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City Tour of Bellaire
William Wright Baldwin, acting as president of the South End Land Company,
founded Bellaire and Westmoreland Farms after purchasing the 9,449-acre
Rice Ranch in 1908. Baldwin was a native of Iowa and nationally known
as vice president of the Burlington Railroad. The development was six
miles from Houston on the eastern edge of the Rice Ranch, so named for
former owner William Marsh Rice. Promotional advertising in 1909 explained
that Bellaire was named for the area's Gulf breezes, but Baldwin may have
named it for Bellaire, Ohio, a town served by his railroad. By 1910 Baldwin
had invested over $150,000 in capital improvements to turn the treeless
prairie into an attractive location for residences and small truck farms.
From the site to Main Street in Houston he constructed Bellaire Boulevard.
He also incorporated the Westmoreland Railroad Company to build an electric
streetcar line down the center of the boulevard. The streetcar, known
as the "Toonerville Trolley," operated from December 12, 1910, until bus
service replaced it on September 26, 1927. In 1910 horticulturist Edward
Teas was induced to move his nursery from Missouri to Bellaire Boulevard
to implement landscaping plans drawn by landscape architect Sid Hare.
A Bellaire post office opened in 1911. The South End Land Company advertised
nationwide to attract Midwestern farmers and others who were eager to
escape harsh winters. Bellaire was promoted as an exclusive residential
neighborhood and agricultural trading center with the conveniences of
city living and reliable access to Houston. On June 24, 1918, with a population
of about 200, Bellaire obtained a general-law city charter. The population
reached 1,124 by 1940.
Houston's expansion after World War II transformed Bellaire into a popular
suburb, but geographical growth was halted when Houston annexed the surrounding
land on December 31, 1948. In April 1949 Bellaire adopted a home-rule
charter with a council-manager government. The city had 10,173 residents
in 1950. The Swedish general consul's office has been located in Bellaire
since 1953. Bellaire is zoned for residential, commercial, and light industrial
sections. High-rise office buildings are located along Loop 610, but Bellaire
is largely known as a residential city. Zoning and land-use controversies,
long the stuff of Bellaire politics, led to a recall of the mayor and
three councilmen in 1977. A resurgence in new residential construction
began in the late 1980s. By 1968 Bellaire had fifteen churches and one
synagogue.
Leading community organizations include the Bellaire-Southwest Houston
Chamber of Commerce, the Bellaire Historical Society, Friends of the Bellaire
Library, Friends of Bellaire Parks, and the Bellaire Women's Civic Club.
City management is noted for its police and fire protection, library,
public works, parks and recreation facilities, recycling center, and an
office on aging. The population was 19,872 in 1960, 16,331 in 1987, and
13,842 in 1990.
Bellaire Links
City of Bellaire
Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce
Houston Independent School District
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