End-Of-Main Ballroom At 9810 South Main St.

[57Tbird]

I may have missed it, but there was a big, public ballroom way out Main, on the right, where my mother and step-father used to go with their friends. If you unearth that, name and/or pictures, would love to see it.

57Tbird, I remember the Indian sign at Bill Williams. Wasn't the dancing neon red? And there was some wording about Indian-style, meaning it was appropriate there to eat your chicken with your hands, instead of being expected to use knife and fork. Ah, the beginning of causual and the end of priggy requirements of etiquette.

I think it was the End o' Main Ballroom.

Eating Bill Williams' fried chicken with your hands was "Fried Chicken - Savage Style". I never knew that you could eat it any other way.

[plumber2]

My dad talked about the "End of Main Ice House". I posted on an earlier thread that it was just south of present day Holcombe Blvd., probably were the Metro Transit Center and Shriners Hospital is located. My dad told the story of installing site work for the APC building and the back hoe equipment operator complaining about getting flat tires daily. He confided with the operator that this was the site of the above referenced ice house and that before the war everbody would sit in their cars at the back of the parking lot and throw empty bottles over the fence. There was a huge pile of broken glass accumulated through the years.

If every body remembers, South Main jogged east and followed present day Fannin St. south to Knight Rd back then. "End of Main Dance Hall", liquor store, or ice house as may dad refered to it as, could have actually been on present day Fannin.

[Vertigo58]

My dad talked about the "End of Main Ice House". I posted on an earlier thread that it was just south of present day Holcombe Blvd., probably were the Metro Transit Center and Shriners Hospital is located. My dad told the story of installing site work for the APC building and the back hoe equipment operator complaining about getting flat tires daily. He confided with the operator that this was the site of the above referenced ice house and that before the war everbody would sit in their cars at the back of the parking lot and throw empty bottles over the fence. There was a huge pile of broken glass accumulated through the years.

If every body remembers, South Main jogged east and followed present day Fannin St. south to Knight Rd back then. "End of Main Dance Hall", liquor store, or ice house as may dad refered to it as, could have actually been on present day Fannin.

So this means that End-of-Main dance hall was there before The Shamrock Hotel? If it was on Main St that is, Sounds like the very spot you mentioned. I will have to ask family and hope they will remember. Kind of hard to imagine that our city considered that area far away from everything. Some back then, would say "It's in the country"

[Subdude]

My dad talked about the "End of Main Ice House". I posted on an earlier thread that it was just south of present day Holcombe Blvd., probably were the Metro Transit Center and Shriners Hospital is located. My dad told the story of installing site work for the APC building and the back hoe equipment operator complaining about getting flat tires daily. He confided with the operator that this was the site of the above referenced ice house and that before the war everbody would sit in their cars at the back of the parking lot and throw empty bottles over the fence. There was a huge pile of broken glass accumulated through the years.

If every body remembers, South Main jogged east and followed present day Fannin St. south to Knight Rd back then. "End of Main Dance Hall", liquor store, or ice house as may dad refered to it as, could have actually been on present day Fannin.

This came up in an earlier topic, but until the late 1930s it seems South Main ended at Brays Bayou. So the location you mention by the Shriners Hospital could be right on the money.

[nm5k]

If main ended appx at the bayou, Friedmans gambling joint must have been out

in the boondocks for the time. It was on Old Main just west of 90. Course, by the 50's,

I guess with the various motels, etc, Main filled out a bit south of the bayou.

I'd like to see any pix of the gambling joint, if you can ever make some scans..

I wish I had paid more attention to it the couple or three times I walked around

in it, but at the time, I didn't know much about the history of it..

It's funny. Just the other day I was talking to a friend of mine that spent the night

there one time. He said some other people showed up, and they climbed on the roof

to check them out. Later after they left, they went back downstairs into the house

and hit the sack. A few hours later they woke to a huge crashing noise.

The roof that they had been walking around on earlier had caved in...

I still remember that a lot of the rooms had fancy red velvet looking wall paper,

and there were quite a few rooms. I thought the neatest part was the old swimming

pool. You could tell by looking at it, it was an old swimming pool.. Maybe from

the late 30's, 40's.. I forgot when the place opened, but offhand I'm thinking

it was the late 30's. He moved to the Sands in Vegas before the middle of the 50's

I think mainly due to local gambling pressure. I've read you had to be a pretty high

roller to even get in the place. Caroline Farb has said she remembers a lot of

movie stars, etc that used to be there when she came to visit. I think one part I read

said she would go down to eat breakfast, and a big shot like say an Errol Flynn, or

Clark Gable might be sitting at the table eating also.. :/ Or sumtin like that..

