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FM 1960 And Kuykendahl Rd.


Sugnamustart

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I'm currently writing a story involving places in or around the FM 1960 and Kuykendahl intersection near I-45 in North Houston/Spring in 1970-1971.

Absolutely anything anyone can remember or direct me to would be helpful, especially any good ol' Ma & Pa burger joints near there.

I've been told already by someone who lived there that there was a burger place on Kuylendahl between FM 1960 and I-45 that was there around 1963-65.

Any pictures would be amazing and I'd love you forever. I've been reading lots of stuff on this site and I can't believe I found such an awesome place online! I can't wait to acknowledge this site in the book, if such a book ever happens.

Thank you!

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  • 2 weeks later...

To reiterate since I'm not out and about at work right now, you're going to discourage any contributors if you're planning to write a book, and such a book is so ridiculously niche that it making a profit would be slim at best. So what can you do?

 

1. Do research. Go to the Houston library downtown and spend a day poring over old city directories, or use a library card and use the archives from 1985 on to build an idea what it was like. Take pictures. Write stories about those pictures and what you remember. "This concrete pad used to be a McDonald's, built in 19xx and closed in...."

 

2. Publish those on a website or blog, and advertise. It will be a labor of love, and keep advertisements to an absolute minimum (if at all). Use a blog or a domain of your own to prevent being swamped with noxious ads. Advertise your own blog by bringing up common topics, like John and abandoned roads, or Tori and the signs of 1980s/1990s Houston.

 

3. This should bring people to share their own stories or at least share some kind words.

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Wow, ok... um... this site, being a place I've seen SEVERAL people recalling memories of places, stupid me for thinking that unless I went through a ridiculous amount of website creation and such just for something I see other people just posting replies on THIS site, then I shouldn't even bother.

I just wanted some memories or what people know about the area during that time. Whatever story I'm writing that involves the area (maybe 1 chapter takes place there; that's it), is irrelevant. I just wanted to know what the area was like in 1971. That's it.

I see people ask questions like this all the time. Why was mine so special? Why do I have to essentially create what I've already got RIGHT HERE and it's called houstonarchitecture.com?

I've already written that part anyway, just wanted some clarification on some details, but forget it. It's totally not worth all that effort for essentially under 2,000 words.

I love research and I love doing it, but getting people's personal accounts on things are sometimes the best part. But if I had to spend so much time and effort on a website and stuff whereas I could just have one or two people tell me some things HERE ON THIS SITE, then forget it. Not worth it.

I'm not writing a non-fiction book on Houston in the 70's or anything. It's a time travel novel. That's it. Just a story. I have the one person I can ask about the area, who grew up there, and I think I'll just stick with that.

I mentioned the acknowledgments so that people wouldn't think I was just taking their stories and running away with it.

Like I said, I see people ask questions and get answers all the time. Do these people expect to get paid for their answers? Is that how this site works?

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Hey, look, I'm sorry. I misunderstood you...and probably others did too! The real answer as to why you're not getting feedback is because the site just isn't as highly trafficked as it used to be (most replies of that sort are several years old, I know, I miss it too), and the people that are left tend to be people most familiar with the inner loop. I'd be lying if I told you that several of my topics here went unanswered or got a few replies at best.

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1960 was two lanes at the time with very little traffic.  I didn't start driving in that area with any regularity until my folks moved out to Jersey Village in mid '73, but I don't recall Kuykendahl being an intersection of much consequence at the time, if any at all.  I'm not sure if it even had a traffic light.  Back then, pretty much the only development in the area was Champions a bit to the west.

 

It would be fiction, but near that intersection would have been a good out of the way place to dispose of a body if that's the direction your book might be going.   :ph34r:

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  • 2 weeks later...

The BofA on the southwest corner was originally a Citibank. I don't know how far back that goes though.

 

That same corner was also home to an original (non-Venture) Kmart store. I would say the store dated back to at least the 80's.

 

On the northwest corner, I know that brake or muffler shop or whatever it is, has been there since almost forever. 80's or even older.

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The changes or lack of traffic on HAIF, particularly under Historic Houston, may be a reflection of the social media changes. Along with individual internet blogs, there are Facebook area specific sites, such as "I grew up in _____", (Park Place, Magnolia Park or East End, etc.) that people may be following, instead. Just an idea. 

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The changes or lack of traffic on HAIF, particularly under Historic Houston, may be a reflection of the social media changes. Along with individual internet blogs, there are Facebook area specific sites, such as "I grew up in _____", (Park Place, Magnolia Park or East End, etc.) that people may be following, instead. Just an idea.

Around the time of the dot com change, traffic plummeted, and in the last four years it got worse. Historic Houston suffered, but even the Heights subforum went from a bustling place to a ghost town.

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  • 2 months later...

The BofA on the southwest corner was originally a Citibank. I don't know how far back that goes though.

That same corner was also home to an original (non-Venture) Kmart store. I would say the store dated back to at least the 80's.

On the northwest corner, I know that brake or muffler shop or whatever it is, has been there since almost forever. 80's or even older.

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Ripley's Muffler and Brakes is the shop on the corner, started in 1973, & still standing through all the road widening, rerouting with underpass, and renaming of 1960. One of the sons took over the family business in 96. He'd probably be a wealth of information.

www.ripleysmufflerandbrakes.com

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  • 5 years later...
  • The title was changed to FM 1960 And Kuykendahl Rd.

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