WestUNative

My Pasadena Friend sent me this to post: Yes, that is the Weingarten's in Pasadena. It sat on the northwest corner of Southmore and Shaver, across from Sears to the east, and Walgreen's to the south. The drugstore was Able's much longer than Walgreen's. It was a home-grown drugstore with a soda fountain (but no jukebox). Sears moved east to the new Pasadena Town Square Mall and Wal-Mart tore down the building and created one of the all night SuperCenters. The move did not help Sears very much, and Wal-Mart moving in hurt everything around. After Weingarten's moved out, Wyatt's Cafeteria was there, on the side facing Southmore (south) for a long time, but has been supplanted by the awful dollar genre. Palais Royale was there, facing Shaver (east) for quite a while, but the last of women's specialty shops in Pasadena died with Ms. Kraker.

My girlfriend was born in Pasadena in 1948 and lived there until around 1970, she should remember the location. Out of town at the moment, but she'll be back by mid-week. Will ask and see what we come up with on Weingarten's location. The linked pictures were great, just wish with the rest of you, actual addresses were included. Say, wouldn't an old phone book be useful? I've noticed in past, some around here are in possession of same.

Scattered Comments: The photograph of The Emerald Room appears to be the correct configuration, but what of the colors? The Emerald Room was Emerald Green, thus its name and my love for it. Those of us growing up in nearby neighborhoods spent many hours and years at The Shamrock, we simply loved it. We went to shows, like Edgar Bergan and Conway Twitty, hung out at the pool, lots of going to eat in the restaurants and fooling around. Often on a blah Saturday, we'll head down there to stroll the lobby and shops, then have races up and down the stairs (which nobody really used, at least we never got caught). Later there were many frat dances for U of H kids held in The Emerald Room. Beyond that in adulthood, I stayed there as a guest a few times, truly posh and wonderful. Royal Coach Inn - my gosh, wouldn't you know my old buddy 57Tbird would be the one who attended Lisa Hartmann's debut. I've been tempted to mention it before. I was almost there. My daughter was taking ballet at a nearby school with Lisa's niece. Her sister and I did the waiting for class to end every week and one time she sprung an invitation on me. The headliner at the Royal Coach was either ill or skipped out and Lisa was tapped to go on. Her sister was trying to drum up an audience to "fill the house" for this unknown, 17 year old singer and asked my husband and I to go 'on the house.' Alas, we could not that night, but I have always remembered and wished we'd made it. Of course, both girls were the daughters of Johnnie and Howard Hartmann, of some Broadway and local fame. I believe the year was 1974. We all remember Fred Nahas and has anyone mentioned Dick Gottlieb around here?

isuredid! Astounding, thank you so much for including the info I was looking for all this while. The building from 1913 was so old-fashioned, I did think is was from further back. The classrooms were enormous, much bigger than ours at West University, which was built in the 1920's, I believe. What really interests me from this article is the touting of the fine families in the area, plus the presence of prominent Jewish ones. Only 30 years later, the neigborhood was entirely changed, as I have described previously. In fact, I recall only one Jewish student attending and her family was not as poor as the others. Very possibly her family had remained in the area since the early days. I am overwhelmed to hear I walked the same halls as the wife of Heifitz! Wow. At first I decided your scanner must be in a state of total exhaustion, but now I am wondering just how many of them you've done in today! All of it fascinating.

"I always enjoy reading your personal insights and experiences, WestUNative, you're an asset to the HAIF forums." Ron4Tx, You are so kind to say that. Sometimes I feel people don't really want to hear all my little remembrances, but I find this venue so exciting and the posts spark that "return to yesteryear." Houston is so different than other large cities in its still relative youth to have come so far so fast. Living there from 1941-2000, with a minor hiatus or two, my life encompassed the witnessing of amazing changes. I also credit much of my vast experience to my family. We were very much pro-active, do it all, see everything when perhaps others stayed at home. The Aunt I speak of so often was a wonder, we learned from her that if you were aware of problems, you must attend, do not complain about what the officials or government were not doing. On Saturdays, we'd go to the grocery store, fill the car with milk jugs and loaves of bread and head over to the Projects near JD Hospital. She, my cousin and I would hop out and run from door to door delivering the goods. No organization was involved, no collections were taken, strictly out of pocket, but to her the right thing to do. She also, as I stated elsewhere, started the Homebound Teachers programs and later insisted on setting up a school at Florence Crittendon Home for Unwed Mothers. She taught them all, every subject from 7th grade through 12th. Each year she held a fancy "Tea" at her house and transported her girls to parade through the front door. The neighbors were in shock, at the time one never acknowledged the existence of these creatures. Excuse the digression, but through my family and what I learned from them, I too tried never to let an experience or an interesting sight pass me by, it has been a full life with many, many memories.

