I was born and raised in Magnolia Gardens. I have tons of memories of the magnolia gardens beach park. My great grandmother Agnus Schmitz purchased 5 acres right off of 1st street in the early 50s. My grandparent frequented the park even before moving there. Agnus passed and my grandfather inherited the property. In the early 60s he gave each one of his kids a piece. My mom.and all her siblings. They all built and raised there families there.
That's the subdivision magnolia gardens now let me tell you about the park. Growing up I always heard the stories of the days when Elvis Presley performed there along with many now famous country singers. Grandma Burroughs, we all referred to her as grandma, owned the park. Grandma was a drinker. As the story goes, Conway Twitty called one day and introduced himself and ask if he could play at her park. Well grandma being half lit and a spunky ole gal said " I dont know no damned tweety bird" and hung up on him. Another time George Jones was doing a gig there but the left early because it was to hot. He stopped at the beer joint at the corner of our street and finished his concert in the aur conditioning. My momma took her one year old daughter, my oldest sister and went a watch George Jones performance. That would have made it 1962. I was born in 68 and my whole life I spent my summers at magnolia gardens . In 1977 my mom.married the brother of the park owner Jean Manson. Jean inherited the park from her late husband , the son of grandma Burroughs. Jean and her husband C.E. ran the park until the he flood of 1994 destroyed it. There was a live band every Sunday starting with Easter. They would have a huge egg hunt. Hundreds of people would be there. It was the place to be in those days. There was nothing like it. The beach was beautiful. And the layout of the park was genius. The bandstand and the dance floor were on as huge concrete patio about the size of a football field. Picnic tables rowes up on both sides. There was an outdoor bar and a cafe where they served hamburgers and french fries along with several other menu items. The Sunday event were so big, hundreds of people from all over, they had Harris County sheriff's deputies for security. One Sunday they sent a black deputy outr there. Racism was very prevalent back then and one of the local men started harassing the officer. One thing led to another and the man broke a beer bottle and started toward the black deputy. That deputy fired a bullet right thru his heart . He died right there. Then all hell broke loose and the crowd took after the officer. They locked him in the cafe. Where my and my cousins where as well. I guess I was about 8, Missy 9 and Marcy was 7. With a linch mob outside breaking window and shouting " we're going gonna kill that ______" it wasn't long and there was about 200 county brownys .lined up for miles.
That's what we called Harris County sheriff's cars. They were brown and tan back then.
Yeah there was some crazy things went on down in that river bottom but It was a little piece of paradise right on the San Jacintio River. Up river was Laje Houston, across the river Crosby, and downriver past Highlands the Houdton Ship channel.
Those were glory days.
