The Borden Oak is one of the few trees that survived the Great Storm of 1900 in Galveston, TX. After the storm, the entire island was raised with sand and shale dredged from Galveston Bay. Thomas Henry Borden ensured the protection of a live oak on . . . — — Map (db m311191) HM
A pioneer oil boom town. Originated as crossroads community named for settler Pleasant Smith Humble (1835?-1912), who lived here before 1889, hewing his timber into railroad ties, mining gravel from his land, keeping store, and serving as justice of . . . — — Map (db m71786) HM
Homeowners can easily convert grass clippings, leaves and kitchen waste into a nutrient-rich, organic soil conditioner and mulch that is free of odor and safe to handle. For centuries, gardeners have used compost to enrich crops.
This "black . . . — — Map (db m311276) HM
Loss of native plant species weakens the natural ecosystem, reduces the beauty and diversity around us, and depletes an irreplaceable gene pool that may hold the cures for diseases such as cancer. Habitat loss, introduction of invasive foreign plant . . . — — Map (db m311273) HM
The replica of a beaver dam and pond in this wild-scape garden serves as a beautiful water feature and provides a display area for rare, native wetland species that Mercer maintains for the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC). Mercer joined the CPC . . . — — Map (db m311284) HM
The Endangered Species and Native Plant Garden was created in 1994 through the generosity of Star Enterprise. Garden expansions were made possible in 2003 by The Mercer Society and River Oaks Garden Club and in 2012 by Mrs. Carol Settegast Kobb.
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Founded in 1886, Humble was an oil boom town in 1907 when the Rev. J. T. Browning of Houston began conducting Methodist worship services for residents of the area. The services were first held in a building that had housed a bottle factory. In 1908, . . . — — Map (db m122931) HM
This garden is dedicated to those who helped our community recover from Hurricane Harvey and other natural disasters.
The Mercer Community thanks the Garden Club of America for supporting this restoration and for bringing renewal through the . . . — — Map (db m311228) HM
The original Mercer herb garden was established in 1982 with a grant from the Brandt Petroleum Company and includes raised beds and paved walkways especially designed for the enjoyment of the handicapped as well as others who delight in herbs.
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This cemetery is believed to be the town of Humble's oldest. The earliest documented burial is that of Joseph Dunman (1867-1879). Also believed to be buried here in an unmarked grave is Jane Elizabeth Humble, wife of the community's founder, . . . — — Map (db m56714) HM
The roots of education in the Humble area started in 1873 when Joseph W. Dunman (1824-1903), son of early Humble settler Joseph Dunman, opened Joe Dunman's schoolhouse for local children. In 1884, Common School District No. 28 was established but . . . — — Map (db m133798) HM
Near the turn of the century, the town of Humble was home to many Masons who were members of lodges located in nearby towns. With the help of local Justice of the Peace F. K. Wise, Humble area Masons organized their own lodge in 1908. Humble State . . . — — Map (db m71783) HM
Long before we could drive to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, people were using plants as medicine. Many plants in the family Salicaceae, including willows (Salix spp.) and poplars and cottonwoods (Populus spp.), contain . . . — — Map (db m311225) HM
Joseph Dunman
Republic of Texas
Early Humble Pioneer
Born 1794 Louisiana
Died 3 April 1859 Harris County Texas
Born in Louisiana in 1794, Joseph Dunman served as a private in De clouet's Regiment in the Louisiana Militia during the . . . — — Map (db m123003) HM
An oil well drilled at this site in 1912 yielded not oil, but free-flowing artesian water. The following year, German native Nick Lambrecht (1855-1920) purchased the property. Lambrecht served as justice of the peace and mayor during Humble's oil . . . — — Map (db m52524) HM
Each fall, hundreds of millions of monarch butter-flies migrate from the United States and Canada to overwintering areas in California and Mexico where they wait out the winter until conditions favor a return flight in the spring. The monarch . . . — — Map (db m311274) HM
This structure was erected in 1914 by William R. (Bill) Pangburn. He made his own cement bricks using San Jacinto River sand hauled by horse and wagon. The building has housed a drygood store, drug store, post office, cafe, dance hall and a variety . . . — — Map (db m122999) HM
Did you know this fun-looking plant is the source of the oldest "paper"? Cyperus papyrus was cultivated around the Nile River in Egypt and was processed into sheets as early as 3000 BCE Ancient Egyptians produced papyrus and even exported it . . . — — Map (db m311188) HM
Fossil Information
Imagine a tree or woody shrub falling here millions of years ago. Before it decomposes, mud, silt, ash, and other wet material bury it. Protected from oxygen and micro-organisms, the tree does not decay. Minerals like iron, . . . — — Map (db m311223) HM
Long before flowers bloomed, ancient plants like cycads, horsetails, ferns, and maidenhair trees covered the Earth. These early species shaped our planet's ecosystems-creating oxygen, forming the first forests, and even helping to build coal beds. . . . — — Map (db m311226) HM
Native plants minimize maintenance within rain gardens. They also thrive with less fertilizer and stronger disease control, require less irrigation, and reduce sediments, nutrients, and toxic particles in water bodies. Native plant roots even allow . . . — — Map (db m311277) HM
Life in the Wetlands
In the low-lying, water-saturated areas of Houston-like ditches, bogs, swamps, and marshes a rich and unique ecosystem thrives. These wetland habitats are home to moisture-loving native plants such as pickerelweed, . . . — — Map (db m311192) HM
A visionary naturalist and innovative horticulturalist, Thelma Mercer and her husband, Charles, created a charming and unique garden sanctuary on the original 14.5-acre property that would become Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens on January 8, . . . — — Map (db m311189) HM
These two trees were grown from acorns in slop jars, by Uncle Dick Hatcher. He planted them not long after the courthouse was built in 1928. They received their name from Judge Wise's habit of using the benches beneath the trees to sit on while . . . — — Map (db m123001) HM
