EastEnd Susan

Houston Country Club Place Newsletter

Yes! Thank you!

I while back someone posted a site that had pics of the Simms Estate. The pics were in a neighborhood newsletter on the internet from Country Club subdivision. They had lots of history about the subdivision. Ive searched the forum and cant find hide nor hair of that old post. Can anyone help?

I just wish they would have done the brick in a color similar to the original.

Few pics from my trip today. Hope you enjoy.

Extremely glad. We grew up in the swinging, mod to psychedelic 60's and during the "real" golden age of television. Everything from black no white to living color, not to mention all the historical stuff that filled that era.

Even school was fun back then. There were no gangs or guns or knives. When our parents dropped us off in the mornings they knew we were in a safe place. All fights were with fists... that is unless the faculty got wind of a fight to be and it was nipped in the bud. Wow, did I just quote Barney Fife?

I want to maybe later attach "elementary schools in near East End" to this topic.

When I went to JP Henderson around 1969 our principal was a lady named Mrs Goettee. The schools were so close to local families then that she brought me and my sister home the day my brother broke his arm on the playground. My mom had to take him to the hospital so she couldnt pick us up. Mrs Goetee offered to bring us home. Most of our teachers lived within blocks of JP Henderson, thats how close knit the area was. Bygone era. Later on we attended Rufus Cage.

The lady that drove me to and from school thought my grandmother was picking me up so she left me at school. I was in the third grade. I went crying to my teacher, Mrs. Paulson and she drove me home. Then she sat on the porch with my great grandmother and visited for hours while I tried to show off on my swingset.

Teachers would probably get in trouble if they tried to take a kid home nowadays. Glad I grew up when I did. How about you?

I want to say the principals name when I was there was Marion Skaines. Mr. Morgan was never an assistant Principal till after I left. He went on to be the Principal at a Jr. High in Southwest Houston and took a lot of the teachers from Jackson with him. After that he moved into administration with HISD and at some point I remember seeing his name on the news as having been involved with some wrongdoings associated with the school district. He eventually lost his job over it and I think faced criminal charges. My drama teacher was Ms. Hargis who I also had for RWS in the 7th grade. I wasn't till I was a junior in high school that a girl who was a year ahead of me from the drama program at Jackson who was also at Milby explained to me that Ms. Hargis was gay. Wow what a shock that was to me way back then. Ms. Hargis followed Mr Morgan to the new Jr. High and was the librarian there for many years. I saw her and several of the other teachers from Jackson when I tought a Project Business class at the school in the early 80's.

I have been wracking my brain ever since this post started trying to remember the principals name. Skaines! Thanks you so much! Now I can rest. We did have principals with odd first names. Marion and Harmon. Harmon Watts was Austins principal until the year I graduated, 1975. The principal at Burnet elem in the 60's was a Mr. Topperwein.

Actually now that I think about it I think it took like three days to show it because classes were only an hour long and the movie pushed three hours. Mentioning Mrs. Fortenberry reminds me that I was in class at Jackson with her daughter Tracy. I had classes with her all three years at Jackson and she was in Speech and Drama with me as well. Also we had Coach Herman who I actually knew before I got to Jackson because I played Little League baseball with his son Craig.

I remember Tracy but I remember her sister Tamma better. We were in school together all through Jackson and Austin. They were nice people. Wonder what ever happened to them? Oh.. I took drama at Jackson for one semester...dont remember the teachers name though. I was way to shy for the stage.. boy has that changed. lol.

I remember my first day at Austin. I was never so lost in my life. I thought Jackson was big but boy was I wrong. I really would like to tour Austin now. I have driven a few times and now what was once the back of the school looks like another front. And I guess they took over the field behind the school? Is that where the band practices? I know the Scottish Brigade is long gone but do they have a drill team? I can still see the brigadeers practicing behind the school and I alway looked forward to them welcoming us on the first day of school. They were a classic! Any idea why they did end the brigade? My thought was always that the new girls coming to Austin might not have thought the brigade outfits were very sexy..ok, ok, thats true but what about the tradition? I thought they looked really classy out on that football field. I was always so proud to see them in a parade. What do they have now? Is it a drill team just like all the rest? I enjoyed us being different.

