Researching the Question: "Why Houston?"

 

I often lose track of time when I research. Last week, I decided to document how I spent fifteen hours on what seemed to be a simple question:

Why did my grandmother go to secretarial school in Houston?

Actually, that's two questions. I'm not sure why my grandmother chose secretarial school. What other options were available to her? Perhaps I will tackle that issue another time.

But I did tackle the question: Why Houston?

It seems to me similar training would be offered in areas closer to Robertson County. Baylor University in Waco, TX was about an hour north-west. Texas A&M in College Station was a mere forty-five minutes in the opposite direction. From newspaper articles I've read over the past several months, I know the County Extension Service associated with Texas A&M made frequent visits to the area.

This led me to question whether my grandmother knew someone in Houston. If she were starting out on her own in an unfamiliar city and a new profession, she might appreciate a friendly face.

I began my research with Mom's Baby Book. On a blank page of the book, my grandmother detailed many "firsts" in Mom's life. Several entries focused on her first trip to Houston at the age of two months.

• First train ride
• First trip to Houston
• First ride on a streetcar
• First ride on a bus
• First time to cross a ferry
• First time to visit the San Jacinto Battle Ground
• First time to experience a Thru Tunnel
• First time to go to a Houston park

More than 25% of the "First" entries focused on this one trip.

But why did they go? After all, the year is 1928. I don't think farm folk hopped on a train to go to the "big city" on a whim. Especially with a two-month-old.

Perhaps they were visiting family

Since I had no clear direction, I reviewed all extended family. From previous research, I knew the Miles family (Mom's paternal side) remained in Robertson County through the 1940s. So I eliminated them from the list of possibilities. 

The French family (Mom's paternal grandmother) either remained in Robertson County or traveled one county over. They did not venture far from home. I quickly eliminated them.

The Dowdy family (Mom's maternal grandfather) was extensive -- five siblings with lots of cousins. But after pouring over numerous records, I determined none of them settled in Houston.

My hypothesis was fading. I had only the Crane family to investigate. Mom's maternal grandmother came from a family of eight. I crossed my fingers as I began with the eldest. The first five did not pan out. But I struck genealogy gold with the sixth.

Georgia Lee Crane married Roger Brazell in 1908... eleven months after my grandmother was born. The 1910 census shows them still living in Robertson County with their infant daughter, Inez. However, their second child, Carl Crane, was born on June 11, 1911 in Houston, Texas. Over the next five years they had two more boys, all born in Houston.

The 1930 census shows the Brazell's living at 1911 Park Street. The 1932 City Directory shows them living at 1802 Elmen Street -- a mere 1/10th mile away. They resided here until at least 1940. I have no other data beyond this date.

My Theory

My grandmother went to Houston because she had family contacts: an aunt, a female cousin two years younger than herself, and an uncle who was a real estate broker (gleaned from the city directory).

When my grandmother first moved to Houston, she lived at 223 W 19th Avenue. Google maps reveals her apartment was four miles from the Brazell's home. They lived in the same neighborhood. A direct busride down Heights Boulevard.

I switched to Satellite view and "virtually" walked around the block. One street over I noticed Baptist Temple ... the church where my mom married and my grandmother attended until her death. What an incredible find.

The final piece of the puzzle slid into place when I re-read my mother's wedding book.

As I've commented before, I could never understand why none of her extended family came to the ceremony. They appeared to be such a tight-knit community when living in Robertson County. But when grandmother left, they seemed to lose contact with everyone.

I did not recognize the name on the Guest List. I turned to the Wedding Gifts page at the back of the book. The 8th entry read: China by Mrs. Geo. Brazell and Mr. and Mrs. C Hueter.

Geo. is not George Brazell but Georgia Lee Crane.

Mrs. C Hueter is her now-married daughter, Inez.

At a time when all other family ties were severed... Georgia Crane Brazell and my grandmother remained in touch. I am glad my grandmother had this connection when she ventured to Houston alone. And I'm thrilled to discover this piece of the genealogy puzzle.