I met Don and Betty when I was 18 years old. Hadn't seen them in ages, I was out of town for about 13 years. In 1996 & possibly 1997, my husband and I bought some great CD remasters of a lot of the old vinyl albums I'd loved. So, he was still catering to the Oldies. At that time, he said they were about ready to retire, but there were plenty of clients when we were there. I hope they are doing well, very nice people and a boon to the community.

To isuredid, No, not all the kids were polio victims, but some were. Notice the braces, a real tip-off. During the polio epidemic, many were unable to attend school, especially those in the horrid "iron lungs." If you have not seen these atrocities, I suggest you look it up. My aunt initiated an HISD program, Homebound Teachers, whereby she and others went from home to home to teach those unfortunate children. Ultimately her students included those with Cerebral Palsy and other ailments. I am going to digress a bit on this subject to pay homage to the brave people of the times. The Homebound kids were so afflicted, then isolated, it was truly sad. At least they were receiving some education and something else to think about. That was not enough for my aunt, Helen Lou Childers. She organized a Christmas Party for all her students. How on earth to accomplish? Well, she called up Paul Bosch and asked for his help. She arranged for a large enough venue and Paul rounded up his stable of wrestlers and some big trucks. These burly guys managed to pick up the iron lung victims and transport them to and from the party. It was a singular, joyous event.

Oh, toll the bell for Guggie's! Their Pastrami was wonderful, the pickles passable, the only Knishes my NYC husband would eat in the hinterlands and real New York style fabulous Cheesecake (no crust or crumbs). And you could pick your own topping for the Cheesecake. After we moved up here to North Texas, unable to find any edible Deli foods, I sent the alarm and money to Houston folks who were coming for a visit. I implored them to bring a C.A.R.E. package from Guggenheim's. They arrived empty handed, swearing they had rushed right over and found it closed. There was no joy in Arlington that day.

I finally dragged the archives out of the storage room and surely enough, found some old Longfellow Elementary photos of my mother's. Front of school, my mother is on the far right in dark dress - Orthopedics Class 1951 As isuredid mentioned, the principal, Miss Lavinia Namendorf Cafeteria in "basement" actually ground level and Custodian, Juanita, who took such great care of me.

Sea-arama - 1970 Buy dead fish and feed the sea lions from the bridge! The outreached arm dropping the fish is mine. In front of me, squatting down is my 3 year old daughter. Prophetically she grew up to be the Sea Lion Zookeeper and Trainer at Houston Zoo and a pinneped expert for many years.

Those are really old pictures of Sylvan Beach Park! When we went to dances in the late 1950's-early 1960's, there was a big, round?, indoor ballroom with the first rotating, mirrored, "disco ball" on the ceiling I'd seen. The room was glassed all around I believe. Yes, Sylvan became a favorite Senior Prom location, but in 1958, my best girlfriend was killed in a wreck on the Gulf Freeway coming home from her boyfriend's prom (we were Juniors at the time). Thereafter I believe at least Bellaire High School banned the spot as a prom place, at least for a while. Subdude, thanks for the Ding How picture, I could not remember the name, but used to dine there often. I may have missed it, but there was a big, public ballroom way out Main, on the right, where my mother and step-father used to go with their friends. If you unearth that, name and/or pictures, would love to see it. 57Tbird, I remember the Indian sign at Bill Williams. Wasn't the dancing neon red? And there was some wording about Indian-style, meaning it was appropriate there to eat your chicken with your hands, instead of being expected to use knife and fork. Ah, the beginning of causual and the end of priggy requirements of etiquette.

