OldHouseLover

Sorry @ my response to Plumber ended up on same post. Both plantation style homes were very important to the EE. Hope more information can be obtained about their history. OldHouseLover

After many years on the forum, I'm seeing the corner of Dismuke & Truett mentioned. Hubby grew up in EE & we owned house on NW corner of Dismuke/Truett for @ 30 yrs. The estate we bought "as is" with the trappings of a person who could not throw away much of anything. We spent 6 weeks cleaning out the 2 story house & the city hauled away @ 6 trucks of trash. We learned an imprtant lesson about dumpster divers:):). For reasons unknown, that area [subdivision leagl name: Sunnylan ..yes, no "D" in spelling] was difficult to sell for as much per sq ft as other areas. But it offered quick access to Freeway, short cuts to Gul Gate Mall viaTelephone/Dismuke/Wayside without getting on Freeway. Plus Henderson Elem. School was 2 blocks away. Very good family community. When we bought in mid 80s, 2 city busses ran on Dismuke. By 2005, had to walk to Lawndale to catch bus. The petty crimes in the area seemed to get more attention than other areas of EE making it a tough sell for owner/renting. Sunnylan offered a good low price per sq ft and condition in the EE & prime location. It also offered good access to the Medical Center/U of H/Port of Houston/Hobby Airport/Before the beltwey, Wayside was used as connection from I-10 to SE Houston & Med Ctr [via McGregor/OST]. The East End/town of Harrisburg was vital to the growth of the City of Houston. My Grandmother emigrated from Germany to Port of Galveston & she told the story many times of coming from Galveston to Harrisburg by oxen drawn wagon in axel deep mud ca. 1885. The family settled in Washington Co., TX. Nothing has been said of the mode of travel from Harrisburg to Burton, Washington Co., TX. Harrisburg, TX. was very instrumental in the growth/settlement of central Texas. Hopefully, the future of EE can be recognized for it's contribution to the growth of not only Houston, but all SE Texas. RE: City inspectors........ In the middle 80s, we were "red tagge" & went thru the permit process. When project completed, we left red tag in window & wrote our names/phone #s/etc. & called inspector for final inspection. No response. We just gave up. My opinion=someone called in on us. The permit money was paid & the important thing [$$]. Never had issue with permits again. Now, the internet can handle the mundane tasks:).

The mansion & a Church were located on what is now an elementary school property located just North of the intersection of Lawndale & Wayside...a few short blocks from the Fwy. & near Idylwood & Country Cub Place. Loving old houses, I always wanted to see inside. Don't know who owned/lived there. The Church was beautiful as well. If memory serves me correctly that Church merged with thel Church on corner of Dismuke & Gulf Fwy at Telephone Rd. This Church also was closed for a while recently, now I'm seeing work being done. A sign was being put up. Anyone know anything about it? I had kinda thought the Church on Dismuke/Fwy. would be bought & used as a private school for the area because of it's convenient location. Always loved the stone on the Church. Sad most of the old Churchs & old large homes are disappearing. There is still a plantation style home in the Forest Hills area by Forest Park Cemetery & overlooked the bayou. It had been for sale several yrs ago. Need to drive by & see if it's been updated or ?

Best hamburgers/steakburgers ever is still in operation in the East End.......CHAMP BURGER on Sampson a block N. of Harrisburg. Always service with a smile, quick & price is right! Been in business @ 50 yrs by same family. I use every excuse imaginable to swing by for breakfast sandwich [bacon for mine]. Chuck Wagon on 34th was good also. Still remember the tall slim man who was there every time. Next door was the convenice store ?Brennens? which had a great meat dept. Another long time business is the Aztec Tool rental. Owner has made a fortune. Was small building & now has half the block & some down in next block near TC Jester. Always nice, knowledgeable people there......Walking memory lane.

Letter found in East End estate @ 20 yrs ago. Found it again last week. Written Sept 1956. I've posted the letter in Historic Houston under heading 1956 Gulfgate Shopping City & Weingartens Grocery. It's a folksy, interesting invitation to see the first shopping center in Houston. I think Northline followed a couple of yrs later. Anyone remember this opening?

