Howard Hughes Mansion At 3921 Yoakum Blvd.

[LarryDallas]

Please post any info you have on where HH lived in town, where his business empires where located, etc.

I have recently read a few books on this guy and the things he accomplished were just amazing. I just wonder where exactly in Houston he lived, worked, went to lunch, etc...

I'm guessing River Oaks Blvd. somewhere close to the country club is where he must have lived. Where was he in his later years when he went nuts, stopped bathing, urinated on the floor, no longer cut his hair and nails, ate candy bars and cake to where all of his teeth rotted out, and sat naked watching Ice Station Zebra over and over again?

I've been to his grave in Glenwood Cemetary but would like to learn some trivia on the places in town he lived in.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Please post any info you have on where HH lived in town, where his business empires where located, etc.

I have recently read a few books on this guy and the things he accomplished were just amazing. I just wonder where exactly in Houston he lived, worked, went to lunch, etc...

I'm guessing River Oaks Blvd. somewhere close to the country club is where he must have lived. Where was he in his later years when he went nuts, stopped bathing, urinated on the floor, no longer cut his hair and nails, ate candy bars and cake to where all of his teeth rotted out, and sat naked watching Ice Station Zebra over and over again?

I've been to his grave in Glenwood Cemetary but would like to learn some trivia on the places in town he lived in.

Montrose, his home is part of the University of St. Thomas in montrose........

[musicman]

Please post any info you have on where HH lived in town, where his business empires where located, etc.

I believe as a child, he lived in Eastwood.

[torvald]

I believe as a child, he lived in Eastwood.

there are so many books listing dirty laundry on him...

i am actually intereseted in any places he went,

fancy or otherwise here in houston, restaurants,

shops, etc. here in houston. anyone know?

[ssullivan]

there are so many books listing dirty laundry on him...

i am actually intereseted in any places he went,

fancy or otherwise here in houston, restaurants,

shops, etc. here in houston. anyone know?

I think that's hard to say, considering he left Houston as a very young adult and never really came back, except for one trip in the 1940s. After his father died, and he dropped out of Rice, he went to California and really cut off all ties to the family back here in Houston. When he did live here it was a child and teenager, and that was before he was anybody famous.

[torvald]

When he did live here it was a child and teenager, and that was before he was anybody famous.

that's why it'd be interesting!

[MidtownCoog]

He spent a lot of time at his Hobby Airport hangar.

[west20th]

Montrose, his home is part of the University of St. Thomas in montrose........

When the property that housed the "Mausoleum" on lower Westheimer was listed on HAR it said that it was an old Hughes residence. Not sure if Howard ever lived there though.

[Vertigo58]

It wasn't until recently a film was made to honor Howard Hughes but I often wondered what his true relation was to Houston. As many of you know his burial site if right off Washington Ave. (at least I heard it is). He was actually born in Humble which surprised me too. Born Howard Robard Hughes in 1905. At age 12, Hughes was supposedly photographed in the local newspaper as being the first boy in Houston to have a 'motorized' bicycle, which he had built himself. How cool! Upon his fathers death he inherited 75% of his dad's multi-million dollar fortune from oil drilling royalties. He actually dropped out of Rice University. There are numerous references to Houston in The Aviator film. Has anyone ever known where his actual offices were located in Houston?

Hughes Tool Company has been on the Near East End for many decades and still is there. Just off Polk Street.

[MidtownCoog]

He had a hangar at Hobby off telephone road.

[jgriff]

His home in Houston is now part of The University Of St. Thomas.

[nativehou]

One of the houses he lived in as a boy is part of the University of St. Thomas.

Here's a link to a pic: http://www.stthom.edu/Visitors_Community/M...ings/hughes.aqf

Hughes Tool had a big sale of office furniture in the early to mid 90s. Howard Hughes' office was still there, in tact. Supposedly he almost never used it. They were looking for a buyer to buy all of it together. Don't know what happened to it.

I heard he attended the old Montrose Elementary, where HSPVA stands now.

[jdbaker]

One of the houses he lived in as a boy is part of the University of St. Thomas.

Here's a link to a pic: http://www.stthom.edu/Visitors_Community/M...ings/hughes.aqf

Hughes Tool had a big sale of office furniture in the early to mid 90s. Howard Hughes' office was still there, in tact. Supposedly he almost never used it. They were looking for a buyer to buy all of it together. Don't know what happened to it.

