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Is it just me or is there definitely a diamond shape in the middle of a field? I was looking around HA and went back in time to 1953. While looking around I came across this shape. This could be one of two things. It could be a baseball field, or a drive-in theater. There (was) a drive-in theater located on Old Spanish Trail, but this is a different location. Looking around, you could give this an address of 1500 Old Spanish Trail. It was where, eventually, the Shell Technology Center building was built and later demolished. It was on the corner of the property. Maybe one day, we will accidentally find out what this was.

Edit: This is the Wortham Waterway Fountain. I've always wondered about this structure standing in front of the present Memorial Hermann "main hospital" (AKA Heart & Vascular Institute) on Fannin & Cambridge, located at 6411 Fannin Street. If I would have to take a guess, the item was saved from the original 1925 hospital? Does anyone know where this was located on the original building? It would be cool to see where it came from! Another from GMaps:

wow!! I just discovered a very cool, old, bar. Possibly a comedy club? From the newspaper Southwestern Times dated November 15, 1951. Dear Mother-In-Law: To show you I really love you I'll let you in on some thinking good. The whole family can enjoy Jack Starr's floor shows at The Fun Bar, South Main and Old Spanish Trail. Free admission. Oscar.

Found this cool matchbook on Ebay this week. I've never even heard of this old restaurant on South Main so I thought I would share. Can we date this business? I'd say 1950s/1960s? Does anyone recall this place and have memories here? Tortilla Flats 6643 So. Main Houston, Texas Specializing in Mexican Foods Sea Food Chicken Steaks Eggs Benedict Open 11 A.M. Close 10 P.M. Closed Mondays Catering to- Banquets Club Luncheons Special Parties Let us assist your entertaining problem Phone LI-0688 Excellent Parking Facilities

On Tuesday, March 21st, 2006, KinkaidAlum posted: "The antenna at One Shell Plaza reaches to around 1,000 feet. There are several photos on emporis.com that show the antenna to reach almost the exact same height as Wells Fargo. The one building that has always confused me is the St Luke's Medical Tower. It's official height is listed at 316 feet. Apparently, the needle spires aren't counted in the height, but even without them, 316 feet seems way too short. Especially when you consider that the nearby Marriott Hotel is listed at 265 feet. There's NO WAY St Luke's is only 51 feet taller than the Marriott even without the spires!" I checked this out from multiple angles tonight. The question is not whether or not St Luke's is over 316 feet; it is whether or not (including spires) it is under or over 440'. With the spires I am certain that it is no shorter than the recent Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza. Edit: skyscraperpage and E______ both quote 316/25st., but Baylor College of Medicine says 29 storeys. The architect's website doesn't indicate one way or the other, saying only, "The Tower is a sophisticated, state-of-the-art medical facility and teaching hospital which captures the spirit and character of Houston and the adjacent Texas Medical Center. Twin octagonal towers respond to this dual frontage and help define the urban environment. The circular roofs and spires bring each tower to a dynamic terminus." There's a nice picture, though, of St Luke's as the only building visible from Hermann Park. A much more personable presence than the hulking Memorial Hermann.

Noticed this service station in the newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated June 21, 1961. I don't think this one is still standing? I know there are a lot of gas stations nearby. Your Golden Key to Good Going is Free! It's welcome week at these Mobil Dealers Come in get acquainted and receive your free Souvenir Key for your car. A.W. Alleman Service Station 7040 Stella Link at Bluebonnet Braeswood Mobil Service 8431 Stella Link at N. Braeswood W.T. Bonner Service Station 10701 South Main Charles Fisher Service Station 10232 South Post Oak at Bellfort R.W. McCallum Service Station 5235 Bellaire Blvd. At 6th Street H.J. Morrison Service Station 7309 Richmond Road at Lugary A.W. Riddle Service Station 2540 University at Kirby Sharpstown Mobil Service Station 6002 Bellaire at Mullins Worth Thomas Service Station 6421 Old Richmond Road at Braewick

Gentlemen, another puzzle. I see a service station at the corner of Main and University with an address of 6511 South Main Street. I'll assume this was across the street, because, as Ross figured out, the address is 6500 SMT. Houston, Texas October 21, 1939 William M. Rice Institute, For the Advancement of Literature, Science & Art, Houston, Texas Gentlemen: As soon as weather will permit, I will do the following items on the station at Main & University. 1- Plant hedges. 2- Pant one coat of medusa on front and end wall. 3- Wash & clean all windows. 4- Put toilet seat & tank lid. 5- Paint tire racks. 6- Remove all rubbish. 7- An another incidental items to put station in serviceable condition. Yours very truly, ? Contract File No. 33 Dr. 8 Filling Station – 6511 Main Street (Corner University Bldv.) (Erected on tract East side of Main St., opposite Athletic Field and adj. College Inn property on North – for Gulf Oil Corporation) Contents: 1) Contract with: L.R. Ashmore 2) Paid Estimates; 3) Paid Bills, Orders, etc. in re Gas Line, Sewer Line, Moving Ornamental Light Standard, etc.

