Bear Creek Pioneers Park

Bear Creek Pioneers Park is a park located in the U.S. city of Houston, Texas at 3535 War Memorial Drive. It is sometimes called "Harris County Bear Creek Park", or simply "Bear Creek Park."

History

Bear Creek Pioneers Park was created in the 1940s by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to prevent the repetition of flooding that occurred in Houston in 1935. Bear Creek Pioneers Park occupies a portion of the Addicks Reservoir, which was previously a land that was occupied for 100 years by farmers that were mostly German immigrants and their descendants. In 1965, Harris County leased convert|2154|acre|km2 of the reservoir and started the park development.

Park Description

Bear Creek Pioneers Park is convert|2168|acre|km2 in size and has paved roads and parking spaces that visitors can use. The park also has walking trails, an equestrian trail, a small zoo (including buffalos, an ostrich, and emus) and aviary, playgrounds, soccer fields, little league and softball fields, four lighted tennis courts, eight picnic pavilions, horseshoe courts, and hundreds of picnic tables and grills. Near the aviary ducks can been seen walking freely around a pond. The park also has restrooms all around the park and drinking water fountains. The park is open all week from 7:00 am until 10:00 pm (local time). There is no cost to enter the park but pavilions must be reserved before use. Picnic tables and grills do not need to be reserved. The park has no stores and visitors must bring their own food if they plan on eating or drinking.

The Park and its environs are the subject of local legend involving two spots of supposed paranormal activity. Patterson Road, which forms the southern border of part of the park, crosses Langham Creek on the edge of the park. The bridge over Langham Creek is said to be haunted, and those who stop on the bridge have reported hearing tapping noises on their cars and other related disturbances. There are different accounts as to who or what the supposed paranormal presences may be. Old Greenhouse Road, west of the park, also has a local ghost story associated with it. There is a bridge where the road passes over Bear Creek, and the legend holds that a woman once lost her life (in different ways and times based on differing accounts)on or around the bridge. The urban legend associated with the site holds that if one drives slowly toward the bridge, at night, a ghost will coalesce from the mist, in the form of an old woman who will approach the car. As with all ghost stories, these two accounts differ from teller to teller, but help add a unique flavor to the history of thr Park and its environs.

Origin of park name

Bear Creek Pioneers Park gets its name from one of the creeks that flow through the area. Even though the park is called Bear Creek Pioneers Park, the park zoo does not have any bears in exhibition.

Harris County War Memorial

The Harris County War Memorial is found in this park, next to the Eldridge Parkway entrance. The Memorial was built in 1985 to honor known residents who lost their lives in World War I and the wars ever since. Memorial services are held at the War Memorial every Memorial Day at 2:00 p.m. (local time).

Address

3535 War Memorial Drive Houston, Texas 77084

References

*http://www.pct3.hctx.net/PBearCreek/
*http://www.pct3.hctx.net/PBearCreek/History.htm
*http://www.pct3.hctx.net/PBearCreek/#Facilities