Bellaire Streetcar Line

In 1909 the Westmoreland Railroad Company, directed by Bellaire developer William Wright Baldwin, began construction of a streetcar line between this site and Houston's Main Street (4 mi. E) to improve transportation between Bellaire and Houston. Laid out on the esplanade of Bellaire Boulevard, the streetcar line consisted of one railway track and an overhead electric wire. The line terminated at this site, where the company constructed a waiting pavilion and a turnaround loop. At the same time, the Houston Electric Company extended its south end line from Eagle Avenue down present Fannin Street to connect with the Bellaire line at Bellaire Boulevard (now part of Holcombe Boulevard). The trip between Bellaire and downtown Houston required one transfer at Eagle Avenue. Service began on December 28, 1910. The streetcar line, often called the "Toonerville Trolley," became an integral link between Bellaire and Houston and played a vital role in the development of this area. The availability of motor transport and frequent derailments caused by worn-out track led to the abandonment of the line on September 26, 1927. Motor bus service began the following day.

Bellaire Streetcar Line is a historical marker in Bellaire, Harris County, dedicated in 1991. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 849 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7058, -95.4673 near Bellaire. The nearest cataloged historic site is Bellaire Presbyterian Church (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Bellaire, Texan Capture of Mexican Dispatchers, and Teas Nursery Company.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5201010616. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.