HAIF

belmontdrew

Posted Monday, June 20, 2005 at 1:57 PM

Does anyone remember these old amusement places in Houston? what they were called? where there may be pictures of them?

The ski slope at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway which later became...

The waterslide at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway which finally became...

Lone Star Amphitheatre at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway

OR HOW ABOUT...

Malibu go-cart raceway and arcade at the Southwest Freeway

Games-People-Play...I believe it was on Fondren....big 80's hangout with arcade, waterslides and go carts..

The little go cart place off westpark (Southwest Freeway ran in front of it)..the track was lined with red and white tires...

Original Timmy Chan's

Posted Monday, June 20, 2005 at 6:45 PM

I grew up on the southeast side, so the only place I remember is the Lone Star Amphitheater, where I saw some good shows during college and the years after...Butthole Surfers, Rev. Horton Heat, Porno for Pyros are the ones I remember off the top of my head.

On the southeast side we had Pipe Organ Pizza (one of my all-time favorite birthday parties took place there), SuperTrack (which FINALLY closed recently, unfortunately), Sea Arama in Galveston was always popular, whatever the waterpark was next to Sea Arama, and of course I spent a lot of time at the Wilson Park and Beverly Hills Park pools.

ricco67

Posted Monday, June 20, 2005 at 11:30 PM

Let's not forget the little kiddie park over on Main @ OST (or thereabouts) that was closed as recently as 15 yrs or so ago.

Ricco

texas911

Posted Friday, June 24, 2005 at 7:35 AM

I remember the kiddie place on south Main. Had pony rides and just down the street on the corner of Main and Breaswood was a Putt Putt place with a small arcade. Also the Perpermit Parks that dotted the Houston scene. I still pass one on the SW Freeway, its a body shop now, but they kept the red/white striped look of the building. Fame City is still there.

VicMan

Posted Friday, June 24, 2005 at 8:31 PM

I went to Kiddie Wonderland several times... I didn't really like the pony riding, though.

It's now a Kroger..

hellbilly

Posted Monday, July 4, 2005 at 1:37 AM

VicMan, on Friday, June 24th, 2005 @ 8:31pm, said:

I went to Kiddie Wonderland several times... I didn't really like the pony riding, though.

It's now a Kroger..
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i stumbled on this forum looking for old photos of hanna barbara land. games people play was on 1960. it has been closed for about 7 to 10 years now. you can still see some off the putt putt golf, part of the go cart track, and not much else. i had birthday parties there as a kid.

somewhere in all of my pictures i have some pics of me with scooby and fred flintstone at hanna barbera land. all of the buildings at splashtown are the original buildings from hanna barbera land.

i cannot remeber the name of the indoor amusement park off of 610 near 290 but i think my wife will. i went there as a kid a few times for parties and such. my wife grew up over there so i will ask her.

tomv

Posted Monday, July 4, 2005 at 11:35 AM

A friend of mine mentioned a kiddie place called Wee Wild West. I went there as a kid (60's) but have no idea where it was. Anybody remember that one?

Ashikaga

Posted Thursday, July 14, 2005 at 8:54 AM

When I lived in Houston (1962-64), my parents did a lot of their shopping at what was then called Gulfgate Shopping Center (now Gulfgate Mall). I remember us going to an amusement park next to it. I think the name of it was either "Playland Park" or "Peppermint Park."

Does anyone out there know what I'm referring to?

Chet Cuccia

gnu

Posted Thursday, July 14, 2005 at 5:11 PM

Ashikaga, on Thursday, July 14th, 2005 @ 8:54am, said:

When I lived in Houston (1962-64), my parents did a lot of their shopping at what was then called Gulfgate Shopping Center (now Gulfgate Mall). I remember us going to an amusement park next to it. I think the name of it was either "Playland Park" or "Peppermint Park."

Does anyone out there know what I'm referring to?

Chet Cuccia
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It was Peppermint Park and it was at Reveille and Arnim. where the dodge body shop is now. If you search the threads, i think Peppermint park has been discussed some in the past. there were several locations in houston. One near 290 and the loop and one on the SW freeway.

Ashikaga

Posted Thursday, July 14, 2005 at 5:13 PM

gnu, on Thursday, July 14th, 2005 @ 6:11pm, said:

It was Peppermint Park and it was at Reveille and Arnim. where the dodge body shop is now. If you search the threads, i think Peppermint park has been discussed some in the past. there were several locations in houston. One near 290 and the loop and one on the SW freeway.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks. I thought that I remembered that park. I remember the big words "PEPPERMINT PARK" painted on top of the roof.

Chet Cuccia

tomv

Posted Thursday, July 14, 2005 at 8:03 PM

Playland Park was on S. Main near where Reliant Stadium is now. It was our "Astroworld" before there was an Astroworld. It had 2 great roller coasters, and lots of other carnival-style rides and attractions.

Ashikaga

Posted Friday, July 15, 2005 at 9:27 AM

tomv, on Thursday, July 14th, 2005 @ 9:03pm, said:

Playland Park was on S. Main near where Reliant Stadium is now. It was our "Astroworld" before there was an Astroworld. It had 2 great roller coasters, and lots of other carnival-style rides and attractions.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe I remember a Playland Park, too. I remember us going to another amusement park, and I thought that I could see from it the neon "rock" of the logo of the Prudential building. Is that possible? Was Playland Park near that Prudential building? If it was, then it's possible that my memory is still good after over 40 years.

Chet Cuccia

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Friday, July 15, 2005 at 7:18 PM

57Tbird

Posted Saturday, July 16, 2005 at 8:32 AM

Heights2Bastrop, on Friday, July 15th, 2005 @ 7:18pm, said:

The best out there was Roger Wade. He was later killed testing Firestone tires.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that was Billy Wade. I could be wrong. I used to go there very often. He was one of my favorites.

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Saturday, July 16, 2005 at 8:40 AM

Roger Ward, big Indy racer.
Billy Wade, local sensation.

You are so right, Tbird. Even as I wrote that, something didn't seem right. Thanks for the correction.

BTW, Billy's brother was my once upon a time father-in-law.

57Tbird

Posted Saturday, July 16, 2005 at 10:07 AM

Heights... Do you, or anyone else, remember a bad accident at Playland's race track that happened in the early 60's, I think it was? Maybe the very late 50's. I was there. During warm-ups, a wheel came off Blackie Lothringer's car coming into the first turn where the entrance to the raceway was. I was standing at a refreshment stand between the gate area and the race track, which had only a very small wall around it. I heard a loud bang and looked up in time to see the wheel come flying over ther wall...followed immediately by Blackie's car. I was about 50 feet from where the car landed. Three people were killed and many injured, as they were headed from the gate area to the stands. If I hadn't stopped for a Coke, I would probably been where the car came down. I have tried to find out if there is anything about this accident on the internet, but have not been successful.

Do you also remember the figure 8 races, the powder puff races for the girls, and the demolition derbies that they had there?

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Saturday, July 16, 2005 at 10:31 AM

Ashikaga

Posted Friday, July 22, 2005 at 9:28 AM

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Friday, July 22, 2005 at 9:59 AM

It was at South Main at Beaeswood. It was for small kiddies and had horses you could ride around a circuit as to opposed to parks where you rode tethered horses.

TexasHome

Posted Friday, July 22, 2005 at 7:56 PM

Wasnt there one in Pasadena named Candyland? Maybe on Shaver?
It was very small but was there for quite a number of years.

77017

Posted Tuesday, July 26, 2005 at 3:49 PM

Man it really trips me out how many of yall are from southeast, I feel like I'm hearin family members talk when I read yalls posts. I'm 3rd generation southeast myself. My grandparents lived in the magnolia/manchester area and my parents were from right there off broadway by milby, sellers bros., ingrando park, etc. Am I the only one who swam at glenbrook public pool, and jumped off the dreaded "hightower"? When I was up there as a kid I used to look out in the distance and see the skyline and think, "man I wanna live there one day, and now I do so ha, take that "your supposed to stay in the hood" mentality! Does anyone remember a place called "the mark" across the street from milby in the early 80's during the explosion of breakdancing? It was an arcade and a place to battle (breakdance "fight"). Supertrack closed???? Wow that's the end of an era.

Ashikaga

Posted Wednesday, July 27, 2005 at 10:11 AM

77017, on Tuesday, July 26th, 2005 @ 4:49pm, said:

Man it really trips me out how many of yall are from southeast, I feel like I'm hearin family members talk when I read yalls posts. I'm 3rd generation southeast myself. My grandparents lived in the magnolia/manchester area and my parents were from right there off broadway by milby, sellers bros., ingrando park, etc. Am I the only one who swam at glenbrook public pool, and jumped off the dreaded "hightower"? When I was up there as a kid I used to look out in the distance and see the skyline and think, "man I wanna live there one day, and now I do so ha, take that "your supposed to stay in the hood" mentality! Does anyone remember a place called "the mark" across the street from milby in the early 80's during the explosion of breakdancing? It was an arcade and a place to battle (breakdance "fight"). Supertrack closed???? Wow that's the end of an era.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Talk about how time flies! The last time I went to any amusement park was to Astroworld back during the summer of 1978. 27 years ago!

Chet Cuccia

Trophy Property

Posted Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 1:46 PM

Ashikaga, on Wednesday, July 27th, 2005 @ 10:11am, said:

Talk about how time flies! The last time I went to any amusement park was to Astroworld back during the summer of 1978. 27 years ago!

Chet Cuccia
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is not really on topic, but what about the Blimp Hangar out on I-45. I remember when we used to drive to Ftl Worth to seem my Grandparents we would pass by the Hangar and sometimes the blimp was out there. I have no clue where this was or what is there now.

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 1:56 PM

The blimp base was at 45 and Holzwarth.

A bit of trivia. As you head north on I-45, just as you cross Cypresswood, there is a small stand of pine trees next to the highway. That is an old cemetery. You used to be able to see it from the freeway, but the new freeway was built over and around it.

pineda

Posted Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 1:59 PM

Quote

As you head north on I-45, just as you cross Cypresswood, there is a small stand of pine trees next to the highway. That is an old cemetery. You used to be able to see it from the freeway, but the new freeway was built over and around it.

This is the Wunsche Cemetery, just south of Spring High School on the east side of the freeway. Perhaps you've heard of the Wunsche Cafe in Spring...

Ashikaga

Posted Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 2:16 PM

pineda, on Thursday, July 28th, 2005 @ 2:59pm, said:

This is the Wunsche Cemetery, just south of Spring High School on the east side of the freeway. Perhaps you've heard of the Wunsche Cafe in Spring...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As probably all of you know by now, I lived in Houston from 1962-64. I do remember one night my parents and I were sitting in the parking lot at the then-Houston International Airport (now called Hobby) and watching a Good Year blimp landing. It was quite a sight to see in the dark. I remember seeing the lit up "flying shoe" logo.

Chet Cuccia

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 10:13 PM

I know of the Wunsches, but I never knew that was their cemetary. That's nice to know.

I rode the Goodyear blimp out there once. It was a fun thing to do, but not as thrilling as one might think. Once, while in the Navy, I was catapulted off the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. Now that was a trip!

H-Town Man

Posted Saturday, July 30, 2005 at 11:05 PM

I've got 8mm film of Astroworld in the late 60's, when it first opened. I wonder if people would be interested in something like that.

As a child, I was traumatized when they changed Hannah Barbera Land to Splashtown. Long after I had forgotten about Hannah Barbera Land, there was something that seemed evil about Splashtown - bad vibes you might say. Now I remember why.

It's great to see HAI Forumers exploring their inner child. I wonder if somebody has broken out bawling over this thread.

Ashikaga

Posted Sunday, July 31, 2005 at 7:47 AM

H-Town Man, on Sunday, July 31st, 2005 @ 12:05am, said:

I've got 8mm film of Astroworld in the late 60's, when it first opened. I wonder if people would be interested in something like that.

As a child, I was traumatized when they changed Hannah Barbera Land to Splashtown. Long after I had forgotten about Hannah Barbera Land, there was something that seemed evil about Splashtown - bad vibes you might say. Now I remember why.

It's great to see HAI Forumers exploring their inner child. I wonder if somebody has broken out bawling over this thread.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, it would be interesting to see a film like that. I would think that most everything you would see (the rides at the time, etc.) would be gone now, replaced by other rides.

Chet Cuccia

lowspark

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 10:50 AM

Ashikaga, on Sunday, July 31st, 2005 @ 7:47am, said:

Yes, it would be interesting to see a film like that. I would think that most everything you would see (the rides at the time, etc.) would be gone now, replaced by other rides.

Chet Cuccia
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We could probably start a whole new thread on old rides at Astroworld that are no more.

Let's see, off the top of my head:
Astro wheel
Needle
Barrel of Fun
Black Dragon

Ashikaga

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 12:22 PM

lowspark, on Monday, August 1st, 2005 @ 11:50am, said:

We could probably start a whole new thread on old rides at Astroworld that are no more.

Let's see, off the top of my head:
Astro wheel
Needle
Barrel of Fun
Black Dragon
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The only name of a ride that stands out in my mind is "The Texas Tornado." But keep in mind, the last time that I went to Astroworld was way back in the summer of 1978.

Chet Cuccia

Kirzania

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 12:25 PM

Ashikaga, on Monday, August 1st, 2005 @ 12:22pm, said:

The only name of a ride that stands out in my mind is "The Texas Tornado." But keep in mind, the last time that I went to Astroworld was way back in the summer of 1978.

Chet Cuccia
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey, it's still there. Last time I rode it was in the mid '90s though. One of the best wooden coasters ever.

Ashikaga

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 12:52 PM

Kirzania, on Monday, August 1st, 2005 @ 1:25pm, said:

Hey, it's still there. Last time I rode it was in the mid '90s though. One of the best wooden coasters ever.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm surprised that the "Tornado" is still there. I thought that about every 3 or 4 years, they build a new, bigger, scarier ride and dismantle the old one that it replaced.

Chet Cuccia

Kirzania

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 12:55 PM

I think Texas Tornado has some kind of historic value to it, now that I think on it. Here's a little article on it:
http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coast.../late_80s.shtml

And I was wrong. According to this it isn't at AstroWorld any more. I think I will cry.

Quote

"The Thriller, owned by Oscar Bruch & Sohn, opened in 1986 on the German fair circuit. [...]It was purchased by Six Flags, moved to Astroworld in 1998 and renamed the Texas Tornado (originally called Taz's Texas Tornado, but the Taz was dropped for the 1999 season). After the 2002 season the Texas Tornado was dismantled and sent to Six Flags Marine World (Vallejo, CA) where opened for the 2003 under the name Zonga."

gnu

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 1:15 PM

Kirzania

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 1:25 PM

gnu, on Monday, August 1st, 2005 @ 1:15pm, said:

I think your memory may be confused...you are probably thinking about the Texas Cyclone not the Tornado. Its another wind storm so similar

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cyclone.. Tornado... Same thing. The Cyclone opened in 1976 and is still there. I'm not crazy.

Texas Cyclone

Subdude

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 2:03 PM

tomv, on Thursday, July 14th, 2005 @ 8:03pm, said:

Playland Park was on S. Main near where Reliant Stadium is now. It was our "Astroworld" before there was an Astroworld. It had 2 great roller coasters, and lots of other carnival-style rides and attractions.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think this is Playland Park
Posted Image

lowspark

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 2:59 PM

I have to admit that I haven't been to Astroworld in years. But the talk about the Texas Cyclone reminded me of the first "real" roller coaster there, Dexter Freebish's Electrical Roller Ride -- which later became Excalibur I think. When that opened, I was probably about 12, so 1972, and a friend and I spent practically our whole day riding that ride, running around, getting back in line and riding again.

gnu

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 3:08 PM

gnu, on Monday, August 1st, 2005 @ 1:15pm, said:

I think your memory may be confused...you are probably thinking about the Texas Cyclone not the Tornado. Its another wind storm so similar

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, Kirzania, I was replying to Ashikaga. I know Taz wasn't there in 1978 when he went. I was telling him HIS memory was wrong. BTW, Everytime I went to Astroworld when Taz was there it was always closed for repairs.

On another note, I remember as a kid you could ride the Cyclone over and over from about 11 until closing at midnight. We used to keep tabs on who had ridden it the most times. I have no clue what our record was but know I rode it 17 times one night.

Talking about the Dexter Frebish/Excalibur, remember there was that spot in the bottom turn where there was "blood" on the support pole.

Ashikaga

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 4:21 PM

Kirzania, on Monday, August 1st, 2005 @ 2:25pm, said:

Cyclone.. Tornado... Same thing. The Cyclone opened in 1976 and is still there. I'm not crazy.

Texas Cyclone
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're right. I stand corrected. I had my "storms" mixed up. It was the Texas Cyclone, not the Texas Tornado.

Chet Cuccia

Ashikaga

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 4:24 PM

Ashikaga, on Monday, August 1st, 2005 @ 5:21pm, said:

You're right. I stand corrected. I had my "storms" mixed up. It was the Texas Cyclone, not the Texas Tornado.

Chet Cuccia
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There was a show one time on the Discovery Channel about roller coasters. None of the ones that they showed was at Astroworld.

Chet Cuccia

lowspark

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 4:35 PM

I thought the Cyclone was supposed to be an exact duplicate of the roller coaster at Coney Island. Or was that just hype?

Ashikaga

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 4:44 PM

Subdude, on Monday, August 1st, 2005 @ 3:03pm, said:

I think this is Playland Park
Posted Image

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've learned not to get Playland Park confused with Peppermint Park, which was near Gulfgate Shopping Center. I remember going to the later back then (1962-64). And I think that we also went to the former.

Maybe someone out there can jog my more-than-40-year-old-memory. I remember us going to an amusement park closer to downtown than Peppermint Park was. From that park, I thought that I could see the top of the Prudential Building; the neon logo of its "rock." Is it possible that could have been Playland Park? Was that park within "eyeshot" of the top of the Prudential Building?

Chet Cuccia

gnu

Posted Monday, August 1, 2005 at 10:47 PM

Ashikaga, on Monday, August 1st, 2005 @ 4:44pm, said:

I've learned not to get Playland Park confused with Peppermint Park, which was near Gulfgate Shopping Center. I remember going to the later back then (1962-64). And I think that we also went to the former.

Maybe someone out there can jog my more-than-40-year-old-memory. I remember us going to an amusement park closer to downtown than Peppermint Park was. From that park, I thought that I could see the top of the Prudential Building; the neon logo of its "rock." Is it possible that could have been Playland Park? Was that park within "eyeshot" of the top of the Prudential Building?

Chet Cuccia
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe you are thinking of Hermann Park? They have a kids train and the zoo is there. you probably could have seen the Prudential building from there back then.

Ashikaga

Posted Tuesday, August 2, 2005 at 10:34 AM

gnu, on Monday, August 1st, 2005 @ 11:47pm, said:

Maybe you are thinking of Hermann Park? They have a kids train and the zoo is there. you probably could have seen the Prudential building from there back then.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know. Like I said, I moved away from there back in 1964. I thought that one evening we went to an amusement park and from the ground I looked up and saw that neon logo "rock" of the top of the Prudential. My memory about my time in Houston has been accurate about 75 percent of the time. Maybe this memory is part of the remaining 25 percent.

Chet Cuccia

HoustonianInColorado

Posted Tuesday, August 2, 2005 at 4:48 PM

texas911, on Friday, June 24th, 2005 @ 6:35am, said:

I remember the kiddie place on south Main. Had pony rides and just down the street on the corner of Main and Breaswood was a Putt Putt place with a small arcade. Also the Perpermit Parks that dotted the Houston scene. I still pass one on the SW Freeway, its a body shop now, but they kept the red/white striped look of the building. Fame City is still there.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What a great memory! I am 52 years old and grew up in Bellaire & Sharpstown until I was 9. Mom & Dad used to take me to ride those ponies at OST & Main. One of my early childhood fond memories.

Other memories in Houston as a child . . .

* Seeing Snow White at the movie theatre in the old shopping center on the north side of Bellaire Blvd. just east of the train tracks on the east end of Bellaire.

* Going to see Kitirik at Channel 13 and Captain Bob on Channel 2 at their old studios on Post Oak Rd.

* The deep drainage ditches along Avenue A (now Newcastle) and Post Oak Rd. in Bellaire.

* Movies at the Trail Drive In, and the new Sharpstown Drive In.

* Bissonnet was still called Old Richmond Road from the curve at about Edloe, down through Sharpstown.

* A big discount store on Hillcroft in Sharpstown called "Globe".

* That jingle . . ."Summer winter spring or fall, stroll in the air conditioned mall, with one stop to shop for all, at Sharpstown Center."