I went to Jackson from 1971 to 1974. I remember watching the movie "The Battle of the Bulge" in that auditorium with several history classes. (And no it wasn't about loosing weight) I really enjoyed my three years there and was going to go to Austin HS but changed at the last minute and wound up going to Milby instead. I had Ms. Hargis for RWS in the 7th grade and wound up taking Speech from her in the 8th and 9th grade and went to numerous tournaments. Those were some very good times growing up.

I remember being in the auditorium for the Battle of the Bulge. Didnt it take them a couple of days to show it? I was happy anytime we got to watch a movie...even if it was about Sammy Sperm and Olivia Ovum. You had to love those classic health movies. They embarrassed me to no end.

There were 2 gym teachers there that were the coolest. One was Ms. Frank and the other Mrs. Fortenberry. They kept asking us girls to pay our towel fee and we resisted so they finally wrote a song.. Towel fee, towel fee, towel fee, towel fee, towel fee ,towell fee ,please please please ..when you sweat you can bet boys can tell that you smell. after that we payed our towel fee.. but I cant remember even in highschool one girl taking a shower.

I have a pic somewhere at home of me leaving Jackson on the last day of school..May 1972. My mom took it from the car. If I can find it I will post it. Its not the whole front of the school, just the doors on the far left. But I was styling with my purse with the fringe, my H.I.S. for Her bell bottom hip huggers,leather belt with the three holes, Hang Ten shirt with the little feet on it and Keds Deck Tennis shoes and hair parted in the middle. Too funny.. its all back in style now. I still have the belt and a guy here at work wants to buy it. lol. no way!

Go Leopards!

I have a pic somewhere at home of me leaving Jackson on the last day of school..May 1972. My mom took it from the car. If I can find it I will post it. Its not the whole front of the school, just the doors on the far left. But I was styling with my purse with the fringe, my H.I.S. for Her bell bottom hip huggers,leather belt with the three holes, Hang Ten shirt with the little feet on it and Keds Deck Tennis shoes and hair parted in the middle. Too funny.. its all back in style now. I still have the belt and a guy here at work wants to buy it. lol. no way!

Wow, peppermint park. I remember when my mother told me I was too old to celebrate my birthday there! I loved the helicopter and motorcycle rides. My mother claimed it was a neat place because you would bring your own cake, hats etc, and then the kids could ride. I do have old pictures that will need to be scanned. My pictures will be from the early 70's. I also went a few times to kiddie wonderland with the ponies.

Can't wait to see your pics. Mine were from the mid sixties and poor quality as they are from 8mm movie film. The helicopter and the carrousel were my favorite rides.

Does anyone remember The Happy Buddha on lower Westheimer? They did the chop everything up at the table thing like Benihana. There was a courtyard that had a fake thunderstorm (complete with water, thunder, and lightning) about every thirty minutes? The place burned numerous times in the early to mid 80's. When I was little, I wanted to have my 16th birthday party there. It wasn't really a place for kids, though.

Also, does anyone remember how many Hamburgers by Gourmet there were in Houston? They were amazing. The #10 and some onion rings really hit the spot. I think they had locations in Austin, too. The last one was on Alabama next to The University of St Thomas. They tore it down to build a chapel. I'd rather still have HBG.

I loved the Happy Buddah. It made me very....Happy. Does anyone remember The Bacchanal? I think it was across the street from Michaelangelos on lower Westheimer. They had really rich greek food and belly dancers. They would take everybodys shoes and hoist them up in a net to the ceiling and you had to dance before you could have your shoes back. And yes, they would even break dishes.

