Goat Races on I-10?

Goat racing was just one of the many attractions of Coombs Park, an early Houston entertainment site that was equal parts amusement park, zoo and sports facility. The park covered 64 acres, including both sides of White Oak Bayou just east of Heights Boulevard. The northern boundary was East 4th Street, which is still in existence but most of the park has been replaced by the freeway.

Coombs Park was founded in 1894 by Eden L. Coombs, an entrepreneur who lived on the property. He died in 1900, and subsequent owners sold off pieces of the property for development. However, elements of the park remained in use until the 1940s.

Local children were encouraged to enter their pet goats in weekly goat races, and they could also visit the small zoo. Peacocks roamed the grounds freely, but the ostriches were kept in pens to prevent their escape into the wilds of Houston.

An artificial lake was dug near the corner of Heights Boulevard and East 4th Street. It was not open for public swimming due to the presence of alligators, but high divers exhibited their skill and bravery for the crowds. A small commercial building now sits atop the old lake.

Public swimming was available to all in the park’s 40 by 80 foot “natatorium” located where Harvard Street ended at the north side of the bayou. Since swimming pools were not generally available back then, this was a major attraction.

Sunday afternoons were always a special time at the park because that was when a local woman and her pet monkey would ascend in a balloon and wave to the crowd below.  

I visited the short stub of Harvard Street that stops at the northern edge of White Oak Bayou. While there was a lot of evidence of human activity, I found no footprints of the old swimming pool. The location has now become the picture of urban overgrowth complete with a chain link fence and storage facility.

Every time I drive past Heights Boulevard on I-10, especially on a Sunday afternoon, I can’t help but to glance up to see if the lady and her pet monkey are floating above the freeway in their balloon. The shadow that they cast there just 100 years ago would do well in bringing the spirit of Houston’s past back to that once thriving area.