* The old Sears on South Main just south of Downtown

* U-Tote-M was a fairly large chain of convenience stores in those days. Their radio jingle? "Just in case anyone should ask you, you tell 'em U-Tote-M." Their sign incorporated a totem pole.

Probably a lot more stored in this old brain here!

Ashikaga

Posted Wednesday, August 3, 2005 at 10:35 AM

HoustonianInColorado, on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2005 @ 5:48pm, said:

What a great memory! I am 52 years old and grew up in Bellaire & Sharpstown until I was 9. Mom & Dad used to take me to ride those ponies at OST & Main. One of my early childhood fond memories.

Other memories in Houston as a child . . .

* Seeing Snow White at the movie theatre in the old shopping center on the north side of Bellaire Blvd. just east of the train tracks on the east end of Bellaire.

* Going to see Kitirik at Channel 13 and Captain Bob on Channel 2 at their old studios on Post Oak Rd.

* The deep drainage ditches along Avenue A (now Newcastle) and Post Oak Rd. in Bellaire.

* Movies at the Trail Drive In, and the new Sharpstown Drive In.

* Bissonnet was still called Old Richmond Road from the curve at about Edloe, down through Sharpstown.

* A big discount store on Hillcroft in Sharpstown called "Globe".

* That jingle . . ."Summer winter spring or fall, stroll in the air conditioned mall, with one stop to shop for all, at Sharpstown Center."

* The old Sears on South Main just south of Downtown

* U-Tote-M was a fairly large chain of convenience stores in those days. Their radio jingle? "Just in case anyone should ask you, you tell 'em U-Tote-M." Their sign incorporated a totem pole.

Probably a lot more stored in this old brain here!
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey, I'm 47! I lived in Houston from 1962-64. There's a lot of stuff that I can remember. The people on this forum are very helpful. They have been able to verify if something that I think that I remember is right or wrong.

I lived on # 8 West Court Drive. It was a white house on the corner of that street and Galveston Road just down from where Park Place Boulevard dead ends into Galveston Road. Since you were in Houston back when I was there, is there anything that you personally would remember about the area where I lived?

Chet Cuccia

PureAuteur

Posted Thursday, August 4, 2005 at 3:52 PM

Fame City was the best kid's place ever. I don't even remember when it closed down or what it became. In the 80s, it was awesome. It's a shame that kids today don't get to experience that kind of business creativity that was around in the 80s.

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Friday, August 5, 2005 at 1:47 PM

Yes, that is definately Playland Park!

The main entrance was to the left of that photo. As you entered, the first ride on the left was the booth for the train which ran along side the roller coaster (behind it in the photo). Just beyond that is where Murworth is now. The round ride in the photo is the Tilt-a-Whirl.

H-Town Man

Posted Friday, August 5, 2005 at 2:47 PM

PureAuteur, on Thursday, August 4th, 2005 @ 4:52pm, said:

Fame City was the best kid's place ever. I don't even remember when it closed down or what it became. In the 80s, it was awesome. It's a shame that kids today don't get to experience that kind of business creativity that was around in the 80s.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I remember that place... my cousin had every birthday there for a while. Personally, I could take it or leave it. It was like an amusement park inside a warehouse. There were the bumper cars on the left, some slides it seems in the middle, a big He-Man virtual reality type thing in the middle where you went through these rooms and shot laser guns (ok, that was kind of cool), a putt-putt golf course, some of those bb guns where you try to shoot away the red circle on the target (impossible), a big video arcade on the right, and it seems like a big skating rink in the back. I think all of that stuff was at Fame City - I might be mixing and matching from other places. Can't believe I remember all that.

This one is more recent - anyone ever go to Physical Whimsical, at 249 and 1960, in the Mervyn's shopping center?

What about Games People Play? There were like three water slides, and I remember one time one of them was closed down. I heard that some kid had cut his back going over one of the seams between the sections of the slide, and from that day on I was terrified to ride down any water slide, anywhere.

Oh, last but not least... did anyone ever go out to the Oil Ranch? I think it was off of 290, near either Waller or Hempstead. There was a u-pick-em pumpkin patch, paddleboats, cows you could milk, and a big barn full of hay with rope swings and stuff. You felt like the Bobbsey Twins after it was all over. Very cool.

Diane

Posted Saturday, August 6, 2005 at 12:51 PM

HoustonianInColorado, on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2005 @ 4:48pm, said:

What a great memory! I am 52 years old and grew up in Bellaire & Sharpstown until I was 9. Mom & Dad used to take me to ride those ponies at OST & Main. One of my early childhood fond memories.

Other memories in Houston as a child . . .

* Seeing Snow White at the movie theatre in the old shopping center on the north side of Bellaire Blvd. just east of the train tracks on the east end of Bellaire.

* Going to see Kitirik at Channel 13 and Captain Bob on Channel 2 at their old studios on Post Oak Rd.

* The deep drainage ditches along Avenue A (now Newcastle) and Post Oak Rd. in Bellaire.

* Movies at the Trail Drive In, and the new Sharpstown Drive In.

* Bissonnet was still called Old Richmond Road from the curve at about Edloe, down through Sharpstown.

* A big discount store on Hillcroft in Sharpstown called "Globe".

* That jingle . . ."Summer winter spring or fall, stroll in the air conditioned mall, with one stop to shop for all, at Sharpstown Center."

* The old Sears on South Main just south of Downtown

* U-Tote-M was a fairly large chain of convenience stores in those days. Their radio jingle? "Just in case anyone should ask you, you tell 'em U-Tote-M." Their sign incorporated a totem pole.

Probably a lot more stored in this old brain here!
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Diane

Posted Saturday, August 6, 2005 at 12:57 PM

Diane, on Saturday, August 6th, 2005 @ 12:51pm, said:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I remember going to the grand opening of the "Trail Drive Inn Theater" & Gene Autry was there. Since he was a 3rd cousin to my Dad, I was anxious to meet "my hero" which was quite impressive for a 10 yr old. We talked briefly with Gene as he was leaving the theater & it was obvious that he wasn't interested in meeting us & didn't remember my Dad. So much for "hero worship." I remember though that someone asked him why he didn't bring his horse, "Champion" & his reply was that Champ was currently dating one of Bing Crosby's mares & wasn't interested in going along on the trip to Houston. Personally, I didn't think that Gene was either!

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Saturday, August 6, 2005 at 3:10 PM

H-Town Man

Posted Saturday, August 6, 2005 at 3:11 PM

Okay, here's one for you oldtimers. My dad tells me about a Jersey cattle farm and dairy on the location of present day Jersey Village. You went there and saw them milking cows, and then you could eat ice cream made from the cows that they had just milked. If anyone remembers or can tell me more about this, I'll be impressed.

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Saturday, August 6, 2005 at 3:18 PM

That would be the F&M Dairy. The sign was a dairy cow.

JColle1975

Posted Sunday, August 7, 2005 at 12:34 AM

Talking about a flashback... As soon as I saw something about old Houston amusement parks I thought about Pepermint Park. I vaguley remember going to a few birthday parties there as a kid...

H-Town Man

Posted Sunday, August 7, 2005 at 12:41 AM

Heights2Bastrop, on Saturday, August 6th, 2005 @ 4:18pm, said:

That would be the F&M Dairy. The sign was a dairy cow.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, thanks H2B. Can you tell me anything else about it?

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Sunday, August 7, 2005 at 1:02 AM

JColle1975

Posted Sunday, August 7, 2005 at 1:14 AM

Does anyone remember Moutian Park? I think that was the name. It was off westpark where 59 and 610 meet....

LTAWACS

Posted Sunday, August 7, 2005 at 2:17 AM

I dont know mang... I did used to have an underage gf at one point... but dont tell anyone.

JColle1975

Posted Sunday, August 7, 2005 at 8:38 PM

Dang... I think I barely remember the Oil Ranch. Think I went there on a field trip as a kid if it is the same place I am thinking of... just can't remember much about it. If I remember correctly it had a lake and during the summer water activities...

H-Town Man

Posted Sunday, August 7, 2005 at 8:42 PM

matt24

Posted Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 4:12 AM

cahomer

Posted Monday, September 12, 2005 at 11:10 PM

I remember Globe, U-Totems, Kiddie Wonderland (oh, but those ponies were sooo old! I remember how they used to start running just a teensy bit faster when they got closer to the end of the track...and how some of the ponies would just stop right in the middle of the track and stubbornly refuse to move until an employee would come prod them along--or were those mules?), Kitirick (meow), Pipe Organ Pizza, and Sage--did Globes turn into Sages or Sages into Globes?--and today, I hear Astroworld is closing for good. Is it true?

djrage

Posted Tuesday, September 13, 2005 at 12:11 AM

77017, on Tuesday, July 26th, 2005 @ 3:49pm, said:

Man it really trips me out how many of yall are from southeast, I feel like I'm hearin family members talk when I read yalls posts. I'm 3rd generation southeast myself. My grandparents lived in the magnolia/manchester area and my parents were from right there off broadway by milby, sellers bros., ingrando park, etc. Am I the only one who swam at glenbrook public pool, and jumped off the dreaded "hightower"? When I was up there as a kid I used to look out in the distance and see the skyline and think, "man I wanna live there one day, and now I do so ha, take that "your supposed to stay in the hood" mentality! Does anyone remember a place called "the mark" across the street from milby in the early 80's during the explosion of breakdancing? It was an arcade and a place to battle (breakdance "fight"). Supertrack closed???? Wow that's the end of an era.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

YES!!! I grew up in this area too. I've been to that pool with the "dreaded" hightower a couple of times. Last time I was there I was about 16 in '86. I was always afraid I was going to hit the side of the pool jumping off that thing! Is it still there?

I'm suprised no one mentioned Fame City Water Works. Remember that place.

I kind of remember the chessy commercials they ran on cable for that place.
The jingle "Fame Fa Fa Fame, Fa Fa Fa F F Fame.... Fame City!"

GregM

Posted Thursday, September 15, 2005 at 10:51 PM

57Tbird, on Saturday, July 16th, 2005 @ 10:07am, said:

Heights... Do you, or anyone else, remember a bad accident at Playland's race track that happened in the early 60's, I think it was? Maybe the very late 50's. I was there. During warm-ups, a wheel came off Blackie Lothringer's car coming into the first turn where the entrance to the raceway was. I was standing at a refreshment stand between the gate area and the race track, which had only a very small wall around it. I heard a loud bang and looked up in time to see the wheel come flying over ther wall...followed immediately by Blackie's car. I was about 50 feet from where the car landed. Three people were killed and many injured, as they were headed from the gate area to the stands. If I hadn't stopped for a Coke, I would probably been where the car came down. I have tried to find out if there is anything about this accident on the internet, but have not been successful.

The crash you are refering to happened in '59. One of the 3 people killed was one of the owners of Playland and unfortunately, he was the one owner who was passoinate about the park. This basicaly signaled the beginning of the end of the park since his siblings allowed it to fall into neglect and disrepair.

I found this out when I went to the library down town to research Playland. I found several news articles but zero photographs. Where can one find more pictures of Playland?

LarryDallas

Posted Friday, September 16, 2005 at 1:45 AM

I'm 26 and been a Houstonian 25.5 of the 26 yrs so the Kiddie's Wonderland, Fame City, Hanna Barbera, and this one place next to Sharpstwon Mall where the Federated store used to be resonate with me.

Kiddie's was a real cool place now that I think back on it. I think they stayed around until 1990ish which is a big deal when you consider the Target and Al's Formal across the street were so modern compared to them. The property value was insanely high even back in those days for such a small independent business. I can recall you could pick between a slwo, fast, or medium speed pony. I once got a slow and he stopped on the track and started chewing the rails that kept them on their way. They also had a small train that used to take you around their lot and a carrosel that would hold 10-15 people at a time.

The people that worked there were really nice folks. There was an old lady that handled the tickets and such while this jolly guy in overalls tended to the pony track. I loved that place and have fond memories. The Kroger that came there used to be about 1/2 a block up Kirby in the next strip mall. When Albertsons left they took over the newly built building. Kiddies was gold.

Hanna Barbera I went to only once with a childhood friend and his family. I can recall that the tickets were very cheap yet it was very impressive (well I was like 10 I think). They had a nice water slide you could do on a small raft.

Fame City I can recall being too geared toward the arcade games which I was never into. Even as a kid I used to be like "why waste my money a bit at a time to play that and start back at level 1 when I finish a game" The idea of buying a home game system seemed to make more sense. Um, not to mom and dad though cause nintendo used to cost about a hundred bucks and a game was about 50 (a lot of money in the 1980s).

The place that used to be near Sharpstown we went to around 1989ish with some friends. His mom had just bought a new 1990 Camry and we thought it was the coolest car in the world casue the radio had a digital tuner and it had motorized seatbelts. Anyway, the place was awesome! It had bumper cars, a pit of those plastic ball things with cargo nets to climb, mini-golf, and some other stuff I can't clearly recall.

Playland and Peppermint Park I had never heard of since they were before my time. Very cool stuff.

belmontdrew

Posted Friday, September 16, 2005 at 10:46 AM

JColle1975, on Sunday, August 7th, 2005 @ 12:14am, said:

Does anyone remember Moutian Park? I think that was the name. It was off westpark where 59 and 610 meet....
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, was that what it was called? "Mountain Park"? Was that the waterslide and pirate ship and arts and crafts amusement thing or the ski slope thing. I remember going to a birthday party there in the very early 80's! Must've been pre-WaterWorld!

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Friday, September 16, 2005 at 11:47 AM

I remember an amusement park from the past called "Astroworld". Anyone remember it?

Houston born and raised

Posted Friday, September 16, 2005 at 2:58 PM

I hated to hear that Astroworld is closing it's doors. I remember going there as a small child through my teenage years and always had a seasons pass. The black dragon was my favorite ride back in the early days.

TJones

Posted Tuesday, September 27, 2005 at 9:33 AM

lowspark, on Monday, August 1st, 2005 @ 5:35pm, said:

I thought the Cyclone was supposed to be an exact duplicate of the roller coaster at Coney Island. Or was that just hype?

Cyclone is bigger and faster than Coney Island's.

gto250us

Posted Tuesday, September 27, 2005 at 10:19 AM

The best place was Kiddie Wonderland on Kirby. Man those horses were a million years old but they sure were a good time.

torvald

Posted Tuesday, September 27, 2005 at 9:51 PM

TJones, on Tuesday, September 27th, 2005 @ 9:33am, said:

Cyclone is bigger and faster than Coney Island's.

When it was first built, but reprofiling over the decades left the Texas Cyclone in a rather emasculated state. These days the Cyclone at CI is much, much more intense.

bcnet

Posted Wednesday, September 28, 2005 at 3:24 PM

Did a little searching and found this picture of Hanna Barberra land in Spring.

Posted Image

sevfiv

Posted Wednesday, September 28, 2005 at 4:12 PM

bcnet, on Wednesday, September 28th, 2005 @ 3:24pm, said:

Hanna Barberra land in Spring

neat-o...i almost forgot about that place, and that splashtown is where it used to be...

john Lopez

Posted Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:46 PM

Ashikaga, on Friday, July 15th, 2005 @ 9:27am, said:

Maybe I remember a Playland Park, too. I remember us going to another amusement park, and I thought that I could see from it the neon "rock" of the logo of the Prudential building. Is that possible? Was Playland Park near that Prudential building? If it was, then it's possible that my memory is still good after over 40 years.

Chet Cuccia

Every year, in the 50's & early 60's, Playland Park had "back to School" party. Houston Press had 1 coupon each day during summer, & was good for 1 free ride. We would collect coupons from anyone that would give to us, ride bus from Near North Side to Playland, & ride Roller Coaster 30 or 40 times. Used to see the Houston Wrestlers of Paul Bosch at the party every year.

There was also a Huge public swimming pool near there. Gateway Swim? Had a big bubble at bottom of deep end you could swim down to and actually breathe inside the bubble.... can't quite remember how that worked... hummmmm

MidtownCoog

Posted Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:56 PM

Quote

big bubble at bottom of deep

That sounds awesome!

I bet all the lawyers wish they would bring those fun things like that back.

PCfixit

Posted Friday, November 18, 2005 at 11:32 AM

I grew up across woodridge from Gulfgate, in some apartments called Gulfgate Village Apartments in front of Globe. Some of the things I barely remember are:

I couldn't wait for the carnival that would set up every year in the Gulfgate parking lot eastside near I45

The pony rides with the old man in the overalls, I think the ponies were trained to stop so kids would ask to go again on the medium track.

I could of swore that Peppermint Park was located on woodridge when leaving Gulfgate and going under I45, I thought it was on the right hand side, there was a Lutheran High School on the left, but I did not drive back then I was to busy bouncing around in the back seat (nobody knew what seat belts where back then) so I could be wrong about that.

They use to have Superslides that were three or four stories tall and you got a potato sack to sit on, there were two huge bumps that if you pushed off at the top you could actually get airborne for a couple of feet.

Twice I remember one of the car lots off of I45 at woodridge were giving Helicopter rides, they just took you up made a big circle and then landed, but it was still cool.

And I remember the pool with the high dive, my mom never would let me go off the top platform, I think thats why we quit going there, as I got older I keep getting a little more courage up, the last time I was there i was probably 8 or 9.

Ashikaga

Posted Friday, November 18, 2005 at 12:34 PM

PCfixit, on Friday, November 18th, 2005 @ 12:32pm, said:

I grew up across woodridge from Gulfgate, in some apartments called Village Way Apartments in front of Globe. Some of the things I barely remember are:

I couldn't wait for the carnival that would set up every year in the Gulfgate parking lot eastside near I45

The pony rides with the old man in the overalls, I think the ponies were trained to stop so kids would ask to go again on the medium track.

I could of swore that Peppermint Park was located on woodridge when leaving Gulfgate and going under I45, I thought it was on the right hand side, there was a Lutheran High School on the left, but I did not drive back then I was to busy bouncing around in the back seat (nobody knew what seat belts where back then) so I could be wrong about that.

They use to have Superslides that were three or four stories tall and you got a potato sack to sit on, there were two huge bumps that if you pushed off at the top you could actually get airborne for a couple of feet.

Twice I remember one of the car lots off of I45 at woodridge were giving Helicopter rides, they just took you up made a big circle and then landed, but it was still cool.

And I remember the pool with the high dive, my mom never would let me go off the top platform, I think thats why we quit going there, as I got older I keep getting a little more courage up, the last time I was there i was probably 8 or 9.

I'm 47. How old are you? I lived in Houston from 1962-64. I remember going to Globe and to Gulfgate. I also remember us going to the Winkler Drive-In Theatre on the corner of Winker Drive & Flowers Street. Can you tell me anything about that place?

gnu

Posted Friday, November 18, 2005 at 2:09 PM

PCfixit, on Friday, November 18th, 2005 @ 10:32am, said:

...I could of swore that Peppermint Park was located on woodridge when leaving Gulfgate and going under I45, I thought it was on the right hand side, there was a Lutheran High School on the left, but I did not drive back then I was to busy bouncing around in the back seat (nobody knew what seat belts where back then) so I could be wrong about that....

Peppermint Park at Gulfgate was at the corner of Reveille and Arnim (i think it is currently the Dodge Body Shop)

Lutheran High School (South) was across the freeway from Gulfgate - corner of Woodridge and Rustic (Currently HCC Southeast Campus). It was there until 1982, then it moved to the South Loop feeder just down from the YMCA. It moved to Dixie Farm Road and 45 around 1998

Montrose1100

Posted Friday, November 18, 2005 at 2:14 PM

Busch Gardens?

PCfixit

Posted Saturday, November 19, 2005 at 10:57 PM

gnu, on Friday, November 18th, 2005 @ 1:09pm, said:

Peppermint Park at Gulfgate was at the corner of Reveille and Arnim (i think it is currently the Dodge Body Shop)

Lutheran High School (South) was across the freeway from Gulfgate - corner of Woodridge and Rustic (Currently HCC Southeast Campus). It was there until 1982, then it moved to the South Loop feeder just down from the YMCA. It moved to Dixie Farm Road and 45 around 1998

gnu I think your right about Peppermint Parks location, I know Lutheran High School was located northside of Woodridge and on the frontage road eastside of I45, there is a shopping strip in its place now, and Woodridge I think vears to the right before it gets to Rustic, at Rustic and Garland is where I went to Mount Olive Elementry. Not sure if the Elementry school is still there, it is on Google Earth but those photos are years old.

gnu

Posted Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 2:00 AM

PCfixit, on Saturday, November 19th, 2005 @ 10:57pm, said:

gnu I think your right about Peppermint Parks location, I know Lutheran High School was located northside of Woodridge and on the frontage road eastside of I45, there is a shopping strip in its place now, and Woodridge I think vears to the right before it gets to Rustic, at Rustic and Garland is where I went to Mount Olive Elementry. Not sure if the Elementry school is still there, it is on Google Earth but those photos are years old.

