WestUNative

Oh, thank you for the name! I have often thought about the place, but couldn't recall what it was called. I swear the best sandwiches I still have ever eaten. And being a small person, loved being able to buy the half. One thing I found so special was their homemade bread, but the variety and quality of fillings was superb as well. Living in the area and shopping at Meyerland a lot, we made good use of Zappo's while it lasted.

silverartfox wrote: A small concrete-lined bayou or drainage ditch that runs from Bissonnet through West U - and possibly Southside Place - is referred to as Poor Farm Ditch on older maps. It connects somewhere near Bellaire to a similar ditch, which drains storm water runoff into Braes Bayou. No doubt someone here will have more information on its history and location. As some may know and note from my moniker, I was born and bred in West University Place on University Blvd. "Poor Farm Ditch" runs north/south through the city and Southside Place just east of Edloe Street. We grew up knowing about the actual Poor Farm that was no longer in existence. Our take on the farm was a sad place to end up, but not a brutal one. The ditch mostly had no water in it unless we'd had heavy rains, its function as a drainage ditch only. We were admonished severely to never climb down into it, but everyone did at least once. It was concrete lined to avoid erosion. One can only drive over it at University, Sunset, Bissonnet and Bellaire Blvd. There are foot bridges at other streets. If you check mapquest for University and Edloe, you will note that the east/west streets do not go through except as noted, this because of the ditch. I have no idea of its age, but I was born in 1941 with it in place and I am sure it has existed since the actual Poor Farm was set up. In the 1876 Texas Constitution, a provision was made for each county to set up "a manual labor poor house and farm." Most subsequently did this. While we are in the old, old neighborhood, is everyone aware that the Burnett-Bayland Orphans Home on Bissonnett was originally established as a home for Confederate War orphans?

Silverartfox you are correct. In fact, you may have passed by me hard at work. From late fall of 1957 to summer of 1958, I worked at Meyer Bros. Terrible job, I was suffering the kicks and tantrums in the Children's Shoe Department, just at the top of the up escalator on the 2nd floor. The one compensation, besides the 50 cents an hour with no overtime paid, was the record deprtment next to us always playing music. I was in 10th grade, working after school every day and Saturdays, plus 10 hour shifts on holidays. Joske's Post Oak was a very nice store, shopped there until 1981, when we moved out of town. When I returned in 1993, everything had changed. Historical note: Meyer Bros. started out in The Village, corner of University Blvd. and Kirby as The White House. Currently Half-Price Books occupies that spot. They changed the name to reflect the owners' when Meyerland opened.

I have run out of superlatives! On a mere whim I blithely asked for the solution to a lapse in memory from over 50 years ago and you came up with the answer. Then a photo, though not the exact look of the guy as I knew him. Now, outta nowhere, the spittin' image arrives. Mr. Barnes, I cannot thank you enough. These early pix of Phil Cronin are exactly the way he looked in those teenage years, see how slender he was? If you go back to my original post and description of him, you'll see these are dead on. Thank you so much for the head's up email to let me know you found these. Besides the wild, fast ride out South Main I described, Phil and I spent one whole Saturday cruising around with frequent stops by AJ's house trying to catch him in. Phil needed to talk to him about something. Sadly we never did manage to find him that day and I never got to meet AJ, but the local WestU gang cheered him on for years and were so thrilled with his first Indy 500 win - ecstatic is more like it.

As has oft been said around these parts, you guys are phenominal. As soon as I read the name Phil Cronin, I knew it was right. I never expected y'all to dredge up such a good photo. Yes, this picture of 1977 was around 22 years after I knew him and startled me to see how much weight he'd gained. But that was probably just the maturity gained with filled out adult face, etc. However, in observing the individual features, I'm sure that is he. I am so sorry to hear that he is no longer with us. Funny how you remember so well some people who briefly touch your life and move on. jakdad and Mark Barnes, you know if I were in town, I'd buy you both a tall, cold one! Many, many thanks. Sandy

rreini, thanks for your memory! Yes, Nassau Bay Hotel, where all the visiting newspeople hung out and government reps stayed on their oversight trips. It was very nice and I do recall the logos. The picture is splendid, it is so hard to believe in my lifetime it all going from nothing to wow, then changing so drastically down the line. Everything was so brand new and sparkling and clean then. Eventually as is the way, so many junky businesses sprang up, such overcrowding. The last time I drove by in 1993, I couldn't believe my eyes and the traffic on NASA Road 1 was beyond belief. Ah-ha, plumber 2, even I am not the oldest person on these boards! I will not 'out' anyone, but I do know of one member 6 years my senior, so there.