Love the name of this service station!! There is actually a gas station in present times, called Medical Center Shell on the corner of Fannin Street and Old Spanish Trail. From the newspaper The Thresher dated December 15, 1950. Announcement Another Good Gulf Station Grand Opening Saturday, December 16 Santa Claus will be on the drive! Gifts for the kiddies! Orchids for the ladies! Souvenirs and refreshments for all! Inspect this modern service station. See the Motor Clinic with Chassis Dynamiter-- the scientific way to diagnose your moor and tune it without guesswork. Gulf Medical Center Service Station 6430 Fannin / Phone Keystone 0913

Ross got me thinking about the other gas stations a long South Main back in the day. I found a new one that I've never heard of. Thought I would share with HAIF. From the publication Southwestern Times dated September 20, 1951. Hutsell Station to hold formal opening Saturday. With the completion of a major remodeling program, the Hutsell Service Station, 8111 South Main at O.S.T., will hold its grand opening Saturday, with free gifts and an obligation-free drawing as highlights of the day. The Phillips 66 service station s operated by Emory Hutsell and his son, Eddie Hutsell. The firm is open 24 hours a day and offers road service, in addition to handling the complete line of Phillips 66 automotive products and a large selection of accessories--

I was browsing the newspaper Jewish Herald-Voice dated April 24, 1941 and came across a sports field (for baseball and football) that was located "off South Main." The field was named Lobbuck Field. I figured this was HISD's Butler Stadium located at 13755 South Main Street. The Butler Stadium wasn't built until the mid 1960s so I closed that thought. I kept reading the articles about this sports field and I guess it's apart of Hermann Park? All of the news clippings have different dates. Ranging from 1943 to 1949. The old Settegast Field is also mentioned. I'm not too sure about that one. I haven't looked into it. Does anyone know what that's about? Where was it located and who is it named after? Activities for Labor Day, with the matches to take place at Hermann Park. At 11 a.m. the softball tourney will take place at Lubbock Field. A box lunch will be held from 12 till 1:30 at Hermann Park. The softball finals and bowling finals will take pale that afternoon at their respective locations. The ping-pong tourney will be held at the T.M.C.A. From 4:30 until 6 that evening.

I noticed a variance request sign up on the fence of the parking lot between the Rice Collaborative Research Center construction and the Hilton Hotel. Does anybody know what it could be? Edit: There are two addresses affiliated with the Mixed-Use Development in the Texas Medical Center. Latitude Med Center Apartments is located at 1850 Old Main Street (or 1850 Old Main Street Road.) InterContinental Houston Hotel is located at 6750 Main Street (or 6750 South Main Street.)

This Sinclair gas station is on the corner of University Boulevard and South Main Street.

Does anyone recognize, or remember, this home goods retail store on the corner of South Main & University? This would have been in the 1940s/1950s I believe. It's right next door to the Sinclair Gas Station located at 6500 South Main St. Thought I would create a thread for more exposure. Someone has to remember it! HAIF is excellent at finding out old buildings. The buildings are marked with signage stating Furniture, Carpets, Fabrics.

