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Compared to the somewhat run-down shopping strip shown in the first photo, a Whitewater Express Car Wash similar in appearance to what's shown in the second photo would be a significant upgrade. The 61st St. location (only a few blocks from I-45) would be very convenient for tourists and other travelers to wash and vacuum their vehicles, on the way out of town.

Thus far, various members have posted four alternatives to leaving the trolleys at their usual storage area in the event of hurricane conditions at Galveston. [1] Connect the trolley tracks to the railroad tracks and operate the trolleys under their own power over the railroad connecting Galveston Island with the the mainland to a safer, inland location. The trolley tracks have the same gauge (56.5 in.) as the railroad tracks, but the trolleys do not meet the various legal requirements for their operation on railroad tracks. Proponents of this plan assume these requirements would be waived in the event of predicted landfall of a tropical storm. [2] Load the trolleys onto tractor-trailers, drive them over the highway to a safer, inland location, and either offload them or keep them loaded on their respective trailers. [3] Load the trolleys onto a barge and have a hired tugboat move the loaded barge to a safer, inland location. The trolleys could remain on the barge during the storm. [4] Move the trolleys under their own power to the portion of their track closest to the seawall, presumably the highest continuous area on Galveston Island. Their assumptions are [1] given its past performance during tropical storms, the seawall is unlikely to be breached or over topped; and [2] exposure to the high winds and wind-driven water will cause some damage to the trolleys, but not as severe as the damage caused by prolonged immersion in storm water.

Regarding option #3, my assumption is that once the threat of a significant storm surge and or hurricane landfall is predicted, the city would hire (not buy) a tugboat with crew and otherwise make whatever arrangements are needed to move the barge loaded with the trolleys well in advanced of the anticipated landfall. Presumably the city could make prior arrangements to reserve tugboat service to move the loaded barge whenever tropical storm activity is predicted. If the trolleys could stay on the barge and ride out the storm while moored further up the channel, this would simplify the process and reduce the cost. With that in mind, option [3] would be less costly to implement. As you pointed out, in the event of an approaching hurricane, the city would need to act early to get the trolleys moved inland in advance of whatever customary standards for moving barges apply to commercial shipments. Because the trolley gauge (56.5") is the same as standard railroad gauge, it follows that a barge set up to transport standard rail cars would likely be suitable for transporting the trolleys in a safe manner.

The various postings about about what to do with the Galveston trolleys when the next major hurricane makes landfall at or near Galveston Island offer a variety of alternatives to leaving them on the island during the hurricane. [1] Connecting the trolley rail line to the railroad line and moving the trolleys under their own power is doable since the trolley gauge (56.5 inches) is the same as the standard railroad gauge. The problem is the trolleys do not meet DOT and other agency requirements for operation on the railroad line. An application for permission to operate the trolleys on the railroad in the event of an imminent hurricane would likely take significant time to process, with no guarantee such permission would be granted. [2] Transporting the trolleys over the highway with purpose-designed tractor-trailers (the same way they were delivered to the island) would require one tractor-trailer for each trolley to be evacuated from the island. It's reasonable to assume there may not be enough time for multiple round trips between Galveston island and the inland area where the trolleys would be stored during the storm. [3] Transporting the trolleys by a purpose-designed barge, with capacity to accommodate most of the trolleys on a single trip, is doable if track connecting the trolley to the barge's docking area is already in place. Similar docking, unloading equipment, and track will be needed at the on shore destination. The barge would need a tugboat to propel and steer it to the on shore destination. Options [2] or [3] would be costly to implement and possibly difficult to justify.

