sak

I was there once, if I am thinking of the right place, but I can not say where it was. I went with 2 friends on a summer night in 1964 or 65. I have a better memory of going to La Maison when it was in a former grocery store, in 1965. I think these places were popular with kids from all over Houston. My cousin from the East End spent a lot time at both places as well as friends from SW Houston. There was a small, very short lived, 'teen club' on Bissonett in Bellaire near the Bellaire bowling alley. It was called Mad Daddy's Inferno. That name jumping out of my memory is too bizarre, a true flash from the past.

She lived in the 3200 block of Del Monte on the south side. I can't remember the number but it is next door (west side) of the Tudor house with the incredible sculpted roof.

I am no longer certain that Tierney lived in the Del Monte house. It was owned by Howard Lee when he was married to Hedy Lamarr. I have learned that he sold that house in 1957, before he was divorced from Lamarr and married Tierny in 1960. The divorce was highly publicized: the old Houston Press files have many black and glossies of the courtroom scenes. I used to see Tierny in the Weingartens on Post Oak (now the site of the Container Store) in the very early 1970s.

I know that Gene Tierney lived in Houston from 1960 - 1991 and is buried in Glenwood cemetary, but I never hear about her home/house. I believe she may have lived in River Oaks...does anyone know which house?

She lived in the 3200 block of Del Monte on the south side. I can't remember the number but it is next door (west side) of the Tudor house with the incredible sculpted roof.

Has anyone heard of Camp Killkare owned by John Henry Kirby.

It was located on Armand Bayou (Middle Bayou), above Clear Lake.

Is there any photos or history of this place. It shown on a 1929 map of the Clear Lake area.

Thanks.

Camp Killkare may have been the name of John Henry Kirby's private 'bay' estate, which was located in that area.

Bay Shore Park was a little north of Sylvan Beach on land that was part of the old Beasley estate, and later, the site of Happy Harbor a nursing home which was originally sponsored by the Methodist Church. (That was told to me by a member of the Beasley family.) As recently as the late 1990s, two wooden one story buildings still sat side by side on the Happy Harbor property. These appear to have been cottages for the park. They are gone now. I have heard that Happy Harbor, too will soon be gone. The land has been sold to the City of LaPorte for a hotel and the nursing home will be relocated much further inland, on much cheaper land.

Erna Foxworth wrote the Romance of Old Sylvan Beach in 1986. It has wonderful photographs dating back to the late 1890s. It documents the development and ownership of the park that was at one time a famous, sensational playground for Houstonians young and old alike.

I may be completely making this up, but I seem to have a vague memory of there being some sort of Post Office kiosk in the Southeast corner of the parking lot. Does anybody else remember this?

I mailed my wedding invitations from that kiosk in May of 1972.

In one of your photos, I see Jesse Jones and Franklin Delano Roosevelt in what appears to be a parade. I assume this was taken in Magnolia but do not know of the details. Can someone provide information on this photo?

This photo may be from FDR's visit to Houston in June of 1936. He and Eleanor, along with many other dignitaries took a 2 hour tour of the Houston Ship Channel from the Turning Basin to the San Jacinto Battleground. They boarded the private yachts, Captiva (the men) and Sumoria (Eleanor and the other ladies) at one of the public wharves at the Turning Basin. The Houston papers from that day have many details, also Bob Bailey has some wonderful photographs of the boats cruising on the Ship Channel with their very important guests, along with a boat load of paparazzi.

My brother and I were at Pershing 63-65. The boys were supposed to wear trunks but if they left them at home, they had to swim anyway, in the nude. It hapened to my brother at least once. I was horrified when he told me about it. Somehow I never took swimming there. But I was next door in the girls locker room trying to change in and out the one piece, snap front, elastic leg gym suit without letting anyone see any of my body above knees or below neck. The air in there was so thick with Aqua Net hairspray you could hardly breathe.... That was in 7th grade - by 9th grade everything had changed of course!

I kind of like the Sterling but it would have been way to big for Houston in that era. I wonder what happened to Ross Sterling. After he sold his shares in Humble to Standard, he went on a building and buying spree in Houston but I guess the biggest thing he ever built was the Post-Dispatch skyscraper (22 stories, Texas at Fannin, I think, now the Magnolia Hotel). I've read that when he sold the Post-Dispatch paper, it was at auction, which kind of sounds like bankruptcy. His bio in the Handbook of Texas says after he was defeated by Ma Ferguson for a second term as gov, he came back to Houston and 'built another fortune in oil.'

Then there was:

SW corner of Polk and Dowling, now demolished. Referred to as a red brick oven by Post staffers.

