Open arms, open doors

This drawing appeared in Wednesday’s Sept. 19, 1900, edition of the Houston Daily Post.

Without such wide, open spaces like the Astrodome, evacuees from Galveston were spread around town.

The drawing shows where some evacuees were staying.

1205 Congress is currently a parking lot across the street from the Harris County Criminal Justice Center, or diagonal to the old county courthouse.

606 Main is across Texas Avenue from Rice Lofts.

212 Fannin is across the street from the Harris County District Attorney’s office.

211 Crawford is now a parking lot north of Minute Maid Park and Franklin.

Turner Hall belonged to the Houston Turnverein and was likely located on a city block bounded by Prairie, Caroline, Texas and Austin.

On Tuesday, four trains and two tug boats arrived in Houston with nearly 1,000 more evacuees from Galveston.

Aside from the places mentioned above, evacuees were also staying at the Lawlor Hotel, Hutchins House, Bristol Hotel (712 Travis), Capitol (Rice) Hotel, Monteflore Hall, Settegast Building (1016 Preston) and Camp Building.

In unrelated news that day, the body of 12-year-old Robert Opperman was pulled from Buffalo Bayou. He apparently had been swimming in the bayou with some friends on Monday when he went under near the water works facilities (sort of across the bayou from where Bayou Place is). Opperman’s body was found the next day and pulled from the bayou at Main Street.