YALE: This Houston Heights Street is named for Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Elihu Yale was a successful merchant who made a large donation to the school that then changed its name to honor their patron. 1
YEARLING: In thoroughbred racing this is a one-year old horse whose age is measured from January 1 of the year in which it was foaled. 2
YELL CEMETERY: This private family cemetery is on the Raleigh Rogers league in Montgomery County. It contains the remains of the Yell and Rogers families. The earliest burial, Raleigh Rogers, was 1854. He was an early settler who was born in Tennessee in 1792. Pleasant Yell died in 1894. 3
YMCA: This short Pearland street leads to the Vic Coppinger Family YMCA. Born in Missouri City in 1918 his parents moved to Pearland when Coppinger was an infant and except for a stint as a radar bombardier/navigator on a B-29 in the Pacific during World War II, he never left his beloved hometown. He was a banker, two time winner of Citizen of the Year (1987 and 1994) and a two term mayor of the city. He died in 1995 at the age of 76. 4
YMCA: Baytown also named a street for their YMCA, the Baytown Family YMCA. 5
YOAKUM: Benjamin Franklin – Although his parents wanted him to be a minister, Yoakum was taken with railroad fever. His first job was on a survey gang laying the route of the International-Great Northern Railroad into Palestine, Texas. Working his way up the corporate ladder at several rail lines, Yoakum joined the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway Company (Frisco). Under his tutelage this railroad grew from 1,200 to 6,000 miles of track. In 1905 the Frisco and the Rock Island Line merged to form a 17,000-mile system, the largest in America at the time. As one of Texas’ leading agrarians he is credited with creating the great agricultural counties of the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. In 1907 he moved to New York and became a financier, activist agrarian and prizewinning cattle raiser. Yoakum died in 1929 and is buried in New York City. 6
YOUNG: Houston – This early Humble area resident was a veteran of the War Between the States. 7
River Oaks was the first Houston neighborhood to name streets after famous golf courses. Since then other developments have used sporting themes for streets. However, few have exhibited the fervor demonstrated by the streets surrounding Friendswood Golf Club. Belmont most likely recalls the golf links at Lake Macquarie, Australia. Opened in 1952 it is famous for its annual amateur tournament. Such famous golfers as Bruce Devlin, Mark O’Meara and Vijay Singh won here before turning pro. Colorado Springs’ Broadmoor Hotel, better known as the “grande dame of the Rockies,” was opened in 1891 as a gambling casino. Today it is a world renowned facility sporting three golf courses by designers Donald Ross (1918), Robert Trent Jones (1965) and Arnold Palmer (1976). Castle Harbour is a 6,440 yard course located on the island of Bermuda. It was designed by Charles Henry Banks. Dawn Hill is a golf and racquet club in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Desert Aire may refer to the Ted Robinson (1960) links in Palmdale, California. Everett may be a misspelling of Evert, as in Chris. She ranks as one of America’s greatest female tennis players, winner of 18 Grand Slam tournaments (6 U. S. Opens, 7 French Opens, 2 Australian Opens and 3 Wimbledons) in the 1970s and 80s. A Fairway is the stretch of land on a golf course that is covered in short grass and extends from the tee to the green. Love is a score of zero in tennis. Martina probably recalls the great Czech tennis pro Martina Navratilova who won 18 Grand Slam single titles (including a record 9 at Wimbledon) and 40 Grand Slam doubles championships. Match Point is the final point needed to win a tennis match. palm Aire Country Club is in Sarasota, Florida. It has two excellent links – one designed by Joe Lee and the other by Dick Wilson. Palmer is for the legendary Arnold. “Arnie,” as he was known by his army of fans, won 92 golf championships including 4 Masters, 2 British Opens and 1 U. S. Open. The Grand Hotel at Point Clear, Alabama has two Robert Trent Jones golf courses. The 6,561 yard Port Royal Golf Course opened in 1970 on the Island of Bermuda. It is another Jones designed links. There are numerous possibilities for St. Cloud. I would like to think it is named for the St. Cloud, Minnesota American Legion memorial course honoring the veterans of World War II. The All-England Lawn Tennis Championships have been played at Wimbledon since 1877. And finally, Windwood may refer to a golf course in Middleton, Wisconsin. 53