Moving the trolleys "off the island the same way they were delivered...on flatbed trailers, over the road" would be a viable method of transporting them off the island in advance of a major tropical storm. For this plan to work, flatbed tractor-trailers suitable for transporting the trolleys would have to be kept in reserve on the island, or readily available on very short notice from the mainland within the timeline of major tropical storm being predicted and its subsequent landfall at or near Galveston Island. Implementing such a plan would be costly, but past experience has shown what happens when the trolleys stay on the island during a major tropical storm event. The Brill replica trolleys operating in Tampa, FL cost $745,000 each in 2002 dollars. Their right of way (single track with passing sidings) cost approximately $13,700,000 per mile. The Tampa, FL Brill replica trolleys receive 600 volt DC power from trolley poles in contact with overhead wires. Although similar in appearance, the Galveston Brill replica trolleys have onboard electric power plants (diesel engine prime mover connected to DC generator). The additional cost of the onboard electric power plants installed in the Galveston trolleys is offset by the reduced expense of not having to install overhead wires along the trolley routes. According to online sources, Galveston has an average elevation of 7 ft., Tampa has an average elevation of 48 ft. These elevation statistics do not necessarily correlate to the likelihood of flooding during tropical storm events. Prolonged heavy rainfall may cause water to accumulate in areas faster than it can drain off, causing localized flooding until the rainfall subsides.

Regarding public transportation between downtown Galveston (Strand area, etc.) and public beaches areas (Stewart Beach, etc.), my understanding is that conventional buses have provided reliable service and will continue to do so until all or most of the trolleys are repaired and able to resume service. One advantage of conventional buses is, in the event of a severe winds and/or flooding, they can be legally driven off the island via I-45 and other public highways and roads to a safer location until the weather conditions subside. The trolleys, as other members hove pointed out, do not meet current standards to operate lawfully on the railroad tracks connecting Galveston to the mainland. Lacking a prior commitment from the appropriate authorities that the trolleys would be allowed to operate on these tracks if there were an imminent hurricane of flooding event, it would be a mistake to assume in advance what action these appropriate authorities might take in this regard. In other words, a viable plan to get the trolleys off the island needs to be in place before the next disaster strikes.

The comments about the Mall of the Mainland (Texas City, TX) during the early to mid 1990's being a place to "be seen and to shop" underscore the social aspects inherent in enclosed shopping malls and similar retail venues.

Doodlebugs: In addition to the various types of Intra urban Rail Cars, variously called trolleys or streetcars, Inter urban Rail Cars, commonly called Doodlebugs, were once in common use to transport passengers and freight between cities and towns not large enough to justify running a complete train. The Doodlebugs were Diesel-Electric or Gasoline-Electric powered Rail Cars that had knuckle couplers as well as standard rail trucks with air brakes and other features needed to operate on standard railroad tracks between cities and towns. Most of the Doodlebugs had separate sections for freight and passenger transport. According to online sources, a typical Doodlebug having a 400 hp Gasoline or Diesel engine (prime mover) connected to a DC generator could attain speeds up to 60 mph on level track, but seldom traveled that fast in regular service. Some, more elaborate Doodlebug designs had twin engine prime movers with 550 or more total hp. Twin engine prime movers offer redundancy in the event of failure of one of the engines.

More on Trolleys; Shreveport LA: When I moved to Shreveport, the trolleys (electric powered buses) had been retired for approximately 10 years. Several of the trolleys were on static display at a public park. Most people who rode them as passengers had good things to say regarding the quality of public transportation they provided compared to the diesel-powered buses that replaced them. More on Trolleys; New Orleans LA: Although born in New Orleans, I do not live there. However, over the years, I have visited many times for business & entertainment purposes. The streetcars (technically trolleys due to the trolley poles drawing power from overhead electric cables, but commonly called "streetcars") have well planned routes and schedules that provide a quality experience. Many of the streetcar routes parallel existing streets, often in the median between divided streets. More on Trolleys; Galveston TX: In technical terminology, the Galveston Trolley Cars are Diesel-Electric Intra urban Rail Cars, but in local terminology, they are called "Trolleys". The Diesel engine (prime mover) burns Diesel fuel to rotate a generator that produces electric power to drive the electric motors that, in turn, rotate the wheels. This is a similar setup (albeit on a smaller scale) to what is used to power most railway locomotives. The Galveston Trolley on board electric power generation setup eliminates the need for overhead wiring along the route, but adds to the cost and complexity of each of the rail cars. In the event of a failure of the electric utility power, the Galveston Trolley Cars, thanks to on board power generation for each car, will keep on operating normally.

