern of fenestration; textures and colors of surface materials; type, amount, and style of ornamental detailing; and arrangement and type of plantings. Design can also apply to districts, whether they are important primarily for historic association, architectural value, information potential, or a combination thereof. For districts, design also applies to the way in which buildings, sites, or structures are related.

Setting is the physical environment of a historic property. Whereas location refers to the specific place where a property was built or an event occurred, setting refers to the character of the place in which the property played its historical role. It involves how the property is situated and its relationship to surrounding features and open space. Setting often reflects the basic physical conditions under which a property was built and the functions it was intended to serve. In addition, the way in which a property is positioned in its environment can reflect the designer's concept of nature and aesthetic preferences. The physical features that constitute the setting of a historic property can be either natural or manmade, and may include such elements as: • Topographic features (a low depression or valley, the crest of a hill, quarries, creeks, springs, etc.); • Vegetation (brush and grass lands, pastures, fields, tree rows, groves of trees, etc.; • Simple manmade features (trails, roads, paths, fence lines, windmills); and • Relationships between buildings, structures and other features or open space. Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property. The choice and combination of materials reveal the preferences of those who created the property and indicate the availability of particular types of materials and technologies. Indigenous materials are often the focus of regional building traditions and thereby help define an area's sense of time and place. A property must retain the key exterior materials dating from the period of its historic significance.

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Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory. It is the evidence of artisans' labor and skill in constructing or altering a building, structure, object, or site. Workmanship can apply to the property as a whole or to its individual components. It can be expressed in vernacular methods of construction and plain finishes or in highly sophisticated configurations and ornamental detailing. It can be based on common traditions or innovative period techniques. Workmanship can furnish evidence of the technology of a craft, illustrate the aesthetic principles of a historic or prehistoric period, and reveal individual, local, regional, or national applications of both technological practices and aesthetic principles.

Feeling is a property's expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time. It results from the presence of physical features that, taken together, convey the property's historic character. For example, a rural historic district retaining original design, materials, workmanship, and setting will relate the feeling of agricultural life in the nineteenth century.

Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property. A property retains association if it is the place where the event or activity occurred and is sufficiently intact to convey that relationship to an observer. Like feeling, association requires the presence of physical features that convey a property's historic character. Because feeling and association depend on individual perceptions, their retention alone is never sufficient to support eligibility of a property for the NRHP.

REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS A resource that meets either National Register Criterion A or B possesses significance that is rooted in the associations between the property and an historical event, trend, or pattern in local history or an important person of the past. Association alone is insufficient justification for NRHP eligibility under Criterion A or B. A resource must possess significance because of its historical associations. As such, Integrity of Setting, Feeling, and Association take on greater importance when evaluating for NRHP eligibility under Criterion A or B. A property does not necessarily need to reach the high standards of architectural/design significance and physical integrity required to be eligible for the NRHP under Criterion C. However, it still must recognizable to the period in which it gained significance and still posses the ability to convey its sense of the past. To retain sufficient integrity to be eligible under Criterion A or B, a property must:

• remain in its original site or at the location where the historically significant associations took place • retain sufficient physical integrity to convey its date of construction and/or period of significance • retain its overall historic form, scale, and massing • something about continuity of ownership

Although a resource must meet certain significance and integrity requisites for NRHP eligibility under Criterion A or B, some flexibility is permitted for physical alterations and additions

Reconnaissance-Level Survey Report—July 2008 17 FM 518 Bypass: FM 270 to FM 2094 to FM 518 League City Galveston County, Texas CSJ: 0912-37-139 especially when compared to a resource that is eligible under Criterion C. Alterations such as replacement of porch supports, replacement or covering of original exterior cladding, or wholesale installation of metal-sash windows within existing openings do not necessarily preclude NRHP eligibility Criterion A or B. For example, a building may have an exterior finish with non-historic cement-asbestos shingles and replacement metal-sash windows, but it could still be considered eligible under Criterion A or B if its historic form and overall appearance remains largely intact and is recognizable to the period in which it attained significance. However, the cumulative effect of numerous minor or moderate alterations may result in a loss of integrity, even under Criterion A or B, if collectively these alterations make it impossible for the building to convey its sense of the past.

