Vertigo58

This scary incident shocked 1973 Houston... NEW BOSTON, Texas - Although it's been more than 30 years, many people still remember the serial murders of 26 boys in the Houston area. Elmer Wayne Henley was convicted of six of the murders. Now he is known as one of the state's most notorious killers. It was an older man, Dean Corll, who convinced a young Elmer Wayne Henley to seek out victims for murder. Before it was over, 26 young boys were murdered in the Houston area in the 1970's. The crimes are now even hideous to one of the convicted killers. Dean Corll's home (courtesy Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library)

Our phone # (in the 60's) was OR 36370 and I still never forget it. Which is weird because I was only about 6-7 years old when we moved and it changed but to this day I remember it. Of course the phone was a black very heavy rotary. I still remember how my finger would hurt from dialing. There was a very popular song in that day too that was called " and my number is Beechwood 45789 and you can call me up for a date any old time".

You should be real proud as they used to reach all children from all ethnicities and backgrounds. All six of us kids would gather in a semi-circle just to watch the show! We would imitate the dancing in our living room floor! A time not to be seen again I'm afraid.

Of course there was that local group from Houston that did "The Tighten up" dance song. KCOH is still on Almeda after all these years and the building still retains that 60's appearance. KCOH Radio is the oldest black radio station in Texas as well as the southern portion of the United States. Established in 1953, KCOH began broadcasting from downtown Houston in the M&M building. In 1963, a new studio was built in Houston

Excellent, excellent photo! and look at that beautiful urn, grapes and all. I think another reason photos were hard to find was the fact that many people simply could not afford them. It was considered a perk or extra. Even harder to get during the rations of WWII. Wish someone would start a thread about what people had to give up as an effort to help the war ie: women's hose for parachutes, kids bike tires, etc. I heard many iron fences/gates and metal from anywhere was needed and given at an alarming rate. Thats why we dont see too many crestings on the older homes and or model-T's either.

I hope someone knows the answer to my question. While living in LA I had friends that lived in some of the older high rise apartment buildings near downtown. Several of these were built in the 1920's as you entered you would always see names like "Barrington Arms" or "Sausalito Arms". Does the ARMS mean like fortress? or what? that seems a bit extreme but I am certain that in their heyday they were hotels so the "arms" were there while they were hotels. I recall in old movies like Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche Dubois references a hotel in which she proclaims...I once stayed in a place called Tarantula Arms!

Wonder if anyone can solve this mystery. On Dowling Street and W Gray Streets there appears to be only a shell left of an old movie house. Believe it is the 2100 Block of W Gray. I guess whomever is familiar with that side of downtown would know? I pass by on occasion and cant help but wonder what the theater was called and what it looked like and what led to its demise? I have a strong feeling development will soon wipe away whats left. Might as well but I still am mystified. Only the walls stand as if it either burned or just caved in from decay then later removed. So yes, all that remains are concrete walls and the yellow tile walls in front. It is just on next block from Drexlers Barbecue I think? Help?!

There is an excellent book locally called "Houston's Forgotten Heritage". This one will leave you breathless. Many of these mansions were more like castles to me! Some of these gorgeous homes were barely 15-20 years old when they were victims of the wrecking ball. The worse thing is some were removed to be replaced with car dealers or parking lots. Most aggravating was that the mindset was "well they are already out of fashion so lets go modern". Aaaaauuurrrrgghhh!

Maybe we should have titled this thread, peculiar people in downtown? I know when we were teenagers and we would ride the bus downtown to go to the movies like at the NEW Allen Center basement theaters we would always hang out and go to Woolworths, Grants and any stores just to have something to do. Was kind of exciting. The funny part was the people watching. We always saw the blindman & his dog, the loud preacher guy and what really got our attention is seeing people that still had thier hairstyles or attire like back in the past. It was the mid seventies and we would see some older women with 1940's hairdos & make up, then we would see some ladies with 60' beehive hairdos & makeup. Older men hanging out at the coffee counters dressed in the 1950's hats and all. It seemed as if they just didnt want to let go of the past. Damned the present in defiance! I was told once that people that still dress and appear as they did when they were young feel that was when they looked their best so they just stick to it. To heck with the present. These people stood out to us because they were carrying on as normal in their attire well out of fashion. I recall seeing a man at the same cafeteria sipping coffee every time we went in still wearing a zoot suit kind of outfit complete with fedora! We thought it was kinda cool (maybe 25 years earlier). There was an older woman waitress at LC Cafeteria she must have been a Lana Turner wannabe in the 40's only now she wore those pointy cat-eye glasses & heavy red lipstick.There was a novel called "Great Expectations" with a Ms Fabershem wearing her rotting wedding dress & torn veil taking it out on the world because she'd been given the go-bye. Kinda sad though.