Alas, I have no photos, just memories. In 1964 I went to work for Philco/Ford Division, contractors who built and maintained Building 30 or MCC as it is known to everyone. We had a beautiful new building on El Camino, off-site. I used to go over to the MCC sometimes, so exciting in those days with all the big missions. We had a raucous "Gemini IV Beer Bust" in Clear Lake Park upon the great success of that one. At the time I was there, from 1964 through 1966, the major thing in the works was, of course, the Apollo Program. Many large Top Secret files to guard in the planning phase, tons of scientists from all over the world working hard. They were an interesting and colorful lot. One place you may recall is where we used to go for lunch all the time. There was a hotel across Nasa Rd. 1 from the site. Upstairs they had a daily lunch buffet, with good stuff like Lobster Newburg. It was always filled with folks from NASA proper and us contract employees. What amazed me at the time (my early 20's) was that almost everyone had a cocktail with lunch. Houston born and bred, that was not a usual practice before. Being a lightweight, I always figured I'd be too bombed to do my work after lunch, so abstained. You are so right, it was a wasteland, nothing in the vicinity but NASA and contract companies. The hotel of which I speak was about the only place to eat lunch. Years ago, I went by my old building and it was sadly empty with a for sale sign in front. Still looked great, though.

OMG! I think that was it! At least it certainly sounds familiar and right somehow. A million thanks, jakdad, that has been niggling in my back brain for eons. This place is incredible. As we grow so much older, often we feel that all these memories are made more sad if only we recall them. This forum shows how much we all share of our early life experiences. And having the blanks filled in on the partials is fantastic. So, I owe you what? A cookie, a margarita, my first-born? Would enjoy knowing how you came up with the name, you must have known him. Oh, it was all about cars and speed (non tablet form) in those days. Thanks again! Sandy

I cannot believe y'all are such babies! My goodness, Pumpkin Seeds or Pepitas were all the rage for get togethers, cocktail parties, etc. Along with sunflower seeds, the chi-chi snack of the late 1950's and 1960's and still around today. I've even toasted my own straight from real pumpkins. They are not in the least vile, nice mild flavor and crunchy. In my childhood there were a lot of manufacturing plants about, remember Nabisco? I met George Dentler and his wife at a private home concert and felt it important thereafter to eat their potato chips. There was a huge candy manufacturing plant in north Houston that I toured in mid '50s, my family knew the fam that owned it. Most of the candy snacks in the local stores sold their products. Sadly, my closest convenience store suddenly no longer carries Tom's. I love their "Boston Baked Beans" and "French Peanuts." All these exclusive contracts that are the rage have forced them to stock only Frito/Lay products. Years and years ago, we used to buy Cheez-Its in any old grocery store, then the stores went exclusively with Nabisco items. It doesn't matter what we really want, all is corporate manipulation.

The primary rationed items I remember were meat, sugar, rubber (could not buy tires, only patch them), all leather goods, cars, gasoline and real coffee. As I discussed earlier in this thread, everyone in the family would save their sugar coupons for a whole year and that would enable us to bake one birthday cake to celebrate them all, whenever they fell. Also, vivid memories of standing in long lines for eons to get whatever meat the market happened to have, generally not good stuff. Mostly we ate eggs and/or Spam for dinner, yuk, although in the UK they had few fresh eggs. Stockings! Here is the lowdown on that. Pantyhose did not exist until the 1960's. Silk or silk/cotton stockings, with seams down the back were worn by the upper crust; plain cotton, then rayon by the plebs. Queen Elizabeth I was first to have pure silk stockings! By the 1920 and through the '30s, rayon was the most common material, but nylons came into use by the 1940's. That fibre too was rationed for some reason, though I understand only the forbidden silk was actually used for parachutes. Otherwise prim and proper ladies had to go barelegged or wear socks, which look like crap with high heels. Bobbiesoxers, I think started in the '30s, but were the thing through the war and after. The only shoes I got during the war were leather Huraches from Mexico, all that you could buy. They squeaked loudly and smelled awful when wet. That is when we began to believe the stories about them being tanned in urine. By the end of the war, we tried to make a trip of about 200 miles out of Houston. On the return journey, you won't believe, but is true, our poor, ancient patched tires graced us with 5 flats total. I was 4 at the time and thought, truly, that we would never get back home. Later, when I met some war brides from England, I found out our little inconviences were as nothing compared to what the Brits went through, not only the Blitz, but real deprivation of just about everything and very little food of any kind.