For a resource categorized as a contributing element within a rural historic landscape, integrity not only considers changes to the individual buildings and structures within the complex, but also the spatial and physical relationship between these individual components and the surrounding landscape. Land-use patterns should also reflect and/or be indicative of patterns established during the resource’s period of significance.

Whereas Criteria A and B emphasis the importance of historical associations, Criterion C relies on the physical attributes and/or design qualities of a resource. The following are examples of resources that may possess significance under Criterion C:

• noteworthy example of a local building form, architectural style, or plan type particularly if it displays distinctive craftsmanship or design qualities • good example of a rare or unique building form, architectural style, or plan type • outstanding examples of architecture, engineering, or crafted design • associated with the work of a master (master builder, architect, engineer or designer)

A resource that is eligible for the NRHP under Criterion C retains those aspects of integrity that deal with physical attributes or design qualities such as Integrity of Materials, Design, and Workmanship. To be eligible in this category, a resource must:

• remain at its original site, or have attained significance at its new location • retain its physical integrity to a high degree, to the extent that it is fully recognizable to its original period of construction • retain its distinguishing design features, including, but not necessarily limited to original or historic: form, massing, and scale roofline exterior wall materials fenestration pattern, including window and door openings • retain the majority of its historic decorative features, such as trim, moldings, and other stylistic detailing.

Less intrusive alterations, by themselves, do not necessarily result in a loss of integrity. However,

Reconnaissance-Level Survey Report—July 2008 18 FM 518 Bypass: FM 270 to FM 2094 to FM 518 League City Galveston County, Texas CSJ: 0912-37-139 the combined effect of several minor alterations may combine to impair the integrity of the resource. Examples of minor alterations include:

replacement of original roof materials with composition shingles or metal roofing replacement of wooden porch floor and/or steps with concrete equivalents replacement of original windows with metal-sash units within original openings, particularly when on facades that are visible from public rights-of-way replacement of original exterior doors within original entry openings; removal of some decorative detailing, provided that the detailing is not a primary, character-defining feature of the building’s form or style construction of small additions at the rear of the building, provided they are not publicly visible, are compatible in scale and overall appearance, and do not alter the building’s primary form and roofline

A greater amount of alterations to a building’s historic fabric may be acceptable if it is one of the best remaining examples of an uncommon or early building form or architectural style. For example, an early and rare illustration of a vernacular plan type such as an L-plan house may have metal-sash windows, non-historic entry doors, and a small rear addition, but remains eligible for the NRHP due to its architectural significance. On the other hand, a typical 1920s or 1930s bungalow with similar alterations might be considered not eligible because numerous better examples exist in the area.

SURVEY RESULTS The current field investigations undertook a reconnaissance-level survey of the study area to identify and document all non-archaeological resources that were constructed by 1965. The survey identified one historic-age resource in the study area. The identified 10 historic resources were evaluated for NRHP eligibility through the application of the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, as codified in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations 800, Chapter 60.4.

NRHP ASSESSMENT OF INDIVIDUAL HISTORIC-AGE RESOURCES Resource ID #s 1a-1d The field survey identified one canal in the study area (Resource ID# 1a), along with two associated check-gates (Resource ID#s 1b and 1c), and a culvert (Resource ID# 1d). The canal is uncovered and unlined, and the check-gates and culverts are constructed of reinforced concrete. The check-gates feature simple metal railings, and the culvert is covered by a simple metal grate. The canal and associated features were constructed circa 1965 as functional components of the power plant formerly located to the west of the study area. The power plant complex was constructed circa 1950, and the resources in the study area were later additions. No alterations have been made to these resources; however, the power plant complex was altered drastically when the power plant was demolished in 2006. Because the power plant was demolished, the historic function of the canal, check-gates, and culverts cannot be interpreted. The power plant complex as a whole entirely lacks integrity, and consequently Resource ID#s 1a-1d lack sufficient integrity to be listed in the NRHP.