Oops. Sorry I guess I wasn't clear on the Lutheran High School info.
It was in the area formed by Rustic, Garland, Woodridge, and I-45.
Taking a second look at it, I guess the High School has been completely removed.
However, the buildings along Rustic and Garland - in the northeast corner of the property are still there - which I guess are actually the buildings that were part of the Mount Olive Lutheran Church Elementary School.

This is an image from the 1982 USGS map:
Posted Image

Aerial view from 2002
Posted Image

Nikoz78

Posted Thursday, November 24, 2005 at 10:00 AM

I remember Games People Play out on F.M. 1960. Awesome 80's hangout! It had a killer arcade... I can close my eyes and still hear the sounds of all those arcade machines and the smell of hotdogs and nachos. They had bowling type games with small hard balls (I got into trouble a few times for running up the thing and throwing my ball in the big point slot,,, so I could get those tickets to trade for crappy junk). The best thing at Games People Play were the waterslides. Three of them. You had to walk (I ran) up this wood staircase that winded upward to what seemd to me (a kid at the time) to go WAY up and it was slippery and damn I fell and busted my ass a lot. At the top of this thing you waited in line (or if you were lucky and no line was present you could run and jump right in) on a platform with wood walls and no roof. Man I remember the LEGEND of the kid who cut his back on the pipe and had to get alot of stiches. I was scared going down, sometimes wondering where it happened. If it ever did lol. Those slides were a blast. After being out in the hot (and bright) sun you walked into the arcade/food area inside and it was kinda cave like, dark but lit by golden/yellow lights and arcade screens. I remember it was real cold in the arcade from the A/C after coming in from the slides. Dude the bumper boats were round and there was a cement island with grass in the middle (I think), and coins in the nasty water. I actually saw a life guard go in there and swim after something some girl had dropped out of her boat lol. Go-Carts with a pretty cool track, Putt-Putt golf, and some batting cages out back. Yeah that place rocked. Nothing left now but a skeleton. The slides are sort-of still there and parts/pices of the putt-putt area. Very overgrown. The sign was still there (old and faded) until this last year. They took the sign down and put up a for-sale sign in it's metal frame (on the tall steel post). I'm sad to think they just threw it in the trash. R.I.P. Games People Play. Anyway, if anyone has pics please share them! I may build a small (permanent) tribute site dedicated to this awesome 80's hangout. "Stay Gold" and keep those memories alive!

Nikoz78

Posted Thursday, November 24, 2005 at 10:35 AM

H-Town Man, on Friday, August 5th, 2005 @ 2:47pm, said:

This one is more recent - anyone ever go to Physical Whimsical, at 249 and 1960, in the Mervyn's shopping center?

What about Games People Play? There were like three water slides, and I remember one time one of them was closed down. I heard that some kid had cut his back going over one of the seams between the sections of the slide, and from that day on I was terrified to ride down any water slide, anywhere.

I remember Physical Whimsical at 249 and 1960. They had a cool air-blown western town that you could walk into and jump and crawl around in. Pretty cool and worth a mention, even if it was housed in a stripmall LOL. (see my Games People Play post )

plumber

Posted Sunday, December 4, 2005 at 4:32 PM

tomv, on Monday, July 4th, 2005 @ 12:35pm, said:

A friend of mine mentioned a kiddie place called Wee Wild West. I went there as a kid (60's) but have no idea where it was. Anybody remember that one?

Yes I do. Wee Wild West was located on Yorktown between Westheimer and West Alabama. I went there several times in the ealry 60's. It closed sometime in 1969 or 1970. There was also a Putt Putt Golf at this location.

matt24

Posted Monday, December 5, 2005 at 2:35 AM

Nikoz78, on Thursday, November 24th, 2005 @ 10:00am, said:

I remember Games People Play out on F.M. 1960. Awesome 80's hangout! It had a killer arcade... I can close my eyes and still hear the sounds of all those arcade machines and the smell of hotdogs and nachos. They had bowling type games with small hard balls (I got into trouble a few times for running up the thing and throwing my ball in the big point slot,,, so I could get those tickets to trade for crappy junk). The best thing at Games People Play were the waterslides. Three of them. You had to walk (I ran) up this wood staircase that winded upward to what seemd to me (a kid at the time) to go WAY up and it was slippery and damn I fell and busted my ass a lot. At the top of this thing you waited in line (or if you were lucky and no line was present you could run and jump right in) on a platform with wood walls and no roof. Man I remember the LEGEND of the kid who cut his back on the pipe and had to get alot of stiches. I was scared going down, sometimes wondering where it happened. If it ever did lol. Those slides were a blast. After being out in the hot (and bright) sun you walked into the arcade/food area inside and it was kinda cave like, dark but lit by golden/yellow lights and arcade screens. I remember it was real cold in the arcade from the A/C after coming in from the slides. Dude the bumper boats were round and there was a cement island with grass in the middle (I think), and coins in the nasty water. I actually saw a life guard go in there and swim after something some girl had dropped out of her boat lol. Go-Carts with a pretty cool track, Putt-Putt golf, and some batting cages out back. Yeah that place rocked. Nothing left now but a skeleton. The slides are sort-of still there and parts/pices of the putt-putt area. Very overgrown. The sign was still there (old and faded) until this last year. They took the sign down and put up a for-sale sign in it's metal frame (on the tall steel post). I'm sad to think they just threw it in the trash. R.I.P. Games People Play. Anyway, if anyone has pics please share them! I may build a small (permanent) tribute site dedicated to this awesome 80's hangout. "Stay Gold" and keep those memories alive!

Glad to see your post. You brought back some great memories. I posted earlier about GPP. GPP "was" an awesome 80's hangout - straight out of something like "Fast Times At Ridgemont High"! I remember all those sounds too in that arcade - FUNNY. Let us know if you do a site or find some pics - I'd love to see them.

plumber

Posted Saturday, December 10, 2005 at 3:14 PM

God I hated that Globe store on Hillcroft. Ugh!

HoustonianInColorado, on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2005 @ 5:48pm, said:

What a great memory! I am 52 years old and grew up in Bellaire & Sharpstown until I was 9. Mom & Dad used to take me to ride those ponies at OST & Main. One of my early childhood fond memories.

Other memories in Houston as a child . . .

* Seeing Snow White at the movie theatre in the old shopping center on the north side of Bellaire Blvd. just east of the train tracks on the east end of Bellaire.

* Going to see Kitirik at Channel 13 and Captain Bob on Channel 2 at their old studios on Post Oak Rd.

* The deep drainage ditches along Avenue A (now Newcastle) and Post Oak Rd. in Bellaire.

* Movies at the Trail Drive In, and the new Sharpstown Drive In.

* Bissonnet was still called Old Richmond Road from the curve at about Edloe, down through Sharpstown.

* A big discount store on Hillcroft in Sharpstown called "Globe".

* That jingle . . ."Summer winter spring or fall, stroll in the air conditioned mall, with one stop to shop for all, at Sharpstown Center."

* The old Sears on South Main just south of Downtown

* U-Tote-M was a fairly large chain of convenience stores in those days. Their radio jingle? "Just in case anyone should ask you, you tell 'em U-Tote-M." Their sign incorporated a totem pole.

Probably a lot more stored in this old brain here!

Montrose1100, on Friday, November 18th, 2005 @ 3:14pm, said:

Busch Gardens?

There were a few of the bird cages and thatched roof huts lift when Anheser Busch underwent a major renovation in the middle 80's. The smokers were using the huts as a break area. Wrong part of town for an amusement park, don't you think?

plumber

Posted Saturday, December 10, 2005 at 3:31 PM

john Lopez, on Wednesday, October 19th, 2005 @ 1:46pm, said:

Every year, in the 50's & early 60's, Playland Park had "back to School" party. Houston Press had 1 coupon each day during summer, & was good for 1 free ride. We would collect coupons from anyone that would give to us, ride bus from Near North Side to Playland, & ride Roller Coaster 30 or 40 times. Used to see the Houston Wrestlers of Paul Bosch at the party every year.

There was also a Huge public swimming pool near there. Gateway Swim? Had a big bubble at bottom of deep end you could swim down to and actually breathe inside the bubble.... can't quite remember how that worked... hummmmm

The pool you probably remember was the Tropicana Pool on Telephone Rd. near Long Drive. The pool was
private but was open to the public. My parents had friends who lived in Garden Villas that were members. I was too you to go into the bubble but my older brothers and sister did. I was more fascinated with the retractable metal roof that slid over the pool area when it rained, kind of like Minute Maid Park. The pool closed about the same time the surrounding neighborhoods integrated and white families left the area. (mid 60's)

Subdude

Posted Saturday, December 10, 2005 at 6:57 PM

I don't know about the Tropicana, but people had mentioned earlier that the Gateway Pool on South Main had a submerged plastic bubble. In the picture the pool is open, but in the photo of the Surrey Motel you can see they later enclosed it.

Posted Image

Zephyr

Posted Thursday, December 15, 2005 at 9:03 PM

HoustonianInColorado, on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2005 @ 3:48pm, said:

What a great memory! I am 52 years old and grew up in Bellaire & Sharpstown until I was 9. Mom & Dad used to take me to ride those ponies at OST & Main. One of my early childhood fond memories.

You and I are about the same age. I grew up in Genoa, which was later known as the Almeda Mall area, and now, I think, is called South Belt/Ellington.

It seems the OST area was popular for everyone in southern Houston. I remember the pony rides, as well as the old OST Bowling Lanes.

The movie theater in Bellaire. It was still there as a $1 movie theater when I left Houston in 1985.

Kitirik....wasn't her assistant there a guy named Don Chandler? He also played the part of Nod the Clown.

Drive-Ins: For us in Genoa, it was the Gulfway Drive-In. I could watch the movies from our front yard. There was also the Kings Center on South Loop.

LOL.... "Globe"...Yes, Globe Shopping City was also near Gulfgate. Anyone remember the Sage store on the Gulf Freeway? Or the Sage at Beechnut and 610?

I remember the Sears on South Main...another one on Wayside east of the Gulf Freeway.....and the one in Pasadena.

Anybody remember places called Taylor Hall, and later, Liberty Hall (Downtown)?

I lived off-campus at UofH, and we had several names for the U-Tote-M there....the prices were so high.
"U-Grab-M, We_Stab_M" is the only one I can mention in polite company.

Who remembers day games at Colt Stadium, when you were hardboiled by the end of the game, or night games at Colt Stadium, when you got mugged by mosquitoes?

Meyerland Plaza....it was still a great place to shop until the early 80s, when new owners went in and cut down all the trees in order to make the place a miserable shopping experience. I think they wanted a write-off or some excuse to tear the place down or sell it for redevelopment.

My longterm memory is still holding up.

Montrose1100

Posted Friday, December 16, 2005 at 1:27 PM

bcnet, on Wednesday, September 28th, 2005 @ 3:24pm, said:

Did a little searching and found this picture of Hanna Barberra land in Spring.

Posted Image

My Sister got her first job working there. Seems like ages ago.

bigdukem69

Posted Saturday, December 24, 2005 at 12:54 PM

I grew up in Windsor Village in SW Houston. I definetly remember Kiddie Wonderland. I think those ponies weren't looking so healthy the last time I went in the early eighties. I think there was a Games People play on Fondren that was cool to go to. I also remember a Showbiz pizza place on Fondren and W. Belfort next to the old K-Mart I think. It was similar to Chuck-E-Cheese. I was there when they debuted the Dragon's Lair arcade in 1981 or 82. The line was out the door. And you thought Pac-Man was popular! I think this area is nothing but apartments now. Does anyone know where the old S. Main Drive-In was? It apparently had a small kiddie park underneath the screen. My brother and I have been discussing where it was located. McLendon Tri-Plex is all I remember. Good memories guys!

Ashikaga

Posted Tuesday, December 27, 2005 at 12:49 PM

Subdude, on Saturday, December 10th, 2005 @ 7:57pm, said:

I don't know about the Tropicana, but people had mentioned earlier that the Gateway Pool on South Main had a submerged plastic bubble. In the picture the pool is open, but in the photo of the Surrey Motel you can see they later enclosed it.

Posted Image

Years ago, I heard that the clorine water in some of the swimming pools in Houston contained a chemical that would turn a dark purple color in the water all around a person who would urinate while in the pool. Was this one of those pools? They did that to discourage people from relieving themselves in the pool.

foxmulder

Posted Tuesday, December 27, 2005 at 4:44 PM

Hey chet i was the one who sent you the santa rosa theater picture! Small world. For those interested i'm devoting a site to the demolition of our beloved astroworld! Old Astroworld

sevfiv

Posted Tuesday, December 27, 2005 at 4:58 PM

foxmulder, on Tuesday, December 27th, 2005 @ 3:44pm, said:

For those interested i'm devoting a site to the demolition of our beloved astroworld! Old Astroworld

interesting site - will be neat to see the "progress" of the demolition

foxmulder

Posted Tuesday, December 27, 2005 at 9:21 PM

sevfiv, on Tuesday, December 27th, 2005 @ 3:58pm, said:

interesting site - will be neat to see the "progress" of the demolition

Yep too sad to see it go away. So many memories. Hey someone mentioned the "Globe" store i went to one in 95'is are they still around?

PCfixit

Posted Tuesday, December 27, 2005 at 11:14 PM

belmontdrew, on Monday, June 20th, 2005 @ 12:57pm, said:

Does anyone remember these old amusement places in Houston? what they were called? where there may be pictures of them?

The ski slope at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway which later became...

The waterslide at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway which finally became...

Lone Star Amphitheatre at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway

OR HOW ABOUT...

Malibu go-cart raceway and arcade at the Southwest Freeway

Games-People-Play...I believe it was on Fondren....big 80's hangout with arcade, waterslides and go carts..

The little go cart place off westpark (Southwest Freeway ran in front of it)..the track was lined with red and white tires...

I remember the Malibu Grand Prix off I45 near Little York one of three that were here in town.

Ashikaga

Posted Wednesday, December 28, 2005 at 12:30 PM

foxmulder, on Tuesday, December 27th, 2005 @ 10:21pm, said:

Yep too sad to see it go away. So many memories. Hey someone mentioned the "Globe" store i went to one in 95'is are they still around?

Which Globe store did you go to? When I lived in Houston back in the early 1960s, I remember going to a Globe on Woodridge, which ran alongside to then Gulfgate Shopping City.

foxmulder

Posted Wednesday, December 28, 2005 at 12:45 PM

Ashikaga, on Wednesday, December 28th, 2005 @ 11:30am, said:

Which Globe store did you go to? When I lived in Houston back in the early 1960s, I remember going to a Globe on Woodridge, which ran alongside to then Gulfgate Shopping City.

I went somewere near downtown, i can't remember where exactly though. I'm only 21!

Subdude

Posted Thursday, December 29, 2005 at 11:40 AM

bigdukem69, on Saturday, December 24th, 2005 @ 11:54am, said:

Does anyone know where the old S. Main Drive-In was? It apparently had a small kiddie park underneath the screen. My brother and I have been discussing where it was located. McLendon Tri-Plex is all I remember. Good memories guys!

On the old Bob Bailey site there are photos of the South Main Amusement Park. I'm guessing it was adjacent to the South Main drive-in because you can see an outdoor theater marquee in the background of some of the shots.

Ashikaga

Posted Tuesday, January 3, 2006 at 11:49 AM

Subdude, on Thursday, December 29th, 2005 @ 12:40pm, said:

On the old Bob Bailey site there are photos of the South Main Amusement Park. I'm guessing it was adjacent to the South Main drive-in because you can see an outdoor theater marquee in the background of some of the shots.

DriveIns.Com has a photo of the South Main Drive-In. All it says is that it was located on
Old Fort Bend Road.

sprintcar

Posted Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 11:46 PM

57Tbird, on Saturday, July 16th, 2005 @ 9:32am, said:

I think that was Billy Wade. I could be wrong. I used to go there very often. He was one of my favorites.

Actually Billy Wade was the best at Meyer Speedway.Another Billy, Billy Griswold was pretty much unbeatable at Playland. The car owner was Johnny Reiff I worked for Johnny & often drove the car when the races were moved to Meyer after Blackie Lothringer's crash which sent him into the spectator stands at Playland.

sprintcar

Posted Friday, January 13, 2006 at 9:25 PM

57Tbird, on Saturday, July 16th, 2005 @ 9:32am, said:

I think that was Billy Wade. I could be wrong. I used to go there very often. He was one of my favorites.

Actually Billy Wade was unbeatable at Meyer Speedway which was a 1/2 mile track. Another Billy, Billy Griswold was the man to beat at Playland Park. The car owner was Johnny Reiff, who I worked for and later drove his car when Griswold retired.Playland was a 1/8th mile track. The big names at Meyer Speedway other than Wade were M.J.Burton, Bill Blumerich, Charles Ray Schild, Griswold,Jimmy McKinny,& Ronnie Chumley & Joe Plowman. Add H.B.Bailey to the list

57Tbird

Posted Saturday, January 14, 2006 at 11:52 AM

sprintcar, on Friday, January 13th, 2006 @ 8:25pm, said:

Actually Billy Wade was unbeatable at Meyer Speedway which was a 1/2 mile track. Another Billy, Billy Griswold was the man to beat at Playland Park. The car owner was Johnny Reiff, who I worked for and later drove his car when Griswold retired.Playland was a 1/8th mile track. The big names at Meyer Speedway other than Wade were M.J.Burton, Bill Blumerich, Charles Ray Schild, Griswold,Jimmy McKinny,& Ronnie Chumley & Joe Plowman. Add H.B.Bailey to the list

Wecome, sprintcar! From your comments, it's good to see there is someone on this forum that appears to be almost as old as I am...maybe older. From previous posts of mine, you can see that I went to many races at Playland and then to Meyer, when it opened. I always thought Playland was a 1/4 mile track, but you should know better than I. Did you read in a previous post of mine that I was very close to Blackie Lothringer's car when it came flying over the fence/wall that night? Were you there that night? Thanks for posting more names of the drivers of that era. I remember them. One you left out was Norm Pierce. He and Billy Wade had many close races to the finish line at Playland. A close friend of mine, Ben Bishop, raced at Meyer when it first opened. He was a rookie and only raced for a year or two. He ran in a '57 Chevy. Know him? Did you ever race at the old Arrowhead Park Speedway? I saw A. J. Foyt race there in midgets a few times when he was just starting out.

sprintcar

Posted Sunday, January 15, 2006 at 3:00 AM

57Tbird, on Saturday, July 16th, 2005 @ 9:32am, said:

I think that was Billy Wade. I could be wrong. I used to go there very often. He was one of my favorites.

Yeah, 57 bird you are right. Norman was a hard charging competitor.Unfortunantally we lost Norman in 2005.Yes I did go to Arrowhead, of course I was just a kid,but I would tag along behind Johnny Reiff, the car owner for Billy Griswold, I didn't drive anything there 'cuz I was way too young.Norman raced there alot,
as did Billy Wade,Doc Cossey, Buddy Rackley,A.JFoyt, Quinten Steinman,Don Burton, Cecil Elliot, Tubby Gonzales,&Billy Griswold. Griswold, Doc Cossy,Don Burton,Cecil Elliot, & Johnny Reiff,& Norman Peirce & of course Billy Wade are all gone now, I miss them all,but I owe them all alot. Those guy's taught me alot, not only mechanical & driving stuff, but kept me away from most bad things life can tempt you with while growing up.I still see Norman Peirce jr. a lot, he's pretty much like his dad, but he was never very interested in driving.

riverrat

Posted Monday, January 16, 2006 at 9:50 AM

sprintcar, on Sunday, January 15th, 2006 @ 2:00am, said:

Yeah, 57 bird you are right. Norman was a hard charging competitor.Unfortunantally we lost Norman in 2005.Yes I did go to Arrowhead, of course I was just a kid,but I would tag along behind Johnny Reiff, the car owner for Billy Griswold, I didn't drive anything there 'cuz I was way too young.Norman raced there alot,
as did Billy Wade,Doc Cossey, Buddy Rackley,A.JFoyt, Quinten Steinman,Don Burton, Cecil Elliot, Tubby Gonzales,&Billy Griswold. Griswold, Doc Cossy,Don Burton,Cecil Elliot, & Johnny Reiff,& Norman Peirce & of course Billy Wade are all gone now, I miss them all,but I owe them all alot. Those guy's taught me alot, not only mechanical & driving stuff, but kept me away from most bad things life can tempt you with while growing up.I still see Norman Peirce jr. a lot, he's pretty much like his dad, but he was never very interested in driving.