I heard he attended the old Montrose Elementary, where HSPVA stands now.

At the time of his birth, his family lived in the Beaconsfield at 1700 Main.

[Vertigo58]

I heard he attended the old Montrose Elementary, where HSPVA stands now.

I dont recall much hoopla of his death in 1976. It just seems that our city would have done something outstanding to commemorate his contributions to the Airline industry. His legend is all that remains. All I ever heard was that he was some rich guy from Texas that somehow ended up in the cemetary off Washington. Younger generations probably have never heard of him until the recent film. There had to have been something in him that made him want to come back home. Perhaps his best memories of the simple life was being here. Maybe during his reign in Houston, politics made it tough for him so he left. Who will ever know?

Has anyone ever seen the actual marker? I heard it's almost unnoticable. Thats what irks me I guess.

[gonzo1976]

It just seems that our city would have done something outstanding to commemorate his contributions to the Airline industry.

The city did throw a massive parade for Hughes in 1938 after he set the record for circling the globe. They even renamed Houston Municipal Airport after him (it didn't last, obviously).

I'm not sure how many times Hughes visited his hometown once he hit it big in Hollywood. According to "Howard Hughes: The Untold Story," he was unconscious when the decision was made to take him to Methodist Hospital for treatment in 1976.

Here's his grave.

The gate was added in recent years. But if you were to get close to it, you could tell which one is his and which graves belong to his parents.

Funny this topic popped up now. I plan to have a write-up on Hughes' 1938 visit posted by Thursday.

[isuredid]

It's not that unnoticeable and it's easy to find if you know where to look. It used to have more distinguishing features (metal ornamentation), but someone removed that to discourage too many visitors:

[FilioScotia]

Maybe during his reign in Houston, politics made it tough for him so he left. Has anyone ever seen the actual marker? I heard it's almost unnoticable. Thats what irks me I guess.

Hughes is buried alongside his parents in a small family plot in Glenwood Cemetery. For a few years after he died, the plot was open and unfenced, but the unending tide of inconsiderate sightseers walking all over it forced the cemetery to install the iron fence with locked gate. As you can see in the above photos, the plot is on one of the roads leading through Glenwood, his grave is clearly marked, and it's easy to find if you know where to look.

As for Hughes and Houston, even though he was born and raised here he never cared enough about Houston to keep living here when he had a choice and the wherewithal to leave. When he inherited his father's oil field equipment company and fortune he got out as fast as he could. He left immediately for Hollywood so he could start spending his money romancing movie stars and making movies. Politics had nothing to do with it.

Hughes Tool pretty much supported him for the rest of his life, paying for his movies, his aviation exploits and innovations, and his famously expensive life style. Even though Houston always regarded him as a "favorite son", he never "really" came back in the sense of maintaining any sense of residency.

For Hughes, it was a case of being "from" Houston, not "of" Houston. Ironically, his aides were trying desperately to get him back to Houston when he died.

Edited June 27, 2007 by FilioScotia

[Vertigo58]

It's not that unnoticeable and it's easy to find if you know where to look. It used to have more distinguishing features (metal ornamentation), but someone removed that to discourage too many visitors:

Thanks so much for clearing up that long, long ongoing rumor. Another Houston mystery solved! I would say that specific marker is quite noticeable. I could trip on it.

I also have to believe to what someone else mentioned about his leaving for greener pastures in Wallywood. Maybe at the time he was in all the papers and big soirees here in Houston, people felt he was about to turn his back on Htown? Just an unfounded theory, but who wouldnt think that? Guess you know what I mean. Additionally, he didnt have any sons or daughters to inherit? or was he flat broke? Would think a guy with his $ would have dozens of kiddies somewhere.

Edited June 27, 2007 by Vertigo58

[nativehou]

Hughes started a brewery in Houston, on the grounds of the Hughes Tool Company, called Gulf Brewing Company. Hughes opened the brewery at the end of Prohibition, and its profits helped the tool company survive the Depression.