I was researching Carolyn Homoiselle Grant this week. I forgot that The Fay School on North Post Oak Road was named after her. Carolyn Homoiselle Grant married Ernest Bel Fay and was renamed Carolyn Grant-Fay. Carolyn's father was the owner of John F. Grant Lumber Co. and was doing well for himself. One internet article mentioned the family estate was 52-acres that was located at Holcombe & Bertner. When Carolyn Grant-Fay sold the family land in the area she made an agreement with TMC to build a park in the redevelopment. Now, the park is named Grant-Fay Park and is located at 1368 Holcombe Blvd. After my research on HAIF, there is appears there is left over Harris Gully in the park. I really need to go check it out! The HAIF poster states: At the north end of this park, about 15 feet from Holcombe, is a 20 foot deep gully that extends the full length of the park, west to east. It looks like the Texas Medical Center Garage 2 was built over the family estate? The address of the garage is 6740-6798 Bertner Ave. City of Houston Planning and Development Department Archaeological & Historical Commission Buildings by Sam H. Dixon, Jr. James A Baker, Jr., House, 1216 Bissonnet Avenue (1926) Sam H. Dixon, Jr., House, 1612 Bissonnet Avenue (c. 1927, demolished) Colonial Country Club, (1927-28) William H. Curtin House, 2504 Del Monte (1928) Jack W. Lander House, 1714 South Boulevard (1929) Buildings by Briscoe & Dixon: John T. Crotty House, 4 Longfellow Lane (1921-23) Y.W.C.A. Home, 1118 Crawford Street (1922-23; demolished) John McCleean House, 4100 Milam Street, (1923; altered) Alterations to J.J. Caroll House, 16 Courtlandt Place (1923) William L. Clayton Summer House, 3376 Inwood Drive (1924) Henry Stude House, 14 Remington Lane (1924) John F. Dickson, Jr., House, 1311 South Boulevard (1924-25) W.D. Cleveland, Jr., House, 1323 South Boulevard (1924-24, extensively altered) Jordan Motor Company Building, 1211-1219 McKinney Avenue (1924-25; demolished) Walter H. Walne House, 1405 South Boulevard (1924-25) Redbird House, 3237 Inwood Drive (1925) James S. Hogg Junior High School, 1100 Merrill Street (1925-26, with Maurice J. Sullivan) Jefferson Davis (later Northside) Senior High School, 1200 Quitman Street (1925-06 with Maurice J. Sullivan) Craig F. Cullinan House, 6 Longfellow Lane (1925-26) John F. Grant House, 1401 Holcombe Boulevard (1925-26; demolished) Would love to see a photo of this house!! Sounds amazing!! Aerial Photograph in 1944: Aerial Photograph in 1978:

I found this old business advertisement dated June 1950. Does anyone remember this company? What ever happened to it? I wonder if they got bought by a bigger company and merged? --Congratulations 1950 Graduates-- John G. Holland Construction Co. General Contractors 1602 Old Spanish Trail / KE-3651 Google Earth found the building! 1953 aerial view: 20 years later in 1978, the Shell Technology Center was built and had an address of 1500 Old Spanish Trl. *What is that building on the upper right corner? I assume it was apart of the Shell campus?

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2016/11/01/nonprofit-secures-land-in-texas-medical-center.html

I've heard from an engineer friend of mine that the Harris Gully releif project is stalled. It appears that the underground boring machine is broke down somwhere under the Dick Dowling monument and that it will take several months to fix it. Parts are coming from Germany or someplace like that.

This makes the second building a long South Main Street (Main Boulevard?) that I never knew about. February 12, 1916. The Owl Supply Co. If we haven't what you want, we'll be glad to get it for you. Opposite the Campus. J.A. Kiibler, Prop. October 27, 1917: Let us know your wants--- We'll do the rest Owl Supply J.A.Kiibler, Proprietor; Opposite the Campus November 19, 1920 The Owl J.A. Kiibler, Proprietor Autury House is located at 6265 South Main Street, and this was right next door. Up close! Amazing photograph, for being in the late 1910s out a long South Main Street. This was all rural land, just all fields. Is Honey Boy Ice Cream still around?

This week I learned about August Warnecke. He had hundreds of acres a long South Main Street that Rice Institute eventually bought and developed. In some of the old 1910 and 1920 maps you can see August Warnecke as the parcel owner. I searched around HAIF for this guy but didn't see anything mentioned. Thought I would go a head and create a thread. Newspaper article from The Houston Post. dated June 2, 1914. Death Resulted From Infection August Warnecke, wealthy land owner, died Monday. Anthrax poisoning, thought to have been contracted whole he was skinny a cow given a cause. From anthrax poisoning, believed to have been contracted about two weeks ago while skinning a cow, a August Warnecke, aged 69 years old, a wealthy land owner, who resided on the Main street road, died at 8:30 o'clock Monday evening at a local sanitarium. His wife, who was stricken while nursing him, is at the sanitarium suffering from the same disease. About two weeks ago a cow belonging to Mr. Warnecke was shot by some small boys who were hunting in his pasture-- The day later, June 3, 1914: August Warnecke. The funeral of August Warnecke, who died at a local sanitarium Monday evening of anthrax poisoning, will be held from the First Lutheran church Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock, with Rev. P. V. Dyck officiating. Interment will be made in German cemetery. The following active pallbearers have been selected: George Ramin, Ed Ramin, Ernest Schelling August Schelling, Henry Schelling and William Schelling. The honorary pallbearers will be: G.H. Hermann, George Kuhlmann, Simeon Priester, J. Hahn, L. Hilldendahl, Charles Moerer, J.J. Settegast Sr., Jim KcKee, J. Remmel and Henry Tuffly. The pall--