Also true! The screens were painted a white color & it was shaped oval so that Cinema-scope and Cinerama movies could be shown. There is another thread about Gulfgate where we discussed the cool movies we saw there. My best memory was seeing original "Poseidon Adventure" there it played for a long, long time because of the huge crowds. That theater was doomed after the midnight movies attracted a really bad crowd. I know when we were watching Neil Young's Rust Never Sleeps a person was shot just as the film started.

My mom must have been a super mom because she would drop off us kids to go there. Quite far from our area. One thing that really stood out was they had advertised an actual "Movie Opening" complete with the stars of the film present. Only the name Lindsay Bloom comes to mind and she apparently didnt go far in film after that so the film must have been a bomb! but what the heck we got to see them exit the limo onto a red carpet with media just like the Oscars. Exciting for a teeniebopper. Here are some films I know I saw there over the years: Ode To Billy Joe, Born Loser's, Billy Jack, The Summer of 42, The Exorcist, Jaws, Saturday Night fever and finally St. Elmo's Fire. and your right sneaking in to see several movies was part of the alure until you got caught and kicked out! Ouch still hurts!

I remember him too! and I guess it took them to tear down Woolworth's so that bible-thumping maniac finally disappearred after years of screaming out loud. He paced up and down so much in that same exact spot I'll bet his heel marks are still there! It was so loud we kids would jump! Amen! Halleluleah!

That area sounds like it is right behind U of H main campus or MacGregor Park? and I always thought OST ran East to West towards the Astrodome? If thats the area you mean near that park there are still many real pretty houses that were built in the 1930-1940 era. I had a friend who's mother was a teacher at UH and they had a large corner lot with a beautiful 2 story spacious home. So that sounds more like Macgregor grounds.

Very interesting glad you shared. Wikipedia does quite well too.

Unreal, I just went back in time (jaw drop). 1974-75 Best I remember, we pulled up our catering trucks to the back and brought in that delicious barbecue from (Lenox BBQ on Harrisburg) They were having some kind of big fancy affair that evening. The dining area was humongous with white linens on all the tables and candelabra throughout. Big bay windows with expensive drapery wrapped around the place with fantastic views of the golf course and wooded area. When we walked on the big porch it seemed like you were walking on the deck of an ocean liner. The best part was the high brow crowd that engulfed the place. My job was being dressed to the nines and making sure drinks were full. There was a live orchestra playing on the outside. The place echoed with the big crowds voices. Seems like a dream now.

Take a look at the thread of historic mansions in near East End where we discuss this. I remember seeing it rom Wayside too. Real mysterious and spooky like the ones we would see in Scooby-doo cartoons. Seemed like they started scraping everything away from where that new school is all the way to Polk Street where the old/closed Kroger is. I remember those big apartments being built along with the Pizza Hut so I am certain it was 1975-76. Who knows about the buildings on the Golf Course across the street? Isn't it despressing to think that after all these years that part of Wayside still hasn't been widened and redone? Hence, the major traffic jams and accidents that occur rear round. The city buses have added insult to injury too. Not even pedestrain sidewalks on the gold course side. On rainy days cars/buses splash people at the bus stops. Council members can't see this? Oh well...

Thank You all for solving this mystery. Just love reading stories like this. As an addition, I wonder if anyone knows what ever became of the huge country clubhouse building that was in The Golf Course grounds? I once helped cater a dinner there as a teenager around 1975. I remember it was very large and looked turn of the century. Must have entertained some notables as well. If anyone can suggest anyone that has knowledge of the golf course grounds and how it came to be and especially that clubhouse. May still be there?

