nm5k

>Our house just off Harris St. in Revlon Terrace had only minor roof damage. I lived in Pasadena during Carla. I don't remember any big wind damage. But I remember loads of flooding around that area. I think we were in the same area. I was on Alistair. I remember Harris being a block away or so. Might have even intersected Alistair, but I'd have to look at a map. I went to Red Bluff Elementary at that time. MK >"Pop" never talked of his experiences in Galveston - not to his wife, not to my father, not to anyone that we know of. It was pretty grisly...They set up a morgue and had loads and loads of bodies stored away. I have pictures of that somewhere. Actually, now that I think of it, I have some old video of it. MK

Yea, he built a lot of them. I think he also built the two cars for the "Munsters" TV show. IE: the old black coach looking thang, and the "coffin dragster". MK

I always liked that car.. The main reason I used to watch batman back in the 60's. The car actually was a movie star in a previous life before becoming a bat. I had alway known that Barris built the car from a lincoln, but never knew until recently that the lincoln was the lincoln "futura". Not yer run o the mill ford... The futura was a concept car that ford built about 1959 or so. I happened to be watching AMC a few months ago and came across a movie. In the movie, the car was part of the plot, and the second I saw it, I knew what it was. Holy Lugnuts Robin!!!, it's the batmobile in a previous life form! Check these pix out.. I also put them on my server in case the attachments don't go.. The Futura... http://web.wt.net/~nm5k/linc3.jpg http://web.wt.net/~nm5k/linc6.jpg http://web.wt.net/~nm5k/linc11.jpg And the batmobile... http://web.wt.net/~nm5k/1966.jpg MK

Here in my house in Westbury, it seems the same as it's ever been. No one messes with me. I'll give them a free ventilation service if they bust through my door. The neighborhood I'm in is no more dangerous than it was in the 70's-80's.. Looks about the same too.. As another note on Westbury Square.. I was reading a book called "hairy legged men".. Naw, just kidding, it was called "sharp dressed men".. A storybook about ZZ top and their adventures or maybe misadventures at times... :/ I noticed that ZZ Top was "legally" born at 602 Westbury Square, on June 20, 1969. Being it's been so long since I wandered through there, I forgot where "602" was.. Fer some reason, I'm thinking in the offices above the old pizza place, but I'm not sure.. Course, in 1969, ZZ Top was Dan M Mitchell, Bill Gibbons, and Lanier H. Greig jr. MK

1965 was about the first time I burger kinged. But.. It was the one in Overland Park KS.. And I do remember 35 cent whoppers. When I moved here in 69, I transferred my burger eating duties to the one on Post Oak. I think Whoppers had gone up to about 55 cents by then. Course, that burger king is long gone. I just went to the burger king on Fondren/Bellfort tonight. But two whoppers ran me about 5 bucks plus... Whataburger has also been around quite a while. I think there is one on telephone rd or therabouts that has been there quite a long time. It was built before the orange paint scheme they use now if I remember right. I think it had the weird roof angles, but was mostly white. But.. I might be confused.. Wouldn't be the first time.. MK

Yep, and you can even make out the "star" that is in the yard of Domain Privee. You can also see all the old Meyer Property pretty well, if thats what I think it is, around where is now Meyer Park. Also a good shot of willow, gasmer back in the older days. Those two streets are some of the oldest in that area. Gasmer and willow were noted on the old 1942 planning map. On Willow, you can see houses that line along willow waterhole bayou. When I was going to Westbury in the early 70's, that one close the the bayou was already a deserted house, falling apart. Most of the area lining gasmer would later grow up to be pretty thickly wooded. In that pix, pretty bald looking. Course, no Westbury Hi yet, but they had the old watertower up already. Ditto for the one on W. Bellort near where the Meyer library would end up being. I moved here in 69, nine years after that pix was taken. By that time, most of the areas had been filled in as far as Meyerland, even north of the bayou. I don't know what year Chimney Rock was completed past Braeswood, but it must have been in the earlier 60's. It had all been there a while in 69. Two lane W. Bellfort wasn't completed past Fondren until after I had moved here. Maybe about 1970 it was done.. Westbury Centerette at W. Bellfort Chimney Rock was one of the first completed shopping centers in Westbury. The old original sign that has a clock on it is still there, as are most all the original buildings. There has been a laundrymat in that center ever since I've been here. I bet it was new and existed there in that pix.. On W. Bellfort at that center, there used to be a Exxon for a long time. But in that picture, it almost looks like a different building was there at that time. It seems to extend closer to Bellfort than all the rest of the buildings that held the U-totem, barber shop, etc.. But in later years, that exxon gas station building was nearly even with all the rest of the buildings. Or so I remember anyway.. There was a Baskin Robbins in that center too back then.. Course, in the late 60's, 70's a jack n the box was west of that center. Later to be scrapped and replaced with the autozone, pizza joint, cell tower, etc.. Too bad you can't see the S. Main golf course, etc.. You can see the bowling alley on Post Oak. Also seems to be the Post Oak Ranch BarBQ was there too at that time. In 1970, that Bar B Q was supposed to have already been there at least 30 years.. A friend of mine worked there then. So that would place it being there in the 40's. I still go there every once in a while when I get the chance. great bar bq... I'm gonna ask Moses, "the current owner" if he knows what year that place first opened. He probably knows I bet. He's been there quite a while now himself. But I still remember the old original owner too. MK