Some Galveston TX residents and visitors refer to the local rail transit vehicles as "trolleys." Because they are powered by an internal diesel-electric power system (diesel engine turning an electric generator which delivers electricity to traction motors that rotate the wheels to move the vehicle), they are technically "streetcars." Conversely, New Orleans LA residents and visitors refer to the local rail transit vehicles as "streetcars." Because they draw electric power (600 Volts Direct Current) from overhead electric cables by means of trolley poles contacting the cables, they are technically "trolleys." From 1931 to 1965, Shreveport LA operated local transit vehicles with conventional rubber tires for street use, but received their power from overhead electric cables by means of trolley poles contacting the cables. Local residents referred to these vehicles as "trolleys", which is technically correct. Note 1: The metal wheels complete the electrical circuit for rail trolleys by their contact with the metal rails, which are at ground (zero volts) potential and pose no electrical hazard to passengers. Note 2: Rubber tired trolleys need a double section overhead trolley system: one section at operating voltage, the other section at ground (zero volts) potential to complete the electrical circuit.

Interesting posting with photograph about the Mall of the Mainland located at Texas City TX, approximately 16 miles across the causeway from Galveston Island. In addition to being 23 years newer (opened in 1991) than the Galvez Mall (opened in 1968), the Mall of the Mainland had twice the enclosed area (800,000 sq.ft.) than the Galvez Mall (400,000 sq.ft.). When Sears left the Galvez Mall (circa late 1991 or early 1992) and relocated to the Mall of the Mainland, the resultant loss of "foot traffic" in the Galvez Mall may have been a factor prompting another anchor store, Eibands, to vacate the Galvez Mall at the end of the summer in 1992. In March 1996, Beall's, the last remaining anchor store, closed its Galvez Mall store location. Although it may be coincidental, the last owners of the Galvez Mall renamed it, The Island, giving it a geographical identification similar to the Mall of the Mainland. More research is needed to determine if the Galvez Mall renaming was deliberate or coincidental. Over time the Mall of the Mainland declined to approximately 65 percent occupancy (circa 2002) due in part to competition from Baybrook Mall in Houston (Friendswood mailing address, but within Houston city limits), approximately 10 miles north. The Mall of the Mainland had several changes in ownership until developer Jerome Karam bought the property in 2015. That same year he sold part of the property (the building formerly occupied by Dillard's) to First Baptist Church of Texas City and renamed the remainder of the property, Shops on the Mainland. After another renaming In 2020, the property is now named Mainland City Centre.

To Dan H (and others who lived in or visited Galveston during the late 1970s): The 6600 Broadway Hudson Oil service station would have been the optimal place to fill up before starting a fairly long trip north to Shreveport LA (or other destinations in northwest LA). Once out of the Houston area, most of the 4-hour trip north was through sparsely populated areas of east Texas. My preference for long trips, then and now, was to start out with a full tank and avoid (or at least minimize) having to stop for gasoline along the way. HAIF members and visitors might like to check out the recently posted You Tube video, "Galveston in the 70s," which shows photographs of two Hudson Oil gas stations, one of which is the 6600 Broadway Hudson Oil gas station Dan H's dad managed during that time period.

Despite the coincidence of the same surname, I have not found evidence to show the respective Beall families in Florida and Texas were biologically related to one another or ever in business together. Bealls (Texas) was a continuously operating business entity under several corporate names until the bankruptcy of Stage Stores in 2020. Bealls (Florida) then purchased intellectual and real property from the bankrupt corporation. Bealls, Inc. continues to operate as a family owned corporation headed (since 2019) by CEO Matt Beall.

The March 1996 departure of Bealls, the last anchor store in Galvez Mall (along with the failure to find another comparable tenant for this or the other two vacant anchor locations), likely made the closure of the mall all but certain. Bealls (Florida) was founded in Bradenton, FL, in 1915 by Robert M. Beall, Sr. The Bealls stores operating in Texas and many other states were owned by another Beall family. As far a I know: the Florida Beall and the Texas Beall families [1] were not biologically related to one another, and [2] conducted their respective business activities separately. The Texas Beall family members later sold their real and intellectual property to Houston-based Stage Stores. Their motive for selling is not known. When Stage Stores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, Bealls Florida purchased their intellectual property and selected real property. Among other rights, Bealls Florida can use the Bealls brand name throughout the United States. Real property purchased by Bealls Florida include the storage and distribution facility located in Jacksonville TX.

