Baytown Historical Preservation Association

10/22/2026

As we near the end of 2026, we are still celebrating America’s 250th with “George Washington” as our special guest at A Taste of History. Get your tickets for a historically good time!

10/20/2026

Join us on Saturday, November 14, at 5:30 p.m., at Memorial Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, for a special evening featuring George Washington, portrayed by Mark Collins, who bears a remarkable resemblance to our nation’s first president!

Tickets are $40 per person and include dinner and the performance. Our delicious menu features oven-roasted chicken with optional mushroom gravy, seasoned green beans, oven-roasted potatoes, cherry pie in honor of our Founding Father, iced tea, and coffee.

Mark Collins has portrayed Washington in television and film, including “National Treasure: Book of Secrets.” He has shared his portrayal with military groups, schools, churches, and community audiences, as well as at historic venues such as the National Cathedral, Mount Vernon, and Colonial Williamsburg.

This is a wonderful opportunity to experience history in a unique way and learn more about the man who led America to independence and became our nation’s first president, all while enjoying an evening of good food and fellowship.

Get your tickets today! Visit www.baytownhistory.org, select “A Taste of History” under “Upcoming Events,” and click “Buy Now.”

Seating is limited, so don’t wait!

10/17/2026

Stop by to see us and buy this year's ornament!

The Fall Market at Town Square is this Saturday, October 17!

Browse the Community Yard Sale from 8 AM - 2 PM, then join us for free yoga as the market opens at 10 AM.

Town Square | 213 W. Texas Avenue | 8AM - 2 PM

Visit Baytown.org/events for more information.

10/15/2026

In 1947, Governor Beauford H. Jester proclaimed October 15 as Texas Poets Day. Today, we celebrate our favorite Texas poet, Smokey Culver!

Smokey’s heartfelt poetry touches everyone who hears it. We hope to see him again soon and enjoy more of his beautiful words!

Happy Texas Poets Day, Smokey!

10/05/2026

Back in 1998, we began making restoration plans for the 1910 Brown-McKay House, which had been relocated to the Republic of Texas Plaza a decade earlier and had sat untouched ever since. We knew we had our work cut out for us, but we also knew this old house was a piece of Baytown history worth saving.

There were plenty of challenges along the way, including raising the funds to make it happen. Little by little, the old house took on new life and began telling the story of an earlier time in our community.

Now, looking at these old before-and-after photographs, it’s hard to believe they are the very same rooms!

After all these years of it being restored, we are still grateful to everyone who helped make it possible—and especially to the generous donors who believed in preserving this special piece of Baytown history for future generations to experience what it was like when our community was built around farming.

09/26/2026

Stop by to see us! We are here today 1-3!

09/25/2026

On this day 78 years ago—September 25, 1948—interurban electric car No. 524 made its final round trip, leaving Baytown, traveling through Highlands to Houston, and returning to Baytown.

Harry K. Johnson, known as the founder of Highlands, built seven electric railway lines during his lifetime. The last was the Houston North Shore Railroad, which ran from the east side of Houston through Highlands to Baytown which he sold to Missouri Pacific Lines.

For years, these electric cars were an important part of everyday life, connecting Baytown, Pelly, Goose Creek, Highlands, and Houston. But that September day marked the end of the electric era. Gasoline-powered rail buses replaced the electric cars, and the electrical cables came down.

At 16, Paul L. DeVerter II, who grew up in Humble Oil & Refining Co. housing in Old Baytown, rode the train that final day with his friend, Charles C. Robinson. The two boys wrote “Last Car” on No. 524 in several places.

Mr. DeVerter’s home was just one block from the Humble track and four blocks from the Houston North Shore Railway. That railroad became a lifelong passion, and he went on to devote himself to preserving its history.

Today, that legacy lives on. BHPA has copies of the book Mr. DeVerter co-wrote with Mr. Robinson, “Houston North Shore Railway,” available for purchase. A model of Car No. 524 and the Highlands Interurban Depot is being donated for display at the 1937 Highlands Library, and plans are underway to restore the actual Car No. 524 for eventual display at the Republic of Texas Plaza.

And another piece of that railroad history is still standing—the old Missouri Pacific Interurban Depot at 11 East Texas Avenue, next to Trophy Barbershop.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see that old depot restored and brought back to life as a train museum—a place where visitors could step inside and remember the electric cars and gas buses, the people who rode them, and the communities those old rails connected?

09/23/2026

Tucked away in Baytown’s history is an astonishing connection to one of the most notorious murders of the early 20th century.

126 years ago today, on September 23, 1900, William Marsh Rice—the wealthy Texas businessman and founder of the Rice Institute, now known as Rice University—was murdered in his New York City apartment.

Rice was 84 years old and appeared to have died peacefully in his sleep, but there was a much darker story behind his death.

His valet, Charles F. “Charlie” Jones, had administered chloroform to him while he slept. Behind the murder was Albert T. Patrick, a former Houston attorney who was practicing law in New York. Patrick had his eyes on Rice’s fortune and had prepared a forged will that would have diverted much of the estate to himself.

The plot began to unravel almost immediately. A suspicious check bearing Rice’s supposed signature—and a misspelling of Patrick’s name—alerted Rice’s bankers. The investigation eventually exposed the forged will and the murder plot.

Jones confessed and testified against Patrick. Despite his role in the murder, he ultimately served no time in prison.

Patrick was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. In 1906, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and in 1912 he received a full pardon. He eventually moved to Oklahoma, where he died in 1940.

Then this remarkable story takes an unexpected turn toward home….

Nearly three decades later, Charlie Jones returned to his family home in Pelly, where he apparently lived a quiet life. Locally, people remembered him as a soft-spoken, helpful, and well-liked man.

Then, on November 16, 1954, at the age of 79, Charles F. “Charlie” Jones died by su***de at his home.

A little piece of history you might never expect to find in our hometown!

09/22/2026

Seventy-three years ago today, on September 22, 1953, it was a grand day in Baytown when the Baytown–La Porte Tunnel officially opened!

Just imagine those first motorists making their way through that brand-new tunnel back in 1953. For generations of Baytown and La Porte families, the tunnel became a familiar part of everyday life—carrying workers to their jobs, families on the Baytown side heading across the channel to the beach in Galveston, and travelers passing through our growing communities.

For more than four decades, the tunnel connected Baytown and La Porte and became a familiar landmark for countless travelers. For many local families, it was simply part of everyday life.

Today, the tunnel is gone, but the memories of the people who drove through it—and the important role it played in the growth and changing landscape of our communities—remain a treasured part of Baytown’s past.

Sometimes, the places that seem like an ordinary part of everyday life become the very places that leave us with the memories we cherish most.

Another little piece of Baytown history worth remembering!

09/20/2026

What an amazing morning of history we had at Saturday’s History Lecture with Dr. Frank Sharp and our good friend Jim Hodges! We learned so much about the history, preservation, and importance of the Official State of Texas Longhorns.

Frank also gave us an extra special treat! He entertained us with traditional harmonica and bones music—just as cowboys might have done around the campfire or along the cattle trails in the early days.

It was one of those mornings that reminded us why we love bringing history to life at BHPA. Two wonderful speakers, storytellers, a little music, and a room of folks who love Texas history!

A very special thank-you to Dr. Frank Sharp and Jim Hodges for sharing their knowledge, stories, and love of Texas history with us. We can’t wait to have them back!