Pelly Texas by Justice Burgin

History of Baytown

There are so many symbols of Baytown to pick from and learn about, but how often do you hear about what was here before this place was called Baytown. Well there three communities that came together to form Baytown, these three towns where called Pelly, TX , Goose Creek, TX, and East Baytown. Its important to

know about these areas, because they are apart of Baytown's history. One town in particular comes to mind to me at of the three, Pelly, TX. Pelly stands out the most to me because within the three years I have lived here, would hear people say “Pelly Side” non-stop specially over at Ross S. Sterling High school, from the football team. I believe its important to know how, when and why Pelly came to be and why it came to be apart of Baytown. Also where does the phrase “Pelly Side” come from and the meaning behind it. When you drive around in the area where Pelly,TX use to be you see how old the area really is and how over time it has not been kept up very well over the years. Pelly use to be where Riggs St., Lee Dr., W Main St., and Martin Luther King St. comes together.(Pelly, TX got its name from a land owner named Fred T. Pelly who was from London(Young, Historical Association)). Mostly I want to find out what all use to be here in Pelly TX and find out the meaning behind saying "Pelly Side” with symbols too. I wonder is the aying a positive and proud saying or is the saying a gray area of topics. I find these things very important to me as somewhat new but old resident of Baytown.

History of Pelly

Before Baytown was Baytown, it had three towns that came together to from it; they were Goose

Creek, Pelly and East Baytown. To Focus on one town in particular, Pelly TX. Where Riggs St., Lee

 Dr., W Main St., and Martin Luther King St., comes together is the area where Pelly TX was at.

Pelly was named after Fred T. Pelly who was the First Mayor and the first landowner of Pelly. Pelly

 was first known by Middle Town and was later called Pelly in 1917. Pelly was a boomtown of oil do

 to Fred T. Pelly would rent out his land to other people that work in oil. Goose Creek was between

Pelly and East Baytown. The highest population that Pelly every had was at seven thousand and five

hundred, that was in 1920, but nine years later the population was at four thousand. Do to low oil

being produced and new areas that were being made. Slowly over time and time again Pelly struggled

 to stay alive ad a town of its own and separate from Goose Creek. The two towns, Pelly and Goose

Creek did not have the best relationship do to that Goose Creek “stole” the post office out of Pelly

and moved it to Goose Creek. They actually physically moved the building from one town to another.

 Pelly struggle as a town came to an end in 1945 and all three towns became one town as it is today

 Baytown.

Pelly

As you walk around the area that was once called Pelly, TX, also use to be known as Middle Towns

before called Pelly. You can tell that the area today looks quite run down and old from what it use to

be like. From probably a town that was once full of pride and respect to a nonexistence feeling, of

who cares. From each road that came together to from Pelly; Riggs St.,Lee Dr., W Main St., and

Martin Luther King St., you can tell by just looking down these streets that some of the houses and

buildings look like they are barely holding on. Compared to pictures of Pelly TX when it was a town

to itself to what we see today. Pelly use to be a nice looking place that took care of its area unlike

now. When my mother and I drove along the roads that formed Pelly TX. We saw how big Pelly was

and were Pelly Park was( at the end of Riggs St. and off of Martin Luther King St.) Pelly was a tiny

little town. My mother and I both noticed how the greenery kind of looked like it was over taking Pelly

 and kind of from that point it looked nice, but from the point as a old town its run down. Within Pelly

 it doesn't seem as if there is a lot going on, at least not till you reach Lee Dr. and W Main St. Also it

seems like it was a quite little town where people helped out one another and the I believe that the

area still does even though now it looks like a shade but place but has some upsides to it

Buck A. Young, "PELLY, TX," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hdp03), accessed November 14, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.