Brunner, Houston facts for kids

Brunner is a special area within Houston, Texas that used to be its own small town! It was located in the western part of Harris County, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) west of Houston, right along the Houston and Texas Central Railway train tracks.

Discovering Brunner: A Lost Community

Brunner was once a busy little community before it became a part of the big city of Houston. It had its own schools, churches, and even a post office.

Where Was Brunner?

Imagine Houston back in the late 1800s. Brunner was a separate place, just a short distance away. It was positioned in the west-central part of Harris County, which is where Houston is located. The Houston and Texas Central Railway was very important for Brunner, as railways were key for travel and trade back then.

Life in Brunner

In 1895, Brunner was home to about 500 people. It was a lively place with several important buildings:

• Two churches, where people gathered for worship.
• A Baptist college, which means students could get a higher education right in their community.
• A public school for younger students.
• A German school, showing that many people in Brunner might have had German heritage.
• A saloon, which was a place for adults to socialize.

Brunner even had its own post office starting in 1888, which made it easy for residents to send and receive mail. By 1894, the population was around 200 residents.

Brunner Becomes Part of Houston

Over time, Houston grew bigger and bigger. In 1905, Brunner's post office closed down, and the mail for Brunner residents started being handled by the Houston post office instead. At that time, Brunner had 402 people living there.

By 1915, the city of Houston had expanded so much that it officially took over the area where Brunner was. This meant Brunner was no longer a separate town but became a part of Houston itself. Today, it's just one of the many neighborhoods within the large city.

Images for kids

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  1913 map of the six wards of Houston, indicating Brunner

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  1920 map of the six wards of Houston, indicating Brunner