Few places in Houston are as quiet as this oneAs Glenwood Cemetery, for both the living and the dead. Established in 1871, Glenwood Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in Houston. It is also one of the most beautiful. Northwest of downtown and adjacent to Buffalo Bayou, the cemetery's 88 acres are filled with rolling hills (a rarity in Houston) and stately trees that tower over the graves, creating a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city. I am.
This beauty makes it a popular spot for joggers, dog walkers, and those looking for a secluded spot to enjoy a picnic. It's also the final resting place of some of the city's most notable former residents, making it a great place to learn about Houston's history. While it's fun to search for these famous gravestones on your own, we recommend stopping by the cemetery's headquarters at the beginning of your visit to pick up a map of all their final resting places. Here are some recommended graves that you definitely want to visit.
Annette Finnigan
Annette Finnigan (1873-1940) is remembered in Houston not only as a philanthropist and patron of the arts, but also for her work as a suffragette. Finnigan was born in West Columbia, Texas, and moved to Houston when she was three years old. As she grew up, she attended Wellesley College and Columbia University. In 1903, she helped found the Texas Woman Suffrage Association, based in her home, of which she served as president from 1904 to 1906. In 1909 she organized the Women's Political Union and was elected state president. She was also one of the founders of the Houston Public Library, and she donated over 300 items to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
George R. Brown
George R. Brown (1898-1983), along with his brother Herman, founded Brown & Root, a construction company that at one time was considered one of the largest construction companies in the world. Notable projects involving George R. Brown include such Houston landmarks as Rice Stadium, the Gulf Expressway, and the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. He was instrumental in bringing the center to Houston and even secured a gift of land for it. It's built on. The Browns also helped build former President Lyndon B. Johnson's early career. In 1951, the brothers founded the Brown Foundation, and by 2018 he had donated more than $1.6 billion in grants. George R. Brown's convention center in downtown Houston was named in Brown's honor.
William P. Hobby
William P. Hobby (1878-1964), the patriarch of Houston's famous Hobby family, was a man of many firsts. In 1917, at age 39, he became the youngest governor of Texas. After he lost his re-election in 1924, he returned to journalism, his career before entering politics, and became president. houston post. By 1955, he was named chairman of the board of the Houston Post Company, which by then had grown to include radio stations KPRC and KPRC-TV. In 1967, just a few years after his death, William P. Hobby Airport was named in his honor.
charlotte baldwin allen
There's a good reason Charlotte Baldwin Allen (1805-1895) is called the “Mother of Houston.” Born in Onondaga County, New York, Allen came to Texas in 1834 with her husband, Augustus Chapman Allen, and her brother, John Kirby Allen. In 1836, she used her inheritance to purchase land along Buffalo Bayou, which later became the city of Houston, for just $5,000. She lived here for the next 45 years, and at one point, Sam, the first president of the Republic of Texas and the city's namesake, had a home next door to Houston. Although she died in 1895 at the age of 90, traces of her still exist in the city today, for example, her C. Baldwin Hotel in downtown Houston is named after her. It is named.
Roy Hofheinz
This famous Houstonian doesn't need much introduction. Roy Hofheinz (1912-1982), known to many in Houston as “The Judge,” was a politician who built a network of radio and television stations and brought Houston's first Major League Baseball franchise to the city of Houston. is. That team, the Houston Colts, eventually became the Houston Astros. In politics, Hofheinz served as a Harris County judge and served two terms as mayor of Houston. His greatest claim to fame? He is responsible for building Houston's wonder, the Astrodome. This is where he once had his 24 suites, a notoriously flashy place he built himself, including a room for his putting green, bowling alley, shooting range, and other crazy ideas.
george herman
Few names in Houston are as familiar as Herman. Hermann Park, Hermann Monument, and Hermann Square are just a few examples. And few Houstonians are as eccentric as the man who named these landmarks. George Herman (1843-1914) was born in Houston, and from working as a cattle driver he went on to manage a vast real estate portfolio. In 1904, oil was extracted on land he owned in Humble, making the already wealthy Hellman even more wealthy. Despite Hermann's wealth, he was extremely frugal, owning only two suits and counting every penny. While visiting New York City, Herman was awed by the size of Central His Park. He donated his 285 acres of land to the city to build a vast municipal park in Houston. Today, the land includes 445 acres of Hermann Park and the Houston Zoo. Towards the end of his life, he donated the land and funds needed to establish a charitable hospital, now known as Memorial Hermann.
howard hughes
Howard Hughes (1905-1976) is perhaps the most famous of Glenwood Cemetery's notable deceased. Hughes was an extraordinary man who made significant contributions to aviation, filmmaking, and business. Although he spent most of his life elsewhere, Hughes was born in Houston and rose to fame at a young age after inheriting his family's wealth. As a pilot, he set numerous records. As a businessman in the aviation industry, he made record profits. He has produced and directed films such as. arabian nights 2, Everyone is acting., hells angelsand scarface (1932 edition).His 2004 film about Hughes' life pilotstarring Leonardo DiCaprio.
sarah emma edmonds
Sarah Emma Edmonds (1841-1898) was a Canadian woman who disguised herself as a man during the Civil War to work as a male field nurse and as a spy for the Union Army. She is one of the few women known to have served in the military during the Civil War. After the war, the U.S. government recognized her work, but some of her claims, such as her time working as a spy, are disputed by historians. After the war, Ms. Edmonds went by the name Franklin Flint Thompson during her service and published her best-selling book, which dramatized her own experiences.
Gene Tierney
Gene Tierney (1920-1991) was a famous actress who rose to stardom in the 1940s and appeared in many films during Hollywood's Golden Age. Known for her versatility as a performer, she got her big breakthrough in the 1944 classic film. roller, where she played the title character.Appeared in a romantic drama leave her in heaven (the film that nearly won her an Oscar) and film noir classics. swirl. Tierney was close friends with another man buried at Glenwood, Howard Hughes, who paid for her daughter Dahlia's medical expenses after she was born prematurely and with disabilities. Tierney is also notable that she had a brief romance with John F. Kennedy before entering politics.
bob mcnair
Bob McNair (1937-2018) is already unknown to most Houstonians, as he was the proud owner of the Houston Texans, which he formed in 1999, a few years after the Oilers left Houston to become the Tennessee Titans. It should be there. In addition to his work in the NFL, McNair was also a businessman and philanthropist, and served on the boards of numerous educational institutions in Houston, including the Houston Grand Opera, the Museum of Art, Rice University, and Baylor College of Medicine. McNair passed away in 2018 after a long battle with various cancers.
