WestUNative

Great Kemah pix, Enviro, but a couple of places are missing! Jimmie Walker's was extremely popular, but a little pricey. We used to go to a place very near it. It seems like it was almost next door. A stilted wooden building, all upstairs. You had to walk up a steep flight of outdoor steps to get to it. One big dining room overlooking the water on the back side. Fabulous, fresh seafood and quite reasonable. I think it lasted until at least around 1960.

57Tbird and I were recently discussing a spot in Kemah from my early childhood. Around 1945, at the end of the war. It was ground level and you turned off to it before you got all the way down to the Jimmie Walker area. I believe the name was The Sportsman's Club. As you walked in the front door, you were in a room with a counter and stools plus a few small tables. Along the opposite wall was a long line of slot machines. My mother and father would take a table and place a wooden chair piled with phone books in front of a slot machine, hand me a bunch of nickels and keep me occupied. To the left upon entering was a nicer dining room. These were the glory days of The Balinese Room in Galveston, when illegal gambling was in its heyday along the coast, with local law enforcement casting a very blind eye.

One must remember this was a very long trip from West University Place. There was no Gulf Freeway, two lane blacktop all the way, now known as Old Galveston Highway in some spots.

In 1959, there was a polynesian type restaurant at Sage and Westheimer, cannot recall the name, was before the Trader Vic era. They had a divine (ahem) dish called Celestial Chicken, which was so unforgettable, I continue to this day to make it at home. Cubes of white meat of chicken, breaded and covered in sesame seeds, crisp fried and served on a bed of fluffly white rice, covered with white sauce/gravy. Accompanied by Jasmine tea, a simple, but wonderful taste treat. Anyone recall the name? I don't think it lasted too long.

Just a tack-on. Brennan's was mentioned here several times, but do none of you "youngsters" realize that before Brennan's took over, the building was the Junior League? My Grandmother gave an elegant "Sweet 16 Birthday Luncheon" for me and all my girlfriends. The Dining Room was on the second floor. So, to date it, that was May of 1957, I don't know how long the League had been there prior.

Enviro,

The original JMH on Milton is long gone. It was razed and the owners donated the land to be a lovely little park, which it is now. The newer JMH, at Rice and Edloe still exists, but was sold and changed a few years ago.

The reason for the meat purchase was they raised their own and it was untainted by hormones/chemicals. The best quality, tenderness and flavor you could find. Plus, the price was low. Up until I moved from Houston in 2000, I would still drive from Spring Branch to buy all our meat there.

In the 1970's, raising my child, I used to tell people, truthfully, I could feed my family on excellent sirloin steak from JMH cheaper than I could on hamburger from other stores.

So, E, did you live anywhere in our vicinity?

Sandy

Alpha,

JMH was definitely one of a kind. J.M. Huffington originated it. He had a farm/ranch west of Houston and hired some Czech young boys to work for him. There were 2 brothers and some cousins of theirs. He'd haul them in via truck to learn the grocery business and work the store. When he died, the store became theirs. One brother opening a "new" store at Rice and Edloe eventually.

It was the perfect Mom & Pop place. The wives and children all worked there and knew everyone in the neighborhood. You could cash checks, pay utilities, charge your groceries and they catered to the kids. It was so easy. Like yourself, a child could run in and take care of business or buy things and charge them. The old Produce guy, Mack, would go to the Farmer's Market every morning. So anything I wanted, I'd just order it from him and next day, there it was. Also, the Butcher would cut anything to your order, no extra charge. At Thanksgiving, you could ask for a turkey of precise size and poundage and they'd come up with it.

Which leads to another story. When my daughter was around 3, we got home from a big shopping trip there and as I was unpacking, she placed on the kitchen counter a pair of kid's scissors on the cardboard backing, which I had not bought! I checked my receipt and not there. I flipped out when I realized she had stolen them. I was horrified and embarrassed and ready to pummel her, at least verbally. Well, she knocked me for a loop. As I was yelling and furious, she sobbed, "But, Mommy, you never pay for anything at JMH." Damn, it was true. Every other store we went to, she'd see me give them money, but not there. I learned a lesson that day. Of course, I still made her return them and confess, but they were kind and understood.

