Southwest Houston in Bellaire in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Bellaire Streetcar Line

Photographed by Jim Evans, March 17, 2013

1. Bellaire Streetcar Line Marker

Inscription. In 1909 the Westmoreland Railroad Company, directed by Bellaire developer William Wright Baldwin, began construction of a streetcar line between this site and Houston's Main Street (4 mi. E) to improve transportation between Bellaire and Houston. Laid out on the esplanade of Bellaire Boulevard, the streetcar line consisted of one railway track and an overhead electric wire. The line terminated at this site, where the company constructed a waiting pavilion and a turnaround loop. At the same time, the Houston Electric Company extended its south end line from Eagle Avenue down present Fannin Street to connect with the Bellaire line at Bellaire Boulevard (now part of Holcombe Boulevard). The trip between Bellaire and downtown Houston required one transfer at Eagle Avenue. Service began on December 28, 1910.

The streetcar line, often called the “Toonerville Trolley,” became an integral link between Bellaire and Houston and played a vital role in the development of this area. The availability of motor transport and frequent derailments caused by worn-out track led to the abandonment of the line on September 26, 1927. Motor bus service began the following day.

Erected 1993 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 10616.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in

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this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1821.

Location. 29° 42.349′ N, 95° 28.042′ W. Marker is in Bellaire, Texas, in Harris County. It is in Southwest Houston. It is at the intersection of Bellaire Boulevard and 3rd Street, on the left when traveling west on Bellaire Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bellaire TX 77401, 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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bellaire Presbyterian Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Texan Capture of Mexican Dispatches (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bellaire (approx. 0.2 miles away); Alfred J. Condit House, Damaged in 1915 Hurricane (approx. 0.3 miles away); Convent of the Incarnate Word, 1931 (approx. 0.8 miles away); Teas Nursery Company (approx. one mile away); Home of Frank S. Henshaw, Jr., Mayor, 1933-1937 (approx. one mile away); Beth Yeshurun Synagogue (approx. 1.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bellaire.

Also see . . . A Webpage With Pictures of the Streetcar. (Submitted on March 18, 2013, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas.)

Photographed by Jim Evans, March 17, 2013

2. Streetcar

Streetcar & Markers image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jim Evans

3. Streetcar & Markers

Trolley Dedication Day, 1910 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jim Evans, March 17, 2013

4. Trolley Dedication Day, 1910

The trolley has become the unofficial symbol of Bellaire. Dubbed the "Toonerville Trolley" after a popular newspaper cartoon, it traveled across six miles of prairie bringing residents to high school, work, and the shopping mecca of Downtown Houston. The trolley ran from 1910 until 1927.

Bellaire Trolley Station and Pavilion, 1911 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jim Evans, March 17, 2013

5. Bellaire Trolley Station and Pavilion, 1911

Folks could wait for or disembark from the trolley at the Trolley Pavilion, but they also gathered there for picnics, Church school, and a variety of community activities. A replica of the Pavilion, constructed by the Bellaire Historical Society, was located at S. Rice & Bellaire from 2000 to 2008.

Marker Sponsors image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jim Evans, March 17, 2013

6. Marker Sponsors

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 18, 2013, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,581 times since then and 65 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 18, 2013, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.