Question. In Galveston, driving down 61st street to the sea wall, there used to be some one story, wooden barracks on the left. I was told when little that it was a P.O.W. camp, but I am now thinking, with all y'all's new info that they must have been housing for our guys stationed at Fort Crockett. Could that be? Houston played an active part in the war, we had, I think, 3 different shipbuilding companies. My Dad worked at Brown Shipbuilding and after I was grown, I found some of his designs in an old box in the attic. Sadly he was dead by then and I couldn't ask more about his job. Another experience I had, straight from the movies, was my mother and I travelling to Albuquerque to see my Grandparents. I believe it was around 1944. Uniforms everywhere and the train car we were in was all soldiers headed to West Coast to ship out to Pacific Front. Every seat was taken, Mom and I were only civilians and the men were so nice to us. At one point, they rearranged themselves to sit on suitcases in the aisles so I could have a whole seat to lie down and sleep.

Firebird65, I'm with you on wanting first-hand knowledge of the way things were. Well, here is one story and it ties in with Houston Past, as well. During WWII or "The Big War" as we called it, there was a terrible housing shortage. The populace was asked to rent a room, anything they had empty to the scores of military personnel pouring into Ellington AFB. Our house was called a storey and a half, meaning there was one room on a second floor level and the bathroom perched between first and second floors off a landing. Technically the top bedroom had been my room, but I was moved to the breakfast nook off the kitchen, so that the upstairs room could be used for a fly-boy and wife. Mostly we had guys with "war brides" and the first I recall was an English wife from Bristol. I was only 2 years old, but had never seen a person as gaunt and pale with huge, dark, sunken eyes. She ended up talking with us of her experiences. The air raids and almost incessant bombings from the Germans made it impossible to sleep. They were so terrified that even when things were quiet, ears were straining to hear the whine and whistle of the next V-2 rockets. All the while, they simply were not eating much of the time and the word was that any day the invasion would occur and they would all be doomed. The psychological toll was enormous for those in the big cities and ports. She was very nice and taught me British expressions and words for things, like lifts, lorries, etc. I remember that face and how skinny she was, but I never recall seeing her smile.

I worked for "Ma Bell" for 4 years as a Service Representative from 1959-1963. We were amazed that the populace could not get straight the proper terminology. I read through all the posts here and finally a couple of people did indicate the right terms. Exchange - refers to City, not anything to do with numbers Central Office - the actual place calls were routed through, indicated by Prefix followed by number. In West University, we started out with MAdison, segued to MOhawk. Our Central Office was located on the corner of Academy and Bellaire Blvd. We always had rotary dial heavy clunker phones in my childhood, but once we visited a relative in a small town in East Texas and to my shock their phone had no dial. Just a plain black face. Every call required you to pick up the receiver and tell an operator who you wanted to talk to. Podunk! I must say, I love being a Dinosaur. I have one telephone, one number for both telephone and DSL. Never had nor will have a blasted Cell Phone or its offshoots. At this point no caller id or bells and whistles and I do not seem to be suffering. My one concession is to a cordless phone, I do like to move around the house and go outside and not be hindered. We used to be on a short tether until we could get those 20 foot extension cords-always tangled, argh. What about WATTS lines? No one remember that? One company I worked for had them in 1965-66 and allowed employees to come in on Saturday and make all the long distance calls they wanted for free. When did 800 numbers first come into being? I simply do not recall.

The Texas Company building was brilliant! When walking around downtown, we relished hitting this block for the welcome (and beautiful) colonnade and its wonderful shade. We used to ponder why other buildings had not the foresight to include something akin in the blistering hot box that is Houston.

Tofu (gag) it is! Now shall I send that via my CD drawer attached to a Personal Message here? If on the other hand, you live/work in convenient locales, I could have one of my Houston Posse personally deliver. Or perhaps Whole Foods would consider using one of the bike messengers? Sigh, should've known you'd be one of those New Agers.

Subdude! You are a Prince and I am much in your debt. I even researched the JVIII Partners Architects to see if they had old photos and got nowhere. Of course, some of them are defunct now. I really tried for days and days. From what I have seen on these boards, you and Editor are the masters of Photos Past and I had hopes, but they were fading. I have immediately emailed said, very lovely picture to the doubting and now will roast some crow for her to eat. So, would you prefer home-made chocolate chip cookies, a bottle of Kirschwasser or 12 pounds of tofu? I owe you big time. Many, many thanks.

