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I was browsing the newspaper The Jewish Herald-Voice dated June 11, 1964 and came across an advertisement for a restaurant club called The Duval's Restaurant located at 11215 South Main Street. For A Delicious Luncheon or Dinner Visit The Duval’s Restaurant * 11215 South Main at Willowbend Under The Personal Supervision of Jean and Minnie Duval Now Open 12 Noon to 10 P.M. Every Day Including Sundays – Closed All Day Mondays Serving Superior Kosher Style and American Foods Complete Dinners $2.50 and up – Children under 12 Half Price Private Rooms Available For Meetings – Luncheons and Dinners Complete Catering Service For Weddings – Bar Mitzvah Receptions Rehearsal Dinners, Etc. Steaks- Broiled to Perfection Seafood- Fresh-Fried or Broiled Chicken- Tender and Crisp Potato Latkes – Blintzes, Kreplach Chopped Liver – Gefilte Fish – Roast Brisket And our fabulous Roast Beef Family Membership For The Entire Season In Our Large Swimming Pool is Now Available Plan your Next Party Around our Spacious and Attractive Grounds Around Large Swimming Pool Available For Luau and Other Functions

I just came across the attached ad in an old 1947 paper. Looking at its location and description, I have no recollection of it at all, and I thought I was pretty well informed about all the recreation facilities in the South Main area in the '40's - 60's timeframe. Its address puts it right inside the intersection of South Main and OST. The ad says, ..."behind Price's Restaurant.", but I think it should have been Prince's Drive-In, which was near that location. Looking at blurry 1953 Historic Aerials and Google Earth views in that location show something that might have been it.

I was browsing the newspaper The Houston Post dated April 10, 1896 and came across an advertisement of Baldwin's Natatorium. Baldwin's Natatorium Now In Full Blast. Water A Fine Temperature. Come down and enjoy a good swim. Natatorium- Corner Louisiana and Congress streets. J.C. Baldwin, Prop'r. In an article from The Houston Post dated January 1, 1909 it states Sidney Westheimer purchased the property. A deal was closed recently whereby Sid Westheimer became the purchaser of the old Baldwin natatorium property located at the corner of Congress avenue and Louisiana street. The property was bought from Mrs. Baldwin for a consideration equal to $60,000.

I was browsing the newspaper The Houston Daily Post dated March 31, 1896 and came across a historic park located in The Heights. Coombs' Park, Harry Clifford, Mgr. 3-Sensations-3 Three Thousand Dollar Engagement 1- The Diving Hors. 2- Dr. Carver. Great Rifle Shot. 3- The Clown Horse. Commencing April 1, Five Days Only Admission - - - - - Fifty Cents. April 6, 1896: At Coombs' Park Thousands Delighted! Every promise fulfilled! Great Success of Carver .. and his .. Diving Horses Re-engaged for Five Days, Commencing Wednesday and Finishing on Sunday at 3 p.m. Daily. At Popular Prices: Adults .... 25 cents Children .... 15 cents Great Pigeon Shooting Match on Sunday, Carver to kill ninety live birds out of one hundred. If ninety-five birds are killed he is to received $100, and $10 for each additional bird. Dr. Carver's record is 153 birds at thirty yards rise. November 29, 1895: Bicycle Races. There was considerable sprinkling of people out at Coombs’ park to witness the races this afternoon, in spite of considerable sprinkling of rain. The track was heavy but the sport was good all the same, in spite of the slow time made. Following are the summaries: First race, one mile, novice, first prize, bamboo fishing pole; second prize, umbrella stand-- Second race, mile and one-quarter, for class-a riders-- Third race, one mile match between professionals-- Fourth race, one-half mile, for boys under 15-- A City of Houston map dated 1895 that I found online that outlines Coombs Park. The below link from Houstorian has more in-depth details if anyone wants to read more about Coombs Park. https://houstorian.wordpress.com/2007/11/02/coombs-park-and-heights-natatorium/

Oh yeah - the swimming pool/baths, too. In 1917 there was an entry for Bismark Park that reads "see Eden Park" -- I can't find anything about a Bismark Park from prior years (maybe it was just a short-lived name) but also not much more about Eden Park except for an ice cream and ice cream cone manufacturer (Eden Park Say-So Cone Factory - high grade ice cream and ice cream cones, 314 Dallas Ave.). Also, the shooting gallery was the Amos Williams Shooting Gallery and the hamburger stand was run by someone named Charles Kennedy.

I was wondering if anyone has heard of Eden Park in Houston? The artifact was found near Magnolia Park and dates 1910-1930's? It may be from somewhere else. Top says EDEN Middle has a 4 and bottom has Park on it. Could this be from a Houston park?

