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While looking in the Harris County, Texas, Guide and Road Map dated June 1939 I came across a beverages business listing that included Weber’s Root Beer located at 6720 South Main Street - Hadley 0272. A little confused. There was also a Weber's Beer Garden located 3 or 4 blocks south at Holcombe & Main Street. I believe they were different, the similarity is the proximity to each other. Weber's Root Beer Stand was a restaurant specializing in root beer. Weber's Beer Garden was an ice house/beer garden/bar that served alcoholic drinks, specializing in beer. Very cool find!!

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 reading the magazine House & Garden dated July 1940 and came across a business advertisement for Johnson Pottery Gardens located at 6519 South Main Blvd. Can't seem to find it at the moment, but the business also changed hands. This was also called California Pottery Yard. "Visit Houston's Show Place on Highway 90 - 6519 So. Main - Lehigh 4742." For amateur Constance Sprys is this "Flower-Doer", containing every thing the devote of flower arranging will need. There are shears for cutting wire or flowers; tying wire; chicken wire; five pin-cushion holders; plastilene; and a spray for watering. It's $4.50 from Johnson Pottery Gardens, 6519 South Main Blvd., Houston, Texas

I was browsing the publication Electrical South dated August 1955 and came across an article detailing a grand opening for a new business along South Main Street. The business was called Wade Electric Company Store No. 2 located at 6706 South Main Street. Does anybody recall this place? I wonder what ever happened to the company? Houston contractor opens second store Grand Opening of Wade Electric Company's Store No. 2 was held recently at 6706 South Main in Houston, Texas. The company's main store is located at 1233 Waugh Drive. At present, the electrical contracting firm specializing in the sale, installation, and wiring of air conditioners.

I was browsing the newspaper Jewish Herald-Voice dated May 15, 1980 and came across a business advertisement for Round Up Cafe & Bar located at Loop 610 at South Main next to Sonny Look's. I couldn't find an address, but Look’s Sir-Loin Inn was located at 9810 South Main Street. I'm guessing there was once a slender retail strip center where the current surface lot is that once held a few businesses. Anyone recall going here? Share your stories!! Was it a club as well? Round*Up Cafe & Bar Loop 610 at So. Main 669-0949 (next to Sonny Look's) For Steaks & Burgers Salad Bar & Soups Corn on the Cob Sautéed Mushrooms Casual Atmosphere .. and more Craig Howard invites you to Houston's newest Country Western Restaurant. Open Mon. - Fri. 11 a.m. - 2 a.m., Sat. - Sun. 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. Available for private parties, bar mitzvahs, weddings, etc.

I just discovered another restaurant of the Shamrock Hotel back in the 1960s. Shamrock Hilton Charcoal Terrace Restaurant. Sometimes written as Charcoal Terrace Restaurant & Pavilion. I wonder why this restaurant wasn't as famous as Trader Vic's Restaurant? Maybe Trader Vic's was more of an unusual niche restaurant so it got the fame? Charcoal Terrace sounds like a steak house, which were on ever other street corner. Trader Vic's was Polynesian and was probably more unique than your average steak house. Photo from May 1967, showing The Towers at 2130 W. Holcombe Blvd. with street signage for both of the Shamrock's restaurants. Interesting advertising as that's not exactly Main & Holcombe, where the Shamrock hotel was.

Does anyone recall this residential? community located on South Main Street near Hillcroft Avenue? The subdivision was built in the 1950s. When typing in South Main Gardens into Google in present day, you get a residential neighborhood in Missouri City, TX. The present day neighborhood is located off Sam Houston Tollway. I believe that is a whole different development. Does anyone recall what school Helen Eisentower was speaking of? Maybe Westbury High School? Westbury is a few miles away from Hillcroft & South Main. HISD Board meeting minutes - January 23, 1956 Letter from Helen Eisentower in South Main Gardens referred to Superintendent for Investigation. Dear Sirs: Do you fold have any jurisdiction over this school in South Main Gardens off 13000 block of South Main Street left? The children and mothers are up in arms about all the conditions out here. I'm very much concerned and would like you to come out and interview some of these people, find out what can be done to improve this unrest. Respectfully, Helen Eisentower Route 3, Box 55B

On HAIF, there seems to be some confusion on the location of the first, original Antone's. Some mention the original location is at 807 Taft Street, but others say it was located on the Kirby/Main triangle in a gas station. Perhaps this confusion lies with the type of restaurant? One is a pop-up in a gas station, while the other is a dedicated brick & mortar store? "On the intersection of S. Main and O.S.T. there was a Sinclair service station that later became the 1st Antone's," https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/47894-sinclair-gas-stationantone’sdroubis-at-6500-south-main-st/#comment-568210 "I believe that those rail cars were originally Victoria's Station and then later became Antone's. It was on that triangular strip of land where Main and OST come together." https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/47700-victoria-gas-stationantone’sdroubis-at-7807-kirby-dr/#comment-19444 While looking at the Houston Public Library's Digital Archives I noticed some concrete information about the stores locations. Antone's #2 was located at 8111 South Main St. Antone's #1 was indeed located at 807 Taft St. Antone's #3 was located at 1639 South Voss St. From the research I did, there is still a location, although rebranded as Angelo'z "World's Best Po'boys", at 8057 Kirby Drive near Old Spanish Trail. https://cdm17006.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/postcards/id/1653/rec/1