In the late 40's and early 50's there was a dirt track located in Channelview near the intersection of Sheldon Rd and Bear Bayou. It was active until about 1955 at the latest because I learned to drive on the old abandoned track in about 1958. Anyhow, it was only open on weedends and mostly stock cars built by local junkyard operators raced there but occassionally midget races and modifieds ran. These were mostly drivers from out of town (Houston was considered a long way off from Channelview in the 50's before I-10 was built.) I cannot remember any drivers who raced there but am sure some of the ones you have mentioned made the circuit.

icepickphil

Posted Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 11:48 AM

tomv, on Monday, July 4th, 2005 @ 11:35am, said:

A friend of mine mentioned a kiddie place called Wee Wild West. I went there as a kid (60's) but have no idea where it was. Anybody remember that one?

I went there as a child also for b'day parties. It was located near Yorktown and Westheimer I think. Maybe where they later in the 60s build Western National Bank. It's another bank now.

hbcu

Posted Sunday, February 26, 2006 at 3:46 AM

Peppermint Park I remember was where the beltway and 59 south meet now....it had some nice rides in it but it seemed like half the train tracks in there never worked...

I remember Nathan's Phimsical Whymsical in Sharpstown Mall....it had a shadow room, a mirror maze, a big jumping castle...

Westwood Mall had extensive renovations in 1991 or so...it had a 2-story merry-go-round.

Mountain Park...I never figured out its purpose...I went there once...

wasn't there 2 malibus in the SW Houston area?

my father remembered playland park but he grew up in the time where he could go only on certain days...

djrage

Posted Sunday, February 26, 2006 at 7:09 PM

Quote

wasn't there 2 malibus in the SW Houston area?

Yes. There was one on Westpark @ 59 and the other was on 610 between Hempstead & Old Katy Rd.

doc540

Posted Friday, March 31, 2006 at 9:47 AM

GregM, on Thursday, September 15th, 2005 @ 11:51pm, said:

The crash you are refering to happened in '59. One of the 3 people killed was one of the owners of Playland and unfortunately, he was the one owner who was passoinate about the park. This basicaly signaled the beginning of the end of the park since his siblings allowed it to fall into neglect and disrepair.

I found this out when I went to the library down town to research Playland. I found several news articles but zero photographs. Where can one find more pictures of Playland?

That's correct. Blackie went into the stands and killed several people. It effectively shut the place down.
But I thought it was family, like children or grandchildren, of the owner who were killed. Are you sure it was the owner?

We used to go to the races in Channel View, Meyerland, and Playland Park and my favorite driver was Buddy Rackley. I think he ran the #8 on his midget. It was the most exciting thing in the world to a 6 year old kid. Gawd, I love the smell of burned fuel and castor oil to this day.

I distinctly remember A. J. Foyt, Jr. (rememer, A.J. Sr. was "Tony" Foyt, a force to be reckoned with!) because as a teenage kid and driver he always sported natty, clean uniforms amidst all the grease and gunk.

roym

Posted Monday, April 3, 2006 at 4:03 PM

What was the name of the dirt track on South Main? I went there only once as a kid in the mid 70s and a car flipped over right in front of us. It was really cool! :-)

That site sat vacant for a very long time and I think was still there in the mid to late 80s.

Also, anyone know what the name of the motorcycle racing track that used to be at 59 & 610?

I have seen some web sites here and there dedicated to old auto racing sites in various locations around the country but never any for the Houston area. Now that would be awesome!

Subdude

Posted Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at 10:01 AM

Quote

What was the name of the dirt track on South Main? I went there only once as a kid in the mid 70s and a car flipped over right in front of us. It was really cool! :-)

That site sat vacant for a very long time and I think was still there in the mid to late 80s.

Was that Playland Park? There are a number of posts here about it.

roym

Posted Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at 2:35 PM

Subdude, on Tuesday, April 4th, 2006 @ 10:01am, said:

Was that Playland Park? There are a number of posts here about it.

I'm sorta thinking it was based on several posts about it here and other places. There's a thread about it on the Houston Area Postcard club site.

Someone said it was located at S. Main & Murworth - which would be inside the loop (currently).

Found a small news item about it on Historic Houston: "July 1951: A gang riot erupts near Playland Park and 36 youths are jailed."

For some reason I'm thinking of a racetrack that was further south on the Alt 90 section much closer to Stafford/Sugarland.

57Tbird

Posted Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at 5:10 PM

roym, on Tuesday, April 4th, 2006 @ 1:35pm, said:

For some reason I'm thinking of a racetrack that was further south on the Alt 90 section much closer to Stafford/Sugarland.

The only one out that direction would have been Meyer Speedway. It was located just west of Butler Stadium about where Hillcroft is. It was a half-mile paved track. The Playland track was long gone in the mid-70's.

starman1981

Posted Friday, April 7, 2006 at 12:50 AM

bcnet, on Wednesday, September 28th, 2005 @ 3:24pm, said:

Did a little searching and found this picture of Hanna Barberra land in Spring.

Posted Image

the only memories i had if i remember correctly when you were on the paddle boats there was like a rainbow bridge you went under, a ferris wheel ...and blue ice cream? i rmember my folkes bought me this souvenier there it was a smurf train that you wound up and went in circles. anyone find more pics of hanna barbera land?

starman1981

Posted Friday, April 7, 2006 at 1:03 AM

Trophy Property, on Thursday, July 28th, 2005 @ 1:46pm, said:

This is not really on topic, but what about the Blimp Hangar out on I-45. I remember when we used to drive to Ftl Worth to seem my Grandparents we would pass by the Hangar and sometimes the blimp was out there. I have no clue where this was or what is there now.

and i remember that place i used to pass by it all the time when i was little when i had to go to my granma's house ,if you know where the old sam montgomery oldsmobile dealership used to be and on the corner of rankin road where a RV dealer now stands,is where she used to stay. Now heres a question that ive always wanted answers to, who remembers that rocket man on the old sam montgomery dealership roof? if you do anyone know its where abouts? the last time ive seen it was when they used it for display during the rockets first championship. sorry if jumped off topic for a minute

jakdad

Posted Sunday, April 23, 2006 at 8:37 AM

sprintcar, on Friday, January 13th, 2006 @ 8:25pm, said:

Actually Billy Wade was unbeatable at Meyer Speedway which was a 1/2 mile track. Another Billy, Billy Griswold was the man to beat at Playland Park. The car owner was Johnny Reiff, who I worked for and later drove his car when Griswold retired.Playland was a 1/8th mile track. The big names at Meyer Speedway other than Wade were M.J.Burton, Bill Blumerich, Charles Ray Schild, Griswold,Jimmy McKinny,& Ronnie Chumley & Joe Plowman. Add H.B.Bailey to the list

Hey Sprintcar, I just ran across some old posts. I also knew Johnny, Billy and others. Since you knew Johnny and Billy, You must have known Tony Medina (great guy to have on your side in a fight). What ever became of Tony? He used to have a tire store on Washington Ave. I lost track of a lot of these guys after racing. I think Jimmy (Griswold) still has the transmission shop. Man, this board brings back memories!
Jakdad

chilimomma

Posted Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 5:45 AM

Playland Park's address was 9200 South Main St. My family lived inside the gates from 1942 until 1952.
My Dad was a partner in Busch-Laube Concessions who had the food stands.

Dad and Mother owned the mug joint ( photo machine) My brother and I had a pony ride. David and I bought our ponies and tack from the guy who owned the pony ride on South Main a couple of blocks north of the Shamrock.

There was a downtown amusement park that was called Playmore.

I also remember Playland Stadium and the accident. Sam Slusky (one of the owners of Playland) was killed in that one. I had been in the stadium talking to Mr. Slusky just a few minutes before.

How about Meyerland Speedway?

roym

Posted Monday, May 29, 2006 at 10:18 PM

Here's an amusement park/kiddie park I don't think I've seen mentioned on HAIF:

Kiddie King Center
5103 Holmes Rd.
Phone: OL 4-5512

From the Houston Chronicle, May 23, 1956:

Posted Image

Little late to use the free ticket I guess...

Ashikaga

Posted Wednesday, May 31, 2006 at 1:44 PM

roym, on Monday, May 29th, 2006 @ 10:18pm, said:

Here's an amusement park/kiddie park I don't think I've seen mentioned on HAIF:

Kiddie King Center
5103 Holmes Rd.
Phone: OL 4-5512

From the Houston Chronicle, May 23, 1956:

Posted Image

Little late to use the free ticket I guess...

I wonder if this was the amusement park I remember going to that was near the Prudential Building? While on the rides or walking around eating candy apples and cotton candy, we could see "the rock".

Subdude

Posted Wednesday, May 31, 2006 at 2:47 PM

Nope, probably now. This one was by today's South Loop.

Ashikaga

Posted Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 5:55 PM

Subdude, on Wednesday, May 31st, 2006 @ 2:47pm, said:

Nope, probably now. This one was by today's South Loop.

If you were to take a ride in the middle of the night, getting on IH 610, say, where it intersects with Gulf Freeway, how long do you think that it would take you to make a full circle, exiting at Gulfgate Mall?

jakdad

Posted Monday, June 5, 2006 at 10:17 PM

Ashikaga, on Thursday, June 1st, 2006 @ 4:55pm, said:

If you were to take a ride in the middle of the night, getting on IH 610, say, where it intersects with Gulf Freeway, how long do you think that it would take you to make a full circle, exiting at Gulfgate Mall?

610 Loop is 37 miles around. Probably about 40 minutes.

JGraspo

Posted Tuesday, June 6, 2006 at 2:18 AM

jakdad, on Monday, June 5th, 2006 @ 10:17pm, said:

610 Loop is 37 miles around. Probably about 40 minutes.

I just finish driving around the loop. It took 38:28.91 to go around the loop at 60mph at around 1am with no traffic :blush:

I know sad...I couldn't sleep

Sharpstown Bill

Posted Tuesday, June 6, 2006 at 9:34 AM

It's always funny how the papers back then would put the person's name AND address in the article--could you imagine that now? It'd probably land a lawsuit!

roym

Posted Tuesday, June 6, 2006 at 9:49 AM

Sharpstown Bill, on Tuesday, June 6th, 2006 @ 9:34am, said:

It's always funny how the papers back then would put the person's name AND address in the article--could you imagine that now? It'd probably land a lawsuit!

Yep - we're all much too afraid of the consequences these days to go around posting our names and addresses all over the place.

arrow

Posted Saturday, July 8, 2006 at 1:13 PM

I remembert Gateway, both the pool and the skating rink. Had birthday party room at the rink, did the bunny hop and
the hokey pokey there.

about the "Bubble" that has indeed been a mystery; I was afraid of it and thus never went down it -- and have not
ever been able to fiigure out how it was that one could breathe inside it.

--> so if anyone knows how the bubble worked, please reply although maybe some things should just be left
as a mystery,

There was also a big tower like thing called, I think, the bobber, where you could jump on it and it would take you
down to the water and back up.

maybe 18 years ago I drove by where gateway was and walked to where the pool was - it was all closed down
but the pool was stiill there - i saw some metal objects floating in the shallow end, perhaps it was remnants of the
bubble or the bopper.

other things remembered --

the monoriail test track near smain and ost

kiddeworld on smain of course

fallout shelter store on smain near ost

playland park - i wasnt allowed to go but snuck there one time - remember a carny area like where
they guessed your weight
(maybe it was the race accident mentioned in other posts that was cause of parents not letting me go;
I always thought it was not wanting me to be around carnival folks)

saturday matinees at bellarire theater - stella link and bellaire - cartoon, serial, western and feature

kitirik - went to the show once also -- guess they wanted to get adult viewers also with the black tights and high heels

remember captain bob show also, as well as romper room - went to that once - i think channel 11 had studios
in prudential building

what about the weather eye - i'll have to see some other section of the web site for that -- anyone remember
the song in their ad about it ? (I know, but its a good quiz item)

Georg
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

john Lopez, on Wednesday, October 19th, 2005 @ 10:46am, said:

Every year, in the 50's & early 60's, Playland Park had "back to School" party. Houston Press had 1 coupon each day during summer, & was good for 1 free ride. We would collect coupons from anyone that would give to us, ride bus from Near North Side to Playland, & ride Roller Coaster 30 or 40 times. Used to see the Houston Wrestlers of Paul Bosch at the party every year.

There was also a Huge public swimming pool near there. Gateway Swim? Had a big bubble at bottom of deep end you could swim down to and actually breathe inside the bubble.... can't quite remember how that worked... hummmmm

Ashikaga

Posted Thursday, July 13, 2006 at 1:34 PM

roym, on Tuesday, April 4th, 2006 @ 2:35pm, said:

I'm sorta thinking it was based on several posts about it here and other places. There's a thread about it on the Houston Area Postcard club site.

Someone said it was located at S. Main & Murworth - which would be inside the loop (currently).

Found a small news item about it on Historic Houston: "July 1951: A gang riot erupts near Playland Park and 36 youths are jailed."

For some reason I'm thinking of a racetrack that was further south on the Alt 90 section much closer to Stafford/Sugarland.

Since Astroworld is gone and it sounds like there are no more amusement park in Houston, does that leave Kemah with the only one?

Firebird65

Posted Thursday, July 13, 2006 at 3:21 PM

Anybody know when Playland Park opened? Believe it or not, I've got through every thread on HAIF and while I found lots of interesting stories, I never once saw anyone say when it opened. The closest was a post where someone said he lived on the site from 1942 to 1952. Is that when it opened? 1942?

Ashikaga

Posted Thursday, July 13, 2006 at 3:28 PM

Firebird65, on Thursday, July 13th, 2006 @ 3:21pm, said:

Anybody know when Playland Park opened? Believe it or not, I've got through every thread on HAIF and while I found lots of interesting stories, I never once saw anyone say when it opened. The closest was a post where someone said he lived on the site from 1942 to 1952. Is that when it opened? 1942?

I still get Playland and Peppermint Park confused.

Alpha

Posted Monday, July 17, 2006 at 11:35 PM

I remember going to Kiddieland park some time in the early 50s. I was very small and don't remember much about it. It might have been on the Katy freeway - which was highway 90 then. I have tried searching Google, but can't find any mention of it anywhere.

enviromain

Posted Wednesday, July 19, 2006 at 9:15 PM

belmontdrew, on Monday, June 20th, 2005 @ 1:57pm, said:

Does anyone remember these old amusement places in Houston? what they were called? where there may be pictures of them?

The ski slope at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway which later became...

The waterslide at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway which finally became...

Malibu go-cart raceway and arcade at the Southwest Freeway

Games-People-Play...I believe it was on Fondren....big 80's hangout with arcade, waterslides and go carts..

The ski slope was a joke! I'm not sure how they thought that would work in the Hot Texas State! I remember driving by it and feeling exited that it might work. Think about how fast ice melts in Texas. What a tax right-off. I don't know why the waterslide did not work out, but I was under the impression that it was owned by the same "tax right-off people."

Malibu at SW Freeway was a murder scene of 3 or more people during late 70's or early 80's. It was a horrific awakening for those of us who had been there before. I have to say, I never went back!

Games People Play was on Fondren and Beechnut. Learned to play PacMan, Froggers. and Centipede there! How funny! I can still picture it, not much now but a whole lot at the time. Used to practice baseball there too.

TexasCE

Posted Thursday, July 20, 2006 at 1:10 PM

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Saturday, July 22, 2006 at 7:52 AM

Alpha, on Monday, July 17th, 2006 @ 11:35pm, said:

I remember going to Kiddieland park some time in the early 50s. I was very small and don't remember much about it. It might have been on the Katy freeway - which was highway 90 then. I have tried searching Google, but can't find any mention of it anywhere.

Alpha, I thought I was the only one who remembered that place! Like you, I remember very little about it as I was very young. I went there with a birthday group with a kid from school, so I had to have been at least 5 (1953). All I really remember about the place was that there was a fire truck that ran around the fenced park, and kids were riding on the top of it. It was a huge fire truck, but I was seeing through a small kid's eyes. However, I didn't get to ride it for some reason.

I remember the place being way out Hwy 90 (I-10), and would guess it was between Bingle and, at the farthest, Gessner.

Alpha

Posted Saturday, July 22, 2006 at 9:02 AM

Heights2Bastrop, on Saturday, July 22nd, 2006 @ 7:52am, said:

Alpha, I thought I was the only one who remembered that place! Like you, I remember very little about it as I was very young. I went there with a birthday group with a kid from school, so I had to have been at least 5 (1953). All I really remember about the place was that there was a fire truck that ran around the fenced park, and kids were riding on the top of it. It was a huge fire truck, but I was seeing through a small kid's eyes. However, I didn't get to ride it for some reason.

I remember the place being way out Hwy 90 (I-10), and would guess it was between Bingle and, at the farthest, Gessner.

Thanks for your reply, Heights2Bastrop.

I was beginning to think that I was imagining it :-).

I was also 5 in 1953, but I don't know how old I was when I went there. I just remember that my mom said that Kiddieland was better than Playland Park for little kids.

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Saturday, July 22, 2006 at 11:32 AM

Alpha

Posted Monday, July 24, 2006 at 9:05 AM

Speaking of Playland Park

I was going through old pictures and found this ad in a copy of the 1945 Daily Cougar (my Dad's) from U of H.

Posted Image

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Monday, July 24, 2006 at 9:43 AM

What a great find!

Norhill Dennis

Posted Tuesday, July 25, 2006 at 7:37 PM

While not an amusement park, does anybody remember the ball stadium where Fingers Furniture is now? I can't remember what it was called but do remember going there a lot as a kid.

Dennis

Subdude

Posted Tuesday, July 25, 2006 at 7:40 PM

That was Buffalo Stadium, no? Where the Buffs played. I think we have some photos of it around here.

roym

Posted Wednesday, July 26, 2006 at 3:23 PM

Alpha, on Monday, July 24th, 2006 @ 9:05am, said:

Speaking of Playland Park

I was going through old pictures and found this ad in a copy of the 1945 Daily Cougar (my Dad's) from U of H.

Posted Image

Would this be the same roller coaster? Dated May 1943. I believe I found this image online at the Smithsonian.

Posted Image

Alpha

Posted Wednesday, July 26, 2006 at 3:54 PM

[quote name='roym' date='Wednesday, July 26th, 2006 @ 3:23pm' post='102266']
Would this be the same roller coaster? Dated May 1943. I believe I found this image online at the Smithsonian.

I believe it is, especially since the ad is from 1945. Great picture, by the way. I think I'll look at the Smithsonian online and see what else I can find.

Croberts

Posted Wednesday, July 26, 2006 at 5:01 PM

tomv, on Monday, July 4th, 2005 @ 12:35pm, said:

A friend of mine mentioned a kiddie place called Wee Wild West. I went there as a kid (60's) but have no idea where it was. Anybody remember that one?

It was in the lamar terrace area, south of westhiemer and west of post oak or even chimney rock I think. I went there in the 1950s, and lived in Lamar Terrace till 1958.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, July 29, 2006 at 8:35 PM

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, July 30, 2006 at 1:50 AM

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Sunday, July 30, 2006 at 9:12 AM

57Tbird

Posted Monday, July 31, 2006 at 11:50 AM

Mark F. Barnes, on Saturday, July 29th, 2006 @ 8:20pm, said:

okay boys and girls here is one for the ages

Posted Image

Scrambling around the pits trying to get ready @ Playland

Posted Image

That's (L to R) my father H H Barnes his little brother (and Mechanic) Robert Barnes, Ralph Beckett, and a very young Lloyd Ruby!!!!

