During the
Antebellum (pre-
Civil War) period, the area was within the Arcola Plantation. The community received its name from John J. Juliff, a settler. In the 1850s, the community served as a
Brazos River shipping point. In 1858, the
Houston Tap and Brazoria Railway opened in the community. In 1891, the community received a post office. In 1896, a general store appeared. The post office closed in 1908 and reopened in 1914. In 1933, a man named Thurman "Doc" Duke purchased several acres of land by the railroad line, opened a store, and leased the remaining land to other tenants. The tenants opened a dance hall and a group of taverns. This led to Juliff gaining a concentration of consumption of alcohol, gambling, and
prostitution. The population of Juliff began to know the town by the name "Diddy Wa Diddy," after a song made up by a local in 1934. It soon became an unofficial name for the community and appeared in several
Blues songs in the 1930s and 1950s. By 1940, Juliff had approximately 50 residents, a church, and three businesses. During the 1940s, the population increased to 150. The post office closed in 1958. By the 1960s, the bars closed or relocated to
Houston. By the 1980s, the community consisted of several scattered houses. The song lyrics "Diddy Wa Diddy - "ain't no town - ain't no city" don't specifically mention Juliff, but according to folklore, Diddy Wa Diddy alludes to a legendary location where food is plentiful and labor is nonexistent, much like
The Big Rock Candy Mountains was for
hobos. According to other accounts, the song was written by
Blind Blake, a guitarist from
Jacksonville, Florida, who recorded the song at least twice before going missing in the early 1930s. It is presumed that the unidentified musician in Juliff was merely one in a long line of people who utilized the lyric, since Blind Blake's recordings survive. The vocalist of the song states in one rendition "I just found out what Diddy Wa Diddy means," but in another, she begs for someone to explain what Diddy Wa Diddy means. Additionally, Texas author and journalist Billy Porterfield (who was no stranger to locations such as old Juliff) utilized the words as a title (Diddy Waw Diddy). The community shipped
cotton along the river. The
saloons in the area were also said to have moved to a place called "Mud Alley" in Richmond. The community also has much
ragweed in the area. ==Geography==