Just came across this on ebay. Very rare find!! Crazy how desolate the surroundings are. South Main in the 1940s was just forest land. Does anyone remember this gas station? Any idea of a decade? Ebay listed 1930s but that's not right. I'm thinking 1940s and 1950s. Just Filled Up At "Johnson's Magnolia Service Station" 8100 South Main St. Houston, Texas Phone Hadley 0425 "Sign of the Flying Red Horse" Never Closed

I was browsing Ebay for historical Houston items and I came across a very rare item! I've never heard of this restaurant. Very cool history here. Wish I could find actual photos of the drive-in. Anybody know anything about this? Wasn't there a Ace Trailer Park located on South Main Street? I wonder if this was by the same owners or family. Looks like the drive-in restaurant was active in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s? The Ace Drive-In at South Main Airport Houston, Tex. written as The Ace Drive In - at - South Main Air - Port Houston, Tex. Telephone J-2-0087 Cold Drinks Sandwiches Plate Dinners K.C. Steaks Car and Dining Room Service

I was browsing the newspaper The Rice Thresher dated October 24, 1962 and came across a business advertisement for South Main Book Store located at 6624 South Main Street. Did anyone ever shop here, or have memories of this place? How did this compare to Majors Bookstores? South Main Book Store 6624 Main (Opposite Medial Towers) Telephone JA 4-5517 / Open 10:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. 10% Discount To Rice Students On All Books (from now till Christmas) The best in paperbacks. Sale priced books, art prints, Caedmon records of drama, poetry & literature. Books of all kinds for adults & children.

I was browsing the newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated March 14, 1962 and came across an article that contained the Hodgkins Disease Memorial Research Center located at 7501 South Main Street. Rites Friday For B.P. Lowry Funeral services were held Friday from Pat H. Foley Chapel of the Roses for Brain Pierce Lowry, 33, of 6522 Mobud Drive, who died Wednesday in a Houston Hospital-- The Rev. C. Rodney Sunday officiated at last rites. In lieu of the usual reembraces, the family requested that donations be made to the Hodkins Disease Memorial Research Center, 7501 South Main, Houston. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Beverly Lowry of Houston; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis P. Lowry of Malden, MO; daughter, Linda Kay Lowry; son, Bruce Wayne Lowry, both of Houston; brother, Robert Carroll Lowry of Houston.

I was reading the newspaper The Bellaire & Southwestern Texan dated September 6, 1972 and came across an advertisement for Derrick Club located at 7501 South Main Street. Does anyone recall this place? 1972 wasn't that long ago, maybe someone on HAIF went here and has some memories to share? Back By Popular Demand Steve Chester & Danny Pepper Open To The Public 35¢ Drinks For Stag Ladies Derrick Club - 5701 South Main

The track across from Buff stadium was used for midget races. Not sure if stockers ever ran there. It is talked about in PBS's "Houston; Remember When" episode #3. Note that Playland Park didn't even have a race track yet. This era of photos certainly proves there once were race tracks on Stella Link. I used the Googly Earth flight simulator function to visit the old airfields around town, even the South Main Airport across the street from Playland. It is an amazing pleasure to see all this again.

While browsing Ebay for historical Houston items I found a matchbook cover that I've never seen before. It's of the Chain of Inns Motor Hotel owned and managed by John W. Kinsel. The old motor hotel was located at 9604 South Main Street. On the flipside of the matchbook, there is a Roman Empire Club advertisement. I'm assuming this club was located within the hotel.

I was browsing the publication The Citizen dated May 12, 1976 and came across a business ad for Kettle Restaurants, alternatively named Kettle Pancake Houses. Almost like a One's A Meal situation. The actual name of the restaurant was Brooks Sandwich Shops but their signature sandwich was called One's A Meal. Looks like the Kettle Restaurants/Kettle Pancake Houses were owned by a company called H.L.H. Enterprises, Inc. P.O. Box 2964 Houston, Tex 77001 I'm not sure about all the Kettle restaurants. There were also Dutch Kettle Restaurants and Kopper Kettle Cafeterias. Anyone have knowledge about these places? I believe Kettle Restaurant was a cheaper alternative to Dutch Kettle? Kettle Restaurants had a whole bunch of locations! 10317 South Main St. 9047 South Main St. 5545 Southwest Freeway 2701 Mangum (N.W. Frwy.) 7628 Bellaire Blvd. 25115 Interstate 45 7625 Katy Freeway 337 F.M. 1960