Great job, Filio, for the update. Percy was so notorious for confiscating little old widow's homes to get their errant sons sprung, we didn't stop to think just how filthy (pun intended) rich he would have been at the end. The question on everyone's minds was what kind of enormous price Candace Mossler paid. Oh, yes, I remember you journalistic guys asking, but no one was disclosing. Hmm, or maybe you do know? Eww. I hate to think we added to his coffers by patronizing Stuart's. I believe I mentioned in another thread the night we were dining at The Bismark and Percy strutted in with 2 bimbos and sat at the table next to ours. He was so obnoxious and bombastic and especially crude, we slurped down our meal and got the hell out. I couldn't stand being in the same room as he. Now the only question, Filio, is who got all the loot?

Filio, I need a picture of the way it was when built, not the modern bell tower rendition. Especially showing the "glass skirt." To a tiny, minor degree the Pennzoil Building seems to have tried to copy the concept, but not nearly so dramatically. Gnu, hang on to that picture! If you get access to a working scanner, I would really appreciate getting my hands on it. Texas Monthly, January 1987 indicates it has a photo in the archives, but you must be a subscriber to access it on the internet. Anyone here qualify? Editor, Subdude, somebody help. This is an Architectural forum after all and this was a very impressive structure for 23 years, there has to be an image somewhere. Any links I could try? I need to convince someone of my sanity. They swear I imagined the whole thing! Thanks.

Surely there has been retained a photograph of this unusual, at the time, architectural design. I worked there from 1979-1980 and have been trying to describe it to a friend, who doubts its existence. The "remodeling" in 1996 hath rendered what amounts to a new and drastically different design and she cannot visualize my descripton. It also was renamed several times, but I believe the latest is Houston Industries Building. I have Googled and Ask.com'ed ad nauseum and still no likeness of it. Here is a description from HH (Historic Houston): 1100 Milam Building 1100 Milam Street Architect: Joint Venture Ill: Koetter, Tharp, Cowell

Thanks, Filio, I couldn't imagine it still standing, it seems to me when they opened the new one with the same name, it was doomed. It seriously was ancient already in the early 1940s. And now the "new" one is moving to yet another new building, damn, I do not feel that old. I would like to drive by just to see that I won't recognize a thing. Always shocking, but interesting. I also cannot imagine letting that whole city block go unused.

Are none of you aware of the Scandal of K101 stickers??? Some establishment members considered them to be subversive and indicative of the drug culture (duh). In San Jacinto County, Lake Livington area, the Sheriff and Judge in tiny Coldspring, Texas decided to persecute anyone passing through along Hwy 59 with such a bumper sticker. This was not a laughing matter, kids, they arrested those displaying, took them to jail and in some documented cases actually tortured people. Now, understand, I am not speaking of anyone "carrying", just folks who liked rock music. This practice became so constant that finally some of the victims complained to the Feds. The info was met with disbelief at first, but finally the FBI sent in a undercover agent as shill, with hippie hair and garb, just driving along with K101 on his car. Sho' nuff, he was hauled to the jailhouse and submitted to "water torture". The outcome is joyous. Everyone in that county who had any part or knowledge of what was going on ended up as guests of the state in Huntsville, behind la bars. That includes the Sheriff and Deputies, the Judge in cahoots with them and all. I'm not sure when the practice started, but the trials weren't over until about 1983-84.

The only way to solve this is for me to look. I can tell you that the school was as shown on the Sanborn map. If you pulled a car up to curb on Chartres, you stepped across a sidewalk and almost immediately began climbing those very high stairs to the front door. And the building was in the center of the block. I'm heading down there tomorrow, won't have my own car, at mercy of others, but I will try to get someone to drive me past if at all possible. It I accomplish Mission Improbable, I will take digi photos of whatever is there and share when I return next week. Stay tuned. And thanks for all of you helping to solve this for me!

You guys are utterly amazing with all your pictures. I just about fell out of my chair just now, seeing the picture of 1958 with the cars lined up and names for each one. A million years later, my best friend was married to Bob Hartig, a Pasadena guy, for 8 years. He died just last year from cancer. When last I saw him, around 2000 before we moved to Arlington, he was still tinkering with cars and helped his wife's daughter with her Art Car every year. I sent this picture on to my girlfriend and she said Bob raced until he married his first wife and had 2 daughters to raise. After they divorced, he went right back to it. By the time she married him, he was retired.

Surely the statue of limitations has long passed on speeding tickets! I will reassure you there were no other cars or people around and the road was flitter flat, like all of Big H. Don't forget he was a professional race car driver -- oops, I see what you mean. There were a lot of crashes at the track.