Gulf Brewing Company produced Grand Prize beer, which for a time was the best-selling beer in Texas. It has been reported that a beer called Grand Prize beer was also produced prior to Prohibition, by the Houston Ice and Brewing Company. While that may be accurate, any confusion is likely connected to the fact that Hughes

[isuredid]

In 1913, while he was brewmaster at the Houston Ice and Brewing Company, Belgian-Houstonian Frantz Brogniez was awarded Grand Prize at the last International Conference of Breweries for his Southern Select beer - beating out 4,096 competing brewers. Brogniez left Houston during Prohibition, but Hughes convinced him to return to serve as brewmaster for the Gulf Brewing Company. Brogniez

[tmariar]

Additionally, he didnt have any sons or daughters to inherit? or was he flat broke? Would think a guy with his $ would have dozens of kiddies somewhere.

He wasn't broke, and the battle for his money was pretty involved.

[FilioScotia]

Additionally, he didnt have any sons or daughters to inherit? or was he flat broke? Would think a guy with his $ would have dozens of kiddies somewhere.

Flat broke? Are you kidding? Hughes was worth billions. He never had any kids anyone knows about, and he also never made out a will anybody could find. That's why there was such a hellacious court fight over his estate and his corporations after he died, and that fight is still going on.

Check out the movie Melvin and Howard. It's the story of a Utah low-life who claims he gave Hughes a ride in the Nevada desert one day in 1967. His name was Melvin Dummar, and he went to court claiming the grateful Hughes promised to leave him more than 150 million dollars in his will. He even produced a promissory note he said was signed by Hughes. The courts ruled the note a fake and threw the claim out, but THIS STORY IS NOT OVER. More than 30 years later, Dummar is still trying to get his hands on that money. Absolutely true. Check out this story on MSNBC from just a few months ago. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15538092/

The very determined Dummar also left a faked Hughes will on a desk in the main offices of the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City a few weeks after Hughes died. When it was found, Dummar claimed he knew nothing about it -- until his fingerprint was found on the envelope. His fingerprint also was found on a library book about forged Hughes documents, which happened to include samples of Hughes' handwriting. A court ruled that Hughes had died without leaving a will, and his estate was divided among a number of relatives.

But now here comes Dummar again, with a new lawsuit claiming he was cheated out of money that was rightfully his. I haven't been able to find out how the judge ruled, or if he's ruled at all. Stay tuned.

Edited June 28, 2007 by FilioScotia

[tmariar]

But now here comes Dummar again, with a new lawsuit claiming he was cheated out of money that was rightfully his. I haven't been able to find out how the judge ruled, or if he's ruled at all. Stay tuned.

The Wikipedia link (two posts above) says that a federal district court dismissed his suit. There could be an appeal from that decision, but that's at least where it appears to stand now.

[FilioScotia]

The Wikipedia link (two posts above) says that a federal district court dismissed his suit. There could be an appeal from that decision, but that's at least where it appears to stand now.

I said a long time ago in the 70s when I was covering the Houston end of all those legal goings-on that Melvin Dummar should change his name to Melvin Dummass.

This guy is really pathetic. He made those mind numbingly stupid attempts to get some of Hughes' money in the 70s with the story of giving Hughes a ride in the desert, the clearly fake promissory note for 156 million dollars, and the equally fake will with his fingerprints all over it, but the courts saw through him and ruled against him at every turn.

Now here in 2007 another court has ruled against him, saying this matter was settled a long time ago. I have to wonder where he found the lawyer willing to take this idiotic claim.

The funny thing is that his story of giving Hughes a ride in the desert and taking him to his hotel in Las Vegas could well be true. Hughes was an obsessively strange man known for doing strange things and turning up in strange places at strange times. It's Dummar's claim that Hughes promised him 156 million dollars out of gratitude that had the judges rolling in the aisles. But, then again.........

Edited June 28, 2007 by FilioScotia

[Mikeytex]

...........I dont recall much hoopla of his death in 1976...........

I was 15 at the time, but I remember the news was tracking a lear jet with Howard Hughes on it. It was pretty low key from what I remember. The plane landed at Intercontinental and parked in a remote area, and according to a story I read had died enroute. After reporting his death, I don't recall there being any "Anna Nichol" coverage like there is today. My how things have changed.

[Vertigo58]

I was 15 at the time, but I remember the news was tracking a lear jet with Howard Hughes on it. It was pretty low key from what I remember. The plane landed at Intercontinental and parked in a remote area, and according to a story I read had died enroute. After reporting his death, I don't recall there being any "Anna Nichol" coverage like there is today. My how things have changed.