This sure doesn't look like the track set-up I remember at Playland Park on South Main in Houston. With all due respect, this may be a Playland race track, but it's somewhere else other than Houston.
The only thing it has in common with the Houston Playland layout is some carnival rides in the background.
I went to dozens of races there between 1950 and when it closed down in the early 60's, so the memories are pretty well etched in what gray matter I have left. I saw just about everything there...modifieds, midgets, powder-puff derbies, figure-8 races, demolition derbies. I don't remember any sprint-car races though, like the cars shown in these photos. I think the track might have been too short for them. There could have been some, though. I do remember lots of sprint-car races at Meyer on the half-mile track there.
First...There were no trees in the area. The track ran east to west. The start-finish line was on the north side with a small press box at the top of the stands. I always sat in the south side stands. The parking area was behind these stands, with not much to the south except open land and some motels. To the north, there was the U-turn of the roller coaster and then a few motels and other small structures over to OST where Prince's Drive-In was located at the intersection of Main and OST. The entrance to the raceway was on the west side of the track at the far east end of the amusement park area. At the east end of the track was the pit area. Beyond the pit area were open fields and no trees. The parking area for the amusement area was between the park and South Main. I think Gaido's was on the other side of Main from Playland.
Second... There was no white picket fence around the pit area; nor was there any grass in the pit area. There were well-worn horizontal boards about 3'-4' high that encircled the track. Behind that track barrier was a tall chain-link fence...maybe 8-10' tall that was in front of the stands on both the north and south sides. At the west end of the track, outside the wooden barrier, was a corrogated metal fence/wall about 8' tall. Just outside this was the entrance to the raceway for the spectators. I mentioned in another thread about Playland that I was standing in the entrance area when Blackie Lothringer's came flying over the wall during warm-ups and killed a couple of people not more than 50' from me. It's amazing that no one else was killed during the races there, over the years. I remember several times when cars would hurdle over the barrier and into the chain-link fence, almost into the people sitting down in front. Safety regulations today would never allow a set-up like they had back then. The entrance to the pits was through a gate at turn 3. The exit was back through another gate at turn 4. The pit area was asphalt and no grass.
Third...There is a blue tent and a white house in the upper left background of one of the photos. Nothing like that at Playland in Houston.
Fourth... I showed these photos to some contemporaries of mine who attended races at Playland, and they concurred that those pictures were not from the Playland we know.
So...I don't know where the description of these photos came from, but I'm sure they are not of Playland-Houston.
I love the pictures and hope you post more of them.

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Monday, July 31, 2006 at 12:08 PM

TBird, I thought the same thing, only my memories of the Playland Park racetrack are from a very young age. As a kid, things usually seem much bigger that they actually were. In this case, it was just the opposite. The track in the photos appears much larger than what I remember Playland being.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Tuesday, August 1, 2006 at 2:45 AM

57Tbird

Posted Tuesday, August 1, 2006 at 11:51 AM

Mark, Even though I knew that wasn't Playland-Houston, thank you for affirming that I still have a few kilobytes of memory left upstairs. Those "real" pictures of Playland-Houston brought back a lot of memories, and most of the details were as I remembered. Those races were some of the most fun times of my mid-teens to mid-20's youth, so I guess that's why a lot of the details were imbedded. Your pictures of the races with the cars, track and stands were fantastic. I only wish I could have had the foresight to have taken similar pictures when I had the chance. One of my favorites was Billy Wade. Many times, he and Norman Pierce would mix it up out on the track. I remember them getting into a fight with each other after one race.
Thanks again for the great pictures! I look forward to seeing more.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Tuesday, August 1, 2006 at 1:02 PM

This one's for you T-Bird

Posted Image

"Stormin' Norman" Pierce #98 standing on the left. And I think that's Billy Wade on the right!

57Tbird

Posted Wednesday, August 2, 2006 at 5:16 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Tuesday, August 1st, 2006 @ 1:02pm, said:

This one's for you T-Bird

Thanks, Mark! I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting up with Norman when I had my first car, a '51 Chevy, worked on at Jimmie Green Chevrolet, on Shepherd between Westheimer and W. Alabama. There was a problem with my brakes that the mechanic wanted to talk to me about. I went back to the work area and who should be the mechanic who wanted to see me? None other than "Stormin' Norman". What a surprise! This must have been about 1953-54.

PapillionWyngs

Posted Wednesday, August 2, 2006 at 9:35 PM

77017, on Tuesday, July 26th, 2005 @ 3:49pm, said:

Man it really trips me out how many of yall are from southeast, I feel like I'm hearin family members talk when I read yalls posts. I'm 3rd generation southeast myself. My grandparents lived in the magnolia/manchester area and my parents were from right there off broadway by milby, sellers bros., ingrando park, etc. Am I the only one who swam at glenbrook public pool, and jumped off the dreaded "hightower"? When I was up there as a kid I used to look out in the distance and see the skyline and think, "man I wanna live there one day, and now I do so ha, take that "your supposed to stay in the hood" mentality! Does anyone remember a place called "the mark" across the street from milby in the early 80's during the explosion of breakdancing? It was an arcade and a place to battle (breakdance "fight"). Supertrack closed???? Wow that's the end of an era.

I lived in Park Place for 26 years. Went to Houston Christian School, Park Place Elementary, Deady Jr. High, Milby Sr. High and U of H. Boy - Glenbrook pool brings back memories. That high tower was/is HIGH!

oldtimer

Posted Wednesday, August 2, 2006 at 9:40 PM

H-Town Man, on Saturday, August 6th, 2005 @ 3:11pm, said:

Okay, here's one for you oldtimers. My dad tells me about a Jersey cattle farm and dairy on the location of present day Jersey Village. You went there and saw them milking cows, and then you could eat ice cream made from the cows that they had just milked. If anyone remembers or can tell me more about this, I'll be impressed.

Another favorite pastime of area residents was to spend time at the ice cream parlor operated by Clark Henry, who owned the F & M Jersey Ranch, a Jersey cattle ranch and dairy. Patrons of his shop, which was located with current boundaries of the City of Jersey Village, ate ice cream as they watched the milking of his cows. Trips to the popular dairy parlor were a tradition in the Cypress-Fairbanks community for many years. They had 5-cent ice cream cones and 10-cent malts.

http://www.cfisd.net...htm#inhabitants

H-town I would guess you may have gone swimming in the creek at the park in Tomball. There was a rope hanging from a tree made so that you could swing out and drop off into the water. What fun! And did you ever eat a hamburger made by Mrs. Lucy at Brownies Cafe on 149? Beat Fudruckers by a mile!

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Wednesday, August 2, 2006 at 11:20 PM

Believe it or not this is the Track Record Holder, M J Burton!!!!!!

Posted Image

Scary bunch of thugs here!!!!

Posted Image

Anybody recognize this cat????

None other than "Texas Terry" Labonte!!!! Has to be in 1975

Posted Image

Ole Money Bags Himself.....Big Ed Hamblen and George Nash @ the awards banquet in 1968

Ron4tx

Posted Friday, August 4, 2006 at 10:42 AM

bcnet, on Wednesday, September 28th, 2005 @ 3:24pm, said:

Did a little searching and found this picture of Hanna Barberra land in Spring.

Posted Image

The interesting thing about Hanna Barberra Land was that all rides were "People Powered"
No rides were electrically driven.

When you left there, your arms and legs were tired!

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Friday, August 4, 2006 at 1:27 PM

Boy Downtown has changed some!!!

Posted Image

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Friday, August 4, 2006 at 2:29 PM

This view looks northbound along the North Freeway from just south of Shepherd/North Freeway Merge to the Stubner/Airline Intersection in 1959. Boy they've Built some stuff there since then.

Firebird65

Posted Friday, August 4, 2006 at 3:07 PM

I grew up right smack-dab in the middle of that picture!

Mark, I came across that photo of old U.S. 75 in Houston Freeways and it inspired me to write a history of the area, which I'm working on right now as I post this. I stop in here occasionally to see if anyone has posted anything to help in my research. Was I happy to see this post!

To the left of the future I-45 you can see the beginnings of Hidden Valley. I grew up just to the right of the future I-45 in northline Terrace, which in the 1959 photo is an open field.

Toward the top of the photo you can see the new Aldine High School, which was built at Airline and West Road in 1956 after the original school (on Aldine Westfield and Aldine Bender) burned down on Thanksgiving Eve 1954.

Towards the bottom middle of the photo along what was then North Shepherd Drive (U.S. 75) there are three gasoline storage tanks, which is Exxon's (then Humble's) North Houston Products Terminal. I am trying to find out when these were built. If anyone knows, by all means, let me know.

I'd love to start a thread about the history of the area in the photo, but so far, it seems the board is mostly made up of people who grew up in Sharpstown or along South Main. As best as I can determine, I'm the only person on here who grew up in this area.

Anyone out there who wants to talk about the Aldine/Airline area?

mkultra25

Posted Friday, August 4, 2006 at 4:26 PM

Firebird65, on Friday, August 4th, 2006 @ 3:07pm, said:

I grew up right smack-dab in the middle of that picture!

Mark, I came across that photo of old U.S. 75 in Houston Freeways and it inspired me to write a history of the area, which I'm working on right now as I post this. I stop in here occasionally to see if anyone has posted anything to help in my research. Was I happy to see this post!

To the left of the future I-45 you can see the beginnings of Hidden Valley. I grew up just to the right of the future I-45 in northline Terrace, which in the 1959 photo is an open field.

Toward the top of the photo you can see the new Aldine High School, which was built at Airline and West Road in 1956 after the original school (on Aldine Westfield and Aldine Bender) burned down on Thanksgiving Eve 1954.

Towards the bottom middle of the photo along what was then North Shepherd Drive (U.S. 75) there are three gasoline storage tanks, which is Exxon's (then Humble's) North Houston Products Terminal. I am trying to find out when these were built. If anyone knows, by all means, let me know.

I'd love to start a thread about the history of the area in the photo, but so far, it seems the board is mostly made up of people who grew up in Sharpstown or along South Main. As best as I can determine, I'm the only person on here who grew up in this area.

Anyone out there who wants to talk about the Aldine/Airline area?

That is an amazing photo - I grew up right in the middle of it as well, in Hidden Valley, and my parents still live there. I assume that's Hidden Valley Drive along the north boundary of that first group of houses built in the neighborhood (dead-ending into US 75 as it heads east), and Sunnywood heading north from there parallel to 75 before crossing what would be SH 249.

When I tell people that are more recent arrivals to that area that it used to be practically out in the country, they find it hard to believe given the massive development that's taken place since then. Unfortunately, flood control improvements haven't kept pace with development, which is why you can count on seeing a shot of the intersection of 249 and 45 under several feet of water on the evening news every time there's significant rainfall in the area.

Firebird65

Posted Friday, August 4, 2006 at 4:42 PM

Alright! A fellow northsider!

Yes, that is Hidden Valley Drive dead-ending into 75 and Sunnywood is the north/south street paralleling it. That's Hidden Valley Section 1 and construction started in 1958.

There's a story in the Houston Chronicle interviewing former Aldine ISD supertendent W.W. Thorne talking about the area being nothing but a treeless plain when he bought a house there in 1958. The reason he bought there? Basically because there was nothing else around!

I have an ad from 1966 touting homes in Hidden Valley Section 5 for $115 a month. Wow!

I was doing research through old newspapers last night at U.H. and came across ads for McMahon Chevrolet, which opened in January 1971 at Hidden Valley and I-45. You might be interested in knowing that the Texaco station at that same corner and the Shell at West Mount Houston and I-45 (both incorporating Hidden Valley in their names) were built in 1963 along with the freeway. The now-closed Kroger was built in 1966 and remodeled in 1974. The Hidden Valley Shopping Center apparently was built in 1969 and consisted of a Madsen-Dugan Pharmacy, a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, a TG&Y and later a Weiners.

I've got lots more if you're interested, including info on roads stores, etc., and I'd love to hear anything you've got on the area. As I've said, I'm doing a history on the area. Actually it's a history of the Aldine Mustangs football team and I'm incorporating facts about how the area has grown and changed to add some flavor to it.

Perhaps we should start a new thread? That way others might more easily find it and can join in rather than having it buried as off topic in this unrelated one.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Friday, August 4, 2006 at 5:28 PM

Ask and Ye shall receive

History of Aldine Forum

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Friday, August 4, 2006 at 6:43 PM

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, August 6, 2006 at 11:06 PM

enviromain

Posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 at 7:16 PM

foxmulder, on Wednesday, December 28th, 2005 @ 12:45pm, said:

I went somewere near downtown, i can't remember where exactly though. I'm only 21!

The only Globe I knew of was on the corner of Hillcroft and Bellaire Blvd. in Sharpstown, across from the Sharpstown Drive-In Theatre and a Chinese Restaurant. Nothing much more was built up in that area during the 70's.

enviromain

Posted Sunday, September 3, 2006 at 5:05 PM

Ashikaga, on Wednesday, July 27th, 2005 @ 10:11am, said:

The last time I went to any amusement park was to Astroworld back during the summer of 1978.

Astroworld being built:

Posted Image

WestUNative

Posted Monday, September 4, 2006 at 3:47 PM

Back to Playland Park Racing. I am so impressed with your memory, 57Tbird! Your description fits to a T my remembrance of the track and surrounds. As West U. kids our hero was A.J., our neighbor, but I remember well Stormin' Norman and a few others. Not I have a question to tax your memories, all of you who kept up with such things.

Around 1955-56, I met a guy named Phillip______? He raced stock cars at Playland. He was older than I, me being 14-15 at the time. He was very slender, dark hair, nice guy, but was not considered fit company for me by my family. No romantics envolved, just friends, but he taught me how to take high speed curves and turns, pre-power steering. One night, he brought around his highly newly souped up 1955 Chevy and invited me to go for a trial spin. We headed out to South Main, past any signs of civilization and took off, reaching 155mph! It was the scariest, most thrilling thing I'd ever experienced.

I don't think he ever got famous or anything, but I have wracked my brain for years trying to remember his last name. If any of you have a clue or an old roster of stock car drivers, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks.

budman

Posted Tuesday, September 5, 2006 at 2:01 AM

I would love to post a photo of a famous old Houston race car, but since I just joined this forum, I haven't yet quite figured out how to attach a photo. The car was built by Tony Foyt in the late 50's and was run at Playland and Meyer Speedway by Billy Wade. It is a white #2 T-bucket super-modified. Anybody remember this car? I have a photo of it.

In the mean time, I invite those of you on this forum who have an interest in local Texas racing, past and present to join us on TEXAS SPEEDZONE (TXSZ.Com) Forums Section. I have the photo posted at the top of the "Texas Racing History Section" right now. Regards.

Posted Tuesday, September 5, 2006 at 2:03 AM

budman, on Tuesday, September 5th, 2006 @ 2:01am, said:

I would love to post a photo of a famous old Houston race car, but since I just joined this forum, I haven't yet quite figured out how to attach a photo. The car was built by Tony Foyt in the late 50's and was run at Playland and Meyer Speedway by Billy Wade. It is a white #2 T-bucket super-modified. Anybody remember this car? I have a photo of it.

In the mean time, I invite those of you on this forum who have an interest in local Texas racing, past and present to join us on TEXAS SPEEDZONE (TXSZ.Com) Forums Section. I have the photo posted at the top of the "Texas Racing History Section" right now. Regards.

''Photobucket''

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Tuesday, September 5, 2006 at 2:18 AM

Here you go Budman!

The great Wild Bill White, doing what he did best, driving the hell out of a Modified

budman

Posted Tuesday, September 5, 2006 at 3:22 AM

WestUNative,

At night on a public road in a 55 chevy at 155 mph? Just be glad you don't remember his last name! :lol:

WestUNative

Posted Tuesday, September 5, 2006 at 2:16 PM

Surely the statue of limitations has long passed on speeding tickets!

I will reassure you there were no other cars or people around and the road was flitter flat, like all of Big H. Don't forget he was a professional race car driver -- oops, I see what you mean. There were a lot of crashes at the track.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, September 9, 2006 at 4:54 PM

WestUNative, on Monday, September 4th, 2006 @ 3:47pm, said:

Back to Playland Park Racing. I am so impressed with your memory, 57Tbird! Your description fits to a T my remembrance of the track and surrounds. As West U. kids our hero was A.J., our neighbor, but I remember well Stormin' Norman and a few others. Not I have a question to tax your memories, all of you who kept up with such things.

Around 1955-56, I met a guy named Phillip______? He raced stock cars at Playland. He was older than I, me being 14-15 at the time. He was very slender, dark hair, nice guy, but was not considered fit company for me by my family. No romantics envolved, just friends, but he taught me how to take high speed curves and turns, pre-power steering. One night, he brought around his highly newly souped up 1955 Chevy and invited me to go for a trial spin. We headed out to South Main, past any signs of civilization and took off, reaching 155mph! It was the scariest, most thrilling thing I'd ever experienced.

I don't think he ever got famous or anything, but I have wracked my brain for years trying to remember his last name. If any of you have a clue or an old roster of stock car drivers, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks.

West U,
Is there any possibility he was Marvin Fillip? He was simply known as Fillip, a lot of people didn't really know him as anything but Fillip. I have one old photo of Marvin Fillip in his super modified @ Meyerland Speedway. I will post it, and see if it rings any bells.

Posted Image

FreakyDude

Posted Saturday, September 9, 2006 at 7:16 PM

Original Timmy Chan, on Monday, June 20th, 2005 @ 6:45pm, said:

Sea Arama in Galveston was always popular

cowboybud

Posted Sunday, September 10, 2006 at 12:03 AM

FreakyDude, on Saturday, September 9th, 2006 @ 7:16pm, said:

That's sad.

I remember it being a lot bigger when I was a kid.

Posted Sunday, September 10, 2006 at 12:31 AM

FreakyDude, on Saturday, September 9th, 2006 @ 7:16pm, said:

I went there when i was six. it was cool.

FreakyDude

Posted Sunday, September 10, 2006 at 6:05 PM

cowboybud, on Sunday, September 10th, 2006 @ 12:03am, said:

That's sad.

I remember it being a lot bigger when I was a kid.

I thought it was a lot bigger as well. But you know what they say: "You were smaller so everything was bigger!"

roym

Posted Saturday, September 23, 2006 at 6:11 PM

Fairyland Park
9305 Jensen Drive

Posted Image

PapillionWyngs

Posted Sunday, September 24, 2006 at 1:17 AM

I miss Sea Arama, Peppermint Park and now Astroworld!

enviromain

Posted Monday, September 25, 2006 at 7:23 PM

Here is a site that might interest you:

http://www.sixflagshouston.com/maps/

There is a forum there as well, but I like this one better!

Below is the Astroworld Park map from 1980, when my best friend and I used to get the season passes! $10 for the pass if I'm not mistaken. ;-)

Posted Image

Ron4tx

Posted Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 5:58 AM

enviromain, on Monday, September 25th, 2006 @ 7:23pm, said:

Here is a site that might interest you:

http://www.sixflagshouston.com/maps/

There is a forum there as well, but I like this one better!

Below is the Astroworld Park map from 1980, when my best friend and I used to get the season passes! $10 for the pass if I'm not mistaken. ;-)

Posted Image

1980 in my opinion was the best year for Astroworld. The Dolphin show, the Sleigh snow ride, the sports car ride, the River of No Return were all still there plus the addition of Thunder River made 1980 a great family year.

bullcat

Posted Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 7:58 AM

Mark F. Barnes, on Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006 @ 11:20pm, said:

Believe it or not this is the Track Record Holder, M J Burton!!!!!!

Posted Image

Track stats for 1962

Posted Image

Scary bunch of thugs here!!!!
Great icuture,(l-r) Richard Forster,Leon Luskia,Alan Luskia(driver),EJ Weeks,Marcos Tovar
Posted Image

Anybody recognize this cat????

None other than "Texas Terry" Labonte!!!! Has to be in 1975
Posted Image

Ole Money Bags Himself.....Big Ed Hamblen and George Nash @ the awards banquet in 1968

Posted Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 10:42 AM

Ron4tx, on Tuesday, September 26th, 2006 @ 5:58am, said:

1980 in my opinion was the best year for Astroworld. The Dolphin show, the Sleigh snow ride, the sports car ride, the River of No Return were all still there plus the addition of Thunder River made 1980 a great family year.

River of no return, was that the safari ride with the big king kong at the end? man i'd forgotten all about that. good times.

WestUNative

Posted Saturday, September 30, 2006 at 3:48 PM

Sea-arama - 1970

Buy dead fish and feed the sea lions from the bridge!

The outreached arm dropping the fish is mine. In front of me, squatting down is my 3 year old daughter. Prophetically she grew up to be the Sea Lion Zookeeper and Trainer at Houston Zoo and a pinneped expert for many years.

Posted Image

bookman

Posted Tuesday, October 3, 2006 at 10:51 AM

tomv, on Monday, July 4th, 2005 @ 11:35am, said:

A friend of mine mentioned a kiddie place called Wee Wild West. I went there as a kid (60's) but have no idea where it was. Anybody remember that one?

