57Tbird

I went to the first four opening games in 1965. What a sight when I first walked in. It actually seemed, at the time, like the "Eighth Wonder of the World". Saw Muhammed Ali clobber Cleveland Williams in a media-hyped, championship bout that turned out to be a laugher. Saw UH play Ole Miss. when Archie Manning was the Miss. QB. Don't remember who won. Also went to the bullfights. At the time, I thought the Astrodome would last forever. Appears that I might outlive it.

AIRLINES-- National, Eastern, Muse, Braniff, TWA, TTA ( Trans Texas or aka Tree Top Airlines) they had a horrible crash near Centerville, if I remember, in the late 50s or early 60s. A classmate's father was killed in that crash.

You have the time and place correct, but I believe the plane was a Braniff Lockheed Electra. There were several crashes involving the Electra. There was talk of the wings falling off. I believe they did determine that there was severe vibration that was too extreme for the short, straight wings on that aircraft and may have contributed to a structural failure. I had the pleasure of making my first commercial flight from Houston to Dallas on an Electra in that time-frame. White knuckles all the way.

Does anyone remember Hebert's Steakhouse near downtown? It was a restaurant in an old, 2-story frame house with the best steaks and shrimp cocktail with their signature (and killer!) remoulade sauce. Their neon sign had a bear on it and it read "A Bear's" so people would know how to pronounce their name. I went on many a date there, including with my husband. As I recall, the restaurant burned down in the 80's (?) and was never rebuilt.

Just for you, marketingwiz....

Excerpts from an '80's menu...

There is more on Hebert's near the beginning of this thread where I posted a 1941 menu.

What is somewhat saddening is these old schools may have existed at one time and were later demolished. The fact that they were name in honor of someone that must have been a contributor to society is forever forgotten or maybe not. As is the case with these you mention. I personally have never heard of these folks.

They must have done something good to deserve to have schools named after them?

See post #17 in this link for info on Albert Sidney Johnston.

See post #13 in this link

robhan said:

Does anyone have pics of the first two locations of the first two locations of the St. Thomas and St. Agness school?

If you're talking about St. Thomas High School, here are a couple from the Bailey collection. They are under the University heading, but these are the high school.

http://www.cah.utexas.edu/db/dmr/image_lg....iable=e_bb_4876

http://www.cah.utexas.edu/db/dmr/image_lg....iable=e_bb_4877

I have a Key Map from the mid 90's that has locations for some of the closed and or torn down schools. Anyone have any pics of Fanin Elem must have close to were the Walgreeen's is on McGowan.

I attended Fannin in the early 40's (Wow! Am I that old?). Fannin was bounded by Louisiana, Smith, Tuam, and Anita. The attachments below show it... as it originally was; a view of the present building (sq. recess in the roof) in the middle of the Google picture; and an old class picture of mine taken in back of the school facing the corner of Smith and Tuam. I wonder if those trees behind us are the same ones that show up in the Google picture.

i may be getting this mixed up.... but i thought South Main was a JUNIOR high and it eventually became San Jacinto HIGH school in the 20's....at the current HCC bldg...1300 Holman

San Jacinto High School evolved from the South End Junior High building which opened in 1914. The picture below is the architect's original drawing of the South End Jr High School.

Does anyone know where this Gateway would have been located, by landmarks from past or present? I know the street well, but not by addresses. "8510 S. Main"... in/outside of the loop 610? Can't believe I never heard of this place.

It was on the west side of S. Main, approx where OST intersects.

Here is a 1960 shot of that area. You can see, what I believe are, the remains of Domain Privee toward the lower left corner. In the extreme lower left, and barely visible, would be part of the parking area of the old South Main Drive-In theater. Just above that is Brochsteins, which I remember being there then, and still appears to be in this recent Google shot. That would be the Old Main Street Loop running diagonal just below the DP remains. The north-south road running into South Main/Hwy90 is Hiram Clarke.

Looks like a telescope observatory dome at the rear. If so, that's quite a structure for a high school. Here are a few more bits of info about the building...

On the high school level, the school changed, rather than the location, for many years. From 1856-1881, the school was named the Houston Academy; from 1881-1886, Clopper Institute; 1886-1902, Houston Normal and High School; 1902-1914, Houston High School; 1914-1926, Central High School; and 1926-1952, Sam Houston High School. On March 18, 1919, when the school was Central High, the building was destroyed by fire. Besides this necessary rebuilding, it was enlarged and modernized as the needs arose over the years. The long-time location was 1300 Capitol and Caroline. Following the 1952 school year, the building was remodeled as temporary offices for the administration of the Houston Independent School District.

it was an elementary school. i had a cousin who was there in the 70's

EDIT: looks like it was K-8 and closed in May '80 according to this.

If that's the school on Shepherd, just north of St. Thomas, it was only a Jr. High (Gr 7-9), when I was at Lanier and played basketball against them in the late 40's.

T-Bird may be able to shed more light on the date of this photo, I think he may have communicated directly with the Lacy family.