I forgot myself... Seems it was somewhere around that year. They also once ran a Nascar championship race there I think in the early 70's. If I remember right, one of the Allisons won that race. I went to Meyer a few times. Of course, living in Westbury, we could hear the races here at the house every Sat night. MK

There are lots of "orb" pix on the web.. Art Bell/Coast to Coast used to show those things.. Basically, "orbs" are those quirks in a picture like halos, spots, hazy spots, etc, etc.. Myself, I don't think they are ghosts. I think most all "orbs" are quirks of the camera lense, lighting, dust, water, etc... But to each his own I guess... I kinda lump it along with viewing "auras" using weird camera setups.. I'm fairly skeptical when it comes to stuff like that. I believe ghosts can exist, but they don't appear as "orbs". I've known of people that have seen ghosts. I don't think they were fibbing about it. To nearly a one, the "ghosts" looked like the actual person. A friend of mine lives in a house that has had lots of things happen in it. IE: his father shot himself in the back bedroom, among other things. A few years later a common friend of ours was sleeping over there one night. He had no reason to really think about the guys father, as they were just partying, etc.. Anyway, after a night of party, he passed out on the couch. A few hours later he woke up for some reason, and he says he saw the guys father standing at the foot of the couch looking at him. "He knew him before he died, and could recognize him." He told me about this a few days later. Said he almost wet himself.. I forgot how long he said he saw him.. I'd have to ask him again. I had the impression he fell back asleep... I knew another guy that lived across the street years ago. They had an uncle that had died a few years earlier.. Rerun... One night the guys big brother woke up, and the uncle was standing at the foot of his bed looking at him. Again, he looked pretty much as in life according to him.. Anyway, just thought I'd throw in these real life ghost tales to liven things up.. LOL...:/ MK

Westbury High School had smoking areas when I was there in 73-75.. In fact, I think they started it my freshman year if I remember right.. It was always packed.. But many used other places, like the handball courts, etc.. I still remember my usual breakfast at Westbury.. A cigarette along with the usual Mr. Pibb. Some indulged in those funky herbal cigs with no filters.. :/ MK

He showed up at his high school reunion..There is a web site somewhere that has a few pix.. I've got them on one of my drives somewhere.. He was decked out in his african wig as usual.. I've oft speculated that the main reason he wears that thing is that he's probably going bald... :/ MK

Now that I think about it, I think Gupton was the principal when I was there. Pepper and Lodge were both assistants. I think Washington came along when I was a junior and was a third assistant/coach, or something along those lines. Hard to believe thats already been 30 years ago.. I just was recording and editing some old 8mm stuff from the late 60's, early 70s. Some is at surfside, and some was in Westbury. IE: I've got video of the 1973 snow, and it was shot on W. Bellfort near Mullins. I still remember that snow.. I was in 10th grade. It's never even come close to that snow here since then. I made a appx 4mb clip of that snow video for online use. I'll try to post it sometime later. Gotta see if I have that much room left. I may need to delete some old junk. MK

I think you mean the nursury and Bar-B-Q that was on Willowbend just east of the RR tracks. I remember that Bar B Q place from when we moved here. We went there a few times, but eventually it burned down. Post Oak Ranch Bar B Q is still on Post Oak. They have some pretty good stuff too. PO ranch has been there a long time. Next time I'm in there, I'll see if anyone knows when if first opened. I remember the old owner from the 60's-70's, and then he sold it to a guy named Moses. He was there probably through the 80's, 90's. I'm not sure, but think Moses might have recently sold it to someone else, but I'm not sure. I remember the Willowbend Bar -B Q having loads of cowboy artifacts hung up in the dining room.. Hummm.. Now that I think about it, I think the Bar B Q land itself became a nursury.. At the moment, I think it's unused, but I'd have to double check. I drive by there quite often. MK

