Main Street, 1995. Courtesy Trees for Houston.

 

 

 

 

history continued

The initial excitement of the Main Street plantings led to a flurry of organized street tree plantings in many of the residential subdivisions developed during that time. The celebrated subdivisions Shadyside, Woodland Heights, Eastwood, and Forest Hills were all organized to include the installation of extensive street trees. Moreover, between 1910 and 1912, Rice University planted additional trees to expand the original plantings along Main Street. This legacy of tree plantings is still apparent today in the extensive urban canopy that encompasses much of central Houston.

Today the boulevard serves as a busy thoroughfare between the Museum District and the Medical Center, bordered on one side by Hermann Park and Rice University on the other. Yet, the trees remain an untouched testament to the vision of green space developed nearly a century ago. Through the work of civic, public, and private groups, Main Street stands as a calm oasis in the center of a busy metroplex and is admired by both residents and visitors. The Live Oak Allée serves as a reminder that trees and vehicle can successfully coexist.