Variety Fair 5 & 10 came along in 1948. Most amazing and crazy little store I've ever experienced. Sadly, Cathy Irby is facing finally closing it next year if rent is raised too high. Her father, Ben Klinger was so great and there every day of his life. He died a few years ago. World Toy & Gift was a wonderland. Don't all the retailers seem bland these days?

Alpha,

How cool, at last another familiar with my old 'hood. Your Grandparents must have either lived in what we called "the chimney," section north of Bissonnet or on or close to the Bissonnet strip. We lived at 4226 University. I started shopping at JMH when I was an infant, ha-ha. It was during the War (WWII) and with gas rationing, my mother would put me in my little red wagon and her sister would do same with her 2 kids in Southside Place and they'd walk down to JMH and meet to visit and shop together. I continued to go there all during my daughter's early life. They had charge accounts and you only had to pay your grocery bill once a month, very convenient.

I also went to Weingarten's and all the other stores at Montclair. Sorry the sign freaked you out! You are probably close to my daughter's age, she was born in 1967.

We never referred to our town as anything but West University Place until much later years, when it became trendy to just shorten it. Thanks for your memories!

Filio,

You have really nailed it and eloquently. We were brought up not to hate anyone, but observed the accepted mores of that society. And from what you've said, maybe the parents were right, they had concrete reasons for our safety for us to stay on home ground. Throughout school and well beyond I never saw any drugs or weapons and knew no one who used them. I did not know what Marijuana looked like until I was in my 30's and the West U. Police gave a program for parents at my daughter's school, so we would be educated in what to look for in the 1970's.

It sounds like apolgia at this point, but honestly it seemed to me the separations were more because of cultural and interest differences. What on earth would we have understood or talked about to a factory worker or someone with Hispanic heritage? We hadn't a clue what experiences blue collar workers had.

I worked at NASA in from 1964-1966 and while we had people from all over the world, which was fascinating, the employees were still college educated professionals. The same really as we had all over the neighborhood, especially with Rice Institute just down the street.

As my husband and I remodeled my old home, we stayed and raised our daughter in same old way. I assure you many years down the pike, when I began to meet people from very different backgrounds, it was eye-opening.

Hope you enjoyed Pasadena, my best friend for last 30 years is from there and she loved it. So much, she just moved back there, after 5 years in NYC.

I figured! For H2B and all other North siders, forgive me. It was the adults with the rules. In my adulthood I have traversed the Heights, Oak Forest, Spring Branch and once I even ventured down Fulton, oh, my. No remaining prejudice, I promise. After all, just comparing notes on the way we grew up and I am truthful to a terrible fault.

Hey, Tbird, did you get my Personal Message Reply? Not sure I'm working all the bells and whistles around here correctly yet. I thought I'd saved it in Sent box and it isn't showing up. If you didn't let me know and I'll rewrite.

Being the new girl on the block, trying to catch up around here is daunting. As I read this long thread, a couple of things came to mind.

Solomon's Fabrics became Cloth World became JoAnn's

The White House on corner of University & Kirby (now Half-Price Books) changed to Meyer Bros.

In high school, I worked at Meyer Bros. in Meyerland and you bet Lew's was great.

Bellaire Guy: Remember when Don and his wife owned the laundromat next door to his original shop on Bissonnet? And there was a super burger place just west of the meeting of Bissonnet and Bellaire that served charcoal grilled burger with great barbeque sauce.

Montclair Shopping Center (Bissonnet and Weslayan) became Weslayan Plaza.

As a child, we'd drive to Dallas to see relatives a lot. After Ennis, the sport was to start looking for Pegasus, huge and rotating on the top of the Magnolia/Mobil building in downtown.

The Magnolia Building in Houston was magnificently restored in the 1970's with a most elegant and really good restaurant on 2nd floor called "The Bismark."

Savings Stamps of all kinds and colors were the best. I completely outfitted the nursery for my daughter's birth in 1967 with stamps. I believe every variety crossed my sticky fingers at one time or another.

By Jove, I think you're right, Tbird! Fam had some rules we didn't quite understand, but that one theater was off-limits and I believe it was because they showed more "B" type films, such as the one I saw about seemy, violent things like the Mafia.

Another rule many members of this board will find offensive. We were not allowed to go on the North Side! Go out of town on a date, fine, do Galveston, Sylvan Beach, Hitchcock, Clear Lake, etc., but never ever mess with anything north of Buffalo Bayou. They were not snotty or elitest, just really believed that was the dangerous side of town, you know Reagan-ites!