This won't be much technical help, as I was only a very little girl during the war, but it is a first-hand memory. There were little booklets, similar to later savings stamps, that you filled up with stamps you bought for a few cents. When you had enough, the book would buy a War Bond. You are right, every film we saw in those days had an opening plea to buy War Bonds and there were rallies, big hype. I don't understand the process or the why. Seems to me just taking up a collection of cash to donate to the war effort would have accomplished the same thing. Perhaps this was just a way to get more people involved and spur the spirit of everyone "doing their part."

I remember it well. We used to eat there all the time when downtown shopping. I recall it as being large, very busy, with a lot of choices of food and the lighting always seemed "different" I guess because of being underground. My very favorite, long gone place that no one seems to recall much these days was the Normandie - such divine Chocolat Eclairs!

Tell you what, Joe, if I see a black helicopter hovering over my house, I'll hold up a sign swearing you were the friend who took me there and forced me to kype the illicit matchbox! How you like them apples?

Although not an insider, I remember it all very well. If you want to know the general popular feeling around town, I can tell you outright that I never spoke to anyone who did not absolutely believe John Hill murdered Joan and that Ash Robinson had him axed. When the news broke about the shooting of John Hill, everyone cheered and the word of the day was, "Way to go Ash!" Afterwards for a very long time, the fear was Ash wouldn't get away with it. We read every news story about the trial and there was much celebrating when Mr. Robinson was not punished. Now, all this may seem exceedingly harsh to you gentle (cough) readers, but you cannot imagine the outrage at Joan's death and the terrible circumstances surrounding it. In the first place, there was no excuse for a medical doctor to deny his wife treatment when she was so direly ill over an extended period. With all the proven power and excellence of the Texas Medical Center at the time, he finally shuttled her off to a tiny, suburban hospital with a very bad reputation then and miles and miles away from home. Further Dr. Hill was not well thought of by many in their society and downright abhored by some. I did have some personal/professional association with the Pathologist referred to in the books and his utter bumbling of the situation when Joan died. I take my life in my hands here, but I will only say that many years after I personally witnessed him make a major life and death error and could not respect his professionalism. These incidents were the shock, horror and scandal of the era, but followed up by the other River Oaks debacle with Candace Mossler. Ah, but that's another story which turned the town on its ear due to the injustice. Post Script - small asides. My daughter attended West Briar in the late 1970's, really good school then. When she was in elementary school at St. Mark's, a little girlfriend of hers lived next door to Lilla Paulus, the woman in charge of finding the hit man for Ash Robinson. She resided in a very swank, large home in the Braes Heights area south of Bellaire. Go figure.

I'm rather amazed it is still 'not there'. My one and only visit was an eye-opener to say the least. In 1995, a gay friend of mine, attending Rice U. at the time insisted I see it for myself. So intriguing, a place that didn't officially exist, no exterior signs, just had to know which back door to open. We went upstairs and sat on one of the couches in the open sector, people watching, especially the ones entering and emerging from the area curtained off and totally dark. For years I've kept the tiny, black matchbox I picked up there just to prove it did exist after all. I was told by my friend that it had been notorious originally as a place married River Oaks people could escape for some adulterous hanky panky. There was a couple going after it, but clothed on the couch opposite us. We spoiled everything, laughing ourselves silly and getting dirty looks.

Great pictures and memories once again. When my Uncle took his 2 kids and baby cousin me to Buff Stadium, he liked to sit a few rows below the organ, under the roof. What a joy to see this full picture again. It did appear to be huge in a child's eyes in the years before any of the bigger venues. Jeppesen Stadium was the location of ALL of the Junior High and High School football games in Houston. We made that trip from West University constantly. I was at Pershing and my cousin was at Lamar with '57Tbird, so the family went back and forth a lot. I do recall the name Pidge Brownie, but was too young and too much girl to be into it all enough to really know anything about how good anybody was.

Napoleon Square had its Grand Opening in the early 1960's to a huge fanfare. Highly touted as the place to be, the Farb's had a glitzy open to all party, outside in freezing winter weather. Why did we go and shiver? The main attraction was Al Hirt and he was terrific. The crowd was extremely large, hard to imagine it was all to simply to get occupants for apartments.

