roym

Yes, there is a Purple Cow on the Bluewater Highway in Surfside. Go south on 332 and turn left at the Bluewater Highway. It's just on the right. Can't miss it - building is purple. Never been there - and don't know if it's the same folks.

Hmm, I thought you were going to say REO Speedwagon. Or was that high school? Wasn't Jane Long on Bellaire and Rookin? I always thought it looked sorta like a jail. But then Sharpstown Jr. High wasn't any prettier. LOL

I don't remember the Sharpstown Drive-In and I used to live just a few blocks from there! Have to drive by there sometime soon and see if it jogs my memory. You said you saw Jaws there... I saw Star Wars at the Southway 6 on Beechnut and S Gessner! Sat in the isle because all the seats were full...

Ooh, I had forgotten about the block of sugar candy that came wrapped in a little paper bag under the tortilla chips!! haha! Thanks! We ate at the one next to Sharpstown mall all the time - I never had anything but Cheese Enchildas there. Boy, their food really sux now...

Didn't that come on Sunday on Channel 39 (in the 70s)? I think someone already posted to that effect earlier. Anyways, there sure wasn't much to watch in Houston on Sunday mornings back then. That and wrestling with Paul Bosch!

Oh, there was also the castle looking hotel at 59S and Clairewood - The Old English Inn. Before that it was the Royal Coach Inn (or Motor Inn) and had two lion statues at the front entrance. A little ways up the freeway near 59 and Hillcroft was the Travel Lodge.

Awesome, thanks for the link!

Somone had mentioned it in the "Tour de Telephone Road" thread: http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...indpost&p=61581

The big hill was a motorcycle race track before it was a slide - this was early 70's. Don't remember any details about it - just remember going to see the motor cycles races as a kid.

That's a cool photo Subdude. Is that a postcard? By the way, what resolution do you usually scan your postcards that you post here? Do you resize them at all after you scan them? thanks!

Yep - I havent been to Woodrow's so cant compare. But if they're like the Willie's IceHouse chain they don't qualify. LOL Sure, copious amounts of beer are consumed there but I think of those mainly as burger joints. Willie's does have garage doors that they open when the weather is right. My step-dad used to run by either Bang's or Ruth's (probably others I dont remember) when we were out running errands and have a couple of cold ones, share some stories with his buddies, etc. Then it was off to the hardware store... Can't remember any of these places ever having food except for chips and candy.

Anyone remember the various ice houses around Houston? I imagine there were a lot at one time. The kind I'm thinking of were mostly open-air, reach-in coolers and, of course, the primary pastime was drinking beer. Were these places called bars back then? They didn't server liqour, though. Two I remember in the early to mid-70s were Ruth's and Bang's. Bang's was on Bissonet Street approximately in the area of Newcastle near the railroad tracks. It was open on three sides if I remember right. Anyone have any pictures of this one? Ruth's (if that was what it was called) was somewhere in the area of S. Shepherd Drive and W. Alabama. I can't remember now exactly where it was. There is some sort of school in that area and Ruth's was in the neighborhood across the street from there. Ruth ran the place and had an attached apartment she lived in. It was open on at least one side and she kept a large cage with one or two pet squirrels in it. I managed to drive by there and find it in the early 90's. The building was actually still there.

From various internet sources found this out: Leroy Melcher had owned a food brokerage company called Shaffer-Melcher Brokerage Co. He and a partner, Pete Weitinger, negotiated to acquire the U-Tote'M stores in 1950. He became president of U-Tote'M in 1953. There were only 10 stores at the time and eventually grew to over 1,000 stores in 13 states.