My one episode at the Polar Wave was a disaster. My ankles touched in the middle and I mostly just stood/slumped in one spot, terrified. My male cousin, 6 years older spent his time on his bum on the ice and the girl, 2 years older, sailed like a pro. It was mortifying and we never wanted to go back. I guess I was around 6 or 7 years old (1947-48). Many years later, I went with my daughter to Galleria and could actually stay up and clumsily skated, it was amazing. Cannot remember which roller rink, but must have been in Bellaire area, many skate birthday parties.

What did people do pre-electronic age? Hoo-hah, everything. Here is a sample of teenage activities. Understand we got our unrestricted drivers licenses at 14, so everyone had wheels and gas was 25-50 cents per gallon.

1. Hitchcock for the Sunday Drag Races

2. Movies, movies, movies - inside and drive-in

3. Restaurants, ice cream parlors, remember Rettig's on Holcombe? Or Bill Williams on S. Main?

4. Galveston constantly, big groups with bonfires, singing and roasting food, building contests of structures using driftwood and garbage washed up on beach. "Dangerous" night swimming.

5. Zoo, riding the train at Herrmann Park.

6. Water skiiing at Offats Bayou all day, then home, rinse, change, fix hair and out dancing that night.

7. Early on, Fun Club on Saturdays at The Village Theater, later, spinning platters, dancing, schmoozing at Blanton Memorial on W. Alabama.

8. Drowning in ice cold watermelon at Bluebonnet Gardens

9. Playland Park and the Race track, go A.J.!!

10. Summers - West U. and Southside Pools, tennis, horseshoes, massive games of Hearts and Poker in the heat of day. Dances every Friday night. Trips to New Braunfels to Camp Warnecke, riding the rapids and hitting Schwamkrug's(sp?) at night for outdoor dancing. Daytime doing shuffleboard and the first ever of electronic games - shoot the bear.

Yes, it goes on and on. We were OUT THERE! Lots of parties at friends' houses, slumber parties, cruisin', you name it. Anyone who was not a teen in the 1950's really missed out. It really was the very best. The world was safe, parents could and did let us fly with few restrictions. We did a few pranks, but never got into trouble

Here is a gag blast from the past, which none of you have heard of, I'm sure, unless you were one of my Pershing chums. One of the fads going around for a while was to order a Pineapple Dr. Pepper at Bill Williams Drive In (crushed pineapple in bottom of glass) and then add a bit of Vodka! We thought it fabulous, wild and wicked. No, we didn't get drunk or have wrecks and so far as I know, none of us became alcoholics.

Forget the stores, what of the movie theaters? There were two right together, then a couple of blocks down the street the third, less reputable. I was thinking it was the Lowes State and Majectic together, then the Metropolitan the offset one. This picture makes me wonder, there is a sign next to the Metropolitan that appears to say Lowes? Help. But, this pic is 1944 and I am talking 1950 onward. The Lowes State was a beautiful, very Hollywood place, I remember feeling almost regal walking up that massive staircase with all the gilt-laden frou-frou on the walls.

The deal was, we were allowed to attend either of the two, Lowes and the one next to it. Absolutely forbidden to go near the other one. A boundary that somehow began the lesser part of town and the fact that the loner showed films we weren't supposed to see. Of course, there were no R or X-rated shows, but once some friends and I decided to be naughty. We took the bus dutifully to "see such and such at the Lowes" and zipped down the street to the bad one. We saw some awful thing about the Mafia, "The Black Hand". Very film noir. Didn't get caught out on it either!

I'm getting the magnifier out and look at the picture some more, just sure I'm right about the names and locations, but set me straight, anyone.

Nevermind. That is the Lowes next door, so the Majestic was the "bad" one.

I was sitting here trying to remember the name of the restaurant serving to this day, the best pizza I have ever eaten and in "Taking a Walk--" there it was. Valian's could not be beat. Enormous pizzas with crunchy thin crust and pitchers of beer at long tables in the back area.

The Shamrock was pure heaven. We loved the pool and the fine hamburgers at the grill (name?), but the best of the best was The Emerald Room. I saw Charlie McCarthy there as a child and a very young Conway Twitty, when he was not country, but vying to be the next Elvis. There were wonderful UofH Frat balls and other events. You always felt at the top of society just being in that place. One of our teenage challenges was to walk/run up the stairs to the top.