The Shamrock was a bad business decision -- too far out of downtown and too big. It was never profitable. Hilton couldn't turn a profit on it. No wonder the complex never got built.

Sterling's memoirs Ross Sterling, Texan were just published this year by the Univ. of Texas Press. The book is available from Amazon.

I kind of like the Sterling but it would have been way to big for Houston in that era. I wonder what happened to Ross Sterling. After he sold his shares in Humble to Standard, he went on a building and buying spree in Houston but I guess the biggest thing he ever built was the Post-Dispatch skyscraper (22 stories, Texas at Fannin, I think, now the Magnolia Hotel). I've read that when he sold the Post-Dispatch paper, it was at auction, which kind of sounds like bankruptcy. His bio in the Handbook of Texas says after he was defeated by Ma Ferguson for a second term as gov, he came back to Houston and 'built another fortune in oil.'

Then there was:

SW corner of Polk and Dowling, now demolished. Referred to as a red brick oven by Post staffers.

The Shamrock was a bad business decision -- too far out of downtown and too big. It was never profitable. Hilton couldn't turn a profit on it. No wonder the complex never got built.

Sterling's memoirs Ross Sterling, Texan were just published this year by the Univ. of Texas Press. The book is available from Amazon.

The Handbook of Texas Online confirms that he did not spend the night in Houston. He went on to Fort Worth. I had always assumed he spent the night here. The afternoon of the 21st my mother took my brother and I downtown to watch his motorcade pass by and we did get a wonderful view of him. I recall that the weather was clear - it was late afternoon after school. I don't think it was raining the next day when we left school, stunned. I was in the 8th grade at Pershing. But then it seems like it rained and was cold, wet and gray for the next few days as we watched everything on tv.

You may be thinking of the Arabia Shrine Circus, which was held annually in the Coliseum for many years. My own kids grew up going to see it every year.

It was not the circus. At this Shrine event the student groups I mentioned above were featured parts of the program, even my junior high band played. It was a very large, well attended, dress up, coat and tie prodcution. I believe it was an annual event, possibly called the Shrine Ball or Shrine Pageant. But it was a very different event from the Arabia Shrine Circus which my family also attended in the Coliseum.

The highlight of that event was seeing the performances of those girl drum and bugle corps drill teams like the Reagan Redcoats, Bellaire Belles, and especially Austin Brigade with their kilts and bagpipes. Those drill teams are long gone.

I think you mean the Stephen F. Austin/Mustangs Scottish Brigade right? 1979 was about the last time they wrapped it up. Was kind of cool seeing them walk past my house over the years all dressed up plaid skirts/berets and bagpipes. One girl I remember was a dead ringer for Marsha Brady. We were just blocks away from the school and we could always hear the bagpipes practicing from our backyard. We would always hear the band playing songs like "Apollo 100", Hot Butter Popcorn" & "I'm Your friendly Stranger in a Black Sedan".

Your right another distant memory.

Yes, it was the Scottish Brigade from Austin HS. I only saw them that one night in the Coliseum, around 1963, but they and those other drill teams were so impressive. I understand that some of the other teams now survive as Dance Teams but the Brigade is just a memory. They do have a good website scottishbrigade.org That Shriner's event in the Coliseum was the annual Shrine Ball - I was there as a member of the Pershing Jr. High band. Forgive me, I digress!

That link was perfect! (and everyone elses additional notes)

My big sister was lucky enough to see the Fab 4 there early 60's. I got to see everything from mid 70's rock stars to early 80's groups like Devo, B-52s at Music Hall. Glory days for sure.

Some of the groups I recall seeing at the Coliseum in the early 60's included the Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher, and the Four Tops. KILT DJ Wierd Beard was there too. One memorable event was some Shriners Benefit - the Coliseum was packed with spectators and junior and senior high school bands from all over Houston. The highlight of that event was seeing the performances of those girl drum and bugle corps drill teams like the Reagan Redcoats, Bellaire Belles, and especially Austin Brigade with their kilts and bagpipes. Those drill teams are long gone.

I'll also risk the wrath of the thread Nazis...

Did this GSA camp have a large old house (mansion) constructed of concrete? I recall a controversy a few years ago about the GSA's decision to raze it, to the dismay of preservationists. Or was that structure located elsewhere?

That is Camp Casa Mare on Galveston Bay in Seabrook. The mansion, called the "Big House" by the Girl Scouts, was built around 1912 and demolished in the early 90's. Otherwise it is still an active Girl Scout Camp. The old mansion had an interesting and varied history and at least one ghost associated with it.