Per Lacy's grandson, that's a 1957 photo. The #53 A.L. Special had just been built with some '57 Chevy tail fins incorporated into the rear. I agree with Mark that the coaster must have been torn down by the time construction on the Astrodome had begun. Mark, In your earlier post of the dome aerial shot, you're looking to the northeast (the Shamrock, in the upper left of the photo, is about due north of the Astrodome), so Playland would have been out of the picture to the lower left of the photo. Colt Stadium was on the north side of the dome, so the coaster may still have been there for awhile after it was built in the 1960 time-frame and prior to construction start on the dome. Attached a cropped 1968 Houston map (clickable thumbnail) showing the relative locations of the Astrodome and Playland. I guess some of Playland was still there. Murworth runs right where the roller coaster would have been.

It was the first hump that was blown over so it only damaged things in the front part of the park. I married and moved away in 1952 so I know it was well before that year. I believe it was in the early 40's. Maybe the Houston Library can help us. I will try to get some information from them. Sparky

This is a brief history of the roller coaster that I found with a picture of it for sale on ebay...

"This rare photo of the ROCKET (aka: Cyclone) roller coaster at PLAYLAND PARK in Houston, Texas was taken in 1943. This roller coaster was built in 1941 and was the last roller coaster designed by famed coaster designer John Miller, who died in Houston shortly after he completed this coaster. The coaster was dismantled in 1967 where it has been nearly forgotten by city historians."

This must be the hurricane that Sparky remembered...

1943

HURRICANE (Cat. 1* - July 27th landfall)

This hurricane moved inland over Bolivar Peninsula near Galveston Bay. Houston had a wind gust to 132 mph, Texas City recorded a gust of 104 mph, and Beaumont recorded 17.76" of rain. Nineteen persons died. Damage totaled $17 million.

* - Hurrtrak data indicated a Category 1 status; NHC/TPC documents had peak at a Category 2.

Was the dirt track not there in the 30's??

I don't think so, but I'm not positive. I always thought that the track came after the park was built. Maybe Sparky can comment. There was a dirt track off Stella Link between Bray's Bayou and Bellaire Blvd back in the late 20's - mid 30's, referred to as Bellaire Speedway, I think.

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.

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.

Am currently researching Texas Medical Center area during the late 1940s and early 1950s for a book. Am very interested in downloading the early photo of S. Main & Fannin, but am unable to accomplish this because the complete file is missing, according to HAIF electronic response to my attempts. Could you please direct me to the complete file or repost the original? Thank you very much.

I think the original poster, Earlydays, might need to give permission and receive credit should he wish. With his permission, I have added building names that are known by myself, Earlydays, and other HAIF'ers. I have some more names, but have not updated. I have done some work with Photoshop to remove some minor imperfections in the photo from the original. If Earlydays gives his permission for its use, I can furnish you with the large file, modified photo, with or without building names.

Please do - I'd love to see if they have one available for my dad's graduating class (Huntsville High School, class of 1948).

This is the person I communicated with about my class picture. You give her the info you mentioned above and, if they have it, she will give you the negative no. which you can put on the online order form. You can also have the form mailed or fax'd to you.

Linda Briscoe Myers, Assistant Curator of Photography, briscoe@mail.utexas.edu, 512-471-6281

What I am dying to find out is IF:

A person can still find out how to go back and either view or BUY an old class photo?

I spoke to a HISD admin once but he may not have been totally in the know. He said you would be extremely lucky to find the studio or photographer that would come to the schools and take photos of classmates and specific students.

I started elementary school in the late 60's and if memory serves well it was always optional for you (parents) to buy the photos. Of course now we dont realize how important it was to buy these when you had the chance. I clearly remeber taking group photos and now I cannot find any of me with pals, only when mom would come to school and take pictures of the kiddies did we end up with some. I want the good ones where everyone is together in a row.

If anyone can help please add info here!!! I will buy you a late of lasagna, I promise!

PS, whats really frustrating, is that this contact told me the studios would just destroy remaining (unbought) photos. Grrrrrrrrrr

I looked into finding a copy of my 1953 high school class picture taken by famed panoramic photographer, E. L. Goldbeck, and found this source

I don't think elementary school class pictures are available from here, but if anyone is looking for an old Texas high school class picture taken from 1946-1975, you might check this out

.... Frank Ryan who quarterbacked the Cleveland Browns got his degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

I believe his degree was in Math... PhD.

Just because you weren't getting any doesn't mean other kids were less sexually active in the 40s than they are today.

Just because I wasn't getting any when I was 11, doesn't mean I didn't know what was going on then or later.

I don't know about y'all, but out in the neck of the woods we grew up in, we swam naked all the time, we didn't even own swim trunks. If we went to Galveston we wore homemades to keep from going to the pokey. What's the big deal, skinny dipping has been around since the beginning or time. Just don't see the issue. Junior High back then isn't like it is now days. Kids were still kids back then. Nowadays kids grow up too fast or at least they think they do. Some really do. My wife has had some of her fifth graders come up pregnant, never heard of such a thing back in grade school. Shoot if you got to kiss a girl by the 6th grade in the 50's you were Hugh Hefner! Things just aren't like they used to be.

Right on, Mark! When I was in the 6th grade in the mid-40's, makin' out was holding a girls hand, or really makin' out for a 6th grader was putting your arm around her at the Saturday movies. We got an excuse to kiss when we played "spin the bottle". The times... they have really changed.

I also remember a dealership, maybe a Chevy? there where the Randalls is at Shepherd and Westheimer.

Jimmie Green Chevrolet was on Shepherd next to a Gulf station, which was at the southeast corner of Shepherd and Westheimer.