The Wee Wild West was on Westheimer, about where West Alabama branches off it--just a stone's throw from the Galleria. I attended and/or had a couple of birthday parties there in the early 1960s.

jakdad

Posted Friday, January 5, 2007 at 12:49 PM

budman, on Tuesday, September 5th, 2006 @ 1:01am, said:

I would love to post a photo of a famous old Houston race car, but since I just joined this forum, I haven't yet quite figured out how to attach a photo. The car was built by Tony Foyt in the late 50's and was run at Playland and Meyer Speedway by Billy Wade. It is a white #2 T-bucket super-modified. Anybody remember this car? I have a photo of it.

In the mean time, I invite those of you on this forum who have an interest in local Texas racing, past and present to join us on TEXAS SPEEDZONE (TXSZ.Com) Forums Section. I have the photo posted at the top of the "Texas Racing History Section" right now. Regards.

Hey Budman, where was that photo taken? I remember the car and Wade but the track doesn't look familiar.
Thanks,
Jim

Parrothead

Posted Friday, January 5, 2007 at 1:19 PM

enviromain, on Monday, September 25th, 2006 @ 6:23pm, said:

Here is a site that might interest you:

http://www.sixflagshouston.com/maps/

There is a forum there as well, but I like this one better!

Below is the Astroworld Park map from 1980, when my best friend and I used to get the season passes! $10 for the pass if I'm not mistaken. ;-)

Posted Image

What a trip. I had that map hanging in my closet. That definitely was one of their best years.

Ashikaga

Posted Friday, January 5, 2007 at 1:38 PM

Parrothead, on Friday, January 5th, 2007 @ 2:19pm, said:

What a trip. I had that map hanging in my closet. That definitely was one of their best years.

Do you think that any amusement park will ever be built in Houston?

CDeb

Posted Friday, January 5, 2007 at 2:30 PM

My parents took us to Hanah Barberra Land around 1984 when I was 6-7 years old. They had a place where you could stand in front of a blue screen and have a VHS made of you with different characters in it. Me, my younger sister, and my dad did one where we were in a haunted mansion with Scooby Doo and Shaggy. One of the park workers would be off camera telling you what motions you had to do at different times and then you got to see the film at the end. My parents still have that tape, it's hilarious.

I also have some of the same memories of Games People play on 1960. It's hard to believe that nothing has been done with that property. GPP closed around 1990-ish, and the place still has many remnants of the old park.

2fatcats

Posted Saturday, January 6, 2007 at 4:48 PM

Does anyone remember these old amusement places in Houston?

Gooney Golf which was I think, at South Post Oak and W. Belfort.

texianjoe

Posted Saturday, January 6, 2007 at 6:41 PM

I scanned through the three pages and I don't think I saw a mention of Busch Gardens on the corner of I10 and the East Loop at the Budweiser brewery.

I Hanna Barbara the same as the now Splashtown or is that a different park.

joe

Vertigo58

Posted Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at 11:12 AM

Heights2Bastrop, on Friday, August 5th, 2005 @ 2:47pm, said:

Yes, that is definately Playland Park!

The main entrance was to the left of that photo. As you entered, the first ride on the left was the booth for the train which ran along side the roller coaster (behind it in the photo). Just beyond that is where Murworth is now. The round ride in the photo is the Tilt-a-Whirl.

Is there any one that can pin-point the exact DATES of existance of PlayLand Park? My mom spoke of it often and if I think correctly she said it was near where there were these tired old little ponies we used to ride in the early 60's. She could be mistaken but it had to be there or near these ponies? I know when we went to ride these horses/donkeys there were still some rusted small little cars styled like the 1940's (cool) wish I had one now! There were other cool dated toys for kids around us but don't tell me its gone too? ....more tears.....probably some of those hideous condos on top of it now. They look just like tall tin/aluminum out houses like the ones in Freedmans town, YUGLY.

Vertigo58

Posted Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at 11:18 AM

texianjoe, on Saturday, January 6th, 2007 @ 7:41pm, said:

I scanned through the three pages and I don't think I saw a mention of Busch Gardens on the corner of I10 and the East Loop at the Budweiser brewery.

I Hanna Barbara the same as the now Splashtown or is that a different park.

joe

I remember Busch Gardens! It was created quickly and why they put it in that part of town I will never know? Thas probably why it met an untimely demise. Who in the heck wanted to take their kids to an industrial area?

We would drive by it everytime we picked up my dad at work at nearby Roadway Express terminal. B Gardens looked so cool from far away because the rides looked very exciting, we were just glued to the car windows as we passed! Was very colorful and seemed like it was expanding. I bet it only lasted about 4-5 years at most? Anyone else know? I just recall it there until about 1975???

Heights2Bastrop

Posted Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at 6:25 PM

isuredid

Posted Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at 7:01 PM

Firebird65

Posted Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at 7:37 PM

rnsdr, on Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 @ 12:12pm, said:

Is there any one that can pin-point the exact DATES of existance of PlayLand Park?

Best I can determine, and i stand to be corrected, was from 1942 to 1960.

enviromain

Posted Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at 9:14 PM

rnsdr, on Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 @ 10:18am, said:

I remember Busch Gardens! It was created quickly and why they put it in that part of town I will never know? Thas probably why it met an untimely demise. Who in the heck wanted to take their kids to an industrial area?

I just recall it there until about 1975???

I remember it being only open for a year, if that long. I believe it closed it's doors in 1971 due to lack of customers. I remember seeing the biggest goldfish I had ever seen (~16").

Also you have to join or sign in, but here's a link to a video of the park (5th link down):

http://www.sixflagshouston.com/videos/

devonhart

Posted Monday, January 29, 2007 at 11:24 AM

2fatcats, on Saturday, January 6th, 2007 @ 4:48pm, said:

Does anyone remember these old amusement places in Houston?

Gooney Golf which was I think, at South Post Oak and W. Belfort.

I remember, just a little up from that intersection on Belfort. I think there was a grocery store at that corner (Beldons?) I had a friend who worked there. Probably played there a handful times. My folks still live near Belfort and Cliffwood.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at 11:40 AM

Anyone interested in a DVD of Playland Park Speedway and Meyerland Speedway, IM or email me with your contact info. It's a bunch of home movie footage shot in the 50's in 8mm. There was no sound, so we overdubbed some oldies music and Charles did some comentary. I think it came out real good, I am going to burn some DVD's , you'll see it isn't professional, but it is pretty cool. If any of you get the Houston/Heights Tribune, I am helping Sharon Lauder put together some articles to run on Playland and Meyerland Speedways. It should come out this spring, when I get some exact dates on the print I will let you know. I am mainly providing photos and names and dates and she is writing the articles, like I said when I get some exact dates of the print I will let you know.

P.S. There is also newer footage from the 60's and 70's, there is some of old Almeda Speedway, some from Moody andClarey, and some breif shots from old Houston Dragway off of Gulf Freeway.

Bob1956

Posted Friday, March 2, 2007 at 3:49 PM

Ashikaga, on Thursday, July 14th, 2005 @ 8:54am, said:

When I lived in Houston (1962-64), my parents did a lot of their shopping at what was then called Gulfgate Shopping Center (now Gulfgate Mall). I remember us going to an amusement park next to it. I think the name of it was either "Playland Park" or "Peppermint Park."

Does anyone out there know what I'm referring to?

Chet Cuccia

Wee Wild West was on Westheimer, I think between Chimney Rock and Sage or Rice. It was the happening place for the 12 & under crowd in the 60's!

hbcu

Posted Saturday, March 3, 2007 at 2:21 AM

I remember the old Malibu off SW Freeway and the one that finally closed at 610....I-45 North and South had tons of go-kart tracks but none exist anymore....

Fame City's demise was that they stopped fixing their rides that always seemed to break down - especially the one where you shot green and red dots while going around on a machine in the dark....also..the foodcourt never was utilized and only one or two places remained open. I went to the "other" Fame City 7 years ago that was named Chico's Funplex and it went south literally

I haven't been to the Oil Ranch since the 80s but it still exists....as for Astroworld...they used to cater to teenagers by staying open 'till 2 a.m., then midnight but stopped at 10 p.m. Fright Night was a huge event in the 80s and early 90s and Holiday in the Park was fun also.

Astroworld used to open the year with a new ride that made you want to go there because they flashed it in the commercials all the time and mass mailed it to your house.

As for Playland Park..my dad remembers it.....he said he could only go on certain days for obvious reasons

mkultra25

Posted Saturday, March 3, 2007 at 1:17 PM

hbcu, on Saturday, March 3rd, 2007 @ 1:21am, said:

I remember the old Malibu off SW Freeway and the one that finally closed at 610....I-45 North and South had tons of go-kart tracks but none exist anymore....

There used to be another Malibu Grand Prix at I-45 and N. Shepherd, but it closed years before the others did. There was also a watercoaster in the same location - I think it was right next to the Malibu. When I was growing up, I had a friend that used to work summer jobs at both places.

Tournstone

Posted Wednesday, June 6, 2007 at 2:28 PM

Montrose1100, on Friday, November 18th, 2005 @ 2:14pm, said:

Busch Gardens?

I remember that! Not much though. I was at Second Baptist in elementary school and we took a field trip there. Go figure!

Peppermint Park: went to may a kiddie birthday party there. Thought I remember it being off 610 on the north west side.

Willsatx

Posted Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 6:39 PM

Ron4tx, on Tuesday, September 26th, 2006 @ 5:58am, said:

1980 in my opinion was the best year for Astroworld. The Dolphin show, the Sleigh snow ride, the sports car ride, the River of No Return were all still there plus the addition of Thunder River made 1980 a great family year.

I have lived in SA all my life but we went to Houston every summer to visit family and YES 1980 was a great year. I remember that summer waiting almost 3 hours for Thunder River (Was it called roaring rapids?), then the last time I went was the Summer of 04 and the park was dead. I knew that was not a good sign at all, I miss astroworld a lot.

ojy

Posted Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 6:53 PM

If anyone still reads this, here is some info. I have pictures of the old park Kiddie Wonderland that was over on S. Main and Kirby. There is more info on it on my other post. Let me know and I may be able to help you find what you are looking for.

roym

Posted Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 12:36 PM

ojy, on Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 @ 6:53pm, said:

If anyone still reads this, here is some info. I have pictures of the old park Kiddie Wonderland that was over on S. Main and Kirby. There is more info on it on my other post. Let me know and I may be able to help you find what you are looking for.

awesome! post the photos, please.

ojy

Posted Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 5:26 PM

roym, on Thursday, June 21st, 2007 @ 11:36am, said:

awesome! post the photos, please.

Time to dig out the phto album and do some scanning. I will post some as soon as I can

northbeaumont

Posted Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 5:43 PM

57Tbird, on Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006 @ 5:16pm, said:

Thanks, Mark! I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting up with Norman when I had my first car, a '51 Chevy (see below), worked on at Jimmie Green Chevrolet, on Shepherd between Westheimer and W. Alabama. There was a problem with my brakes that the mechanic wanted to talk to me about. I went back to the work area and who should be the mechanic who wanted to see me? None other than "Stormin' Norman". What a surprise! This must have been about 1953-54.

Posted Image

My dad and his cousin amaze me. They can look at a picture like this and automatically tell what kind of car it is. Even when I showed them 1950s pictures of traffic on HoustonFreeways.Com they can point out what every kind of car is simply by its body style. They said that can't do that in this day and age because since there are so many different makes and models of vehicles that one can't be distinguished from another.

JHC

Posted Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at 1:21 AM

tomv, on Monday, July 4th, 2005 @ 11:35am, said:

A friend of mine mentioned a kiddie place called Wee Wild West. I went there as a kid (60's) but have no idea where it was. Anybody remember that one?

I do remember it. It was a smaller amusement park, and I believe that it was located off of Post Oak Road - roughly where the Galleria is now (at least somewhere in that vicinity). I remember it being a smaller version of the much larger Playland Park on South Main. My impression is that Wee Wild West probably catered to the smaller kids. Anyway, I do remember going to the park with some friends for my 7th or 8th birthday back in the early sixties - and that my Mom's purse fell out of the little roller coaster there :lol:

.

Southgater

Posted Friday, August 17, 2007 at 5:08 PM

Here's a little video I put together of my brother's birthday party at Wee Wild West in th early 60's

CLICK HERE to see Wee Wild West

ccowles

Posted Saturday, August 18, 2007 at 10:31 PM

Here is a picture of my dad and Norman Pierce at OK tire company on Washington Ave. Can anyone name the car? I haven't a clue.

race_car.jpg (174.17K)
: 32

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, August 18, 2007 at 11:21 PM

That's Duece Coupe (32 Ford "A" Model) with a small block (283 ci if I had to guess) Chevy in it. And it has a late model Chevy rearend.

Posted Sunday, August 19, 2007 at 12:35 AM

Southgater, on Friday, August 17th, 2007 @ 5:08pm, said:

Here's a little video I put together of my brother's birthday party at Wee Wild West in th early 60's

CLICK HERE to see Wee Wild West

That was a nice video thanks for sharing. I wish I was alive back then.

jakdad

Posted Sunday, August 19, 2007 at 3:35 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Tuesday, September 5th, 2006 @ 1:18am, said:

Here you go Budman!

That's Bill White in the "2" car. Bill bought it from Wade in 1961 or 1962. 57 Tbird, you might have to bail me out here. I don't remember the dates and years that well.

57Tbird

Posted Sunday, August 19, 2007 at 5:19 PM

jakdad, on Sunday, August 19th, 2007 @ 3:35pm, said:

That's Bill White in the "2" car. Bill bought it from Wade in 1961 or 1962. 57 Tbird, you might have to bail me out here. I don't remember the dates and years that well.

I'd say you're pretty close. Budman? Mark? I can ask Bill next time I see him.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, August 19, 2007 at 6:12 PM

That's definately Bill White behind the wheel, I'd say 61 or 62 is a good guess.

jakdad

Posted Sunday, August 19, 2007 at 8:55 PM

WestUNative, on Monday, September 4th, 2006 @ 2:47pm, said:

Back to Playland Park Racing. I am so impressed with your memory, 57Tbird! Your description fits to a T my remembrance of the track and surrounds. As West U. kids our hero was A.J., our neighbor, but I remember well Stormin' Norman and a few others. Not I have a question to tax your memories, all of you who kept up with such things.

Around 1955-56, I met a guy named Phillip______? He raced stock cars at Playland. He was older than I, me being 14-15 at the time. He was very slender, dark hair, nice guy, but was not considered fit company for me by my family. No romantics envolved, just friends, but he taught me how to take high speed curves and turns, pre-power steering. One night, he brought around his highly newly souped up 1955 Chevy and invited me to go for a trial spin. We headed out to South Main, past any signs of civilization and took off, reaching 155mph! It was the scariest, most thrilling thing I'd ever experienced.

I don't think he ever got famous or anything, but I have wracked my brain for years trying to remember his last name. If any of you have a clue or an old roster of stock car drivers, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks.

Maybe you mean Phil Cronin, sounds like somthing he would do.

WestUNative

Posted Sunday, August 19, 2007 at 9:26 PM

OMG! I think that was it! At least it certainly sounds familiar and right somehow. A million thanks, jakdad, that has been niggling in my back brain for eons. This place is incredible.

As we grow so much older, often we feel that all these memories are made more sad if only we recall them. This forum shows how much we all share of our early life experiences. And having the blanks filled in on the partials is fantastic.

So, I owe you what? A cookie, a margarita, my first-born? Would enjoy knowing how you came up with the name, you must have known him. Oh, it was all about cars and speed (non tablet form) in those days.

Thanks again!

Sandy

57Tbird

Posted Monday, August 20, 2007 at 11:41 AM

Mark F. Barnes, on Sunday, August 19th, 2007 @ 6:12pm, said:

That's definately Bill White behind the wheel, I'd say 61 or 62 is a good guess.

I just talked to Bill. He didn't remember the year, but said Billy Wade sold it to him when he (Wade) left for NASCAR. I don't know exactly when that was, but I think it was the early 60's.

darrellk54

Posted Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 2:41 PM

57Tbird, on Monday, August 20th, 2007 @ 11:41am, said:

I just talked to Bill. He didn't remember the year, but said Billy Wade sold it to him when he (Wade) left for NASCAR. I don't know exactly when that was, but I think it was the early 60's.

darrellk54

Posted Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 2:50 PM

To ALL,

Just reading through some of the last posts. This site is great. Like many it seems here I grew up at Playland Park and Meyer Speedway. My dad Dennis built race cars in the early 50's and Don Burton drove for him. Our families were all really close. The Burtons, Wades, Pierces. Reading these posts bring back so many memeries. I have also read were there might be video's or DVD's of some of the old action. I'd love to have one of thoses if anyone knows how to get one. I and my 2 brothers raced Bronco's from 75 through 79 at Meyer. It was great and i'll never forget it. I really can't remember a Saturday nite from the time I was a baby till I left for college. As my mother says I've been going to races since the womb. Maybe I can rattle my old memory and contribute to the forum.

Darrell Koebelen

57Tbird

Posted Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 3:40 PM

darrellk54, on Tuesday, August 21st, 2007 @ 2:50pm, said:

To ALL,

Just reading through some of the last posts. This site is great. Like many it seems here I grew up at Playland Park and Meyer Speedway. My dad Dennis built race cars in the early 50's and Don Burton drove for him. Our families were all really close. The Burtons, Wades, Pierces. Reading these posts bring back so many memeries. I have also read were there might be video's or DVD's of some of the old action. I'd love to have one of thoses if anyone knows how to get one. I and my 2 brothers raced Bronco's from 75 through 79 at Meyer. It was great and i'll never forget it. I really can't remember a Saturday nite from the time I was a baby till I left for college. As my mother says I've been going to races since the womb. Maybe I can rattle my old memory and contribute to the forum.

Darrell Koebelen

This info is almost a couple of years old, but try Gil Dudek at gill.judy@sbcglobal.net for a Playland & Meyer Speedway DVD with action from the 1950's and 60's.

jakdad

Posted Friday, August 24, 2007 at 6:29 AM

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Friday, August 24, 2007 at 7:03 AM

http://www.guidrynew.../CruzSantos.htm

Santos M. Cruz, Sr. Obituary

Roddy

Posted Friday, August 24, 2007 at 8:20 AM

57Tbird, on Saturday, January 14th, 2006 @ 11:52am, said:

Wecome, sprintcar! From your comments, it's good to see there is someone on this forum that appears to be almost as old as I am...maybe older. From previous posts of mine, you can see that I went to many races at Playland and then to Meyer, when it opened. I always thought Playland was a 1/4 mile track, but you should know better than I. Did you read in a previous post of mine that I was very close to Blackie Lothringer's car when it came flying over the fence/wall that night? Were you there that night? Thanks for posting more names of the drivers of that era. I remember them. One you left out was Norm Pierce. He and Billy Wade had many close races to the finish line at Playland. A close friend of mine, Ben Bishop, raced at Meyer when it first opened. He was a rookie and only raced for a year or two. He ran in a '57 Chevy. Know him? Did you ever race at the old Arrowhead Park Speedway? I saw A. J. Foyt race there in midgets a few times when he was just starting out.

Roddy

Posted Friday, August 24, 2007 at 8:32 AM

57Tbird, on Saturday, January 14th, 2006 @ 11:52am, said:

Wecome, sprintcar! From your comments, it's good to see there is someone on this forum that appears to be almost as old as I am...maybe older. From previous posts of mine, you can see that I went to many races at Playland and then to Meyer, when it opened. I always thought Playland was a 1/4 mile track, but you should know better than I. Did you read in a previous post of mine that I was very close to Blackie Lothringer's car when it came flying over the fence/wall that night? Were you there that night? Thanks for posting more names of the drivers of that era. I remember them. One you left out was Norm Pierce. He and Billy Wade had many close races to the finish line at Playland. A close friend of mine, Ben Bishop, raced at Meyer when it first opened. He was a rookie and only raced for a year or two. He ran in a '57 Chevy. Know him? Did you ever race at the old Arrowhead Park Speedway? I saw A. J. Foyt race there in midgets a few times when he was just starting out.

