Buffalo Bayou Park — the Houston Cistern

Location of Interest: The Cistern (Houston, Texas)

Previous: Underground Water Reservoir - Active 1926 - 2007
Coordinates: 29.7626° N, 95.3766° W

Walk along Buffalo Bayou Park, or even other near-downtown spots, and you'll see odd little hatches dotting here or there. These are entrances to a mysterious Houston underground, which was rediscovered in recent years, although used until 2007. But who knew?

Now, the Cistern at Buffalo Bayou Park is a feature allowing Houstonians to view something amazing and from our past. The subterranean cavern is a former drinking water reservoir built in 1926, designed to be part of the city's municipal water strategy for fire suppression (water pressure) and drinking water storage. Only after an irreparable leak was discovered, the reservoir was decommissioned in 2007.

The reservoir was originally slated for demolition, however, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) began an effort to preserve the unusual space, working out an arrangement with the City of Houston to take over development and maintenance of the space.

The Cistern was restored and began a new, repurposed life as a public space to house art installations. The Cistern opened to the public in May 2016.

Tyrell Park - WWII Prisoner of War Camp

Location of Interest: Tyrrell Park (Beaumont, Texas)

Previous: Prisoner of War Camp - Active 1943 - 1945
Coordinates: 30° 0' 42.85" N, 94° 8' 48.19" W

Tyrrell Park is currently a municipal park in Beaumont, Texas. It includes the Henry Homberg Municipal Golf Course. The entire park consists of about 1500 acres, which was donated to Beaumont in 1923 by prominent businessman and area citizen, W.C. Tyrrell. In addition to the golf course, many area residents enjoy the stables and equestrian trails, hike and bike trails, and the Beaumont Botanical Gardens. But few likely think much of the dilapidated ruin that remains at the center of the property—and who were housed in it from about 1943 to 1945.

Early in its history, the property was under the care of Civilian Conservation Corps Company 845. This evolved during the depression years as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, which included government work efforts to keep men working. In this particular case, the men performed a host of activities to augment the property as a park. They dug drainage ditches and laid roads, erected the park entrance way, horse stables and recreation buildings, as well as carved out nature trails and created the golf course. But America's entry into World War II would modify the usage for Tyrrell Park.

An aerial view showing ruins of primary camp building.

Although the early months of 1942 were not entirely successful ones for US forces, the tides of war changed and the America began advancing on it's enemies. One result was in hordes of German and Italian prisoners. Many, if not most, were sent back to Texas. And when camps began to burgeon as US victories mounted, satellite camps were opened wherever Uncle Sam could locate them—and one was at Tyrell Park in Beaumont.

Texas had around 30 or so of these satellite camps, each housing as few as 35 or 40 prisoners of war. Most of the satellite camps dotted the coastal rice-producing areas of Texas—from Orange and Jefferson counties over to Brazoria and Matagorda counties. Part of the reason was that World War II robbed much of the nation's farmers of badly needed labor, and Texas was no exception. Consequently, the War Department authorized a program using POWs from area camps. And since Texas had so many of the camps, they became resources for badly-needed labor. POWs harvested tons of rice.

The government was paid $1.50 per day per prisoner working. That was the predominant minimum wage of the period. And about eighty cents of that went to the prisoner in canteen coupons. The difference went to the US treasury to pay for the POW program. German officers, like their American counterparts, were not required to work—and most didn't.

      

These images show the dilapidated wing and primary entrance to the 

last remaining building of the WWII POW camp at Tyrrell Park. 

It's not uncommon for Texas farmers to recall their POW laborers in a positive light. Equally typical was for many farmers to maintain friendships with them. The experience for POWs in the US was vastly different from their counterparts in Europe or the Pacific. POWs here were treated to the letter of the Geneva Conventions of War, if not better. Indeed, following the conclusion of hostilities, many German POWs immigrated to Texas and the communities where they were interned.

Episcopal High School - former Catholic convent: HAUNTED

Location of Interest: Episcopal High School (Bellaire, Tx)
Codename: Marian High School/Convent: 1931 - 1983 

Coordinates: 29.7149° N, 95.4576° W

Episcopal High School is a well-known private secondary school that is located among the homes of the independent City of Bellaire, Texas, situated just 6-miles from downtown Houston. The grounds were once home to Marian High School, also a secondary institution, as well as the Mother House (Convent) for the Sisters of Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. Although the sisters sold the campus to a developer in the 1980s, local legend has it that a few sisters remain, quite literally, in spirit.

The sisters acquired the property in 1924, and within seven years, the convent and novitiate were built. For non-Catholics, a novitiate is a place where young women go to train and prepare for religious life as nun specific to the order of the Sisters of Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. From 1932 to 1955, the campus included boarding school that housed about 50 girls, and day school. Both were for grades 1 thru 8. And then in 1955, the sisters opened Marian High School, a co-ed campus on the north side of the property. Marian operated until late 70's when they decided to close Marian High School and sell the Bellaire property.

The oldest building on campus was the four-story convent—and it is said to be haunted. Indeed, for many, many years the top floor was forbidden to students. There are two separate stories on the hauntings. The first is from a former student of Episcopal High School, reporting that long ago, four of the sisters were murdered on the top floor of the convent. He says that Episcopal’s choir used to practice on the second floor, and at times voices were heard from the abandoned and forbidden fourth floor. Sometimes they were moans, and other times it sounded like singing. Footsteps echoing through the open space were also reported. But no one was ever found to be where the sounds came from.

The worst of the Episcopal student reports centers around two teenagers who thought the top floor would make a good hideout from teachers. That is, until blood pools suddenly formed on the walls and ceiling during their carnal explorations. The incident sent the pair screaming from the building. One hopes they remembered their uniforms.

An older account is from Marian graduates and states that one of the sisters hung herself on the forbidden fourth floor. Students and staff had claimed heard her walk across the hallways and slam doors shut, sometimes even locking them. Some of the school faculty made it a point to never stay after 10:00 pm so they wouldn’t encounter the spirit.

From the 2016 film, Conjuring 2.