MK

[Subdude]

There's some discussion of Jake Friedman's Domain Privee on South Main in this thread.

[Vertigo58]

My dad talked about the "End of Main Ice House". I posted on an earlier thread that it was just south of present day Holcombe Blvd., probably were the Metro Transit Center and Shriners Hospital is located. My dad told the story of installing site work for the APC building and the back hoe equipment operator complaining about getting flat tires daily. He confided with the operator that this was the site of the above referenced ice house and that before the war everbody would sit in their cars at the back of the parking lot and throw empty bottles over the fence. There was a huge pile of broken glass accumulated through the years.

If every body remembers, South Main jogged east and followed present day Fannin St. south to Knight Rd back then. "End of Main Dance Hall", liquor store, or ice house as may dad refered to it as, could have actually been on present day Fannin.

I was speaking to an 88 yr old neighbor that told me there was a very popular Dance Hall called "The End of Main". She said it was way out far past where everyone just discussed here? Now I am confused. She said all of her friends and relatives (young crowd) would all jump in whomever had a car and would head out for an evening of dancing. I told here there might have been a bar and then maybe later this dance club opened? She said its possible but that she is positive that this "End of Main" dance hall was far away towards the very end somewhere.

She said that was the 1st stop then they would all head out to the Blossom Heath for some more Swing music! They must have really known how to party then! She said these clubs would have Jitterbug dance contests and stuff. How cool!

[57Tbird]

OK... I'm going to put in my $.02 worth here. I think I remember the End of Main from the late 40's-early 50's being where Sonny Look's would eventually be located. I believe that would be at the NW corner of S. Main and the present Loop 610. I'm not positive, but reasonably sure. It was certainly not at the end of Main then, but probably was when it was originally constructed.

Edited November 6, 2007 by 57Tbird

[Vertigo58]

OK... I'm going to put in my $.02 worth here. I think I remember the End of Main from the late 40's-early 50's being where Sonny Look's would eventually be located. I believe that would be at the NW corner of S. Main and the present Loop 610. I'm not positive, but reasonably sure. It was certainly not at the end of Main then, but probably was when it was originally constructed.

Now if only there were photos of both of these now legendary places??? Has anyone checked the Bob Bailey Studios collection? About 3-4 yrs ago Chron had a story on Bailey Studios and mainly on the now famous/legendary nightclubs of Houston. Had great interior shots of these places on the off days so you could see all of the details within.

What is truly frustrating is that when I visit places like salvage/used thrift stores there are like boxes upon boxes of photos from people that have passed away. Living relatives either just give away the pics or trash them. I have found studio and personal pics of people at fancy dances, beauty contests, weddings, holidays, posing in front of cars, etc in these boxes. Yrs range from like 1910's to 1960's.

Houston keeps on trashing its history, ok now I'm depressed. phooey.

[Vertigo58]

Now here is some real past former Houston Dance hall trivia:

I was told or it was confirmed that there was once a fun dance hall located right at beginning of Main street. It was called the "108 Club" circa mid to late 1940's.

There was also another very popular on complete opposite called "The End of Main Dance Hall or Club" named because well, it was at where Main st ended perhaps past now Med Center area is.

Please help solve the mystery and even better a photo of one or both of these swinging places! Mom says they used to go to these places but no one had a camera or whatever.

[Don Julio]

Now here is some real past former Houston Dance hall trivia:

I was told or it was confirmed that there was once a fun dance hall located right at beginning of Main street. It was called the "108 Club" circa mid to late 1940's.

There was also another very popular on complete opposite called "The End of Main Dance Hall or Club" named because well, it was at where Main st ended perhaps past now Med Center area is.

Please help solve the mystery and even better a photo of one or both of these swinging places! Mom says they used to go to these places but no one had a camera or whatever.

There was a place located in the 100 block of Main for many years known as "105 1/2 Main." In the 1940s it was called Main Street Dance Hall. Around 1950 it became R.D. Hendon's Western Jamboree Dance Hall. (I'm not aware of a "108 Club.")

The End o' Main was, as you say, at the opposite end of South Main. It was around for many, many years but I've never seen any documentation or photos of it.

[Vertigo58]

There was a place located in the 100 block of Main for many years known as "105 1/2 Main." In the 1940s it was called Main Street Dance Hall. Around 1950 it became R.D. Hendon's Western Jamboree Dance Hall. (I'm not aware of a "108 Club.")

The End o' Main was, as you say, at the opposite end of South Main. It was around for many, many years but I've never seen any documentation or photos of it.

Got it right again Don Julio!

I typed in wrong & mom confirmed it was called the 105 club not 108.

