I found this photo at a book and paper show earlier this year. It's fairly clear who the man is and where the photo was taken. The mysteries are where and why.

Maybe you can help.

The man is probably James Merton Jones. (Someone helpfully wrote his name above the photo.) Born 1883, died 1985.

The photo was taken at what was once Houston's premier sports venue: West End Park, home of the Houston Buffaloes baseball team and the location of high school and college sporting events. It was built in 1905 and located roughly at what's now the intersection of Andrews and the Pierce Elevated.

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In this view, we're looking northeast toward town. That's Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and its distinctive spire in the background.

So: When was this photo taken? One left field ad might provide a clue. The one partially blocked by Jones appears to be a political ad by former Harris County District Clerk John B. Williams. In June 1908, he announced he was running for sheriff in the Democratic primary against incumbent Archie Anderson.

(Williams' candidacy was apparently short-lived. He lost to Anderson that July. I can't find any indication that Williams ran for sheriff before or after 1908.)

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But the bigger mystery is: Why? Who would pose in football gear for a photo during the summer?

Again, assuming the photo was taken in 1908, Jones would have been 25. So what team is he playing for? His name doesn't show up on UT's or Texas A&M's lineup for the November game at West End. Other teams that played there in 1908 were Blinn College, the Houston Athletic Association and St. Edwards College from Austin. I haven't been able to track down their rosters from that time period.

Perhaps you know something? If you have any clues, let us know in the comments section.

J.R. Gonzales, a third-generation Houstonian, covers local history with an eye toward the people and events that have mostly been forgotten to time. Follow him through Bayou City History on Facebook and Twitter. He can be reached at 713-362-6163 or john.gonzales@chron.com.

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