"We never could ride our horses through that danged thicket. So we'd just tie them up and flush those stubborn critters out of the brush on foot." That's how a former ranch boss described trying to round up cattle once they infiltrated the brambles that were to become prestigious Northampton.

Before Northampton became a reality in the late 1960s, many referred to this area as Root pasture or Root meadow. Despite the colorful rural image painted by the words 'pasture' and 'meadow', much of it beneath the towering trees was a tangle of briars, vines, and underbrush too thick to be penetrated on horseback. Trying to work cattle on foot wasn't met with much enthusiasm by saddle-weary ranch hands.

The Root family of Houston owned much of the tract carved out of the John Brock land grant dating back to Texas' war for independence in 1836. The owners however didn't work their land but leased many acres to German families who settled here following the massive German immigration through the Galveston and Indianola ports in the middle and late 1800s. Many farmed the fertile sandy soil once it was cleared while others raised cattle. Some did both. Many still do in the fields surrounding Northampton.

That developer was Glenn McMillan, who earlier helped rescue the affluent Memorial section of inner Houston from post World War II tract homes and turned it into one of today's most prestigious residential areas. Memorial's pine and oak forests were similar to the forest he found stretching from Root Road to Willow Creek and beyond in Northwest Harris County. One of the major and most important differences however was that while Memorial lay only a short distance west of downtown Houston, the area that became Northampton was 30 miles northwest of the frantic pace set by the city's traffic, noise, pollution and congestion.

This era was prior to the explosive growth of the FM 1960 corridor, before the two-lane blacktop was renamed '1960' rather than Jackrabbit Road, before the completion of Bush Intercontinental Airport, before mixed drinks were legal in restaurants and bars. It was before subdivisions such as Westador, Oak Creek Village, Huntwick, Cypresswood and others were more than an idea.
Even those soon-to-be-built developments were far removed from the serene Northampton area. After the subdivision was laid out on paper, its development began in 1968 with the backbone of Northampton's streets being the main thoroughfare, Northcrest Drive. Northcrest anchored the only entrance off Root Road and originally extended to a dead end at Darby Way, the fourth street that branched off Northcrest at right angles. The other three streets of Section One were Allentown, Bayonne and Craigway. A second north-south street paralleling Northcrest was carved out, providing youngsters an uncongested walking and bicycle path to the soon-to-be-completed elementary school. This street was Pine Knot. (Aerial Photo #2)

Like mercury extending upward in a thermometer as it heats up, Northcrest extended northward as sales in Northampton heated up. As additional sections opened, Northcrest reached almost to Willow Creek by the early 1980s. It then extended across Willow Creek and presently dead ends at its junction with Rayford Road. On the drawing board however there are plans to extend it past Rayford Road as future developments become reality.

But back to the beginning. The first Northampton home stands at the corner of Allentown and Northcrest Drive. A picturesque white two-story house with colonial-type columns, it was the original Model Home. Section One's opening attracted a limited number of prestige homebuilders whose work measured up to the high standards demanded for Northampton.

This and other ideas for the area north of today's street of Northway were scuttled when the U. S. Corps of Engineers surveyed the flood plain area and included this section of land. Following intense discussion with Northampton representatives, the Corps agreed to revise and lower the flood plain level. This removed much of the area from the flood plain and later improvements in drainage helped assure the area was suitable for development.

Demand for these homes in the 1970s was fueled by Houston's expanding domination of the petroleum and petrochemical industries, the growth of the aerospace facility at NASA and the contractors who served NASA and the soon-to-be-completed Bush Intercontinental Airport. All of these triggered an influx of highly trained, highly paid employees. Many of them sought the quiet and peaceful atmosphere promised by Northampton as an escape from the hurried pace of their profession.

As word spread through real estate circles in 1968 and 1969, Northampton began to fill with stately homes. Today more than 260 houses have been built in Section One.
Section Two followed shortly, and new residents began moving into their homes on Elmgrove and Fawnwood Streets by 1970. Northcrest Drive was extended to serve the second section. During the next decade Northampton continued its growth, proving the original concept to be a successful one. This new growth called for new streets, including Glenhill, Hickorycrest, Inway, Jadecrest, Knollview, Larkmount, Meadowtrace and ending at Northway. Lateral streets were Forestcrest and ambling Creekview whose horseshoe-shaped contour spun off Morningcrest, Norchester Way, Hampton Way, Willowcrest Court and Courseview Court.
Next came a secluded section whose homes were enclosed inside an entrance gates on Northcrest and were built around circular Kingcrest Lane. Cul-de-sac streets were Squire Court and Stratmore Court.

With the completion of beautiful Willowcreek Golf Course (Aerial Photo #3), Northampton's growth jumped across Willow Creek into an area off Northcrest Drive now called The Greens of Northampton. Many of these palatial homes back up to the greens and fairways. The golf club was finished in the 1980s by a small group of resident golfers. This came after the Corps of Engineers redrew the flood plain boundary, releasing the golf course area and surrounding home sites.

This growth helped influence the extension of Northcrest to join Rayford Road, an important development for those living in homes in The Woods of Northampton whose only entrance previously was from Gosling Road. Although developed in 1972 by Northampton founder Glenn McMillan, The Woods of Northampton off Rayford Road did not have direct access to the rest of the subdivision. The extension of Northcrest changed that and also provided a rear exit on Gosling Road to the rest of Northampton. (Aerial Photo #4)

Another purpose of this extension of Northcrest was to provide access for heavy oil field trucks and equipment as Northampton witnessed its own miniature petroleum 'boom'. Although exploration for oil and gas in the Willow Creek area past Northway was brief, the excitement of drilling rigs operating on the edge of Northampton had a major impact on residents. Approximately a dozen holes were punched in the late 1970s before the homeowners association turned down a royalty proposal that would have permitted drilling to continue. The only treasure found by the searchers was a small pocket of gas, which was burned off as it flowed. These flares, which lit up the sky for miles around, exhausted the pockets after several weeks. The wells then were plugged and abandoned. Northampton's 'boom' ended, opening the way for development of the golf course and nearby home sites.

Not all of the subdivision's growth was confined to a northward movement. In the early 1980s Northampton Pines was started near Section One. This resulted in a second entrance on Root Road and connected to the earliest section of the subdivision when Bayonne Street was extended to the east. This added more than 80 new homes, and the area still is growing.
On the west side of the original section, another development known as Northampton Forest called for a third entrance off Root Road. The entry street, Wellington Court, dead ends 11 blocks deep, but future plans call for it to extend farther into the forest as it creeps closer to Willow Creek in answer to continued growth.

The newest addition is Northampton Oaks, a beautiful addition between the elementary school and the soon-to-be-built nine-acre park on Root Road and Northcrest Drive. (Aerial Photo #5)

This then is a look at the ever-changing Northampton Subdivision. (Aerial Photo #6) The vision of the original developer likely has been far exceeded. Other developers have entered the picture through the years and continue to fulfill the original dream. Now more than 30 years old, Northampton continues to see new and bigger homes. Older homes have appreciated greatly in value, and today's homeowners take pride in their upkeep and beautification of yards and the public areas.

Yet despite this amazing growth Northampton continues to offer today's 5,000 residents the same advantages first enjoyed by the original few. Privacy, far removed from the bustling city streets and freeways, convenient to major shopping areas, kindergarten to high school classrooms within walking distance, low taxes and best of all, a wonderful lifestyle among friendly neighbors.