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Resource ID#s 2 The field survey located one above-ground resource in the study area associated with the underground oil pipeline that travels to the oil tank farm located west of the study area. This resource is a metal pipeline foundation head with an arched form and three valves (Resource ID# 2). The pump likely was constructed circa 1946, contemporary with the Humble Oil Tank Farm. As an individual resource, the foundation head does not convey enough information about the history of oil pipelines in the region to be listed in the NRHP under Criterion A, and its form is common in the study area. If the pipeline and tank farm constituted a historic complex, it is possible that the pipeline foundation head could be considered a contributing element, but contemporary aerial photographs indicate that the tank farm has been significantly altered and no longer lacks integrity. Other, more significant buildings associated with the Humble Oilfield development are intact, including the Humble Oil Building in Houston, which was listed in the NRHP in 1999. Due to these considerations, Resource ID# 2 does not have sufficient historical or architectural significance to be listed in the NRHP under Criteria A or B.

Resource ID#s 3a and 3b Two historic-age flumes also were identified during field survey (Resource ID#s 3a and 3b). Both are full-round flumes that travel over the canal. Both are covered with a rubberized insulation that is peeling. The flumes historically may have been associated with the Galveston County Water Authority (GCWA), an irrigation system, or as drainage. As individual resources, the flumes do not communicate significant historic information about the role of waterworks or irrigation in the development of the area, and their form is not a particularly good example of a type. Individually, the flumes are not eligible for listing the NRHP under Criteria A or C.

Resource ID#s 4 and 6 The field survey identified two historic-age bridges spanning the canal (Resource ID#s 4 and 6). Both are reinforced concrete slab T-beam bridges, constructed circa 1965, after the canal was constructed. The first bridge (Resource ID#4) is located where FM 2094 intersects the canal, and the second (Resource ID# 6) is located further to the east along a roadway that has been abandoned. All of the bridges are late examples of a very common bridge type, and other examples are plentiful in the region and state. As a result, the bridges are not eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criterion C. Moreover, because the canal lacks integrity, the bridges are not significant for their historic association with the canal or the power plant. The roadways associated with the bridges do not have historic significance either. Both FM 2094 has been significantly altered since circa 1965, and the roadway east of FM 2094 has been entirely abandoned. Consequently, the bridges are not eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A. Based on consultation with the TxDOT bridge coordinator, Resource ID# 4 (TxDOT Bridge # 120850097604021) was determined not eligible under Criterion C due to widening in 1991. The TxDOT bridge database includes no information on the abandoned bridge, Resource ID# 6.

Resource ID#5 Because the parcel of land that includes Clear Creek High School extends into the APE, the complex as a whole was surveyed and evaluated (Resource ID# 5). Although historic USGS maps indicate that portions of the high school were constructed circa 1950, numerous non-historic

Reconnaissance-Level Survey Report—July 2008 20 FM 518 Bypass: FM 270 to FM 2094 to FM 518 League City Galveston County, Texas CSJ: 0912-37-139 additions have been made to the buildings, and additional non-historic buildings and structures have been constructed on the complex. From the public right of way along FM 2094 or FM 518, no historic fabric is visible, although it is likely that some historic fabric remains hidden within the labyrinth of the complex. The construction of Clear Creek High School was a significant event associated with the growth and development of League City in the mid-twentieth century. However, because of alterations, additions, and new construction, the complex lacks integrity of design, materials, setting, feeling, and association and is not eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criteria A or C.

