My family moved to the Cypress area (Lakewood Glen specifically) in 1986. I will always remember this date because we had an antique wood hymn rack in the living room that, instead of hymn numbers, had the date we moved into the house. Anyway, when we moved to the area, there were only four high schools in the district, and Telge Road was a pain to drive down because it was two lane, one lane each way. I preferred Huffmeister which was also one lane each way, but had this great sharp curve that my little gray Nissan pickup loved to speed through. No one was harmed by my driving antics, so don't worry. I'm sure most long time residents all have their favorite stories, but we would all agree the area has grown!
I've researched some interesting tidbits about how Cypress was established and has grown for your personal edification:
- The name of our area is almost certainly derived from its location near Cypress Creek.
- The area was first inhabited by Native Americans, specifically the Atakapa and Akokisa tribes who tapered off after German settlers arrived in the 1840s. This German influence is still felt, particularly in street names like Telge and Huffmeister. The area was largely agricultural, primarily known for dairy and rice farming.
- During the time of the battle for Texas Independence, General Sam Houston and his Texas Army camped in the area on March 22, 1836 on the way to Harrisburg, which is now in East Houston, just days before the Battle of San Jacinto.
You're all familiar with the Ravensway subdivision, right? If not, it's an older neighborhood
near Cypress North Houston and Huffmeister. Sam Houston was coined the Raven by the
Cherokee Indians, and this entire neighborhood is an homage to that history. I'm not sure if the actual location is accurate, or if the name was just a marketing draw.
- Jersey Village is named for the Jersey cows that used to be raised there. Apparently the dairy associated with that livestock was quite the draw due to their ice cream.
- Eleanor Roosevelt, aka Mrs. FDR, actually visited the Cypress schools to support her National Youth Administration Project in the late 1930s.
- Did you know that Mary Kay Ash, of Mary Kay Cosmetics fame, was born in Hot Wells (now Cypress) in 1918?
- Cy-Fair High School opened its doors in the Spring of 1942. Yes, we all know it stands for Cypress Fairbanks High School, but nobody calls it that. If you do, it tells the rest of us you're new around here.
Share this article with your friends and family that have been around a while, they may have more great stories from the good old days.
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Rebecca Robertson is a local Realtor who considers herself a Cypress native. She remembers back in the 1900s (her son's expression for anything prior to 2000) how there wasn't much past Cy-Fair High School going northwest on 290 and you had to pretty much go into Houston for a good meal. She can be reached at rebecca@righthouserealtor.com.
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