Yep, Pepper was there when I was. He might have been principle at that time though. I remember Rivers Lodge, and also a new Asst. Washington if I remember right.. I forgot who was the head principle out of that bunch.. It was either Lodge, or Pepper. I don't have a yearbook to double check.. MK

The best way to get your bearings is probably by using main and it's center "cross-overs" as a guide. IE: it's easy to see where the entrance is in the 47 and 60 pix. You can see the entrance from main in each, and the center crossing at that point. This crossing from main was just west of where Landsdown is now. The airport roads are darker than the new streets in the 60 pix. I was comparing them the other day, and judging from the crossings on main, what is now Chimney rock, would be just about at the end of the runway threshholds looking east. Note that Chimney rock is just west of the first crossing east from the one in front of the airport. That crossing is also east of that road/easement, or whatever that runs to the water tower. In the 47 pix, I seem to faintly see that easement just past the runways. I think the next two crossings are the motor hotel area, and I think the clutter of buildings near the top of the pix, to the left of main is Post Oak. I think the bend in the bayou you see in the 47 pix is actually near the gasmer/willow intersection, but not totally sure. That would be about where the old Westbury Hospital would be. That airport covered quite a bit of area. I think you would be able to see W. Airport in the left part of the 47 pix, if it had been there at that time. MK

O'Bryan was supposably once worked at the TSO in Meyerland. That where I first got specs when I moved to Houston. I might have even seen the guy at some point.. The boat shed where a lot of the Dean Corll bodies were dug up is not far from here. Yep, halloween went dead after pixie man did his deed.. But also.. The 4th of July has always been lame in Houston. Why? Cuz ever since I've lived here, fireworks have been illegal. In KS, etc when I was young, we could and did shoot fireworks anywhere we danged well pleased. That all ended when we moved to Houston. They had banned fireworks in like 68? or something like that due to too many houses burning down. And much of that was due to the dangerous wood shake shingles many houses used back then. MK

Yep, those are all at the library of congress. I've had all those for quite a while. I've got many other cities too. Like Dallas, Austin, OK city, and a bunch of small Kansas, OK, etc, etc towns. Check the one for Chickasaw OK... It's pretty cool to look at. heck, most all are pretty good. Austin has a good view of the capital in the background. There is a good one of Waco.. Check the one for Rome... Pretty cool.. I've d/led 100's and 100's of pictures off of library of congress over the past few years. Most all the Brady Civil war pix, most of the early pix, etc. Even the very first picture taken in 1839.. It was a self portrait.. I know of some other good sites for pix too.. Some are state historical societies, universities, etc.. There are some good sites around for "old west" pictures. Many are amazing quality photo's for the times they were taken. Ditto for many of Bradys old civil wart pix. Most are sharp as a tack.. I collect old pictures on my drives. I checked just one folder, and it has nearly 2000 pix in it. I find them fascinating... They are about the closest thing to a "window" to the past there is. It's weird looking at a picture where everyone in it has been dead for decades, or even over a century in many cases. Many of the pix I have are about 150+ years old. I've got an old camera lense that was made in about the 1850's as far as I can tell. It's a old big brass Voightlander lense. It used plates that slid in the side. I'm missing the big wood part that went to it. I only have the brass lense part. I've tried dating it, and the design matches ones made in the 1850's. It's pretty wild to look at and imagine the people that made it years and years ago.. I think it was mainly a portrait lense. I then wonder about all the people that had their pix taken with it, and where the pictures are.. Would be cool to find one taken with that lense, but it would be very hard to ID without direct knowledge of it's use, or by noting a lense flaw. But I'd have to take pictures myself to see if any visible flaws actually existed.. :/ I doubt I'll be finding 19th century photo plates at wally world.. LOL.. MK

>So it's completely covered now by Westbury? That's a shame. For the airport >I mean. Thanks Yep, that whole westbury south took it over. The long SE/NW runway crossed what is now W. Airport between Chimney Rock and Hillcroft. If you've driven that section of W. Airport, you've driven over Sam Houston airport. Supposably, the actual airport property extended to nearly the Willow Bayou, but of course, I'm sure the runways stopped pretty well short of that point. The old entry road from Main is totally gone too. A soundwall is there now I think. As far as I know, there is no visable trace of the old airport that I know of. If you drive thru the neighborhood, which I have a zillion times, you would never know. In fact, like one of the other posters, I've lived in Westbury since 69, and I just found out about it myself in the past year. I keep an eye out hoping to run into to old pilots that might have flown there in their early days. MK