I never knew about this! I was browsing the newspaper June 11, 1986 and came across a business ad for Texas Medical Center YMCA Swim & Tennis Center located at 6900 South Main St. I read the Shamrock Hilton Hotel closed, and the YMCA leased (or was donated by the TMC) for a spring/summer season. It was a seasonal YMCA that eventually went away. Here's the article that was released a few months earlier.

I remember going to the bottom of the Crystal Pool and entering the air dome made by a B17 plastic canopy. The canopy was chained to the bottom of the pool and air was pumped in from the bottom. The canopy trapped the air and floated about 3 feet off the bottom. I know Liability Lawyers would be break dancing to get a shot at that now! Anyway, my question is "What is the name of the skating rink that was right next door on S. Main? ".

Does anyone know anything about this swimming pool that's North off Bellarie Blvd. It looks like it's now an indoor tennis courts.

Does anyone remember an informal park/swimming hole along Spring Creek just east of 1-45? While not a county park, there were picnic tables and there was a rope swing you could swing out into the creek. Did anyone go there?

Hi! I have recently become interested in the history of Houston's North Side neighborhoods, and I have read about a now-defunct swimming pool named "Linder Lake" that was located in the Lindale area. Research indicates that the pool occupied the block bounded by Melbourne, Helmers, King, and Lazaras streets. Google Earth images show that the pool has been filled in, and three buildings now sit on the property; two are metal buildings that look to be constructed within the past 30 years, but the third building is an old brick building that houses an HVAC service company. There is also a very large metal tank on the property. Old aerial photos show that the brick building and metal tank have been on the property since at least the 1940s. Does anyone know if these structures were originally part of the swimming pool complex? I understand that Linder Lake had a bath house and snack bar that served hamburgers, and I wonder if this brick building originally housed those functions. Apparently this place was a major hangout in the middle decades of the 20th century, so I'm a bit surprised at how little information I have been able to find on it. Does anyone know when Linder Lake opened and when it closed? If anyone has any other history or stories about Linder Lake, I'd love to hear them as well.

There is a move afoot to build a swim and social club in the Heights. http://heightsswimclub.org/ No location yet, but they say they need a 1 acre site which they estimate will cost $3.2MM, pre-construction is estimated at $80k, and construction at $850k.

There's a Q&A happy hour Wednesday 7/12 at Heights Bier Garten. https://www.facebook.com/events/2067562386602546/?active_tab=discussion The Heights Swim Club has already birthed a neighborhood swim team, the Heights Hammerheads, that just wrapped their first season at the Love Park swimming pool: https://www.htxhammerheads.org/about My family is signed up, along with currently 81 other families. There is no financial commitment until the real estate is identified. The target demographic seems to be families with children that are stuck between deciding to spend the capex and opex to build a postage stamp-sized pool in their back yard, or paying to join a pool outside the neighborhood (e.g., Afton Village). For those long-time residents that remember the old Garden Cove Swim Club on Fisher Street in Garden Oaks, the Heights Swim Club is looking to roughly replicate that setup. http://gardencoveswimclub.com/

Does anyone know the exact back story on the Willowbend Willow Pool? It is a quite, green oaisis off Cliffwood, and my understanding is that it has been there since the fifties, however it is not visible on the large arial photo of the Westbury area identified as the early 60's.....

Not mall related, but here's the Strawberry Park pavilion - one of my new favorites! http://arch-ive.org/archive/strawberry-pavilion/ http://www.arch-ive.org/pasadena/strawberrypavilion/strawberrypavilion_001.jpg

Have ;you come across Houstorian? An excellent blog on Houston history (the blogger is a HAIFer, too). Here's the archive on amusement parks, including Luna Park, which I believe you are referring to as Oak Park. There is also a thread here on HAIF about Luna Park. As I recall there was also a post on Houstorian about a natatorium in the Heights.

The pool you probably remember was the Tropicana Pool on Telephone Rd. near Long Drive. The pool was private but was open to the public. My parents had friends who lived in Garden Villas that were members. I was too you to go into the bubble but my older brothers and sister did. I was more fascinated with the retractable metal roof that slid over the pool area when it rained, kind of like Minute Maid Park. The pool closed about the same time the surrounding neighborhoods integrated and white families left the area. (mid 60's)

HAIF, Share some memories of your childhood swimming pools. What are some of the most well known Historic Houston Swimming Pools? What about the West University Municipal pool? What about the Gateway Swimming Pool on South Main?

I believe Hot Wells is the former site of an artesian Health spa or resort (sanatarium) that was popular back around the turn of the century. It is now the home of a shooting range. http://houstorian.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/hot-wells-tx/

Anyone recall the old South Houston Municipal Swimming Pool? This would have been in the 1960s.