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 he advent of mail-order catalog businesses in the late 1800s was a real boon for
residents of Cypress and other rural areas across the nation. Approximately 65
percent of the American population of nearly 60 million people lived in rural
areas. They all had one common problem: difficulty getting to retail stores to
buy shoes, clothes, household goods, farm supplies and other necessities of
life. Consequently, people were delighted when the mail-order businesses
enabled them to order their goods from a catalog through the mail, and have the
merchandise delivered to them right at their homes.
Sears, Roebuck and Co. became one of the biggest and best known mail-order
catalog businesses. It seemed that they sold anything and everything (Beth
Martens,
“Sears, Roebuck and Co. and its Effect on Retailing in America”). In fact, between 1908 and 1940 Sears even sold “mail-order homes” through one of their catalogs. The kits to build these homes contained top quality materials. All pieces of
lumber were cut to exact size for the house plan the customer selected.
Parts for a typical home filled two boxcars and included numbered pieces of
lumber, kegs of nails and other hardware, roofing shingles, paint and varnish,
blueprints and instructions on how to assemble the house. The construction
instructions were written in such plain language that a man of average
capabilities could
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understand them and usually could build his dream home in about 90 days. Costs
of the kits ranged from $600 to about $6,000 (Maggie Galehouse,
“The Softer Side of Prefab,”Houston Chronicle). Other companies also sold mail-order home kits, but Sears was the leader in
this field.
At least one of these mail-order home kits made its way via rail to the depot in
Cypress. The building materials were then hauled to a site off Mueschke Road
where the house was built and where it stayed until recently when the property
was sold to make room for a subdivision.
The house was then moved to another site where it is awaiting restoration.
If you would like more information about kit houses or other Cypress history,
members of the Cypress Historical Society will be glad to assist you.
Please e-mail Jane Ledbetter at janel_54@att.net for help in getting started. A visit to Cypress Top Historic Park and Museums
may answer some of your questions. Cypress Top is one of Commissioner Steve
Radack
’s Harris County Pct. 3 Parks. Museum buildings are open every Tuesday from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. for drop-in visitors. The Cypress Historical Society conducts
tours at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. To schedule a group tour for a different day
and time, please call this Pct. 3 office number: 281-357-5324.
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