A RANCH-THEMED DEVELOPMENT FOR HOUSTON’S LAST RANCH? 
Lisa Gray tries to find out why the owner of the 19 acres at the northwest corner of George Bush Park that constitute the Marks LH7 Ranch has requested that the Texas Historical Commission remove the landmark designation on the grounds of Houston’s last remaining undeveloped ranch: “‘The property hasn’t been maintained for decades,’ explains Mark Wolfe, executive director of the Texas Historical Commission. ‘The buildings are so badly deteriorated that the owner says the property is a public nuisance, that it could hurt people who come onto the property.’ The development that would take the ranch buildings’ place, Wolfe says, would have a ranch theme and interpretive signs. The developers might reuse artifacts from the ranch, such as a windmill. And the ranch buildings would be painstakingly documented before they’re demolished. . . . I called Milo Marks to ask about his plans. ‘We’re working on a project,’ he said. ‘I’ll just wait to talk until May or June. Thank you!’ And with that, the phone went dead.” [Houston Chronicle] Photo: Louis F. Aulbach
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Ugh gross. Makes me sick to think of a remnant of Texas heritage being converted into another piece of kitschy-themed suburban sprawl. Plopping down an old windmill in a traffic median, dubbing a subdivision a “ranch,”and putting up sign telling a visitor what this development wiped off the map, does nothing to promote history, heritage, or culture.
I’m still pissed that I have to look at statues and paintings of geese and rice dryers in the Katy Mills Mall, since that development single-handedly wiped away almost 1,000 acres of waterfowl habitat and rice farm.
They should just completely erase all traces of the ranch so I don’t get heartburn every time I drive by it.
I’m with you SuperDave.
None of these buildings are a “public nuisance.”
Travel around other areas of the nation and the scenery remains quite untouched for decades. Folks are not endangered by time passing by…
Why couldn’t it be rolled into the GB Park, and maintained by the county?
Why don’t they turn those pastures that face Kingsland into a picnic area and renovate the old buildings? Make it part of the park and keep it all there, tidy it up, don’t knock it down. It’s a landmark. The last thing we need is another eyesore housing developement.
I agree with all the above! Sounds like “money talks and BS walks” to me. Remaining family members are not carrying out the wishes of Mrs. Marks. This is/was the last remaining ranch in the Houston and west harris co. area. A lot of history here to just be bulldozed by another suburban development, yawn..boring..zzzzz, with the name “ranch” on the front and maybe the old windmill stuck in it by a land drooling, greedy company that could careless about preserving history.