Tomball Texas, and Tomball Texas Hotels. (original) (raw)
Griffin House in Tomball's Museum Center on North Pine Street
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Courtesy City of Tomball, December 8, 2017
History in a Pecan Shell
Settlement in the area goes back to 1838 when land was granted to heirs of William Hurd. As a community started developing it was named Peck after a civil engineer. In 1907 the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad gave Peck not only a depot - but a roundhouse that could accommodate five locomotives.
In late 1907 the name was changed to Tomball for the man (Thomas Henry Ball) who had brought the railroad to Peck. The next year a post office was granted.
The population was 350 in 1914. The town led the normal agricultural lifestyle of its neighbors until oil was discovered in 1933. Humble Oil and Refining Company convinced the citizens of Tomball that if they could be allowed to drill that worthless, nasty oil from Tomball's city limits - then the citizens would get free gas and water for 99 years. Such a deal.
Tomball became known as "Oil Town U.S.A." and the population trebled from the 665 people present in 1933. An estimated twenty-five to thirty oil companies had sunk wells within five miles of downtown Tomball. Humble, perhaps feeling guilty over hoodwinking the Tomballers, built housing and recreation facilities for its workers. Robert Ripley included Tomball in his syndicated Believe It or Not column for being the only city with free gas and water but no cemetery.
By 1960 Tomball's population was 1,173, and by the mid 1980s it had broken the 5,000 mark.
See
Tomball Museum Center ›
Tomball Depot and Museum ›
Tomball Landmarks & Attractions
Christmas Events - Second weekend of December:
- German Christmas Market
- Christmas on Commerce
- Holiday Lamp Post Stroll
- Holiday Candlelight Tours at the museum
Tomball Museum Center
Including historic home, farmhouse, church, one-room schoolhouse, farm museum with cotton gin, etc.
510 N. Pine St.
281-255-2148
Early 1900s church
Courtesy City of Tomball, October 2008
Furnished farmhouse
Courtesy City of Tomball, December 8, 2017
Tomball Museum Center
Courtesy City of Tomball, October 2008
Windmill in display
Courtesy City of Tomball, August 2016
Tomball Museum Center - the one-room schoolhouse
Courtesy City of Tomball, December 8, 2017
Courtesy City of Tomball, December 8, 2017
Tomball Museum Center - Country doctor's office
Courtesy City of Tomball, October 2008
Tomball Museum Center - the 1857 Loghouse
Courtesy City of Tomball, October 2008
Pillot Family Historical Marker in front of the Griffin House
400 block of Pine St.
Courtesy City of Tomball
Tomball, Texas - Small Town With Big Haunts
By day Old Town Tomball, 28-miles northwest of Houston, is filled with eclectic antique and specialty shops, award winning mom-and-pop eateries, live entertainment, festivals, and a quality of life that makes living in a small town very desirable.
But, late at night when the moon is high and the streets are empty, Tomball, Texas is said to host a different sort of night life; a "spirited" night life filled with unexplained incidences involving things that go bump in the night. You see, Tomball is said to be the small town with the big haunts.
- The Alley Ghost of Elm Street ›
- Granny's Ghost ›
- The Museum Mystery ›
- Spring Creek Specters ›
- Phantom of Fannin Street ›
- A TEAM Effort ›
Historic Tomball Depot and Museum
Restored Burlington Northern Santa Fe Depot
201 S. Elm St.
281-351-5484
www.tomballtx.gov
Free tours on Saturday & Sunday afternoons
Historic Tomball Depot and Museum
Courtesy City of Tomball, November 2017
Historic Tomball Depot and Museum
Courtesy City of Tomball, October 2008
Tomball Train Station in 1974
Built 1906-7
Photo courtesy City of Tomball
Tomball Train Station
Courtesy City of Tomball
The former depot awaiting restoration
Photo by John Troesser, September 2004
The former depot after restoration
Photo by John Troesser, June 2007
Tomball Depot at sunrise
Courtesy City of Tomball
John Lockwood
Courtesy City of Tomball, October 2015
Tomball Depot & Caboose
"We're building two new model railway layouts inside our caboose and depot. Both will be up and running in the early spring.
The "O" scale will be opening for a preview showing at 60% completion this weekend (December 9 - 10), 2017) during the Tomball German Christmas Market."
- City of Tomball
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