Here is more night club trivia:

Who can confirm the name of a dance club called The Acapulco that was located on the left side of Washington Ave as you headed WEST? A band leader named Eloy Perez played there quite often late 1940's to early 1950's. Was either called Acapulco or THE Acapulco. Had a tropical theme inside which was quite popular in the time.

The great thing is if I really need to I can dig for pictures of this band. Its the club I wonder about.

[Don Julio]

Got it right again Don Julio!

I typed in wrong & mom confirmed it was called the 105 club not 108.

Here is more night club trivia:

Who can confirm the name of a dance club called The Acapulco that was located on the left side of Washington Ave as you headed WEST? A band leader named Eloy Perez played there quite often late 1940's to early 1950's. Was either called Acapulco or THE Acapulco. Had a tropical theme inside which was quite popular in the time.

The great thing is if I really need to I can dig for pictures of this band. Its the club I wonder about.

So did your mom go to 105 1/5 Main during it's "western" incarnation, or earlier?

Never heard of the Acapulco, but Eloy Perez was very well known locally.

[57Tbird]

There was also another very popular on complete opposite called "The End of Main Dance Hall or Club" named because well, it was at where Main st ended perhaps past now Med Center area is.

The End o' Main was near the northwest corner of where 610 crosses Main. I think Sonny Look's was eventually at the same location.

[sherlene]

End O' Main was owned by my great uncle, Ed Eisemann. He died in 1944. I don't know what happened to the place after his death. He, also, owned Sylvan Beach in La Porte.

I found this of interest:

http://publicrecords.laportetx.gov/WebLink8/DocView.aspx?id=4408&page=70&&dbid=0

[Highrise Tower]

Here's the correct spelling. End-O-Main from an add in the Southwestern Times magazine dated November 9, 1944.

[Ross]

End-O-Main Dance Pavilion was at 6815 Old Main Road in 1942. I think that's near Main and Bellaire

 

1944 aerial of the area around 6800 South Main where End-O-Main would have been on Old Main Street Road. I am going to guess that the dance pavilion was the building to the South of the oval track, that I've pointed to with the ugly red arrow

By 1953, the stables that had the oval track and the dance hall are gone

1944 aerial of the from around 6800 South Main to the South where Old Main Street Road intersects South Main

 

[Earlydays]

Here is a picture from 1949...looks like a ballroom at the bottom of the picture.

 

[Highrise Tower]

8 hours ago, Earlydays said:

Here is a picture from 1949...looks like a ballroom at the bottom of the picture.

 

Awesome!

[Ross]

22 hours ago, Earlydays said:

Here is a picture from 1949...looks like a ballroom at the bottom of the picture.

 

I think that's the End-O-Main Grill(or it was in 1942 and 1946), not the dance pavilion. By 1949 or 1950, the name was different, as there's no End-O-Main Grill appearing in the city directory. I will keep looking for more info on this. I may have to go to the Clayton Library next week, as their directory collection may be more complete than what's online at ancestry.com.

The divided street is Bellaire Blvd, now Holcombe. here's the directory listing from 1942.

[Dave W]

Obviously there were at least a couple of other businesses called End O Main, but the End O Main Ballroom was definitely at 9810 South Main, a couple of blocks past where Buffalo Speedway ended at South Main back then. It was vacant for years before Sonny Look opened his Sir-Loin Inn in that building in 1967.

[Ross]

10 hours ago, Dave W said:

Obviously there were at least a couple of other businesses called End O Main, but the End O Main Ballroom was definitely at 9810 South Main, a couple of blocks past where Buffalo Speedway ended at South Main back then. It was vacant for years before Sonny Look opened his Sir-Loin Inn in that building in 1967.

The End-O-Main Ballroom shows up in the 1959 Houston City Directory at 9810 Main. The liquor store is still at Main and Bellaire

[Highrise Tower]

On 8/13/2022 at 11:10 AM, Dave W said:

Obviously there were at least a couple of other businesses called End O Main, but the End O Main Ballroom was definitely at 9810 South Main, a couple of blocks past where Buffalo Speedway ended at South Main back then. It was vacant for years before Sonny Look opened his Sir-Loin Inn in that building in 1967.

Here's a October 2, 1957 ad showing the date of 9810 South Main. If there was any doubts in this thread.

[Highrise Tower]

Was just reading an article.  One person states the "end of main" was located at Bellaire & Main. 

I misunderstood this. I thought the "end of main" was at Main & 610. This would reconcile the address of 9810 South Main. 

Everyone has opinions.  There wasn't an official, by the city, definition of "end of main".

[Highrise Tower]

Believe I found it! Well, it's one of two buildings.

Google Earth aerial view from 1944 shows 9810 South Main as vacant land.

Here's a 1953 view. Definitely one of these buildings!