HISTORY OF THE COWARD CREEK SUBDIVISION
Friendswood, Texas
as compiled by M.M. (Mike) Montz 1987
Prior to 1977, this subdivision was just an open prairie filled with pine trees, gopher holes, and scrub brushes. Albert O’Farrell of O’Farrell Realty Company and Sam Vestor, a private investor, purchased the land and began developing it into a residential subdivision.
Mr. O’Farrell envisioned large lots as he hoped that large homes would be constructed on the lots. The smallest lots were plotted to be one-half acre and the largest to be over three and three-quarters acres. He also wanted underground utilities thereby eliminating electric utility poles and unsightly wires. Although he had contemplated underground storm drains and curbs, this proved to be cost prohibitive so he installed open ditches in front of the properties. This actually gave the appearance of a rural setting.
The subdivision consisted of 6 Sections (Sections 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4, and 5), each with their own separate Covenants and Restrictions as prepared and enforced by the developers over a period of time. Cecil Brown, Jr. developed section 1 first in the early 1970’s. The Timberline Corporation (P.O. Box 9, Friendswood, Texas 77546) developed all other Sections. The engineering firm at that time who constructed Sections 1A through 5 for the developer was Municipal Engineering Co. (3425 Federal Road, Pasadena, Texas 77504, 941-8988).
Facts pertaining to the subdivision are as follows:
Section 1 consists of approximately 34 lots (there has been some subdividing of lots) and is located entirely on the west end of Cowards Creek Drive (except for the 4 lots in Section 1A at the westernmost end of that street), in Friendswood, Texas.
Section 1A consists of 4 lots at the westernmost cul-de-sac at the end of Cowards Creek Drive totaling 6.78 acres.
The legal description of Section 1A as recorded with the Galveston County Court House records is as follows: Section 4, a 6.7784 acre subdivision out of Lot 13 of the Einar Holidale’s subdivision situated in the B.B.B. & C.R.R. Co. League, Friendswood Galveston County, Texas (October 1977).
Section 2 consists of 21 lots on Tall Pines Drive between Sunset Drive and Greenbriar Avenue, and 4 lots on the west side of Sunset Drive north of Tall Pines Drive, totaling 33.39 acres.
The legal description of Section 2 as recorded with the Galveston County Court House records is as follows: Section 2 being a 33.39254 acre subdivision being a part of and out of Lots 1 & 3 of Block B and Lots 2 & 4 of Central Park subdivision in the Sarah McKissick League in Friendswood, Galveston County, Texas (September 1977).
Section 3 consists of 37 lots on Tall Pines Drive between Greenbriar Ave and Holly Springs Drive totaling 33.5 acres.
The legal description of Section 3 as recorded with the Galveston County Court House records is as follows: Section 3, a 33.507 acre subdivision being a part of and out of Lots 12 & 13 of the Einar Holidales subdivision situated in the B.B.B. & C.R.R. Co. League and part of Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4 Block F, Lot 1, Block G, & Lot 4 Block A Central Park subdivision situated in the Sarah McKissick League, Friendswood Galveston County, Texas (October 1977).
Section 4 consists of 9 lots on the south side of West Edgewood Drive between Sunset Drive and Greenbriar Avenue, 4 lots on the west side of Sunset Drive south of Pine Hollow Drive, 11 lots on Pine Hollow Drive between Sunset Drive and Pine Willow Drive, 10 lots on Pine Willow Court, and 4 lots on the east side of Greenbriar Avenue between Pine Hollow Drive and Tall Pines Drive totaling 40.8 acres.
The legal description of Section 4 as recorded with the Galveston County Court House records is as follows: Section 4 being a 40.79 acre subdivision out of and a part of Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, Block A, of the Central Park subdivision in the Sarah McKissick League in Friendswood, Galveston County, Texas (March 1978).
Section 5 consists of 35 lots on Pine Hollow Drive between Greenbriar Avenue and Holly Springs Drive, 4 lots on the west side of Greenbriar Drive between Pine Hollow Drive and Tall Pines Drive, 2 lots on Holly Springs Drive, and 23 lots on the south side of West Edgewood Drive from Greenbriar Drive west toward the city limits totaling 56 acres.
The legal description of Section 5 as recorded with the Galveston County Court House records is as follows: Section 5 being a 56.02 acre subdivision out of and a part of Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, Block A, of the Central Park subdivision in the Sarah McKissick League in Friendswood, Galveston County and Brazoria County Texas (March 1978).
The streets bordering the sub-division are West Edgewood Drive on the northwest, Coward Creek Drive on the southeast, Sunset Drive on the northeast, and Holly Springs Drive on the southwest. The size of the sub-division is 168 lots totaling 170.5 acres.
The Lots were available for sale in 1977. By October 1987, approximately 35 lots remained to be built upon.
In July 1979, Tropical Storm Claudette reached land near Galveston and stalled in the Alvin/Friendswood area dumping 46 inches of rain in 24 hours on Alvin, a record amount of rain in the United States. It was estimated that 24 to 36 inches of rain fell on Friendswood causing major flooding in the city. Coward Creek sub-division experienced some flooding of homes on Cowards Creek Drive and on the western end of Tall Pines/Holly Springs Drives. Major drainage work has been done in Friendswood since then and no flooding has occurred in Coward Creek subdivision since that time.
Although no streetlights were installed in the subdivision during the development stage, they were installed later at the request of the homeowners.
Revised March 20, 2017