"Galvez Mall has been here for 18 years and we plan to be here for another 18 plus" Galvez Mall opened in 1968, fixing the year of this message in 1986 (1968+18=1986). Unfortunately, the "plan to be here for another 18 plus" (1986+18=2004) did not come to pass. The Galvez Mall declined steadily during the 1990s and was eventually demolished in 2000. A look at the photos (posted January 2019) depicting exterior views of the mall circa October 1996 show significant grass and weed overgrowth near the mall's entrances. According to its pastor, The Island Fellowship Church operated in the former Bealls location from the Summer of 1996 until June 1997 when "Fincher's tax abatement" ended.

Some years ago when I attended University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette LA, there was a Hudson Oil gas station located in the south part of Lafayette. Because it was on the way to my part-time job, I bought gasoline there fairly often. During the times of my vacation trips from Shreveport LA to Galveston (circa late 1970s) I don't have a specific recollection of the Hudson Oil gas station that was located next to the Galvez Mall, but it's likely I stopped and filled up at your (member Dan H) dad's Hudson Oil gas station at least once, either entering or leaving Galveston. With a full tank, my Pontiac Trans Am had more than enough fuel to make the 285 mile trip nonstop. If anything turns up on my end regarding photos, I'll post them.

The integrity of sports competitions presupposes that the respective opponents put forth their best efforts to win, regardless of whatever incentives there are to do otherwise. The 1919 Black Sox Scandal (professional baseball players accepting bribes) is probably the best known example of doing otherwise. The NFL policy of awarding preferential draft picks to teams in inverse order of their prior season ranking has the stated purpose of equalizing the talent pool among their respective member teams. It has the unfortunate side effect of giving low-performing teams an incentive to lose games. As of this posting, the Houston Texans (currently 1 win, 1 tie, 11 losses), are likely to end the 2022 season in a favorable draft position. After their loss (12/11/2002 vs. Dallas Cowboys), one sports writer opined that, late in the game, the Texans opted to try for a field goal rather than a touchdown to lessen the chance they would jeopardize their draft position by winning the game. It follows that those who believed last year (2021 season) by winning the game vs. Jacksonville Jaguars the Texans "lost" by not preserving and possibly degrading their draft position, would now believe (2022 season) by losing the game vs. Dallas Cowboys, the Texans "won" by preserving and possibly improving their draft position.

Unlike the city itself, the Houston Texans professional football team has a won/loss record that seems low on energy this season. However, their 30 to 16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday (12/19/2021) is a step in the right direction.

In the original (1975) version of the movie, Rollerball, Houston was called "the energy city." That nickname always seemed appropriate. An Operating Company based in (you guessed it) Houston will soon turn on an oil and natural gas well they drilled on land my extended family owns. Haven't been to Houston recently, but hope to return for a visit in the near future.

Texasota makes a good point about those who accumulate things they don't have a use for now but keep them anyway. I knew an otherwise sensible person who rented three 10' x 20' storage units (he called the units FULL, FULLER, & FULLEST) to house the assortment of electronic parts and equipment he accumulated over the years at yard/garage sales and flea markets. At one point, he rented a booth at a local flea market, but seldom sold anything. Another person I ran across at a vintage radio swap meet had about 20 items displayed at his booth, none of them had prices marked and none of them sold. A couple of days later, I sent him an e-mail inquiring about the price for one of the items he had displayed. He wrote back: "My prices are firm, I do not haggle. I will wait for the right buyer." Two quotes: [1] "If you hold out for an asking price you feel you have to get for any particular item, you will likely spend the rest of your life trying to sell it"; [2] "What something is worth is the amount an informed buyer is willing to pay."