There was another racer from Playland Park that has been left out of this...he also moved over to Meyer Speedway after Playland Park. Held more than several records when Meyer shut down the first time and were not broken when it closed the second time...#55 - "Buddy" Evans (started as #8, then moved to #55). "High Points" Champion several years as well as other winnings. How many of you remember the next place I am about to mention. Spent many a late night after the Playland Park races at the (best I can remember) Tam-O-Shanter Inn on OST??? His son went on to follow in his foot steps racing Late Model Sportsman. Thanks for brining up some old memories. I have a VHS Video floating around that has some races from Playland Park, Meyer Speeway, Battleground...bought it at Big "H" when they had the last of the Outlaw Super Modified Sprints

Roddy

albertnurick

Posted Friday, August 24, 2007 at 5:38 PM

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Friday, August 24, 2007 at 7:40 PM

http://www.balineseroom.net/index.htm

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Friday, August 24, 2007 at 8:10 PM

Roddy, on Friday, August 24th, 2007 @ 8:32am, said:

There was another racer from Playland Park that has been left out of this...he also moved over to Meyer Speedway after Playland Park. Held more than several records when Meyer shut down the first time and were not broken when it closed the second time...#55 - "Buddy" Evans (started as #8, then moved to #55). "High Points" Champion several years as well as other winnings. How many of you remember the next place I am about to mention. Spent many a late night after the Playland Park races at the (best I can remember) Tam-O-Shanter Inn on OST??? His son went on to follow in his foot steps racing Late Model Sportsman. Thanks for brining up some old memories. I have a VHS Video floating around that has some races from Playland Park, Meyer Speeway, Battleground...bought it at Big "H" when they had the last of the Outlaw Super Modified Sprints

Roddy

On just about any night for many many years, if you looked at the front of the pack, this is what you saw running first and second. Billy Wade #53 and Don Burton #5. These two clown were the one to beat night in and night out.

Posted Image

Here is Don Burton beating out Buddy Evans at the line.

Posted Image

Here is MJ Burton after rolling his car @ Meyers

Posted Image

Page 6 of the 1962 Season Program

Posted Image

West U Native is this your guy?

jakdad

Posted Friday, August 24, 2007 at 10:24 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Friday, August 24th, 2007 @ 7:10pm, said:

On just about any night for many many years, if you looked at the front of the pack, this is what you saw running first and second. Billy Wade #53 and Don Burton #5. These two clown were the one to beat night in and night out.
Posted Image

Here is Don Burton beating out Buddy Evans at the line.
Posted Image

Here is MJ Burton after rolling his car @ Meyers

Posted Image

Page 6 of the 1962 Season Program
Posted Image

West U Native is this your guy?

Might be, but she would have to allow for 20 years or so in that photo.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Friday, August 24, 2007 at 11:44 PM

Yeah that photo is from 1977!

Posted Image

This is the only other Phil I could come up with.

Posted Image

Here's some names from the past

GBryant

Posted Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at 10:47 AM

Okay, I know this is a longshot but if anyone could help me identify the location of one of my earliest memories, I would be eternally grateful.

I am thinking of a miniature golf place. It was (I think) on Bissonnet between Beechnut and Fondren. There was (I think) a drivers license place right next to it and both would have been on the left side of the street if you were heading west. The thing that sticks out most in my mind is that it had dinosaurs. They looked huge to - what must have been - five year old.

I know it's not much to work with, and I doubt it was even that significant of a landmark. Still, I would very much appreciate some confirmation of this memory. Thanks, all.

Oh, and I'm not thinking of the mini golf place at the corner of Fondren and Beechnut with the batting cages out front; though that place was cool, too.

acamarillo

Posted Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at 11:03 AM

Would this have been Goony Golf? Close to a Chinese restaurant, I think, and closed down sometime in the 80s?

GBryant

Posted Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at 11:53 AM

acamarillo, on Wednesday, September 5th, 2007 @ 11:03am, said:

Would this have been Goony Golf? Close to a Chinese restaurant, I think, and closed down sometime in the 80s?

You know, that may have been it. The Chinese restaurant sounds vaguely familiar and it would have closed in the 80s. Thanks!

Come to think of it, I also remember one on Westheimer across from what used to be the Briargrove Dollar Theater. It had a most excellent arcade with - I think - a jungle theme. My folks took me there for my birthday one year and my mother lost her wedding ring somewhere on the course. Yeah, I got blamed for that.

WestUNative

Posted Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 11:37 AM

As has oft been said around these parts, you guys are phenominal. As soon as I read the name Phil Cronin, I knew it was right. I never expected y'all to dredge up such a good photo. Yes, this picture of 1977 was around 22 years after I knew him and startled me to see how much weight he'd gained. But that was probably just the maturity gained with filled out adult face, etc. However, in observing the individual features, I'm sure that is he. I am so sorry to hear that he is no longer with us. Funny how you remember so well some people who briefly touch your life and move on.

jakdad and Mark Barnes, you know if I were in town, I'd buy you both a tall, cold one! Many, many thanks.

Sandy

RETrott

Posted Monday, October 29, 2007 at 11:52 AM

pineda, on Thursday, July 28th, 2005 @ 1:59pm, said:

This is the Wunsche Cemetery, just south of Spring High School on the east side of the freeway. Perhaps you've heard of the Wunsche Cafe in Spring...

If I remember correctly, the cemetery was on the west side of old Hwy 75. That part of the old hwy served for a long time as a feeder/frontage road after IH 45 was built on the west side of the cemetery.

RETrott

Posted Monday, October 29, 2007 at 12:23 PM

jakdad, on Friday, August 24th, 2007 @ 10:24pm, said:

Might be, but she would have to allow for 20 years or so in that photo.

I think Phil Cronin was born about '40, so he would have been about 15-17 years old in '55/'56. Had a fast, new '55 Chevy hot rod? Maybe so Jakdad! Say, wasn't there also a Phillip in amongst some of them Tillotta boys that did a little racing?

Daniepwils

Posted Monday, October 29, 2007 at 1:06 PM

There is/was a Games Peoples Play on 1960. It is still there. You can see the put put golf area. It is still for sale (lol).

Otis Fantastic

Posted Monday, November 12, 2007 at 9:58 PM

belmontdrew, on Monday, June 20th, 2005 @ 1:57pm, said:

OR HOW ABOUT...

Malibu go-cart raceway and arcade at the Southwest Freeway

I found these pictures of Malibu as it looks today...or not long ago. I still have my license for the go-karts someplace. I also think I still have some tokens for the video games. I used to go all the time for their putt-putt golf, but always perfered Speedy's for go-karts. I don't think that plae is still open, but it rocked. The track was built into an old pool.

http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/ab..._in_houston.htm

jakdad

Posted Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 10:17 PM

Otis Fantastic, on Monday, November 12th, 2007 @ 8:58pm, said:

I found these pictures of Malibu as it looks today...or not long ago. I still have my license for the go-karts someplace. I also think I still have some tokens for the video games. I used to go all the time for their putt-putt golf, but always perfered Speedy's for go-karts. I don't think that plae is still open, but it rocked. The track was built into an old pool.

http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/ab..._in_houston.htm

I thought the place where the robery and murders took place was on 290.

jakdad

Posted Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 10:23 PM

RETrott, on Monday, October 29th, 2007 @ 11:23am, said:

I think Phil Cronin was born about '40, so he would have been about 15-17 years old in '55/'56. Had a fast, new '55 Chevy hot rod? Maybe so Jakdad! Say, wasn't there also a Phillip in amongst some of them Tillotta boys that did a little racing?

I think Phil was a pre 40s guy

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 11:18 PM

RETrott, on Monday, October 29th, 2007 @ 12:23pm, said:

I think Phil Cronin was born about '40, so he would have been about 15-17 years old in '55/'56. Had a fast, new '55 Chevy hot rod? Maybe so Jakdad! Say, wasn't there also a Phillip in amongst some of them Tillotta boys that did a little racing?

Phil was born in Late '35 around Halloween or pretty close, because they use to throw a party in the pits at the track around that time, he was Class of '54 at Galena Park HS I am pretty sure, seems like that's what his class ring said anyway. Phillip Tillotta was also from Galena Park I think, and is still alive as far as I know still living in that house out in Sterling Green in Channel View.

jakdad

Posted Friday, November 16, 2007 at 11:38 AM

Having known Phil, i would not be surprised that he had a new anything at 15 to 17 years of age. He was resourceful..................

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Friday, November 16, 2007 at 6:18 PM

Resourceful...........that's a funny way of putting it. Phil Cronin was a sure enough hustler. Don't mean that in a negative way. He put his mind to it and could just about do anything. He was a real charactor, and could always make you laugh, no matter what the circumstances were. He believed in fast cars and fast living. Had his fair share of pit puppies I can tell you that for damn sure. He laid more pipe than Brown and Root. If it's the car I am thinking of it was a blue and white two tone '55 Chevy. I'd have to dig around but I may have a picture of that car after he sold it to David Rosas.

jtodd49

Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 5:04 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Tuesday, August 1st, 2006 @ 2:45am, said:

Hey, Mark The Johnson's from louisiana here. We raced over at Meyer speedway a few times before it closed. I know fellow by the name of David Garner. His dad built a BRAND NEW Super Modified to race there the year Meyer was shut down. He still has the car ready to go in his garage (never raced and I seen the pictures #76)somewhere in Houston along with the car he retired, and ready to restore it.(It was also a Super Modified). My dad and My grandfather used to go wath A.J. over at Play land park. We still race ASCS Sprint cars over in Baytown a few times a year. You may want to check us out in 2008.,Todd

Sparky

Posted Friday, November 23, 2007 at 3:10 AM

GregM, on Thursday, September 15th, 2005 @ 10:51pm, said:

The crash you are refering to happened in '59. One of the 3 people killed was one of the owners of Playland and unfortunately, he was the one owner who was passoinate about the park. This basicaly signaled the beginning of the end of the park since his siblings allowed it to fall into neglect and disrepair.I found this out when I went to the library down town to research Playland. I found several news articles but zero photographs. Where can one find more pictures of Playland?

GregM, on Thursday, September 15th, 2005 @ 10:51pm, said:

The crash you are refering to happened in '59. One of the 3 people killed was one of the owners of Playland and unfortunately, he was the one owner who was passoinate about the park. This basicaly signaled the beginning of the end of the park since his siblings allowed it to fall into neglect and disrepair.I found this out when I went to the library down town to research Playland. I found several news articles but zero photographs. Where can one find more pictures of Playland?

Sparky

Posted Friday, November 23, 2007 at 3:45 AM

I am a new member and this is my first posting. My posted name is "Sparky" which is a nickname given to me by Buddy Rackly at the old Playland Park race track. My Family lived at Playland. My dad fed you and my mom put you in jail and took your "get em while you wait" pictures. I have a couple of pictures I will get my son to post. It is great to find a site that I can share some memories with. We moved to Houston right after the coaster was built and lived in a trailor where the racetrack would be built. The Park was our personal front yard and the racetrack our sideyard. If anybody remembers the Fun-in-the-dark ride then you know right where I lived. I could walk out our side door and right into the back door of that building. Buddy nicknamed me Sparky because I wore a spark plug he had given me. I made it into a necklace and never took it off except to take a bath. I do remember the accident you are talking about. My Mom was working in the booth right inside the front gate to the raceway and had just finished talking to Sam Sulsky when he walked away and was hit by the tire coming over the wall. The gentleman who said buying a coke saved his life bought that coke from my mom. She never got over it and never went back to the racetrack again. I will be posting more memories as time goes by. I am now a seventy-two year old Great-Grandmother and loving this time of my life. And now to answer a question about Crystal Pool and Gateway Roller Rink. They were my home away from home and were run by Les Oldfield, my dad away from home. To answer the question about the bubble in the bottom of the pool read on. If you don't want to know the answer quit reading now. When the pool was built pipes were laid into the bottom of the pool that were just below the bubble. Air was pumped into the bubble and out. The bubble was the bomber bubble from a B-17 from WWII that Les turned upside down and chained over the air pipes. It was great to see the divers hit the water and surface. Just a little side fact, Les Oldfield was the son of Barny Oldfield, the great racer. Les has a son named after his grandfather, Barny, who is an airline pilot. Hope this answers some questions and causes more. Thank you for this site. Sparky

roym

Posted Friday, November 23, 2007 at 7:02 PM

Sparky, on Friday, November 23rd, 2007 @ 2:45am, said:

I am a new member and this is my first posting. My posted name is "Sparky" which is a nickname given to me by Buddy Rackly at the old Playland Park race track. My Family lived at Playland. ....... Hope this answers some questions and causes more. Thank you for this site. Sparky

Wow, Sparky, fascinating post! Can't wait to read more and see some of those pictures. Thanks for taking the time to post.

jakdad

Posted Friday, November 23, 2007 at 9:32 PM

Thanks Sparky for a great story. Got any pics you can post?
Jim

Sparky

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 7:54 AM

[quote name='jakdad' date='Friday, November 23rd, 2007 @ 9:32pm' post='212667']
Thanks Sparky for a great story. Got any pics you can post?
Jim
[/quote

I do have pictures I can post but I will have to have my son show me how to do that. I just discovered that my sister had posted #119 on 5-10-2006, as member No. 2116. What a pleasant discovery. She passed away on July 3, 2006, one day shy of her 73rd. birthday on July 4th.. When we were little she always thought the July 4th. celebrations were for her birthday. I really don't know what kind of posts to do so I will just ramble on about living in the park. Some one said they remembered the neon towers at the park entrance. They did look like giant toothbrushes from a distance. They were hollow inside and filled with spiders, webs, and a lot of wiring. Before the school bus was allowed to pick us up inside the park grounds, we would have to catch the bus in front of the park. We would take cover in the towers if it was raining. When my dad found out we were doing this, he got the buses to come into the park and pick us up by our frozen custard stand. The first job I can remember having was blowing us ballons for the dart joint. I blew them up by mouth, tied them and them put them in a big ballon box. If you ever try this game at a carnival throw the dart up so it will come down to hit the ballon. It works better than a hard straight throw. I worked in the front food stand until I was old enough to run the snow cone, cotton candy, and popcorn stand by myself. I still roll cotton candy cones if I am holding a dollor bill. To change the subject, my sister had mentioned Playmore that was in downtown Houston. It had bumper cars, a penny arcade, my dads food stand, some joints, and of course the man who was buried alive. That was my "Uncle Homer". He was not really a blood uncle, but was one of the people that came in off the road when my family did. Coming in off the road meant that you had left the sawdust trail and settled down. The saw dust trail meant that you traveled with a carnival or a circus which we had done. If anyone is interested I can post some stuff about that. Uncle Homer not only was buried alive, he also managed to make the board cut-outs that my mom used in the mug joint. The favorite cut-out of course was the jail. When I married and moved away from the Park, I still could hear the sounds at night when I went to bed. My father had the concessions at Arrowhead which was on Old Spanish Trail. The monorail was also on OST.. As a matter of fact the year my father passed away he had the concessions at almost all of the public places in Houston. The Colliseum, The Music Hall, The Auditorium, The Zoo, Herman Park, Playland Park, and was bidding on the Astrodome when it was built. Like I said I am just typing what comes to mind. Let me know if you like it. Thanks again for the site. Sparky

Alpha

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 10:17 AM

[/quote
Uncle Homer not only was buried alive, he also managed to make the board cut-outs that my mom used in the mug joint. The favorite cut-out of course was the jail.
[/quote]

Hi Sparky, and welcome to the forum. When you mentioned cut-outs for pictures, the following ones came to mind. My dad and his friends had these taken some time in the mid 40s (after the war.) I asked him where they were taken, and he said that it was somewhere downtown. Could they possibly have been from one of your family's concessions?

Posted Image

57Tbird

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 11:05 AM

Sparky, on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 @ 6:54am, said:

I do have pictures I can post but I will have to have my son show me how to do that. I just discovered that my sister had posted #119 on 5-10-2006, as member No. 2116. What a pleasant discovery. She passed away on July 3, 2006, one day shy of her 73rd. birthday on July 4th.. When we were little she always thought the July 4th. celebrations were for her birthday. I really don't know what kind of posts to do so I will just ramble on about living in the park. Some one said they remembered the neon towers at the park entrance. They did look like giant toothbrushes from a distance. They were hollow inside and filled with spiders, webs, and a lot of wiring. Before the school bus was allowed to pick us up inside the park grounds, we would have to catch the bus in front of the park. We would take cover in the towers if it was raining. When my dad found out we were doing this, he got the buses to come into the park and pick us up by our frozen custard stand. The first job I can remember having was blowing us ballons for the dart joint. I blew them up by mouth, tied them and them put them in a big ballon box. If you ever try this game at a carnival throw the dart up so it will come down to hit the ballon. It works better than a hard straight throw. I worked in the front food stand until I was old enough to run the snow cone, cotton candy, and popcorn stand by myself. I still roll cotton candy cones if I am holding a dollor bill. To change the subject, my sister had mentioned Playmore that was in downtown Houston. It had bumper cars, a penny arcade, my dads food stand, some joints, and of course the man who was buried alive. That was my "Uncle Homer". He was not really a blood uncle, but was one of the people that came in off the road when my family did. Coming in off the road meant that you had left the sawdust trail and settled down. The saw dust trail meant that you traveled with a carnival or a circus which we had done. If anyone is interested I can post some stuff about that. Uncle Homer not only was buried alive, he also managed to make the board cut-outs that my mom used in the mug joint. The favorite cut-out of course was the jail. When I married and moved away from the Park, I still could hear the sounds at night when I went to bed. My father had the concessions at Arrowhead which was on Old Spanish Trail. The monorail was also on OST.. As a matter of fact the year my father passed away he had the concessions at almost all of the public places in Houston. The Colliseum, The Music Hall, The Auditorium, The Zoo, Herman Park, Playland Park, and was bidding on the Astrodome when it was built. Like I said I am just typing what comes to mind. Let me know if you like it. Thanks again for the site. Sparky

I had forgotten about the Pla-Mor arcade downtown until you mentioned it. It was on Dallas, between Main and Fannin, across from where Sakowitz would eventually be built. I went there many times as a youngster in the mid-40's. As I remember, it was open-air, on the ground floor of some type of structure that may have been a parking garage.
Where did you go to school while living at Playland? You and I are the same age. I am the "gentleman" you mentioned in your first post who was buying a Coke when that horrible accident occurred at Playland in 1959.

Sparky

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 11:36 AM

57Tbird, on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 @ 11:05am, said:

I had forgotten about the Pla-Mor arcade downtown until you mentioned it. It was on Dallas, between Main and Fannin, across from where Sakowitz would eventually be built. I went there many times as a youngster in the mid-40's. As I remember, it was open-air, on the ground floor of some type of structure that may have been a parking garage.
Where did you go to school while living at Playland? You and I are the same age. I am the "gentleman" you mentioned in your first post who was buying a Coke when that horrible accident occurred at Playland in 1959.

Hi Alpha. They were probably made at Playmore in one of my dads mug-joints. He also had one at Stuarts Drive Inn where OST and Main street meet. Stuarts was inside of the V and Princes Drive Inn was on the point of the V.

Hi 57Tbird. So glad to be able to talk with you and know that you are still alive. I went to South Main elementary until the school bus changed routes and then I went to McGregor. I attended Johnston Jr. High School and then San Jacinto High School. I was in the class of l953. Where did you attend school?

57Tbird

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 12:35 PM

Sparky, on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 @ 10:36am, said:

Hi 57Tbird. So glad to be able to talk with you and know that you are still alive. I went to South Main elementary until the school bus changed routes and then I went to McGregor. I attended Johnston Jr. High School and then San Jacinto High School. I was in the class of l953. Where did you attend school?

I went to Sutton, Fannin, Poe El, Lanier, Lamar '53. My wife went to MacGregor, Johnston, and San Jac '55.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 2:14 PM

T-Bird is this the wreck in question? I think this is the one that there were a couple of spectator fatalities.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 2:20 PM

Here's one for you Sparky, I believe that to be Buddy Rackley in front, correct me if I am wrong.

Sparky

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 3:10 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 @ 2:20pm, said:

Here's one for you Sparky, I believe that to be Buddy Rackley in front, correct me if I am wrong.

Hi Mark. I sent you an e-mail and I don't know if you got it or not. I then found out I could join and post. I believe that is Buddy, but I am looking a man that I knew as a much younger person. The photos are great. They brought back lots of memories. My brother and I used to go swimming in the pit pool where they rolled in cars to put them out. That was another thing my dad put a stop to. I was looking to see if Cotton Grable, the flag man was in the pictures, but I didn't see him. For a short rotound man, Cotton could really move fast once he flagged the race to start. Finding this site has been like a Christmas present to me. I am pulling out pictures for my son to post for me. Will post more later. Sparky

57Tbird

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 3:14 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 @ 1:14pm, said:

T-Bird is this the wreck in question? I think this is the one that there were a couple of spectator fatalities.

Nope! It was the one where Blackie Lothringer went over the wall between turn 1 and turn 2. He landed in the area between the concession stand and south stands near the west entrance gate. Here is a Chronicle report on the accident. Front page and other page.

Sparky, Was your mom one of the ladies named, at the concession stand, in the Chronicle article?

Sparky

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 3:23 PM

57Tbird, on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 @ 12:35pm, said:

I went to Sutton, Fannin, Poe El, Lanier, Lamar '53. My wife went to MacGregor, Johnston, and San Jac '55.