NRHP ASSESSMENT OF HISTORIC DISTRICTS No NRHP-eligible historic districts are located within the APE of the Middle Bypass Alignment for the proposed FM 518 bypass. However, field survey did identify a mid-twentieth century residential subdivision outside of the APE that is potentially eligible for listing in the NRHP, pending additional survey and research.

SUMMARY OF NRHP-ELIGIBILITY RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on field observations and limited historical research, the reconnaissance-level survey recommends that no resources within the APE are eligible for listing in the NRHP.

POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO NRHP-ELIGIBLE RESOURCES Based on reconnaissance-level survey and evaluation, no NRHP-eligible resources were identified within the APE, and the proposed construction of the Middle Bypass Alignment of FM 518 has no potential to impact NRHP-eligible resources.

LIST OF PREPARERS This report was prepared and assembled by the following individuals who meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards (36 CFR 61).

Name Role Qualifications/Experience Laurie Gotcher Project Manager/Historian B.A. in History with 10 years experience Emily Thompson Payne Architectural Historian M.S. in Historic Preservation with 5 years experience Christian Hartnett GIS /Graphics Specialist M.S. Archaeology with 10 years experience

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SOURCES CONSULTED

City of League City http://www.ci.league-city.tx.us (accessed June 16, 2008).

Galveston Central Appraisal District. http://www.galvestoncad.org/Appraisal/PublicAccess/ (accessed June 3, 2008).

Galveston County Water Authority Online. http://gulfcoastwaterauthority.com/about.htm (accessed July 15, 2007).

Galveston Daily News, “Deflating experience doesn’t deter investors,” 26 July 2006 http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=1781076dd4e81fd2 (accessed June 13, 2006).

Gulf Coast Water Authority, “History of the GCWA” http://gulfcoastwaterauthority.com/about.htm (accessed June 13, 2008).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. “Electric Interurban Railways” http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/EE/eqe12.html (accessed June 13, 2008).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. “Friendswood, Texas” http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/FF/hef4.html (accessed June 12, 2008).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. “Galveston County” http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/GG/hcg2.html (accessed June 12, 2008).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. “Galveston, Houston, and Henderson Railroad” http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/GG/eqg7.html (accessed June 12, 2008).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. “Harris County” http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/HH/hch7.html (accessed June 16, 2008).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. “Humble Oilfield” http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/HH/doh7.html (accessed June 13, 2008).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. “League City, Texas” http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/LL/hel6.html (accessed June 12, 2008).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. “Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center” http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/LL/sql1.html (accessed June 13, 2008).

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. “Oil and Gas Industry” http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/OO/doogz.html (accessed June 13, 2008).

Reconnaissance-Level Survey Report—July 2008 22 FM 518 Bypass: FM 270 to FM 2094 to FM 518 League City Galveston County, Texas CSJ: 0912-37-139

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. “Webster, Texas” http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/WW/hjw4.html (accessed June 13, 2008).

Houston Business Journal, “Former Webster power plant to get residential Edge,” 11 Aug 2006 http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2006/08/14/story5.html (accessed June 13, 2008).

National Register Bulletin: Guidelines for Evaluation and Documentation for the National Register of Historic Places. (U.S. Department of the Interior: National Park Service, 2004).

National Register Bulletin: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, revised. (U.S. Department of the Interior: National Park Service, 1997).

San Antonio Business Journal, “Boeing pumps $3.5 billion into Texas’ economy,” 28 November 2007 http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2007/11/26/daily26.html (accessed June 16, 2008).

Texas Historic Sites Atlas. http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us (accessed June 12, 2006).

USGS Map of Friendswood, Texas, 1925.

USGS Map of League City, Texas, 1955.

USGS Map of League City, Texas 1969.

