Firebird65

I was watching the John Wayne flick "Comancheros" the other day and Wayne, a Texas Ranger, is taking a prisoner from Galveston to Austin. Only it looks like he goes by way of Utah or Arizona. Some folks warn to be careful, them nasty Comanches is stirring trouble all along the Brazos, while they (Wayne and party) are watering their horses in the Colorado... the one in the Grand Canyon. LOL!

At the Texas Room (aka the Houston Metropolitan Research Center) there are also what's called Zingery maps that provide a map of who owned what for specific years, going back to 1956. There are also aerial photos of Harris County, as well. Using those and the other things mentioned here, I've been able to trace who owned the house (and the land it was on before it was built and what that property looked like) back to the 1940s. And others have filed in the gaps back to the 1830s. You've definitely come to the right place.

Was this on a Saturday about two weeks ago? I was there looking at aerial photos when that happened (although I think things like this probably happen too often).

Actually, I hope they hurry up with the renovations to the main library. Frequently, "those with nowhere elese to go" (ahem) wander into the Texas Room wanting to use the computers or just hang out. I know the library is supposed to be for all people, but the Texas Room is a very specialized part of the library. It's not the place to hang out from the cold reading magazines. Last time I went about two weeks ago, it was really bad. You had to feel for the staff. They try to keep things in line there, but there's only so much you can do.

Make sure you go on a really crappy day. You don't want to go on a pretty day because there is enough stuff there to keep you enthralled open to close. You won't want to leave!

isuredid, I get where you are coming from. I'm not sure why this other guy is argueing. He's getting place names and subdivisions mixed up, as you said. You're speaking of plats of land that were planned one way, but then were either changed substantially or never materialized at all. Clear as clear can be. He's speaking of a place name on a map. That place name may, or may not, have anything to do with a plat. I, for one, sure enjoy reading your posts and the maps you provide. You've sure helped me with my Upper Airline/Northline Terrace history project. Please keep up the good work!

West Montgomery Road has always been West Montgomery Road, going from the Shepherd/Tidwell intersection to western Montgomery County. The state also designated this road as F.M. 149. What is today's West Mount Houston Road was originally called Airline Link Road and went from West Montgomery Road to Steubner-Airline. In 1956, the state extended Airline Link Road from Stuebner Airline to U.S. 75 (the predecessor to the North Freeway) and designated the road as F.M. 2430 from U.S. 75 to West Montgomery Road. In 1960, the state realigned FM 149 to deviate from West Montgomery Road at the Airline Link intersection and then proceed to U.S. 75 over the former F.M. 2430. Airline Link Road was also renamed West Mount Houston Road. The remainder of West Montgomery from West Mount Houston south to Shepherd/Tidwell was then given the designation F.M. 2430 (the former designation of Airline-Link). In 1963, West Mount Houston Road was extended from the new North Freeway over Halls Bayou to Airline Drive. West Mount Houston and East Mount Houston never meet and probably never will. East Mount Houston actually passes through the Mount Houston area mentioned by isuredid. West Mount Houston never comes close to it. In case you're wondering if there is an East Mongomery Road, the answer to that is yes. Fulton was East Montgomery Road until it hit Airline and then East Montgomery continued up Airline from that point.

LOL! That is one funny post. Bravo. And if that guy doesn't lock his door, my equally poor white, apartment-dwelling ass will be right behind you to take his stereo and his computer, although I'm not sure if I can carry both at the same time. That would require me to put down my 40-ouncer. What a tough choice. Like Dirty Harry said, "A man's got to know his limitations."

An earlier poster mentioned a lot of things, but the great majority of those were in Galveston County. But one he did mention probably would be an excellent topic for you, a very colorful story, and one you could probably find lots of info on quite easily: the William Marsh Rice murder and the founding of Rice University. If I were you, that's the one I'd go for.

I saw the earlier thread on the Chuck Wagon restaurant, and that got me to wondering about the old Roy Rogers restaurants. Were there ever any in Houston? I swear that erotic clothing store at Westheimer at the Loop (the one that used to be a Luke's Hamburgers) was also once a Roy Rogers back in the early 1970s. I'm sure I went there as a kid. But I found a Roy Rogers restaurant nostalgia site, and they make no mention of there having been any Roy Rogers in Houston, let alone Texas, and where they say there were sites, they were located in states I've never been to. Anyone know?

nevermind.

Yeah, I noticed the same thing. I thought it was just the TV. I was visiting my mother's house and not only was Ch. 55 on the fritz, but at that same instant, the internet wasn't working either. (But you're right - those commercials were crystal clear. Imagine that.) Needless to say, my mother wasn't too thrilled at the slew of four letter words the spewed forth. LOL! And I was really miffed because I really liked that BSG episode Ch. 55 was airing last night. Those Eastern Alliance guys are pretty cool and that destroyer they were tooling around in was pretty evil looking. I actually use a pic of Commadant Leiter as my avatar on another board. I got accused of being a facist so often, I figured I might as well look the part. LOL!

The only thing I can think of is that I remember from a media law class I took in college that when it comes to copyrights and trademarks that if you aren't vigilant about enforcing it, you could lose potentially lose it, especially for trademarks. But again, we aren't appropriating the Chronicle's name nor are we claiming the Chronicle's articles as our own. Everyone has always given then full attribution. I contacted them once about using a few of their stories and images in an area history report I wrote. They allowed me to use them, provided I gave them attribution (which I was more than happy to do), the images could only be of a certain size, that the report would only be in pdf form, it could not be printed or placed on any website, and that it would go to no more than 100 people. All of these were very easy for me to comply with and placed no burden on me whatsoever as they all were what I was going to do anyway, but I was amazed they went into such detail.