So you went to San Jacs arch rival, Lamar. Hmmm. Your wife might have been in all three schools with my brother, David Gordon, who is two years younger than me. Let me know. By the way, my name is Becky Gordon McKeehan. I was a majorette at San Jac with Amy Levine, Barbara Battlestien and another girl whose name escapes me at the moment. Sparky

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 3:58 PM

This is definitely Buddy from a Chronicle clipping

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 4:09 PM

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 4:16 PM

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 4:32 PM

Everybodies Favorite Stormin' Norman Pierce Posted Image

Sparky

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 4:59 PM

57Tbird, on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 @ 3:14pm, said:

Nope! It was the one where Blackie Lothringer went over the wall between turn 1 and turn 2. He landed in the area between the concession stand and south stands near the west entrance gate. Here is a Chronicle report on the accident. Front page and other page.

Sparky, Was your mom one of the ladies named, at the concession stand, in the Chronicle article?

That is the first time I have seen that article. I had already married and moved away when the wreck happened. My sister called me to let me know about the wreck before I saw it on TV.. She wanted me to know that Mom was ok. and home in bed. My mothers name was Myrtle Gordon. I would like to know the names that were in the paper. I have a feeling my Mom left the stand right away after seeing Sam being killed.

Mark, OH YEAH that is Buddy. I had such a crush on him. I know he must have thought I was a pest because I hung around him so much. He had a beautiful wife who was very nice to me. Thirteen year old girls are such a mess to begin with. That is not the picture of the wreck that Sam was involved in. It was closer to the front wall where my dad's stand was. I love the picture that shows the third hump of the coaster. The next part of the coaster was the end
turn around which was a soft square. I don't know if many people noticed the fenced in sheep that were under the coaster. They kept the grass mowed and were great to play with. I am really enjoying all of this. Sparky

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 5:20 PM

Sue Payne, Agnes McCandless (sp?), and Aurora and Virginia Bowen.

57Tbird

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 8:33 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 @ 4:20pm, said:

Sue Payne, Agnes McCandless (sp?), and Aurora and Virginia Bowen.

Their ages were listed, and they were all too young to have been your mother, Sparky. I should have noticed that before asking.

57Tbird

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 8:42 PM

--

Sparky

Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 9:47 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 @ 5:20pm, said:

Sue Payne, Agnes McCandless (sp?), and Aurora and Virginia Bowen.

I am not familar with any of these names, but they must have worked there with my mom. I had been gone from the Park for a while so I did not know some of the newer help.
There was an other time that a wheel came over the same place but did not hit anyone.

Tbird, your reply was edited so I could not read it. To change the subject again do any of you remember The Plantation night club right next to the Park? They had big name bands that used to come and play there. Further down the Hi-Way was a root beer drive in that showed free short movies. I can't remember if it was before or after the South Main Drive in Theater. Back to the Park. Someone had mentioned the park giving away free dyed rabbits on Easter. Sometimes my brother, sister, and I were the younger kids in the pen. We also gave out baby ducks. Only later did we find out how cruel that was. When the racetrack land was sold, that also contained the land that was under half of the coaster. Once the coaster was "cut in half" the park did go into a decline. I wonder if any one has any picture of that. Sparky

MeltedPlastic

Posted Sunday, November 25, 2007 at 6:00 AM

CDeb, on Friday, January 5th, 2007 @ 1:30pm, said:

I also have some of the same memories of Games People play on 1960. It's hard to believe that nothing has been done with that property. GPP closed around 1990-ish, and the place still has many remnants of the old park.

Where is this on F.M. 1960? I have tried searching for it, but have had no luck.

Sparky

Posted Monday, November 26, 2007 at 5:28 AM

57Tbird, on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 @ 8:42pm, said:

--

Thanks for the message. I appreciate everything you said. Does anybody out there know the last name of a driver whose first name was "Hugh"? He was a friend of Buddy. Sparky

jakdad

Posted Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 11:26 PM

Sparky, on Monday, November 26th, 2007 @ 4:28am, said:

Thanks for the message. I appreciate everything you said. Does anybody out there know the last name of a driver whose first name was "Hugh"? He was a friend of Buddy. Sparky

Was it Hugh Porter?

Sparky

Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 10:21 PM

I believe you just answered a question that has been on my mind for over 50 years. I seem to remember the name of Porter. Now does the name Doc Casey or Cassedy ring a bell with anyone. It seems that he was not a crown favorite. Thanks for help. Sparky

jakdad

Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 11:23 PM

Sparky, on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 @ 9:21pm, said:

I believe you just answered a question that has been on my mind for over 50 years. I seem to remember the name of Porter. Now does the name Doc Casey or Cassedy ring a bell with anyone. It seems that he was not a crown favorite. Thanks for help. Sparky

Yep, Doc Cossey was a local racing hero. He ran mostly Houston but would occasionally venture out to other cities. Doc won a lot of races and was one of the first to buy an Offy for his car. Red Hodges got an Offy powered car about the same time. That was some serious racing.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 6:51 PM

Here's an old shot I found of Phil Cronin, I'm thinking 1962

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 7:05 PM

This is Phil when he was in his early 20's, over at the old shop in Channelview
Posted Image

Any of yall that knew Tony Barcelona will appreciate this one
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The one and only Tony "The Tiger" Barcelona

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 at 5:55 AM

jakdad, on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 @ 11:23pm, said:

Yep, Doc Cossey was a local racing hero. He ran mostly Houston but would occasionally venture out to other cities. Doc won a lot of races and was one of the first to buy an Offy for his car. Red Hodges got an Offy powered car about the same time. That was some serious racing.

Doc drove a stocker also they nicknamed Big Bertha

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 at 6:18 AM

Sparky, on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 @ 3:10pm, said:

Hi Mark. I sent you an e-mail and I don't know if you got it or not. I then found out I could join and post. I believe that is Buddy, but I am looking a man that I knew as a much younger person. The photos are great. They brought back lots of memories. My brother and I used to go swimming in the pit pool where they rolled in cars to put them out. That was another thing my dad put a stop to. I was looking to see if Cotton Grable, the flag man was in the pictures, but I didn't see him. For a short rotound man, Cotton could really move fast once he flagged the race to start. Finding this site has been like a Christmas present to me. I am pulling out pictures for my son to post for me. Will post more later. Sparky

Here you go Sparky

Posted Image

Cotton Grable

Posted Image

I think that's Charlie Scheilds getting the flag from Cotton

Posted Image

AJ Foyt winning at Playland Park

Posted Image

Cotton working the starting grid in 1953

Posted Image

And this is yours truely in 1955 in the infield at Playland standing next to Uncle Bobby's Modified.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 at 6:27 AM

I bought one of these about two months ago, and I have been able to scan old slides and negatives with ease. I highly recommend it. I bought it from Tiger Direct. Best $200 bucks I ever spent.

Posted Image

Plustek OpticFilm 7200 Film Scanner
The OpticFilm 7200 is a 7200 dpi film scanner capable of scanning 35 mm slides and various negatives. High optical resolution, USB 2.0 connection and fast scan speed allow Plustek's OpticFilm 7200 to easily outperform other professional film scanners.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 at 10:32 AM

Sparky

Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 at 10:47 AM

Mark F. Barnes, on Sunday, December 2nd, 2007 @ 10:32am, said:

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 at 7:45 PM

If you would like me to post them for you, you can email them to me, however it is fairly simple, you can either host them on a free site like photobucket, or if they are not extremely large you can just attach them to your post. I will be posting more as time goes by. I fly home tuesday and will get busy then.

jakdad

Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 at 10:20 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Saturday, December 1st, 2007 @ 5:51pm, said:

Here's an old shot I found of Phil Cronin, I'm thinking 1962

That's Red Garners old Modified with the 427 ford engine. A very nice car.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Monday, December 3, 2007 at 3:02 AM

This is Don Burton I believe
Posted Image

And this is MJ Burton
Posted Image

Here's a surley bunch of outlaws in the pre-race stuff
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Can't forget the trophy queen
Posted Image

WestUNative

Posted Monday, December 3, 2007 at 1:15 PM

I have run out of superlatives! On a mere whim I blithely asked for the solution to a lapse in memory from over 50 years ago and you came up with the answer. Then a photo, though not the exact look of the guy as I knew him. Now, outta nowhere, the spittin' image arrives.

Mr. Barnes, I cannot thank you enough. These early pix of Phil Cronin are exactly the way he looked in those teenage years, see how slender he was? If you go back to my original post and description of him, you'll see these are dead on. Thank you so much for the head's up email to let me know you found these.

Besides the wild, fast ride out South Main I described, Phil and I spent one whole Saturday cruising around with frequent stops by AJ's house trying to catch him in. Phil needed to talk to him about something. Sadly we never did manage to find him that day and I never got to meet AJ, but the local WestU gang cheered him on for years and were so thrilled with his first Indy 500 win - ecstatic is more like it.

Sparky

Posted Monday, December 3, 2007 at 4:46 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Sunday, December 2nd, 2007 @ 7:45pm, said:

If you would like me to post them for you, you can email them to me, however it is fairly simple, you can either host them on a free site like photobucket, or if they are not extremely large you can just attach them to your post. I will be posting more as time goes by. I fly home tuesday and will get busy then.

SAY WHAT? I didn't understand one word of what you said past email. Thanks for the thought but I don't speak tech talk. I will have my son teach me and show him your posting. Thanks again, Sparky.

OldGuardGuy

Posted Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 6:10 PM

rnsdr, on Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 @ 10:18am, said:

I remember Busch Gardens! It was created quickly and why they put it in that part of town I will never know? Thas probably why it met an untimely demise. Who in the heck wanted to take their kids to an industrial area?

We would drive by it everytime we picked up my dad at work at nearby Roadway Express terminal. B Gardens looked so cool from far away because the rides looked very exciting, we were just glued to the car windows as we passed! Was very colorful and seemed like it was expanding. I bet it only lasted about 4-5 years at most? Anyone else know? I just recall it there until about 1975???

I remember going there on a school trip in 4th grade ('72) - there was an "ecology" film with Jonathan Winters in it that they played in the vistor's center.

Does anyone remember Maui Kai? It lasted only a short time, and I think it was on the same grounds of Busch Gardens.

rgb001

Posted Thursday, December 20, 2007 at 7:30 PM

To Mark Barnes -

WOW!! I found this site this morning (was looking up info on Kitirik - I was on the show once), and I am also just blown away by your photos and info - same for jakdad and the others.

Let me put in some of my memories. I was born in Houston in 1951, lived there until 1960. We lived in "South Park" on Malmedy. At that time the 610 loop was a sand and gravel roadbed, and everybody used to gather at the end of the block at sundown in order to watch both screens of the King Center drive-in (the Road Runner cartoons were the best, of course).

57Tbird has the details about the track exactly as I remember them. My dad was a huge racing fan, and we went to Playland every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, without fail. We went into the pits, Billy Wade was my hero, and one night I got to sit in AJ's car, wearing his helmet, after he'd won the final race (was it 36 cars?). On another occasion, at one of the demolition derbys, five cars crashed into each other, all in a straight line. After a few seconds they exploded into a line of flames across the car roofs, and the driver of the car in the middle (a black '40 Ford) dove out of the "passenger" window. I remember being amazed that he, a very big man, had managed to fit through that tiny window. I also remember the loudspeakers playing all those Sousa "Marching" songs.

As for the crash in '59, on that night we were running late. Usually we got there before the first heat, and we would have been standing at the concession stand when that car tore through the fence. Dad heard it reported on the radio, and we immediately dropped to the floor and said a prayer of thanks for our deliverance. The next time we went to the track, we looked at B&W photos of the car after it had come to rest in the parking lot.

I never rode the big coaster, but I do remember one ride: I think it was called "The Rocket." It was a big slanted green platform on which a long, curved, tube-like silver "train" would go around the slanted platform, clock-wise, at high speed. The cars were open, and tilted slightly toward the left. The centrifugal force gave you the sensation that you were being thrown out of the car. The reason I remember it so vividly is because I freaked out on the ride, and screamed bloody murder so loudly that they stopped the ride to let me off! Hey, I was only 7 or 8, gimme a break

On a lighter note, I remember another ride with cars that looked like airplanes. As the ride went in a circle, you could turn your car upside-down, go up and down, etc. That was my favorite.

Anyway, thank you so much for posting these photos. Such wonderful memories.

readam

Posted Thursday, December 27, 2007 at 11:45 AM

Thanks for the You Tube on Wee Wild West( post 240)...went there many a time and the Golf course next to it...many trips to the Post Oak Drive In...also Uncle Bert Lynn show at Channel 2( remember this is 50 years ago-- if memory serves me, they had a guy named Bobby Lahr on the show who eventually went out to California to work on Truth or Consequences)... all of these places were in the area of the Galleria and Williams Tower... met with KITIRIK at the old channel 8 studio when it was Channel 13...she came out into the lobby and talked to me and my bro and sis and mom, I think I remember her saying that she was a cheerleader at LSU and knew some football player from my parents small home town back in the day...thanks to earlier posts about the Kiddieland out on HWY 90 in Spring Branch area, I too remember going out there

Great book now out on the history of Movie theatres in Houston :rolleyes:

MalibuGPGuy

Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 6:49 PM

Otis Fantastic, on Monday, November 12th, 2007 @ 9:58pm, said:

I found these pictures of Malibu as it looks today...or not long ago. I still have my license for the go-karts someplace. I also think I still have some tokens for the video games. I used to go all the time for their putt-putt golf, but always perfered Speedy's for go-karts. I don't think that plae is still open, but it rocked. The track was built into an old pool.

http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/ab..._in_houston.htm

Hey guys, this is my first post, and I've got a question for you all. Where was the Malibu GP located on 59? I've heard Westpark, but the only place where the MGP could have been is a large empty parcel on the south side feeder of 59, right at the Westpark Tollway ramps. Is this where the MGP could have been?

Funny about the link above. The web site says this was where the murders took place, but in reality the location is the one on 610 near 290. That explains why the car remains look so fresh. I actually found the guys who took those pics, and on their web site they show a Google Maps sat overhead of the property. I did the same for the 610 location, and they match.

I've been looking for the MGP off 59 for a while, and I will be grateful to anyone who can tell me exactly where it was.

acamarillo

Posted Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 2:01 PM

IIRC, it was on the south side of 59 right where it curves over Westpark, in the little triangle of land between Westpark and 59.

cmcgrail

Posted Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 4:44 PM

HoustonianInColorado, on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2005 @ 3:48pm, said:

What a great memory! I am 52 years old and grew up in Bellaire & Sharpstown until I was 9. Mom & Dad used to take me to ride those ponies at OST & Main. One of my early childhood fond memories.

Other memories in Houston as a child . . .

* Seeing Snow White at the movie theatre in the old shopping center on the north side of Bellaire Blvd. just east of the train tracks on the east end of Bellaire.

* Going to see Kitirik at Channel 13 and Captain Bob on Channel 2 at their old studios on Post Oak Rd.

* The deep drainage ditches along Avenue A (now Newcastle) and Post Oak Rd. in Bellaire.

* Movies at the Trail Drive In, and the new Sharpstown Drive In.

* Bissonnet was still called Old Richmond Road from the curve at about Edloe, down through Sharpstown.

* A big discount store on Hillcroft in Sharpstown called "Globe".

* That jingle . . ."Summer winter spring or fall, stroll in the air conditioned mall, with one stop to shop for all, at Sharpstown Center."

* The old Sears on South Main just south of Downtown

* U-Tote-M was a fairly large chain of convenience stores in those days. Their radio jingle? "Just in case anyone should ask you, you tell 'em U-Tote-M." Their sign incorporated a totem pole.

Probably a lot more stored in this old brain here!

Hello, I was reading this forum and came across your post about Bellaire.
I grew up on the 4500 block of Mimosa Dr Between Ave B and newcastle and I always wondered what the area there was like. I never knew there were drainage ditches along newcastle and also post oak.
I do know there is a drainage tunnel now along the west side of newcastle with concrete openings for water to enter, this flows south to the bayou that is north of beechnut. The same type of tunnel is under the 610 frontage road on the east side of 610. I lived in the same house since I came home from the hospital until I was 18 and moved to Phoenix. My mother still lives in the house and I am trying to find information on who the builder was for the houses in that area. From the digging I did on some of the county websites I found it was built in 1950 and it was in a part of bellaire called "Post Oak terrace section II" I am also curious about the houses in the area east of newcastle between Bellaire Blvd and Beechnut, I think this area is called southdale and I remember some of the houses were very small almost like a shotgun shack. I would sure like to hear about your memories from that area.

Thanks,

Chris McGrail

Sparky

Posted Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 1:42 AM

Zag, on Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 @ 9:22pm, said:

Yep. I used to hang out at Playland in the early 60's. I was in high school. I particularly remember the "haunted" house. You would walk through it-pretty primitive actually- and end up in a room with a moving floor that went in a circle. I remember seeing a rather wild young girl who would make out with all the guys while going arouind in circles.

Hi. I don't know where the "haunted" house that you are talking about was located but it was not at Playland on South Main. There was a "fun in the dark" there, right next to our house, but it was a ride in a dark building. The cars looked like scooter cars and ran on a rail. Spooky things would light up and scare you. I would be interested in knowing where the "haunted" house you are talking about was located. Sparky

Sparky, on Thursday, March 13th, 2008 @ 1:37am, said:

Hi. I don't know where the "haunted" house that you are talking about was located but it was not at Playland on South Main. There was a "fun in the dark" there, right next to our house, but it was a ride in a dark building. The cars looked like scooter cars and ran on a rail. Spooky things would light up and scare you. I would be interested in knowing where the "haunted" house you are talking about was located. Sparky

P.S: There was a "Glass" house on the other side of our house that had dark tunnels in the back of the glass part. You could walk around in the glass part and then you could walk thru the dark tunnels and you would come out in the glass part again. Sparky

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 1:48 AM

Here you go Sparky

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 9:10 AM

And a couple of more

57Tbird

Posted Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 12:29 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Sunday, March 16th, 2008 @ 12:48am, said:

Here you go Sparky

Mark,
The opening title to this says Playland Park 1952. Sure looks like a '55 Olds with the girl in it at the start of the video. That was back when cars had character, and I knew all the makes and models. Most look the same now.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 1:39 PM

TBird now that you point it out that does look like a 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 Convertible, It's confusing me now, if you also notice, in the background there is no Roller Coaster wasn't it built by 1955? Not positive on that. I know it was there in '58 for sure. Maybe that race is the 1954 Fall race. The ran the Gold Cup Classic in like September or October. I missed that parade car, good catch. Sparky can you shed any light on when the Roller Coaster went up?

But you are correct, they all (cars) look the same now, however I have my deposit down on the new Camaro, Donny Buckalew was allotted two of them on the first release, he's getting one and I'm getting the other one, I just can't wait. 2010 Camaro can't get here quick enough.

57Tbird

Posted Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 3:35 PM

Mark F. Barnes, on Sunday, March 16th, 2008 @ 12:39pm, said:

TBird now that you point it out that does look like a 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 Convertible, It's confusing me now, if you also notice, in the background there is no Roller Coaster wasn't it built by 1955? Not positive on that. I know it was there in '58 for sure. Maybe that race is the 1954 Fall race. The ran the Gold Cup Classic in like September or October. I missed that parade car, good catch. Sparky can you shed any light on when the Roller Coaster went up?

But you are correct, they all (cars) look the same now, however I have my deposit down on the new Camaro, Donny Buckalew was allotted two of them on the first release, he's getting one and I'm getting the other one, I just can't wait. 2010 Camaro can't get here quick enough.

The video is being shot from the north stands looking south. the roller coaster went behind the north stands, so it wouldn't show in the direction being shot. I know the roller coaster was there in the early 50's, when I first rode it. I'm not sure, but I think it was built back in the early to mid 40's before the track was built.

Mark F. Barnes

Posted Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 3:59 PM

Was the dirt track not there in the 30's??

Sparky

Posted Monday, March 17, 2008 at 12:27 AM

Zag, on Friday, March 14th, 2008 @ 7:33pm, said:

It wasn't really a haunted house, just a series of rooms you walked through. I definitely remember that moving floor. I don't know where else it might have been-Playland was the only amusement park we went to Maybe it was a Glass house. Was that located in Playland?

Like I said, we did have a glass house with a walk around dark tunnel in the back. But no rotating floor at all. I hope somebody out there can tell us where it was. Thanks for the videos. I played them over and over. This is a step back into my childhood. I can show these to my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Thank you all so much. Sparky

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