Only few people may remember or have documentation of some of the huge mansions that once stood in the near East Side. Telephone Rd and Wayside/45 areas. Here are 3 that come to mind and thats only becuase I remember seeing them as a kid and even then they were abandoned and near collapse in the mid 70's. 1. Was at Wayside near Lawndale across the street from the Gus Wortham Golf Course. Where there is now an overcrowded, jammed Fiesta market and adjacent strip mall once stood a Plantation-like mansion with tall elegant columns painted white with a huge fountain in the front of the curved/circular expansive driveway. You could imagine Scarlett O'Hara rushing down the grand staircase to meet Rhett. Had tall oak trees lining the drive. Bulldozed around 1975 for this ugly over-developed heap. To make matters worse they crammed an elementary school in there. Pure insanity. 2. Over by Telephone Road and Winkler as Telephone curves going east once stood another huge mansion very similar as the Plantation home also with curved drive. Was in the high Gothic-Victorian style 2 stories with a servants quarters on the side and horse stable. All that remains is the old palm trees that lined the circular drive. Nothing has ever replaced it to this day. Makes you wonder who and why it met such a fate? What kind of people lived there? Why such a palatial home? What kind of people visited, dignitaries? 3. Where the East End post office now stands on Lawndale/Des Jardines st. There was another beautiful three story palace of a home. In the turn of the century Victorian style too. Massive upstairs screened in porch (must have been a great view) with a large front and backyard. Vacant for many years but could have been restored to its former glory. I recall actually sneaking inside with friends out of shear curiosity. Hit my head on the huge newel post. Guess I deserved it. I recall it being an elephant of a house the kind crazy movie people used to make back in the silent film days. Now this house did seem as if Norma Desmond lived in it. It was torn down around 1976. All that remains are the 3 tall elegant palms that seem so lonely without their beautiful painted lady, now just a memory. Houston "shame on you" for not being so supportive of restoration and preservation from the get-go.

Actually, now that the train is over at Minute Maid Park area, it probably has homeless fans living inside of it. Instead of oranges it's Strawberry Hill wine bottles. Rabbit probably got clunked on the head for his spare change.

Not sure if anyone ever answered your question about the cool old locomotive at Hermann Park. So here goes, about 2 years ago it was relocated to Minute Maide Park. As far as I know it is outside somewhere. I guess in front. It was at Hermann for a long time. I recall seeing it there even in the mid-60's. The only rail line that should be expanded is that tiny little train everyone rides in Hermann Park. Someone would gripe about that too I guess. Hey they could raise it up like a miniature monorail wouldn't stall in a flood like the Metro Rail. They could run the miniature train down Richmond. Would take too long to get to work and people would probably crash into it too.

True, so true! Then come the plastic people... oh Prince's Hamburgers why did you ever leave us...boo hoo hoo. Tear in my invisible onion rings.

Never understood why people are so ga-ga about the Pig-Stand on Washington maybe just the fact that it's an icon of the area and because Ms McClaine did her short scene inside for The Evening Star. It may as well close prices are outrageous, service is slooooowwwww and the idea of having the restroom outside (yes it is) always disgusting. The mens RR was designed for children or dwarfs and it is beyond description. Ugh.. People only go because of the reputation. Best thing to do is tear down and build a brand spanking new CLEAN coffee shop that has that 1940-50's appearance. When it was new it was the place to be, inexpensive convenient and great fast food so my relatives say, ahh the good ole days. Baileys Studios has great photos of most eateries on Washington. Wait till rail comes in and really crams the street, bet that's waiting in the wings. Whole nother thread for sure.

I know this is an old thread but just wanted to add that the orginal was to have cost too much to renovate in the millions. They figured since the area has had such resurgence in population may as well build a new/bigger/better one. By now you know of the website as many have tagged on. I can't wait for the opening. I used to attend the old one back in the mid-60s as a kid, my dad played guitar there during Christmas season. Time took it's toll so its just the way things go. I just hope they salvage everything from the original. I personally dig that great gothic revival furnture/items. I recreate these type of items from wood and my interest just grows! I noticed they have already placed the beautiful gold crucifixe on top already. Cool!

It makes me laugh to think that we atttended (too many to mention) rock concerts when the Summit was new. I am not a fan of Lakewood for certain obvious reasons but I find it hard to see someone preaching from a stage that once had so many Heavy Metal/hard core bands playing on at one time. Boggles the mind. Black Sabbath one day then this? Hilarious! I am sure most long time Houstonians agree. Like a recent article stated just glad Mr Osteen has finally removed that wretched mullet. The good part is hopefully the local eateries will benefit but I will steer clear from that gridlock traffic everyone mentioned.

I would just check the site: http://www.mfah.org/main.asp?target=home