Will be depressing for hubby & I to tour Harrisburg again & see Lenox dining close. Dating in late 50s/early 60s we'd have BBQ sandwich at Lenox & go bowling down the street. We remember Mr & Mrs Schlumberger dine at a table near us one evening. Not really any "memories" left in the area. Dinner Bell still at Lawndale/Wayside & that's it. Still have rent house in the area & drive around occassionally. Did some driving couple of weeks age & our socks were knocked off when we saw remodeling of his ol' home place in Eastwood. New addition on back & what looks like a fish/koi pond covering back yard. New addition being built over pond. We're guessing it's a fish pond. Lotza concrete poured on very very small lot. We stil have most all the title searchs/policies on that property going back before that whole area developed...

Remember the opening of Gulfgate Shopping Center & the Weingarten Grocery new store? Here's a letter fromJoe Weingarden, Chairman of Weingarten's to area residents inviting families to eperience their "most beautiful, largest, new store". Walk down "memory lane". I'm still not very tech savvy, but thought someone might enjoy this bit of East End history.

GREEN PARROTT! Great food served in a beautiful large Macgregor/Riverside residence. Anyone remember it's exact location....somewhere in vacinity of what is now Hwy 288 & Macgregor. Timeframe: late 50s/early60s.

Both on S. Main & miss them!

I heard Eastwood Academy is a "very good" charter school. Seems residents in area are not wanting their children to attend Austin Hi. There is a KIPPS School on Lawndale near Dismuke. Seems it, too, is charter school. Not sure @ these schools, just "hearsay".

EE Susan, hubby says you are correct, it was N of Telephone on Dumble. We don't remember if it is still standing? Or? By the way, I have a house for sale in Sunnylan[d] subdivision. See classified's for 5603 Truett. Thanks

If the rail does go to Gulf Gate from Harrisburg, any guesses as to the connecting street between the two? Telephone? Wayside? 75th?

I loved shopping @ Walter Pye's. Was that the only Walter Pye's in Houston area?

I'm curious @ 2 houses on the East side of the Hardy Toll Rd. Both face the feeder & are of unusual architecture. One is just North of Parker Rd & the Toll Rd intersection. If memory is correct, it is 3 stories? It is huge & has been under construction for 5+ yrs. It looks to be unoccupied. The other is farther North on the toll road feeder somewhere @ FM 525. It's 3 stories high & very narrow [shot-gun style]. After years under construction, it looks to be completed & occupied. Would be interesting to learn the history behind these houses.

I guess a persons memory can forget local's in 60 plus years. but that must be the one. Could there be a pic in Haif somewhere? Valian's Restraunt was behind the APC building [Adams Petroleum]. Great food too!

Drove the Acres Homes area last week & we were stunned by the AMAZING beautiful homes being built. It's about time the huge, shady lots are appreciated!

I lived in 1300 blk of Hartwick during the 50s [1 blk E of what is now Hardy Toll Rd feeder ...old Hardy]. Between Hardy & Aldine Westfield Rds, the district borders changed at @ the 1500 blk of Hartwick [where the road makes a curve. HISD & Aldine busses picked up on Hartwick in the area between Aldine Westfield & Hardy. I was so lucky...bus service at my front door!! I went to HISD [the NEW Sam Houston High & loved it]. West of RR Tracks/Hardy, I seem to remember the districts borders was Canino Rd. ? The "home place" was sold in the mid 80s, but there was never flooding. It was rural setting with lots @ acre in size.

Walter Pye's also was in Palm Center. Loved shopping there.

McMansions are popping up in many unlikely areas. 16/1700 blk of Wellington first blk E of Hardy toll road has a "biggie" on N side of street. I wouldn't consider it a McMansion, but it is quite overbuild for the area. Futher down street is lot covered with bricks, maybe he's a brick layer? I would never win the "yard of the month", but most of those over build for the area do not seem to do ANY landscaping & soon the place just blends in with the neighborhood. Between 59N & Hardy Toll Rd there are many large new homes being built. Building in these areas with no or little restrictions allows the owners to be able to have parking for vehickles/equipment/etc. with no complaints from neighbors [as many neighbors probably work for the owner of the large new homes]. Much of the new construction is probably neighborhood development projects with lots being acquired from governments for little cost for the lots. Lots are tax foreclosures/etc. There are huge lots in the area, many @ 200' deep with very beautiful mature trees.