Looks weird with no shopping center on the other side of gasmer/chimney rock.. I went there 73-75. Back then, there was a coffee shop across the street. "Jims Coffee Shop" if I remember right... Mobil station on the corner. And then the various stores, and the grocery store on the end next to the bayou. That was all there when I moved here in late 69, so they must have built all that pretty quick if that pix is 66. As far as the layout, buildings, etc, the 66 pix is very close to what they had in the 70's. The building by the water tower was the oceanography building. By the time I went there, Burdine was there on the east side of the school next to the volleyball/handball courts, and also the apartments next door on gasmer were fairly new at that time. Kind of weird seeing no east side street in that pix... I do seem to see what I think are the driveway/parking lots for the apartments across the street on Chimney rock. Probably were fairly new.. When I went to westbury, those that drove cars either parked on one of the side streets, or in the school parking lot.. In that recent sat pix, I kinda wonder where in the heck they are parking... The lots are full of temp buildings.. The new westbury is a different school from the one I went to. I didn't realize they totally bulldozed the old place. I thought they just gutted and rebuilt the old building to newer standards.. But I never really looked that close. Remember when HISD first got A/C in the classrooms... I do.. That was when I was at Johnston...Bout 70-71.. They used those ceiling hung units tied into a big chiller.. Worked ok I guess, but if the chiller went down, naturally they all went down.. The kids today probably wouldn't know how to act with no a/c.. But it was the norm when I first started school. It was a big deal when they finally broke down and installed air conditioning. MK

Thanks for that. Good pix of westbury in 1947.. I wonder about them saying it opening in 1941 though... My 1938 map of Texas "humble oil" shows it being there in 1938. Or at least it shows an airport.. Maybe there was a previous airport at that site under a different name, but you would think not, if Meyer donated the land.. Wonder if he was the same Meyer that owned Meyer Speedway that opened on the other side of Main Street. Wonder what all those billboards were for heading into town on Main... Also... Main looks weird... Was is that dark median thing in the middle of the lanes? Looks like some kind of dividing strip or something, but hard to tell. You can see Willow waterhole bayou meandering along in the upper top left.. That plane in the foreground almost has the wing profile etc, of a P-51 mustang... The twin on the lower left looks kinda like an old Beech D-18... Can't make out the tail too good though.. That airport is all houses now.. I bet most of the people living on top of that place don't have a clue it was once there.. But it has been gone nearly a half century now.. MK

In the wee early days before the government took it over, they often were made up. Often with initials, etc.. Many of the first amateur calls were that way. Then the gov took over and started issuing the calls. The first ham calls were usually just a couple of letters. IE: a ham in early Houston might have been "AB", or whatever. Then they started adding district or "area" numbers, and it might have been "5AB" fer instance. Then the gov started adding a prefix to the calls, with a "country" ident. In the USA, those were either W,K, A, or N. Course, most known commercial stations used W, and K. There used to be some thing about a Mississippi river split on those, but I think they did away with that a long time ago. But all the calls since the earliest K, W, etc calls have been sequential. This includes the hams, and commercials. You can tell appx how long a ham has had a ticket if they still have their original callsign. IE: in the 30s, 40s, most hams had a "W" 1 x2, or 1 x3 call. In the 50's, usually a "K" call as they ran out of W's. In the late 50's, early 60's, they had to go to a "WA" 2x3 call. In the late 60's, early 70's, a "WB" 1x3 call. I got my original license in 1977, and got "WD5CJL". But for my 20th year, I decided to get a new call, and got "NM5K" , which uses my two initials for the M, and K. Note the "N" prefix... That says I'm in the USA.. There is also a WM5K, a KM5K, and AM5K, unless still open. "It was still open when I got NM5K". I was going to change again about 3 years ago, and get W5MK, but I forgot about it, and someone else grabbed it up.. %#&@@.... Anyway, W5MK was a very old call, and was owned by a guy in Bellaire until he died about 4 years ago. It's possible that that call was originally one of the "5MK" three letter calls in the beginning, but I'm not sure.. BTW, the "5" in all those calls means you are in the 5th call district. Which is TX, NM, OK, LA, AR, and MS. But now, there is no requirement to use a correct district number like it used to be years ago.. IE: I could move to AK, and keep my 5 land call. But in the old days, I would have had to change it. I gotta renew my licence at the end of this year.. Have to pay a small fee cuz I have a "vanity" call. If I refused to pay, they would yank my vanity call, and issue me a new sequential call, which would be something like AD5AA, etc... Needless to say, I'll be keeping my 2x1 call. I can't get my old call back unless I filed for it as a new vanity call. MK