Deer Park Gardens in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Deer Park
Photographed by Brian Anderson, March 14, 2021
1. Deer Park Marker
Inscription.
Deer Park. . Illinois native Simeon Henry West (1827-1920) settled in this vicinity in 1892 hoping to develop the area, with its mild climate and proximity to waterways, into a farming and trading center. By the year's end, he had purchased property and platted the town of Deer Park, naming it after a nearby private park inhabited by many deer. After completing the Deer Park Hotel in 1893, West marketed his development primarily to Northerners. More than ninety settlers moved here, attracted by the prospects for fruit and tobacco farming and the trade links to the Houston and Northern Railway and Houston's waterways that West was developing., The promising town was nearly destroyed in the hurricane of 1900, after which every family except one returned North. A few people moved to Deer Park in later years. In 1905, the Edwin Rice Brown family leased as their family home the Deer Park Hotel, the focal point of area social life. However, the town's population remained very small., Not until 1928, when Shell Chemical Company relocated here, did a new period of growth begin. Deer Park's business district, churches, and schools were reestablished, and in 1948 the citizens of Deer Park voted to incorporate.
Illinois native Simeon Henry West (1827-1920) settled in this vicinity in 1892 hoping to develop the area, with its mild climate and proximity to waterways, into a farming and trading center. By the year's end, he had purchased property and platted the town of Deer Park, naming it after a nearby private park inhabited by many deer. After completing the Deer Park Hotel in 1893, West marketed his development primarily to Northerners. More than ninety settlers moved here, attracted by the prospects for fruit and tobacco farming and the trade links to the Houston & Northern Railway and Houston's waterways that West was developing.
The promising town was nearly destroyed in the hurricane of 1900, after which every family except one returned North. A few people moved to Deer Park in later years. In 1905, the Edwin Rice Brown family leased as their family home the Deer Park Hotel, the focal point of area social life. However, the town's population remained very small.
Not until 1928, when Shell Chemical Company relocated here, did a new period of growth begin. Deer Park's business district, churches, and schools were reestablished,
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and in 1948 the citizens of Deer Park voted to incorporate.
Erected 1992 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 10647.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1892.
Location. 29° 41.957′ N, 95° 7.461′ W. Marker is in Deer Park, Texas, in Harris County. It is in Deer Park Gardens. It is on Center Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1302 Center Street, Deer Park TX 77536, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Houston Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Place of Honor (within shouting distance of this
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 15, 2021, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio. This page has been viewed 350 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 15, 2021, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio.
