By: Patricia Theriot
League City has an interesting history. It got its name in 1893. It was named after J.C. League, a rich businessman who bought and donated the land. In the 1850s it was called Clear Creek. Our city centered around ranching and agriculture. The Butler family has been around since the 1890s. Milby Butler is known for keeping the Texas Longhorns from going extinct. The Butler Longhorn Museum is still here in League City to visit. In 1907 J.C. League and Milby Butler brought in Oak trees from Louisiana to plant near the main road. They were referred to as the “Butler Oaks” and they are still there today lining Main Street, loving known as “Old League City.” You can visit the statue of J.C. League and his beloved dog, scout, in the League City Park.
When I moved to League CIty at 3 years old it was a mystery. Very different from a quiet dirt road and a house in the country. We moved to south shore harbor, behind the gates. In this neighborhood I would run around with friends and get yelled at by the golfers if you went on the course. This is where happy childhood memories were made. I went to Ferguson elementary. This I where I met Mrs. Pendergast, my magical kindergarten teacher. This is where I stared as Mrs. Ricks entertained us all with fake swords. Where we had field day and school carnivals. When we would wait in line to see Delva, the famous realtor, with her floppy hats and limousines, our local celebrity. We took a field trip to the one-room schoolhouse where I wore a bonnet and wrote with a quill pen. My mom took us to get our very own library cards at Helen Hall Library. We were big and important with our very own cards. We spent these formative years playing in BAYBA, CCYB, and many other League City sports programs. We were on the League City swim team, the barracudas. We were in girl scouts and delivered cookies all over League City. This city and its citizens created a very happy childhood for us.
As I grew older and got into teenage years, we hung out at the movie theater, Kemah, the Baybrook mall. We would spend Friday nights at blockbuster looking for the next Freddy Krueger movie. Oh Blockbuster, I miss you. Life isn’t the same. I welcome your last-minute candy purchase at the register and your late fees. I spent my high school years in the setting of good old league city. I fished and rode jet skis in the bay. My first job was a waitress at Joe’s Crab Shack in Kemah and then at bay creek animal clinic. The same receptionist is still there when I go in. I learned to drive in the parking lot of Clear creek high school. I almost hit the yellow gates. I attended clear creek high school and Bay Area Christian. My friends and I would go to Shipleys before school. You know the one. The one on Main Street that isn’t the easiest parking lot to enter. But the people made it so cozy. You knew the same employees there for years. No one better ever mess with that shipleys. I had my first real date at Melys Mexican Cantina near Randall’s. I spent summers at south shore hotel pool. We took prom pictures at Helen’s gardens.
After college, I moved back to League City. It was home. I bought a house here, had three children here. I got married at Butlers courthouse in League City. It was League City’s first commercial bank built back in 1909 by George Washington Butler. It is rumored to have been visited by Bonnie and Clyde. My husband and I took pictures in the vault on our wedding day and now the photos hang on our living room walls. When my kids were little, I took them to Helen Hall Park. We had picnics in the gazebo. One of their favorite restaurants to go to was and still is the Holly Berry Tea room. The cozy atmosphere is one of a kind. Each of us gets a different tea pot and sips tea or lemonade while we eat the Wild Rose special. Those little houses near the railroad tracks that have been turned into stores are nostalgic for our family. Every time we need to buy a gift, this is where we go first. We bought my mom coffee from Nana’s every Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, if you live in League City you know about the Christmas parade and festival: Holiday in the park. We don’t miss it. We get there early, eat all the food, shop the local vendors, and we don’t leave until Santa ends the parade.
My mom lived in League City for over 30 years, until she passed away. Before she died, she lived for several years in The Village 55+ neighborhood. She found friends and hobbies there. My children went to Hall, then Campbell, then Creekside, and now they are moving into Clear Springs High School. We are members of Clear Creek Community Church. This is foundational for us. My kids go to student ministry and my husband and I volunteer there. Many times in my life I have seen how the citizens of League City help each other in times of need. This could be seen during Harvey as complete strangers cut out drywall and cleaned houses for each other. This could be seen during Covid where people waved from cars and made homemade masks. League City is filled with big hearted people.
I wanted to write about this city that has watched me grow up. It provided a home for most of the people that I love. It gave me community, safety, and I truly love it. If you are lucky enough to live in League City, I hope you know it is a blessing. If you need a reminder, drive down Main Street through old league city and let the sun scatter across your windshield as it shines through the massive trees that were here way before us and will be here long after.
Works Cited
Kleiner, Diana J. “League City, TX.” Texas State Historical Association, Texas State Historical Association, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/league-city-tx. Accessed 19 May 2026.
“Who Was J.C. League?” League City, Texas, City of League City, https://www.leaguecitytx.gov/4276/Who-Was-JC-League. Accessed 19 May 2026.
“Cheers to 20 Years: The Butler Building.” Butler’s Courtyard, Butler’s Courtyard, https://butlerscourtyard.com/cheers-to-20-years-the-butler-building/. Accessed 19 May 2026.
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