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Past Shopping Places in Houston That Are No Longer Here. Name places you can remember.

I am curious to know if there are any other old golf courses that were "around" the loop that have vanished.

Even though it's only been gone a short time, I miss the original Antone's on Taft. The chain Antone's pale in comparison to the original locations. I don't even know how many 'original' stores exist. I also miss ZuZu, which was on Shepherd near Fairview. It was Mexican fast food and I remember a salsa bar or something... it was quaint with good food.

I was raised in the fifties in Houston and remember a lot of the old Ford dealerships. My dad worked for Ford Motor Company and called on all of them and others around the state of Texas. I was always fascinated with Jack Roach because they was probably the oldest one in the city of Houston. I am not sure where the original dealership was located. The earliest one I can remember was on Broadway street. I know that they later moved down the street to another location still located on Broadway. Later they moved to a new location on the corner of Bissonnet and Buffalo Speedway about 1953 give or take a year. I also know at one time they had a location on Westheimer and Yoakum on the east end of the Tower Theatre complex. If any one has pictures of any of the dealerships, please post them. Earl McMillian was another old Ford dealership that was located down town on the corner of Louisiana and Rusk, they later moved out to Katy Road and eventually changed the name to Don McMillian. Others I remember are Raymond Pearson, Tommy Vaughn, and Ivy Russell. Earl McMillian's downtown store, the cars shown are on Louisiana street. The other is Jack Roach Ford on the corner of Westheimer and Yoakum next to the Tower theatre.

These were in the Houston calendars that were published a few years back. Alabama Theater (now Bookstop). Iris Theater, Travis between Capital and Texas. Now the site of Chase Tower. The first downtown tunnel connected this to the Texas Theater on Capital. Bluebonnet Theater., 1015 Broadway near Lawndale Yale Theater, Washington at Yale Shepherd Drive-In River Oaks Theater, the only one here still showing movies. Heights Theater, 319 W. 19th. Tower Theater, now Hollywood Video

Raymond Pearson Ford Downtown Extant Raymond Pearson Lincoln-Mercury 1320 Louisiana Demolished Krieger Motors Louisiana and Pierce Demolished Bonner's Willys Motors 1616 Pease Demolished Hart Radiator Works 1615 Chenevert Demolished Tommie Vaughn Ford 1111 North Shepherd Extant Ivy-Russell Ford 1102 Yale Extant Auto Trading Center 3702 Old Spanish Trail Demolished Hemphill Ford 6600 South Main Demolished Archer Rambler 5000 Block Kirby Extant

Now that we're on the subject of eating establishment, I've started remember cafeterias. I remember going to the Piccadilly in Parkdale Mall once back in the 1970s. The Luby's on North 11th Street in the Gaylynn Shopping Center closed down but a new one was built just up the street on the corner of North 11th Street and Interstate 10. In Port Arthur, there was a Luby's in Jefferson City Shopping Center for many years. It's now closed down but a new one was built just a few blocks from it on the corner of Twin City Highway and Texas State Highway 73. There is also a Luby's in Central Mall in Port Arthur. About 10 years ago, a Luby's opened up over in Orange on the corner of IH-10 and MLK Drive. But it closed down in less than five years. The building is still standing. I'll never understand business, to construct and open up a Luby's just to close it down in a few years. Go figure. Also over in Orange, there used to be a Wyatt's Cafeteria in Northway Shopping Center. It's now been closed down for quite awhile. There was a Wyatt's on Gulfway Drive in Port Arthur, but it also bit the dust. The only one that I remember here in Beaumont was in the Gateway Shopping Center. At different times in the past, I do rembered going to all of those Wyatt's. 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.

Like roller rinks, it appears to me that bowling alleys are slowly becoming things of the past. Are there any still open in Houston? I don't hear people nowadays taking about being in leagues and competing with other teams. My cousin told me that he remembers a bowling alley in Gulfgate that was underground. Ah, the sounds of the balls hitting the pins! People applauding when someone would get a strike! Twisting open the top of a cold, bottled beer wrapped in tissue paper! Playing a pinball machine! Eating a greasy burger in the cafe! It's been well over 20 years since I've bowled. Is bowling another recreational pasttime that is losing popularity to home computers and big screen TVs?

510 Milby? Houston, right? Anyone know about this joint?

El Tango Dining Club 304 Preston Demolished Bismarck Restaurant 719 Franklin Extant Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine 1019 Commerce Extant The Cellar, Les Quatre Saisons, Moulin Rouge 300 Block Milam Demolished The Golden Fleece 807 Congress Extant Gary Smith's Plantation Club 215 Milam Extant "Live Banjo Band!" Peacock Dining Room and Grill 707 Fannin Demolished Genora White Kitchen #2 616 Main Demolished Genora's White Kitchen 1007-1009 Main Demolished Ship Ahoy 1007-1009 Main Demolished

Does anyone remember these old amusement places in Houston? what they were called? where there may be pictures of them? The ski slope at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway which later became... The waterslide at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway which finally became... Lone Star Amphitheatre at the intersection of 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway OR HOW ABOUT... Malibu go-cart raceway and arcade at the Southwest Freeway Games-People-Play...I believe it was on Fondren....big 80's hangout with arcade, waterslides and go carts.. The little go cart place off westpark (Southwest Freeway ran in front of it)..the track was lined with red and white tires...