Does anyone know about the Charles Weber & Rice University saga? Apparently, Charles Weber was holding onto some valuable pig farm land that Rice wanted. Eventually, he caved in and sold to the university. Map Showing Rice Institute Property. The accompanying map shows the Rice Institute location, three miles from the center of the city on Main Street Road, the road leading right alongside the property from the South End, Southmore and Kenilworth Grove additions. The map begins at Eagle avenue. The white squared marked “Dupont” and “Charles Weber” are small pieces of property which the trustees could not secure. The Weber property having been occupied as a home and truck garden for a number of years. In the northern edge of the 102-acre tract there is a large grove of stately forest trees, while the lower portion of the sity-seven-acre tract is dotted with the large forest trees. The stream winding through the proper is Brays Bough, which will give through drainage. This stream, in addition to furnishing drainage is acceptable of terracing and landscaping. Altogether the location is ideal in every particular. Nether Proof. Lovett nor the trustees are ready to make any announcement as to the character of the buildings or educational policy, but they are all busy with these matters. Bought Land for $1000; Sells it for $56,000 An indicator of the expansion of Houston land values within the last 47 years was given Wednesday when Charles Weber and wife sold a tract of land lying opposite the Rice Institute on Main street boulevard for $6000. The tract was less than three acres and was the last of 10-acre plot bought by Mr. Weber in 1872 for $1000. The 10 acres have brought $56,000 to the owner since his original purchase. The tract across from Rice Institute was bought by R.W. Franklin, who acts as trustee for other interests. The land will not be used for furthering private enterprises, according to Mr. Franklin. The deed to the three acre tract was filed Wednesday in the district clerk's office. Record Price Paid For Main Street Acreage By The Rice Institute. Seven acres Were Purchased Yesterday From Charles Weber for a Consideration of $50,000. Seven Acres Bring $50,00 Charles Weber, a truck framer out Main street road, south of Houston sold, sold seven acres of land adjusting the site of Rice Institute for $50,000 cash. The processional at Rice's formal opening ceremonies almost had to be rerouted at the last minute for what Porcine reason? Thanks to our generous clue, all the contestants realized the answer had something to do with pigs. Despite answers ranging from runaway pigs to disparaging comments about Rice women, the real answer lies with farmer Charles Weber, who owned the last 10 acres of what would become the Rice grounds. Weber, whose pigsty lay adjacent to the processional route, refused to sell his parcel of land until the proverbial 11th hour.

Anyone have info or pictures on what the (now extinct) APC building was supposed to look like if it had ever been completed as planned?

I never knew about this! The original Autry House. Very cool history here. These two Army mess shacks were moved from Camp Logan to just across Main St. from Rice's main entrance in 1919 by Rev. Harris Masterson, Jr., to serve as a community house for Rice students. Later, Mrs. Allie Kinsloe Autry gave funds in memory of her husband James Lockhart Autry, to build Autry House on the same site, which opened in 1921. 1920. Business advertisement from the publication The Rice Thresher dated November 19, 1920. The Community House Always at your service Come and enjoy a sociable hour. All kinds of eats and refreshments. Dance Wednesdays

I read in a book on Houston history about an excellent restaurant called Ye Olde College Inn. What was the location? I believe that it was in business from the 1920s through the 1950s. Also, does anyone miss Valian's (across from the Shamrock Hilton) and Bud Bigelow's on Westheimer?

Hi, I am new to the forum. Does anyone remember the old Teen Hall club. (swimming pool in the back) What happened to it ? Any info on history. My wife & I used to go in early 60s before we knew each other.

I was reading more of that local Southwestern Times Houston magazine. The issue was dated Thursday, April 25, 1946 and I saw a business listing for "Old Main" Dancing located One Block South of Bellaire Blvd. on Old Main St. Road. Does anyone know anything about this place? Very cool find! Never heard of it before.