The Snows of Houston My first was Jan. 30, 1949, 2.6 inches. I was 7 and woke up, looked out the window and gasped. I ran down the stairs and shook my sleeping mother and I remember exactly, asked her, "What does snow look like?" I figured that must be it from movies and books, just couldn't believe it was in my yard. Stanley Marshall, the boy next door and I stayed out in it so long that our mittens were soaked and our fingers purple. You never forget your first frostbite! The chart says that in 1958 there was only a trace. Well, as I drove to Bellaire High School in an old clunker with the passenger's side wing window missing, snow was blowing in and pilling up on the floorboard. For the really big one in 1960, I was in my office at SWBT on Bellaire Blvd. when it began that Friday afternoon. We kept sneaking over to the windows, which were kept covered with blinds and peeking out. Everyone was dismayed because we figured it would be over and gone by the time we got off work. But, no, for once it was heavy and lasting, all the way through Saturday. As I was 18 at the time, not so much frolicking as you little kids, but enjoyed it with snowball fights. I can still remember the shock of awakening on Sunday morning to bright sunshine and green grass, not a trace of white left. The 1973 was my daughter's first snow. My cousin had called late the night before and told me it was headed our way. It really was beautiful and we have many still photos of same. She had turned 5 in October, so was really into it. No other kids on our block in West U. and she and I were the only ones out and about, had it all to ourselves. In the late 1980's to 1993, I lived in Santa Fe, NM and like you other transplants to colder climes had more than my fill of snow. Still love the beauty and quietness of it, but can do without the cold, digging the car out and the frostbite.

Perhaps I was just older than you others or was in a prime spot, but CARLA will remain forever as a terrifying memory. I was 19 years old, living in my first house away from childhood home. It was on Lula Street in Bellaire, a few blocks south of Bellaire Blvd. Saturday, we had a "Hurricane Party," and everyone was very excited about this big thing maybe coming our way. Idiot young people. When the guests were leaving, the sky was already roiling with ominous black clouds and the wind had picked up considerably. By Monday morning, the news did not look good, they had a better fix and surely enough, we appeared to be the target. Against better judgement, I called my employer, SWBT and asked if I should come in to work. The reply was, either that or you are fired. Throughout Monday morning, it became obvious the weather was deteriorating badly. There were 56 women, Service Representatives in our office at Bellaire Blvd and Academy in West University and we staged a coup by early afternoon. All of us had homes and most had children at home, we left work, while we still could. The brick building was sturdier than our homes, but we needed to protect our own. I remember we did not go out and buy scads of lumber, but got everything out of the yard and taped all the windows, put the 1955 Oldsmobile 98 Holiday in the garage, battened as much as possible. All the while a very young Dan Rather was going ape on television, filling us with great fear and yet, still excitement. Then it hit. Never has there been such incredible sound. Inside the house your voice could not be heard. Immediately the electricity went and stayed gone for 3 weeks. The drop wire to the house broke partially loose and was beating against the wood structure with sparks flying for hours. I was so afraid of fire, it was unreal. However, the horizontal rains of enormous force saved it, I guess. Hunks of roof went flying off and the water cascaded into the house, first at a few places, then all over. I ran out of bowls and pots to catch it in and they had to be emptied constantly. So, in the dark, with end-of-the-world wind battering and heavy rain pouring into every room with sparks flying and slamming into the house, it wasn't exactly delightful. At 10:30 PM, I heard something and saw lights outside, good old HL&P men were pushing their yellow slickered bodies at 45 degree angles to my backyard to cut off the fallen wires, bless them. The telephone was still working when the lines first went down and I had called it in. By the main force arrival, the telephone blacked out and stayed out of service for 4 weeks. The roaring went on most of the night and finally in exhaustion, was able to sleep for a couple of hours before dawn. The next day was beautiful and calm, but oh, the sights we saw. There had been a huge tree in my front yard and it was completely uprooted - and had fallen across the drive-way. I am 5'2" tall and went out to stand by the now vertical root system and it towered over me. A terrible sight. Everywhere roofs were obliterated, debris all about, trees uprooted, power lines lying on the ground and windows smashed. When we finally got the tree moved and were able to get car on the road, it was a war zone on Bellaire Blvd. Electric lines all across the street, picture/display windows of the business all blown out and the parking areas in front as well as the street crystalline with crushed glass. Hunks of buildings and various types of debris scattered seemingly everywhere. Actually had to move out of house for weeks to stay with family, whose damage was far less and whose power was restored more promptly. The city was clogged with Electric and Telephone workers from 4 or 5 states, who'd come to the rescue, so much of Houston was down and out. We were not supposed to drink the water, fear of contamination from underground gasoline tanks and snakes abounded. Gas stations were not operating, many stores and businesses closed. It was a nightmare. I cannot believe the others here were not badly affected or at least too young to really remember. Should you have access to the newspapers of the time, you might get a better idea of the reality, at least for many areas of town. And, yes, because of Dan Rather's emotional reporting, before, during and after on Channel 11, CBS rang him up and offered him a job. The shelter ideas are good ones. The main problem is that school buildings usually have too many windows, a real danger. A side note, my future husband (1963) rode out CARLA in the Galvez Hotel on the seawall in Galveston on an upper floor. I asked him how the Gulf looked and he laughed. You could see nothing in the pitch black, except the water flying into the room, not around the closed windows, but he swore, coming horizontally through the glass itself. Galveston had been evacuated, but some got stuck there and were herded into the Galvez.