Oh my lord. I had completely forgotten about Richies. (I can't remember the spelling either) Wasn't it a Lucky Seven store? Or am I thinking about another place? That was quite a place. A small one stop shopping center. A grocery store, drug store and a dime store, and a news stand too, I think. It was just a short walk from my house on Sherman. I spent a lot of time there reading magazines. It's where I discovered Playboy. They didn't keep them back behind the counter or sealed in cellophane bags the way they do today, and they never seemed to care that I spent so much time reading without buying. Very educational, that Playboy.

And you're right. The east end was a nice place to live back then. It had its share of what we called "hoods" in those days. The tough guys with the long side burns and motorcycle jackets, but I still have a lot of fond memories of living there. We had some very nice neighbors and kids my age all around us. You could actually walk around the neighborhood at night, and even go walking over to the Kopper Kettle on Harrisburg. I rode the bus to downtown and back all the time, even late at night and I don't remember ever feeling afraid.

Very nice to meet you too.

Mom was friends with Ralph and Roy Richie and yes it was a lucky 7. I can still hear the sound of my feet going from the concrete floor where the groceries were to the wooden floor where the toys and ...what did grandma call them?... Notions I believe were. In the early sixties my mom was divorced and was dating a guy that worked in the produce section at Richies. And my brother got his first job there in 1965 as a sacker. And we also ate at the Kopper Kettle all the time and bought plants and feed for our rabbit at Hendrix Grain and Feed store right by the Kopper Kettle. The man that owned the place always gave me a free packet of seeds for my garden. We always had our prescriptions filled at Marine Drug store on the corner of canal and 66th. They had free delivery. and mom had her dry cleaning done at the Acme cleaners right behind Richies. Why do I hear Barbara Streisand singing Memories???

You lived just a few blocks from me. I lived at 6717 Sherman, but I see in your profile that you born in March of 1957. That was the year I went to Edison.

So while I was trying to keep my head down and avoid the hoods and bangers at Edison, your mom was off somewhere having you and changing your diapers. Now I really do feel old. I also had to take a math course over again in summer school that year, and it was at Jackson.

Small world, isn't it?

Small world yes! I just love meeting people on this forum that know my old neighborhood back in the time I was there. I bet when I talk about Richies (sp) Grocery store on 66th and Canal you know exactly what I'm talking about. And how the grass and trees were so green and the air had a sweet smell and there was the lonesome sound of a train whistle on a weekday night. And the Luthran school on Sherman. And Reddig Ice cream parlor. So.. hi there FilioScotia..nice to meet you.

You have to like a guy with a sense of humor like that. Someone willing to literally be the south end of a northbound horse.

Just curious. Where on the east end did you live and go to school? I lived there briefly way back before the civil war. I went to Edison JH one year in the late 50s. We lived on Sherman just off Wayside.

My family lived at 6640 Avenue L. I went to Jackson jr. and Austin Sr. graduated in 1975. My mom went to Edison back in the 40's.

I can't help myself. I have to ask. Which end was more interesting?

The rear end. He always had me laughing. We've remained close friends for 35 years now and hes still my best friend and silliest man I know.

I wonder how this topic got placed under Historic Houston well it sort of is, but seems should have went under Way Off maybe? In any case.

Our school was the Stephen F. Austin Mustangs. Maybe animal activists will protest our horsey?

He "Stevie" used to prance around during pep rally's and just run up and down the auditorium aisles. Animal cruelty? maybe, His hooves were smacking concrete floors during all the jubilation. Sometimes he broke in to 2 pieces and humans popped out! I better get to work on starting a demonstration.

My sophomore year at Austin I dated both halves of "Stevie"... not at the same time of course. Mom said I dated a horses head and a horses a**. When my mom went to Austin back in the 40's they had a real horse.... or so I was told.

I don't want to sound stupid, but what is "skating in the middle"? Do you mean in the middle of the floor? Or in the middle between you and another person?

People who were very good at skating.. like the ones who could spin and do fancy things would usually skate in the middle of the rink floor while all of us "normal" skaters would just skate around and around in a circle. The middle of the floor was a "special" place.