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APPENDIX A

NRHP-ELIGIBILITY RECOMMENDATIONS FM 518: from FM 720 to the Clear Creek Bridge League City, Galveston County, Texas

TxDOT CSJ No. 0912-37-139

RESOURCE THUMBNAIL* RESOURCE PROPERTY TYPE STYLISTIC HISTORIC CONTEXT DATE INTEGRITY ISSUES NRHP RECOMMENDATION ID NO. LOCATION FORM / PLAN TYPE INFLUENCE THEMES ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA COMMENT Lacks Canal, from 0.05- Irrigation Systems / None Development of the oil ca. 1964 Power Plant at E end Not Eligible N/A mi E of FM 270 to Conveyance Structure industry and electric of system sufficient 1 a 0.001 mi W of FM power plants demolished in 2006 integrity to be 2094 Canal (main, unlined) eligible for the NRHP Lacks Canal, 0.49-mi E Irrigation Systems / None Development of the oil ca. 1964 Power Plant at E end Not Eligible N/A of FM 270 Distribution Structure industry and electric of system sufficient 1 b power plants demolished in 2006 integrity to be Gate (check gate) eligible for the NRHP Lacks Canal, 0.39-mi W Irrigation Systems / None Development of the oil ca. 1964 Power Plant at E end Not Eligible N/A of Davis Rd. Distribution Structure industry and electric of system sufficient 1 c power plants demolished in 2006 integrity to be Gate (check gate) eligible for the NRHP Lacks N side of canal, Irrigation Systems / None Development of the oil ca. 1965 Power Plant at W Not Eligible N/A 0.96-mi W of FM Conveyance Structure industry and electric end of system sufficient 1 d 2094 power plants demolished in 2006 integrity to be Flume (round) eligible for the NRHP Lacks FM 2094 and Petroleum and Natural None Development of the oil ca. 1946 Associated oil tanks Not Eligible N/A Davis Road, +/- Gas Facilities / Pipeline industry appear to lack sufficient 2 .0.38-mi NW of the integrity integrity to be intersection Pipeline Foundation eligible for the Head NRHP Lacks Canal, 0.34-mi E. Irrigation Systems / None Development of water- ca. 1964 None Not Eligible N/A of Davis Rd. Conveyance Structure related infrastructure sufficient 3 a historic or Flume (round) architectural significance to Lacks N/A, spans canal Irrigation Systems / None Development of water- ca. 1965 None Not Eligible N/A Conveyance Structure related infrastructure sufficient 3 b historic or Flume (round) architectural significance to Lacks Canal, at FM 2094Bridges / Slab, Beam, None Development of the oil ca. 1965 None Not Eligible N/A Girder & Rigid Frame industry and electric sufficient 4 power plants integrity to be Reinforced Concrete T eligible for the Beams NRHP Lacks 2305 E. Main St. Educational Building / None Development of ca. 1950 Mulitiple alterations, Not Eligible N/A (FM 2094) Public School League City in the mid- additions, and new sufficient 5 twentieth century construction integrity to be High school eligible for the NRHP * See photo pages for larger image Appendix A, Page 1 NRHP-ELIGIBILITY RECOMMENDATIONS FM 518: from FM 720 to the Clear Creek Bridge League City, Galveston County, Texas

TxDOT CSJ No. 0912-37-139

RESOURCE THUMBNAIL* RESOURCE PROPERTY TYPE STYLISTIC HISTORIC CONTEXT DATE INTEGRITY ISSUES NRHP RECOMMENDATION ID NO. LOCATION FORM / PLAN TYPE INFLUENCE THEMES ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA COMMENT Lacks Davis Road and Bridges / Slab, Beam, None Development of the oil ca. 1965 Associated road Not Eligible N/A FM 2094, +/- 0.15- Girder & Rigid Frame industry and electric abandoned sufficient 6 mi. SE of the power plants integrity to be intersection Reinforced Concrete T eligible for the Beams NRHP

* See photo pages for larger image Appendix A, Page 2

APPENDIX B

A V s B

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APPENDIX C

FM 518: from FM 720 to the Clear Creek Bridge League City, Galveston County, Texas