In the 1940's and 1950's, the time of my youth, the Coliseum and Music Hall were the entire entertainment venues of the city. FilioScotia has nailed most of the activities. We went every year to the Fat Stock Show, where I shook hands with Roy and Dale (had front row seats) and to the RBBB Circus. I was petrified of the various people flying out of the cannon and it was so loud! One performance, an arielist actually fell doing a stunt sans net and was carried out, unconscious. It was huge and very impressive and no way could you keep up with everything at once. But, we did love it. The cotton candy was the best! On another thread, we were discussing Hallie Pritchard Dance Studio and I posted a picture of me in my Daisy Mae costume. Well, that performance was in the Coliseum. Imagine being a tiny six year old (albeit with others) in the center of that enormous floor trying to perform. It was an awesome experience with all the lights, yet a cavernous darkness in the seating area. The Music Hall was wonderful. All the visiting virtuosos and the symphony, plus we were the fortunate recipients of the New York Broadway touring companies' performances. Some fairly important stars were in the companies and it was entrancing. We had season tickets through the 1960's and I believe "Oliver" was the last big production I saw there. The "other" place that Houston had for entertainment was the, in my day, "Old City Auditorium." It was disreputable and scary by the time I had to venture there for Houston Youth Symphony rehearsals, around 1951. I am sure that the popular wrestling of Paul Bosch fame was held there, although I never attended any.

Not in my day. It was the usual woodsy camp set up with wooden cabins with vast areas of screening instead of windows sprinkled about and a large one story lodge type hall, also log cabin type for meals, activities, etc. Then the only other building I remember was the communal bathroom with shower facilities. One night I had to venture out to the bathroom and mostly asleep didn't put on shoes, but woke up quite suddenly when I stepped on a snake along the way. This was very long ago, while the Scouts had it they may have built a building such as you describe down the line. In the late 1960's, while boating on Clear Lake, I spotted some of the old cabins at water's edge still standing, but obviously abandoned.

Let us prey.

With high hopes the Board Nazi's don't come gunning for me, I am responding not to topic, but what Filio added above. With a big thank you, you have finally filled in my jigsaw puzzle. In 1947-48, I attended a GSA camp, Camp Tejas, just off Clear Lake on Taylor Lake I believe. We walked just south of the cabins and explored a eerie mansion with swimming pool decorated with wonderful colorful tiles. Memory had slipped on the name of the Estate and Filio just hit it right on the head. I give you the Jim West Mansion: The really cool thing is the surviving family took off leaving sheets on beds, utensils in kitchen, drapes up, etc. To us little girls it was ghostly, peeking through the windows it seems all the people had just disappeared into thin air mysteriously. Possibly last chance to view it, Haakim bought it and it may soon be high rise condos.

The Wedding footwear of both is sufficient, says it all, really. One cannot help being concerned about health, welfare and perhaps broken bones of the groom the morning after.

If you want a real treat, make a trip to the Rice Village to Variety Fair 5 & 10 at 2415 Rice Blvd., Houston, TX 77005. You will absolutely not believe your eyes. Opened in 1949 and still in the family, it is unique and purely wonderful. How can they still stock all the merchandise we knew so well in the 1940's and '50's? It is a mystery, but a blast. I believe the turtles are outlawed for carrying Salmonella or something, but you can find enough stuff to outfit your house and life with nostalgic toys and doo-dads. Living close by in West University, I spent my life shopping there. Then in my 30 somethings, I turned to them for all the little items my daughter needed or wanted. Then much later, we both took my Granddaughter to wander in wonderland and pick out things not available anywhere else. I advise everyone to go soon, Mr. Klinger died and his daughter is running the place, but I am not sure how long she will hold out.