Same age too. Your right thats what I mean by the way the media has changed. The gossip section is far more important these days than reporting a historical moment in Houston.

I am not aware of any huge statue of him anywhere either? If we have some of the Beatles, why not Mr Hughes? and he was a product of Texas. santo cielo! Goodness gracious!

[KimberlySayWhat]

Does anyone know where some photos from his funeral are available? I've already looked.

[gonzo1976]

Does anyone know where some photos from his funeral are available? I've already looked.

I've seen some in the Chronicle archives. If there's a big enough demand for them, I'll put them up on my blog sometime next month.

First off, I was surprised photogrpahers got so close to the burial ceremony. Second, from what I could tell, the burial ceremony was no different than any other. It didn't seem like a big crowd was present. Sitting in the front row, closest to the casket, were some cousins, an aunt and such.

[plumber2]

Hughes started a brewery in Houston, on the grounds of the Hughes Tool Company, called Gulf Brewing Company. Hughes opened the brewery at the end of Prohibition, and its profits helped the tool company survive the Depression.

Gulf Brewing Company produced Grand Prize beer, which for a time was the best-selling beer in Texas. It has been reported that a beer called Grand Prize beer was also produced prior to Prohibition, by the Houston Ice and Brewing Company. While that may be accurate, any confusion is likely connected to the fact that Hughes

[nm5k]

The funny thing is that his story of giving Hughes a ride in the desert and taking him to his hotel in Las Vegas could well be true. Hughes was an obsessively strange man known for doing strange things and turning up in strange places at strange times. It's Dummar's claim that Hughes promised him 156 million dollars out of gratitude that had the judges rolling in the aisles. But, then again.........

It wouldn't surprise me if the ride part was true. Like you say, Hughes would get an idea in his head to do something, and

no one could tell him otherwise.. He ruled his roost, with the exception of being so out of it physically that he couldn't even

hardly go out on the street without attracting a lot of attention. I read a pretty good book on him, and his later life, but

I can't remember the name offhand. Much was written by the people that took care of him, and I think most was fairly

factual. He would get an idea in his head, and there was pretty much no stopping him if he decided that was what he was

going to do. One example was flying.. In his later raggedy years, at one point he decided he wanted to go fly again.

So he had his cronies round up a learjet, and they had to find an extra pilot, which they did.

But they got him into the plane, and he could hardly fly the thing. I think they did cruise around the country for a while,

but the "co-pilot" had to do most of the actual flying. Just the secretive ways he would do things was worth a book in

itself.. IE: He would make the pilots stand outside when boarding, so they couldn't see him..

I guess he assumed they wouldn't recognize him once he decided to crawl into the cockpit... :/

Of course, everyone knows about his problems dealing with germs.. But he was also quirky about his food..

He would decide he would want something like say chicken soup.. Then he might eat nothing but chicken soup

for the next three months.. Then finally one day they would bring the same soup in, and he would finally decide on

something else. Which he would then usually eat it for the next three months.

He would sit in his darkened room and watch movies nearly 24/7.. Ice station zebra was one of his fav's.. He could

watch it over and over and over again..

I wish I had that book handy so I could remember more tidbits.. Anyway, that book gave most of the behind the

scenes details of his everyday life, including all the hassles of moving from here to there, country to country.

It was often like a 3 ring circus, with all the secrecy involved. The book also included the details of the last

trip to Houston. He was so far gone at that point, he probably didn't even know he was in a jet..

Most seem to think it was about 1960 when he started getting really weird.. The TWA thing he had went through

evidentally put of a lot of strain on him, and something snapped a bit, and he turned reclusive..

But anyway, he did quite a few things in his life to earn his way into the history books. Just the aviation stuff

was pretty notable. And I think thats where his heart really was until the end. He sat in his bed, and dreamed

of flying airplanes, etc.. And like I say, sometimes he acted on the impulses, even though it was a major ordeal

for him to do so. But he had so many "yes men" around him, he could pull it off.

So it wouldn't surprise me at all that he would decide to go ride a motorcycle. And wrecking it sounds about

par for the course, considering his condition.. But giving away 156 mil.. Why 156? Why not an even 150 mil?

It's the "odd" number which makes me think that part is hogwash.. But then again, you never know.. I don't

think anyone ever will for sure. Of course, to HRH, 156 mil was chump change...

MK