I'm not sure why the Chronicle gets so upset when some of their stuff is used on these boards. It's not like we're not going to buy their paper. They put it on their own web site for anyone to see free anyway. And it's not like we're claiming the work as our own... everyone always says "This is from the Houston Chronicle." Clear attribution. Now a book is different. I can see why the publisher of a book wouldn't want excerpts posted... cause then people might not buy the book. There's only one book. But the paper is different each and every day - by definition. So even if somone posted all of yesterday's Chronicle on this site, it wouldn't harm today's sales.

I really miss Chau Nguyen. Apparently no one else does. Anyone know where she went?

We had something like this in the Aldine ISD called the History Bowl (a misnomer, for it was almost exactly like the Texaco Star Challenge). We (Aldine High) beat the other three AISD schools for the title, but then that was it. The Texaco version was not yet around. This was spring of 1984. I'd have loved to have been part of that Texaco thing, but it was still a few years off. We had a guy that was a math whiz, another who was a science whiz, another who was great at history, then I was good at all the useless knowledge that unlike the other subjects could never get you a job but would win a game of Trivial Pursuit or a bar bet. LOL!

That is too cool. I've been looking for good, clear pictures of the Airline and I-45 drive-ins. Thanks!!!

I can't imagine why anyone (other than the developer) wouldn't want the River Oaks Theatre saved, but what the real question is: What steps ought to be taken or what laws should be in place to ensure it is saved? Or should anything be done other than to cross fingers and hope? It is a piece of property, after all, and around here, a person or company can do almost what they want with their property. If you force them to keep a building they don't want, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

That was an interesting website. Kudos to HISD for including that info and to you for posting it. I'll do just the four high schools in the district in which I grew up and the elementary school I attended (went to a private junior high). Aldine High - originally opened in 1936 at the corner of Aldine-Westfield and Aldine-Bender. First campus was officially known as Marrs High School, named for Starlin Marion Newberry Marrs, state superintendent of public instruction, who worked to improve rural education. Also unofficially called Aldine High after the unincorporated rural community in which it sat. Campus burned to the ground Thanksgiving Eve 1954. New campus built in 1956 on the site of the former Gulf Coast Airport on Airline Drive. MacArthur High - opened in 1965 and named in honor of the WWII general Douglas MacArthur, who had died the year before. Eisenhower High - opened in 1972 and named for the WWII general and former president Dwight Eisenhower. Nimitz High - opened in 1978 and named for the WWII admiral Chester Nimitz. Goodman Elementary - opened in 1964 as Hidden Valley Elementary after the surrounding neighborhood. Renamed Goodman Elementary in the late 1990s after Ralph Goodman, former band director at Aldine High and director of musical education in Aldine ISD.

From 1974 to 1985, Spring Branch had six high schools: Spring Branch - opened ? Memorial - opened 1962 Spring Woods - opened 1964 Westchester - opened 1967 Northbrook - opened 1974 Stratford - opened 1974 Spring Branch and Westchester both closed after the 1985. I can see why they would have wanted to close Spring Branch - after all, it was probably somewhere between 40 and 50 years old and proably pretty small compared to newer schools. But Westchester was 18 years old. A member of the final graduating class would have been no older than the school.

just out of curiousity, what does it say about Gulf Bank? I've always wondered about that street name. And I've heard that West Road is named for a farmer. Does the book shed any light there?

Any idea of what they raised on the Okabayashi farm? The neighborhood I grew up in is made up of at least part of their land, including probably the land my parent's house sat on.

pbays, I've responded to the e-mail you sent me about the Aldine Band. As for your post about Gulf Bank, oddly enough, at the same time you were posting this, I was at the Texas Room library looking up some of the very information you posted. According to the Kriss Kross Directory of Harris County, the grocery store you mentioned was named the Airline Food Shop. Sometime around 1948 or 1949 it became Hilliards. In around 1956, according to the Harris County Appraisal District, that store was rebuilt and became the Fairview Food Market (Lucky 7), which it remained until the 1990s. The address today is 9000 Airline; however apparently in 1944 Airline was renumbered when it changed from U.S. 75 to L149. Prior to that the address was something like 8410 (sorry, don't have my notes in front of me as I'm writing this). The gas station was Harvell's Service Station, located right next to the grocery. I believe it was a Texaco station, although the 1944 directory doesn't say (a later one does call it a Texaco). There apparently were three gas stations in that imediate area at that time: Harvell's, Tony Lorino's and Sprads (a Humble station?). As best as I can determine, Sprads opened in 1939. I have no idea when Harvell's and Tony Lorino's opened as unfortunately the Kriss Kross directory doesn't give much info about areas outside of the Houston city limits during this period. Because of that, I am also unsure of when two other business right in that area came into being and sure hope you or someone you know can enlighten me. There was a hotel or some sorts just north of the grocery store at 9020 Airline. In the late 1950s, it was called the Ranch Court Motel. In the early 1950s, it was called the Benoit Tourist Courts. It appears that prior to 1950, it might have had the name Faber, but the directory is kinda vague. It seems like its the same O B Faber who lived on Gulf Bank and for whom the Faber subdivision is named. I was amazed to discover that in the late 1940s the Wind Swept Inn Restaurant was located right next to this hotel at 9010 Airline. Most people know it as being further down Airline next to the skating rink (today it's a Tacos del Julio). But according to the Kriss Kross directory, it was at 9010 Airline until about 1950, when it moved to 13000 Airline (today's North Freeway at Greens Road) and then moved to 10719 Airline in 1963. Was the Memorial Baptist Church there when you lived in the area? I've heard it opened in 1932. What other business do you recall? If you can add anything to this, please do so!

Nope... I always thought the same thing... and when that commercial came out, I was too young to even watch a porn flick and still thought it. LOL!