Heights2Bastrop

I remember back when it was a lumbermill, but can't reference a time.

Plans are underway for the construction of Central Texas Airport, a private venture. The airport will be located at FM969 and FM1704 just north of the Colorado River across from the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and McKinney Roughs Nature Preserve. KXAN TV Austin Story

There used to be a well-stocked hardwood place just south of White Oak between Heights and Studewood, but it's been a few years since I was there the last time.

Key Map shows that location to be Fondren Park. Perhaps it has been a park since the '50s, and possibly longer.

I don't know how I missed the discussion of the Fondren location for what appears to be the other end of the monorail. Even though I accepted the Arrowhead location, there was still a persistent memory of seeing it from South Main around the Holmes Road curve. If I now understand this correctly, there were two ends of the rail that were not connected. And I gather there was a coach at both locations? If so, that would explain how the Fondren coach could still be there in the 60s when I rode it at Fair Park in '57. The Arrowhead coach and track must be the one that was dismantled and moved to Dallas. Does this seem right?

Check the Addicks topographic maps from the Perry-Castaneda collection. There is a map from 1919, 1949, 1955 as well as later years.

Just what was it about this thread that you found so offensive? I can't for the life of me find a single salacious or vulgar word or sentence in the entire thread.

My apartment life/heavy duty party days began in '71 just after I got off active duty when I moved into the newly built Napoleon Square. I think Three Fountains had settled down somewhat, or had become tamer than other places. I do remember that it had acquired a new name, something along the lines of “Roach City” because of a horrible roach infestation they had there. I once went to a place that had a lighted dance floor like you described. I was probably a few dozen sheets to the wind at the time, but it wasn't my kind of place. I don't remember the name, but it could well have been Scene West.

Another Toddle House was on W 11th at Durham behind Kroger. It eventually became, and may still be a Papa John's. I used to eat there on my way to my weekend warrior meetings with the Submarine Reserves before I went on active duty, so that was between '67-'69.

As I was posting the above, it came to me that I do recall seeing the sign on the North Belt knowing it was the same sign that was at Shady Lady on 59. But I can't remember if it was still a woman, or something else, like a cartoon-like character. But I did know it was the same sign.

No, it was a two-dimensional sign and not a statue, and the entry door was situated between the woman's legs. My guess is that it was about 15-20 feet tall. Shady Lady was basically a small, sleazy nudie bar that sold sex in the back room. What else do you want to know?

It was exactly 50 years ago today while sitting in Mrs. Tillinghast's class at Love Elementary that Jimmy Hulme shouted out, “It's snowing!” No one turned to look because Jimmy was prone to shouting that out as a joke. But he quickly followed with, “No, it really IS snowing!” It was the very first time most of us had ever seen snow. February 12th, 1961 will always be fondly etched in my mind.

There was a club like you described on the feeder road of 59 just past the (northbound) Aldine Mail Route exit. I went in there in 1978 or '79 on a lark with my boss at the time, along with a couple of customers/friends from Odessa. I think I went back once, but my boss was a frequent customer there. I'm not sure, but the name of the place may have been Shady Lady, or something like that. It may have been a “strip club”, but it was definitely a club of “ill repute”.

Your hindsight is remarkably acute.

Charlie Wilson may have started a war that eventually brought an end to Communism in the former USSR, but hopefully he is at peace now. I never saw Tom Hanks' portrayal of Wilson, but I did see a documentary on the events the movie was about. There is no way Hanks could have done justice to the real person. Charlie Wilson had a personality that could never be embellished; he was that much of a character. Nor could the movie ever be as bizarre as the actual events that transpired. From CNN: Former congressman Charlie Wilson of Texas died Wednesday at age 76, a Texas hospital said. The 12-term Democratic congressman, who served Texas' 2nd Congressional district, was pronounced dead at 12:16 p.m. after suffering cardiopulmonary arrest in the emergency room of Memorial Health System of East Texas, the Lufkin hospital said in a news release. Tom Hanks portrayed the flamboyant congressman in the 2007 movie "Charlie Wilson's War," which told the story of Wilson's push to provide weapons to the mujahedeen after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

I have referenced this site numerous times, and I spend hours pouring over old maps found there. The ones that would best fit this thread would be the Topographic Maps. They were created in specific years, the earliest I found being around 1898-99. Other series include the years around 1915, 1947, 1955, and on into more recent years. Most of the maps cover the same area so that you can pull up the same area for different years and switch from one to the other to see how the roads changed over time. Houston is divided into six main areas. The northwestern section is Houston Heights. The map to the east is Settegast, which includes downtown. You can find adjacent maps by looking at the border of the one you are viewing. In the center and in the right margin of the Heights map you will see “Settegast”. At the corners of the maps show the map areas diagonally from the one viewed.

You all can take this for what it's worth. A number of years ago, Stephen Hotze's son died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He got his father's gun from the closet, shot himself, and then put the gun back in its holster before he died. According to the police report, it was an “accidental shooting”. After the funeral, when thank you cards were sent out to those who expressed their condolences, a copy of the police report was sent along with the cards. Many have asked, why would the Hotzes do that unless they were trying to convince skeptics as to the actual cause of death? Considering the possibility that suicide was the motive, and there is no “proof” it actually was suicide, one would also consider the son's motive for killing himself. There are many who believe it was because Hotze found out his son's lifestyle was of a nature he could not tolerate. But that is strictly speculation and hearsay and not a declaration or accusation. My personal opinion of Stephen Hotze is that he is a serpent, and a most venomous one at that. His actions as the head of the Harris County Republican Party even had many Republicans ashamed and angry. He is Hate personified. But, as I said, this is just my personal opinion.

I posted a thread a few weeks back about a new book on the Heights. I believe there is a photo of Remmert's station in that book. However, Remmert's is on 16th Street.

I just saw a photo of the gas station yesterday, but I can't find it now. It's a pretty "famous" photo, so it should be easy to find. It's a photo of Squatty Lyons in his football uniform standing on the football field behind the Reagan school building. Behind him is the gas station. I always loved that old station, even though it was past its time of serving gas by the time I got to Reagan. Sorry to hear it's gone.

Yes, it is in Bastrop, on Hwy 71 @ 304 in front of Lowe's.

If a pipe has burst, chances are the water would not be running at all. It's a cool 10 degrees here in Bastrop at this moment. I have shut off the east wing of the house to save electricity. The west wing is one bedroom and bathroom which I am heating with two space heaters. I went to the kitchen earlier to get a bowl of cereal and thought my hands would get frostbitten.

Carl's Jr. has been open here a year now, and I have yet to set foot in it. Not likely to, either. Just too many other local joints serve great burgers to waste money on fast food burgers.

Hey, it didn't bother me back then. It might today, though, but only because I would think I had lost yet another hair from my own head, and I have precious few left to lose!

Tiko, I was looking directly at the name from the HHA website, yet still manager to get the name wrong in the post. I am long in the tooth, and short in the attention span. I do have photos from in the Heights area, but none that would be "of the Heights", exactly. All of my Heights snapshots are of the mental variety. Lotsa great images there.