That sounds really cool. I wasn't able to read the article because the site wanted me to create an account and I really have enough accounts at various places. LOL Anyways, it's a great idea - something that should be done with Buffalo Bayou as well. I wonder if the Cypress project is going down into the CyFair area? I noticed last year or maybe in 2004 that Harris county had planted trees on the stretch of Cypress Creek between Grant and Eldridge. Or, I assumed it was the county. That article wasn't the first I've heard about this project but I thought it was mostly wishful thinking. Maybe there is something to it afterall. They need to hurry if they're going to do it, though. As you know the Cypress and Spring areas are growing leaps and bounds. I don't know about Spring but I have seen what looks like some apartment development along Cypress Creek at 290 & Barker Cypress. And of course a big parcel of property along or around the creek at 249 & Louetta, formerly owned by HP has been sold to a big developer. I believe a small parcel right along the creek was kept by HP. Not exactly sure...

Anyone remember the BBQ Barn? This was at the corner of Fondren and Westpark. I have an advertisement and menu from 1970 as soon as I figure out how to insert photos.... wouldn't let me insert "dynamic photos" (from my photo album) just now.

I found this listing for Southway 6 on cinematour.com: Southway 6, 8006 S. Gessner Dr., Closed Unfortunately they didn't have any photos or other information. Don't know which theater was at W. Bellfort & Fondren. Maybe a similarly named one?

Wasnt the movie theater that was at Beechnut & S. Gessner the Southway 6? Also, on the same side of Beechnut but on the other side of Gessner was Dunkin? Donuts.

I just found this thread about Sharpstown and thought I'd post a link to a post I made in the Historic Houston board: Sharpstown Park Golf Course at 6600 Harbor Town Drive. http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...indpost&p=71649 I used to know this area intimately (lived at Bellaire & Waldo, I believe the address was 8200 Bellaire). I saw someone's comment that they'd have to drive around the area to help remember where everything was. Man, I feel the same way! I do remember that just west of Sharpstown Country Club there was a grocery store (can't remember which one). That grocery store was at the back of the parking lot and at the front there was a gas station and a Dairy Queen (yum). In between the grocery store and the Country Club (or perhaps in front of it) there was just a field that ran along Bellaire right up to the edge of my apartments. Used to cut across that field all the time to go to the Dairy Queen and the grocery store. There was a litle trail that ran right across that field. Found a box turtle out there one time... (yes, I took it home). Behind Sharpstown Mall, on the perimeter of the parking lot there was a Firestone and a Monterey House. Man, I used to think that Monterey House had the best food (but all I ever ate were the cheese enchiladas)!! On Clairewood, behind the mall there was a small ice skating rink. Also on Clairewood & Fondred was (and still is I believe) the Walter Branch public library. The block of Fondren between Bellaire and 59 had duplexes on one side and a fast food joints on the other. I believe the list included McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Wendy's. Do I have that right? There was also a tiny strip shopping center that had a record store and a Fish and Chips (Alfie's??). And tucked somewhere in there was a small bar that me and my little brother spent many a quarter on at the coin operated pool table. Yep, that's right, two small kids in a bar... wow those were the days. Ooops, of course I meant this to go in the Sharpstown History thread! Perhaps the moderater can move it...

Hey Apollo - I went to Pat Neff elementary too. My cousin lived in your neighborhood for many years - their house was on the corner of either Neff & Cannock or Neff & Larkwood - I can't remember which one it was exactly, I'd have to drive by there and see. I was a crossing guard at Neff and attended there from 1974 - 1977. I remember one of the sidewalks had, "The Beatles", scratched into the wet cement when the school was built. Perhaps that sidewalk is still there, who knows? The principle at the time was Mr. Martin. He broke one of his home movies teaching some of us how to operate the film projectors. Been in his office in trouble at least once (or twice), too. ;-) Also used to raise the school flag (Texas flag) there every day. Hung it upside down one day. That day I permanently learned that the WHITE stripe goes on top! I lived in the big apartments on Bellaire & Waldo street right next door and in front of the Sharpstown Country Club. It closed down during those years and the place was just a big playground for us - just like a big jungle. We did plenty of bike riding, motor cycle riding and fishing out there.