I found a rare, obscure 1940s amusement park! I've never seen it discussed on the internet or in the library archives before! I was searching around Twitter for Playland Park. A Twitter account that documents Houston history posted some Playland Park memories and (wrongfully) included a Speer Park flyer in the post body. At first thought I thought Speer Park was just a rebranding of Playland Park, but it appears it's a whole different amusement park! Anyone know about this park? I wonder why it's never spoken about? Maybe Playland Park overshadowed the smaller park? I just don't know why this park didn't have any daily/weekly newspaper articles and advertisements. No press whatsoever! The park was located in the opposite direction of Sivils' Drive-In Restaurant At 8001 South Main St. and Prince's Hamburgers Drive-In Restaurant At 8101 South Main St. The developer, owner, and manager was Sim L. Speer. "Houston's Permanent Family Playgound - Cool Speer Park" In the April 10, 1943 edition of Billboard Magazine, there was a listing of all the Texas amusement parks: Galveston- Beach Amusement Park Sam Serio, Manager. Has eight rides, six concession games. Houston- Playland Amusement Park John E. Williams - Secy. On South Main St. Houston- Speer Park Sim L. Speer - Owner. Has 10 rides, 20 concession games. Houston- Sylvan Beach Park E.L. Crain, Owner / H.W. Dahse, Manager. Has five rides, four concession games. Another Billboard Magazine article from the early 1940s: Houston, April 11 - Speer Park, under management of Sim L. Speer, opened its season yesterday, with all special low prices for kids under 12 to be in effect thruout season, Fridays thru Sundays. Park has 10 rides and 20 concession games. Billboard article about a day in Houston visiting Playland Park and Speer Park: 1940s ground water report specifying the location of Speer Park that was 5-3/4 miles southwest of the Houston courthouse. Here's a 1955 aerial image of the South Main/Old Spanish Trail "Y" Split. The two drive-in restaurants are located in the center, off of South Main. I'm not sure which side Speer Park was on. The amusement park might have been dismantled and demolished by the time of the photograph? I'll have to look at Google Earth Desktop a bit later to see the 1944 images. Maybe you can see the park with Google Earth. Can anyone spot the park?

I was looking at the 1950 Sanborn map and came across Smith Monument Co. located at 10001 South Main Street. Their industrial campus was located at the intersection of South Main Street at Old Main Street Road. A classic intersection for sure!! The campus had 3 buildings, including an office, pump house, and a factory building. I'll see if I can find the campus on Google Earth a bit later.

Cool when my family moved to Houston in 1962, we stayed at the Las Vegas Inn.

I was browsing the newspaper The Citizen dated January 28, 1948 and came across a full page advertisement for Cook's Paints located at 6634 South Main Street. I wonder what ever happened with this business? Did the mom & pop store go out of business or was it merged with a larger company, and then a larger company, until it reached Home Depot or Lowes?

I was browsing the newspaper Southwestern Times dated October 21, 1948 and came across a business advertisement for Emmamae Horn Dance Studio located at 6620 1/2 South Main Street. "Swing Your Partner" . . . . Get In On The Fun and Learn to Square Dance Beginners Classes Are Now Forming at the Emmamae Horn Dance Studio - 6620 1/2 South Main Mr. P.G. Crowe, Instructor New Class Starts Saturday, October 23, at 8 P.M. Phone L. 1847 / Phone H. 6555

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2011/03/menninger-clinic-to-break-ground-on.html This may have already been posted but I coudln't find it.

Anyone remember the "Shamrock 6" a six screen theater on South Main across from the Shamrock Hotel. First movie I saw there was "The Andromeda Strain" in 1971. I seem to recall them advertising themselves as Houston's first multiplex. Early on, it was quite easy to see two or three movies with one ticket--go to the bathroom and return to another screen. Eventually, they started checking tickets to crack down on the practice. Googled around, one site claimed they closed down in 85, not sure that's accurate. Compared to today's stadium seating, it was kind of cheezy, and so were some of the movies. "The Stewardesses" in 3D. Which I can't remember if I saw or not. Just remember the ads.

I think you are giving the theater 2 more screens than they actually had. The Shamrock may have been the first theater to have more than two screens. I remember the theater. It didn't take it long to go down hill. Now the space is a parking lot for the Medical Center.

I was browsing the newspaper The Rice Thresher dated October 10, 1980 and came across an unusual advertisement for a club on South Main. This is the Rinestone Rangler Club located at 9150 South Main Street. A little confused. Did the former club The Ranch Houston Club close down and R&R went in? That's right, thought I recall hearing The Ranch burned down and then moved a few blocks over on Buffalo Speedway. I guess R&R was built after The Ranch left. Now Open Rinestone Rangler R&R Dance Hall and Salon Jimme Lou & Texas Touch 8:30-1:30 Tues.-Sun. World's Largest Happy Hour! 11am-8:30 Seven Days A Week $1.25 bar 25cent Draft. 9150 S. Main 665-1577