On the night of our High 9 Banquet - graduating from 9th grade at Pershing, a few of us headed to the Shamrock, dressed to the 9's. We slipped into an empty Emerald Room and had our own party. There was a piano in the front and one of the guys played it as we danced about, sang and laughed. An older black gentleman in waitstaff uniform busted us, but was so nice he said we could stay a bit, but had to keep the noise down.

Before it was torn down, I took my teenage daughter to spend the night and it was still ultra posh. The thickest, softest carpets ever experienced and I've been to plenty of mansions in River Oaks.

The pix are super, do you have any of Prince's and Stuart's Drive Ins?

This panorama is fabulous! I was 6 years old at the time and this is definitely my childhood Houston. My uncle was an accountant at Gulf and his daughter and I used to be so proud to visit the tallest building in town.

Whoever you are, Editor, kudos to you for sharing these incredible images.

The synapses are sizzling now! Didn't Bobby Doyle and Joyce Webb appear on a late night local show on Friday or Saturday nights on television for a while? I remember them well.

The U of H cousin I spoke of actually dated Paula Ragusa when they were at Lamar. Bobby Foxworth and I were both born in 1941, I used to have Tommy Sands autograph on his first record, a 45.

Hey, no one has mentioned Tommy Tune! He was amazing even at age 16. Already that tall and on Saturdays over at Blanton Memorial Club House behind Lamar was always singing and dancing. He was in another cousin's class at school. I could not dance with him, too embarrassing. I am 5'2" and that put my eye level at about his belt buckle, you can array the rest on your own. I was 14 and never danced with or even dated tall guys after that experience.

Really appreciate the photo of Larry in the old days, I knew he had died, but not about the teaching. Does this song ring a bell? "Cigareets and whiskey and wild, wild women; they'll drive you crazy, they'll drive you insane." Sung in a very twangy, hick manner, Larry would look goofy and cross his eyes on the second line.

Lovin' this guys, I am so happy I found this place.

Sandy

It was South Main! Now, I am unsure where the south picked up but right about there would be right. The appellation covered Main Street all the way out to Prince's Drive In, Playland Park and the race tracks.

I remember shopping at the old Sears with my Grandmother in the mid to late 1940's. She had a particular corset she liked that was only still carried by Sears. The section of the store was called Foundation Garments and had torso mannequins dolled up in same on high shelves above the merchandise. I mostly recall the constant "dings" sounding about the store, never figured those out.

It is a shame that more preservation of original buildings did not take place. Fort Worth is a delight with its downtown of restored, beautiful art deco and before architectural gems.

Thank you for the wonderful old pictures! I loved this place with its old wood interior and ambiance. However, I never heard anything bizarre whilst browsing or researching, only the creak of the floors in later years. I nearly cried when the modern extravaganza was built.

Is there a common source for historic photos of Houston?

I attended this school around 1949-1951. It was in a separate building on the periphery of the main University of Houston campus. Our productions were presented in the Cullen Auditorium, very big deal for little kids. My first big play was "Pinocchio" and starred Robert Foxworth, the one among us who acquired actual success in show biz. Yes, I had a mad crush on him at the time, he didn't know I existed.

Our leader, director, teacher was an exotic woman named Kiki Gray, whom we adored. Her husband, Charles Gray was guest Director at the original Alley Theatre (in the round) and went on to become one of the earliest Station Managers at Channel 2. He gave my mother and I tickets to all the Alley dress rehearsals, which was thrilling and later gave us a private tour of the new KPRC-TV building on Post Oak.

A long shot, but has anyone here heard of this or possibly attended?

Shouldn't mix things up, but old Frontier Fiesta just came to mind. Anyone frolicking there around 1953-54? My cousin, 6 years older, was a Frosh in '53 and the whole family went. I think his parents were a little shocked at how bawdy it all was, but we kids loved it. Kenny Rogers headlined one of the shows, though he was still locally known only at the time. Quality stuff and ultimate fun.

Okay, so I'll lump all the show business in one post. How about the Larry Hovis Trio? Although he went on to fame in Hogan's Heroes, I'll always remember the super performances of his musical group at civic events and cocktail lounges through early 1960's.