Hi, does anyone remember the following schools near the Heights? Cleveland Elementary, that was formerly on Jackson Hill. The original Ben Milam Elementary was on Center Street. Cleveland Elementary had a prime spot off of Memorial Parkway. After it was closed, it was part of HCC. It's been since torn down for apartments/condos. I attended there around 1965-1970. The architecture of the original Ben Milam struck me as kind of creepy as a kid. It was brick painted green, I believe and had a long series of steps on at least 3 sides of the school. Reminded me of a Mexican pyramid. The school was dark and creepy with wooden floors. The "basement" of the school was actually the ground floor. I believe the school was built around 1915. I think it was torn down in the '80s and rebuilt. Last year, it was closed down when HISD decided to merge it with Memorial Elementary. I attended this school around 1972-1976,

Many old Houston city maps have Breen Road listed as Mulberry Street. Was the named changed, possibly around 1965 or 66? Why was the name of the road changed? I know many other roads in Houston had names changed - South Park to MLK, ?? to Sgt. Macario, even T. C. Jester was originally called White Oak Drive. Sometimes pieces of roads were absorbed into longer roads when the extensions were built. Antoine took over a short street called Oxbow, T.C. Jester took over a street called Telford. T. C. Jester took over Leroy Street. etc. any other examples? probably many!

I'm making a film for a local Meyerland school's 30th Anniversary. I'm going to start the movie with a montage of short 1 second photos/slides of famous old Houston landmarks that were around & very recognizable back in 1977 but are no longer here. i.e. Westbury Square,Meyerland Cinema, Meyerland Shopping Center (the old one), Gooney Golf, South Post Oak bowling lanes,,Alfreds, The old Houston Post,The Purple Cow,Weingarten's grocery store, gas pump price signs 1977,Traders Vic, Sonny Looks, Houston skyline 1977......etc. This will set the mood for the film by taking the audience back to the 70's & with some music playing in the background from that era too. I like the song,"Classical Gas" for this opening even though it was 1st recorded in '68, it wasn't popular until Eric Clapton's version in the mid 70's. If you have any of the above photos (or other well known Houston landmarks around 1977...especially in SW) or know where I can get, please send to me! Any help/suggestions would be greaty appreciated. thanks, Doug S. Westbury High (class of '77)

The Rice Village discussion got me thinking about this. When I was a wee little boy not in Houston, there were a few small independent bookshops about (there were no chains at all). Where were the independent bookstores in Houston? I don't remember a thing before Bookstop.

Hello all - I know this isn't about Houston architecture, but I have posted other times on this board seeking help about historic Houston and people seem extremely knowledgeable here and helpful. I am still exploring my parent's history in Houston in the 1960s, and am wondering if you can help me figure out what kind of car they drove, down to the model year. I have a note from a cousin as to what my mom drove in high school, and suspect what she told me is what I see I the photo. But I don't want to venture the guess so as not to taint you in your guess. But I can say my mom graduated high school in 1963 and the photo below was taken in 1968, and I have reason to believe the car in the photo is not a new car (so, it's likely an early 60s model). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Is there a Defunct Jewelry stores thread here?

Anyone remember the various ice houses around Houston? I imagine there were a lot at one time. The kind I'm thinking of were mostly open-air, reach-in coolers and, of course, the primary pastime was drinking beer. Were these places called bars back then? They didn't server liqour, though. Two I remember in the early to mid-70s were Ruth's and Bang's. Bang's was on Bissonet Street approximately in the area of Newcastle near the railroad tracks. It was open on three sides if I remember right. Anyone have any pictures of this one? Ruth's (if that was what it was called) was somewhere in the area of S. Shepherd Drive and W. Alabama. I can't remember now exactly where it was. There is some sort of school in that area and Ruth's was in the neighborhood across the street from there. Ruth ran the place and had an attached apartment she lived in. It was open on at least one side and she kept a large cage with one or two pet squirrels in it. I managed to drive by there and find it in the early 90's. The building was actually still there.

I'm now 47. When I was between 4 and 6 years old I lived in Houston. I remember my parents and I going to the Winkler Drive-In Theatre, which closed down many years ago. I found out that it was located at 205 Winkler Drive at Telephone Road. Does anyone out there have any information about it? Chet Cuccia

Seems every large metropolis has had its share of civil unrest & strife and Houston certainly has had a few incidents that we aren't exactly proud of. Here are at least two that come to mind, though years apart they sure made headlines. Read on... Night of Violence Houston Riots 1917 Police brutality was related to the worst example of racial violence in the city

I kinow there was an older stadium that the Buffs used before the one on the Gulf Freeway. The reason I ask is on an old map of the city maybe around 1913 there is a baseball park located a few blocks west of the current YMCA location. Anyone have any pics of thsi field?

I have a few things to ask about some of the past grocery stores in the Houston area (didn't want to start a million new threads). 1) Did the "Hydroponic Garden" Fiesta have any fast foods or any other alcove shops inside? They had space for it, and did include a bank. 2) 2900 Shepherd was the home to Houston's first Whole Foods, but it doesn't seem to exist anymore address-wise. Did PetSmart absorb it, or was it where PetSmart is now? When did it move out? 3) What was Jamail's? I heard it was a fancy grocery store, and they even opened the first grocery stores in The Woodlands (they sold out in the late 1980s or early 1990s). Any more stories on that? 4) What exactly did Safeway change when they took over Randalls and caused it fall out of favor with Houstonians? 5) I heard that the Albertsons in the Houston division had garden centers. What was with that? Were they real garden centers, or just offer lawn furniture, a few flowers, and some misc. bags of mulch, like some H-E-B? Thanks!

In a Tidelands thread there is a list of businesses on Main St in 1969, and Houston Golf Center is listed at 7710 Main between Braeswood and Kirby. Is that what you were referring to? Where were other miniature golf courses in Houston? For me these rank up there with snake farms and dinosaur parks as great roadside attractions.

Anyone have any favorite artwork featuring Houston, especially Historic architecture? Would love to see it. www.drawcomicdesigns.com

Let's start a basic, official, thread for Historic Houston Race Tracks & Speedways. Who remembers the infamous Meyer Speedway located out South Main? Share some knowledge, HAIF!