To pilotca86: Because you mention having many good memories, would it be correct to assume you sold your Papa G's restaurant before the severe economic recession took hold in Galveston and other cities within the greater Houston area?

During my first trip to Galveston TX (circa July 1975), my then girlfriend and I stayed for 6 days at a motel located within walking distance of Stewart Beach Park, but I didn't recall its name. Thanks to recent information from another member, I am reasonably certain it was the Islander Beach Motel. Most of the motel's rooms (including the one we stayed in) were in a building elevated on concrete piers above the parking area. There were also three or four "cabana" rooms located in an adjacent building (or buildings) at ground level. The restaurant building was vacant. As this motel was not part of a chain with a toll-free reservation number, I had to contact the motel directly to reserve a room. Other than give my name, address, and home phone number, I don't remember anything else that was needed to reserve the room. Presumably the motel would have billed me had we been a "no-show". The following year (mid-August 1976), I telephoned the Holiday Inn toll-free reservation number, but was told "Galveston is not available." With the likelihood of most, possibly all of the Galveston motels not having vacancies during peak season, it seemed interesting to try a day trip. As documented in another posting, my day trip to Galveston worked out very well. The following month (mid-September 1976), my call to the Holiday Inn toll-free reservation number was successful. Because this was off-season, there was no problem getting a motel reservation in Galveston. After checking in and getting unpacked, my main activity that evening was taking a road trip to the western end of Galveston Island. Once out of the tourist area, it was mostly beachfront residential areas until the vicinity of San Luis Pass. Because the bridge across San Luis Pass required a toll payment, I opted to turn around and head back to the motel instead of crossing the bridge. According to my car's odometer, the trip was about 27 miles each way (54 miles round trip). The Holiday Inn I stayed at was probably the one located (at that time) near the Port Holiday Mall. After checking out of the motel the next morning, I spent most of the day at or near Stewart Beach Park, followed by an hour or so at the Galvez Mall. After topping off my car's tank at either the Hudson Oil gas station or another station in the same area, I headed home to my apartment in Shreveport, LA. Addendum: According to online maps, the road distance from Fort San Jacinto Lookout Point to San Luis Pass is 28.8 miles.

Urban Cowboy grossed nearly $50 million 1980 dollars (approx $165 million in 2021 dollars). With that in mind, the scene depicting southeast Texas with the San Gabriel Mountains visible in the background seems to be a significant error that should have been corrected during post production. There may have been budgetary constraints that limited the amount of time and money that could be spent on post production. After Urban Cowboy, John Travolta's career declined during the 1980s, but True Lies (1994) returned him to major star status. By contrast, his costar Debra Winger, became a major star during the 1980s, but her career declined in the 1990s.

The reason for filming scenes depicting Galveston TX in New Orleans LA is likely due to the better tax incentives the state of Louisiana offers compared to those the state of Texas offers. This is also the likely reason scenes depicting Galveston TX in the 2018 movie, GALVESTON, were filmed in Tybee Island GA. For accounting purposes, tax incentives are treated as income; the better the tax incentives, the higher the income. Cost of production in Galveston TX is probably comparable to cost of production in New Orleans LA or Tybee Island GA. In summary, when the costs of production are comparable, it makes good economic sense to chose filming locations in states offering the best tax incentives. The downside of filming scenes depicting places in Texas in other states is the possibility that many Texans expect scenes depicting Texas to be filmed in Texas.

In the days before online shopping, many families within reasonable driving distance made annual or semi-annual shopping trips to downtown New Orleans. When I was a kid, I remember going with my parents to several large department stores in or near the central business district including D. H. Holmes and Maison Blanche. Most of these shopping trips from New Iberia to New Orleans were combined with visits to relatives who lived in Thibodaux (approximately 80 miles east of New Iberia and 60 miles west of New Orleans). New Orleans was (and presumably still is) also a popular location for annual conventions. The conventions my parents attended typically lasted several days. The places I remember staying at (when I was a kid) are: Jung Hotel, Monteleone Hotel, and Tamanaca Downtown Motel. I also remember visiting the 33-storey International Trade Mart building at least once. It has since been repurposed with the new name, Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences New Orleans.