Ask 2: Why are there streets in Lake Jackson named This Way, That Way and Any Way?

Lake Jackson streets (Google Maps)

LAKE JACKSON, TexasAt KPRC 2, we’re dedicated to keeping Houstonians informed. As part of our new Ask 2 series, the newsroom will answer your questions about all things Houston.

The original question: In Lake Jackson TX, there are some street names that caught my attention. They are named: This Way, That Way, and Anyway, why?

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The answer: Lake Jackson, located about 50 miles south of Houston, originated in 1941 after the construction of the Dow chemical plants in Freeport.

A. P. Beutel, the first general manager of Dow’s Texas division, thought it’d be a good idea to build a town for the thousands of workers who would be moving to the area.

That’s when Alden B. Dow, an American architect and son of Herbert Dow, founder of the Dow Chemical Company, decided to design the town with a simple system in mind.

Dow laid out the streets, drives and ways so that they would give easy access to the center of town with a minimum of traffic hazards.

The drives go around the outskirts and are through-traffic highways, the streets end at either the drives or the ways and all ways lead to the downtown area. Center Way is located in the center of town and Circle Way circles the business district, according to the city’s website.

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