Now here is one I don't think anyone mentioned above...

SKATELAND - Roller Rink on Capitol? which was over in East End off of Harrisburg and Wayside Drive.

I recall going there as a kid brother (much to the chagrin of my big sister and her boyfriend). I was basically the kid chaperon! Isn't that smart!

Later we would go with the other kids in the neighborhood. The thing that stood out to me was the

JUKE BOX music so this will set the date/time frame.

Melanie - I got a brand new pair of roller skates you got a brand new key...

Jay & the American's - Young Girl get out of my mind, my love for you is way out of line better run girl...

Gallery - Oh its so nice to be with you...I love all the things you say and do...

Donny Osmond - Go away Little Girl

Archies - Sugar

Talk about Pop music! A much more innocent time people.

I asked about this rink back in Oct of 2005 but no one responded. I couldnt remember the name of it. Skateland.. ahhh yes thats the one where I spent all my Saturdays. My friend Linda was good enough to skate in the middle...until some kid blew by her and made her fall and break her arm. Thanks for the name. I'm happy again!!

I grew up close to Orange Show. I went to Jackson Junior High and Austin High School. My mom's route for taking us to school went down Munger to the Gulf Freeway past the Orange show, so I watched it being built from it's inception and beginnings as walls of cinder blocks. As a 15-17 year old (1970-72) I also rode my bicycle down Munger on the way to a friend's house. I stopped a few times to talk to Mr. McKissak. I don't remember him saying anything about Oranges at the time. From what I remember, he thought he was building an amusement park type attraction. I think the Orange thing must have come later. I was certainly surprised when the place gained such popularity.

I work with a guy who volunteers at the orange show events all the time. He's always collecting stuff to make the trophys out of and I laugh so hard when he brings me photos of them.

Those cafeterias served what I would call good, "American" dishes. I remember liver & onions, fried/baked chicken, rolls, glasses of iced tea, etc. If all three chains aren't over there in Houston, then I would think that at least two of them are. I'm pretty sure that someone will tell me if I'm right or wrong.

I always loved the white rice with brown gravy and the steaming hot turkey. They seldom offer as a dish anymore on the menu. If your lucky and know the manager he can have someone heat up and take to your table. Wyatts was just as delicious and well kept up. Last Wyatt's I remember visiting was across the street from Pasadena Town Square I think? Reasonable prices too! We still have Dinner Bell Cafeteria over here. You ring your little bell and they wait on your table. Fun days.

I remember back in the 60's and 70's the Dinner Bell had the best strawberry shortcake ever! That was our friday night treat, to go stand in line at the Dinner Bell and try to peak over the wall past the fake greenery to see what other people were eating. I always got the baked fish, mashed potatoes and strawberry shortcake. They had a glass case at the checkout and you could buy a little bell for your very own. We always ate on the side where the front door was and I always wanted to get a peek behind that huge accordian door but I never got the chance.

We used to shop there too up until the very end at least at Montgomery Wards across the street. I always remember the Big Boy's restaraunt across from Ward's. He was always grinning as you drove by. The whole area went into a downward spiral and by the 80's it hit rock bottom. Too much competition and loss of revenue must have been the culprit. Big Boy had been turned into a dark, dark nightclub.

I used to go to that Kips Big Boy back in the 70's and also to the Shakeys Pizza place right down from it after friday night football games. Big pitchers of beer and Seals and Croft singing Humming Bird on the juke box. Ahhh take me back.

isn't this the old peden iron and steel warehouse?

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online...s/PP/fpe14.html

Yes its the Peden Iron and Steel building. I would know it anywhere. My Grandmother worked there from some time in the forties to the late sixties. My mother got her first job there when she was 16 back in 1946. I would go visit my grandmother often there in the sixties.

This is me a my grandmas desk at Peden. This came out in a christmas edition of the peden newspaper called Baker Street Bugle. What a shame to lose another building full of memories.