plumber2

The old rail bridge (Southern Pacific) was removed several years ago. The rail connected north of Washington Ave, south past the old rice elevators across the bayou to the Robinson Public Warehouse (originally a Sears demolished last year). The rail line had earlier continued south through present day Montrose and Mid Town connecting to the rail lines parralelling Almeda Rd.

About were the present TMH/TWU parking garage is.

Do you still have to step up and then step down as you walk through the Esperson Building? I haven't been downtown in the tunnels for several years. I remember back in the 80's walking from the Chronicle Building to "The Parks" to eat lunch with some of my co-workers and then hurrying back. We only had 30 minutes for lunch but the scenery was worth it. Downtown has much prettier women than the medical center. Now there's a HAIF poll!

Westheimer was a two lane black top road with deep ditches along both sides at least until the mid 1960's, so there was no street scene like this back then, just empty land. The Christie's location shown in the Life photo is definently South Main. The street light pole gives it away. In fact there is one of these street light poles still standing, on Main Street in front of the Baylor Clinic Building. The lamp has been retrofitted with a modern "cobra head" fixture but the pole is exactly the same as shown in the Christie's photo. If you walk across the level two crosswalk going from O'Quinn Tower to the Baylor Clinic it will be on your left just outside the window as you cross on to the west side of the street. I saw it yesterday.

One good thing about this location is that there is no convenient place for the protestors to park or picket unless thay are allowed on the property.

There was a small tribute posted in a glass case in the lobby of the Plumber's Union Hall for several years in honor of the people who died during a tragic accident when this building (HH) was under construction. An outside personell lift failed and all aboard died, mostly plumbers. The building was painted black for several years. We used to say it was in memory of those that died but that was probably an urban legend.

I actually have that book in my living room. I forgot I had it until I saw the picture of the cover and went over to the bookcase to search for it. I'm going to re-read it tonight. I agree with FS in that the horse stables offer a more logical reason for existance of the water tank, than Camp Logan does. And CampLogan1917, you never identified were that photo was taken of the old wooden structure that was part of Camp Logan. My late uncle once showed me a building on Old Katy Rd just north of present I-10 that he claimed was part of Camp Logan, but was moved to that site after the buildings were sold off. It reminded me of this picture, but I could not be sure. It was an ice-house back then when my uncle drove me by it around 1972 or 73. (It would have been right across the street from TXDot)

The Houston Main Building (Old Prudential) is being vacated as we speek. It was slated for decommissioning, but UTMDACC has just recently (post Ike) offered it to UTMB for temporary use. I have not heard from my source how UTMB has responded to the offer.

"Say it ain't so Joe!"

Kirby Rd. and portions of Old Kirby Rd. are still there, from Red Bluff to NASA Rd 1.

My grandmother, who was 18 or 19 at the time of the incident, told the story to us grandkids when we were young teenagers. Her family lived north of downtown, near were the Southern Pacific Hospital was built. They heard the commotion from their house but did not actually witness the riot. She told the story as it was told to her from people who "claimed" to haved witnessed it. I do remeber her using the "N" word several times in her story to emphasize the point. This incident was "The Story" of her times. I guess we all have such incidents that mark our era. The "Moody Park Riot" comes to mind for me. Although the facts seem to be getting cloudier as the years go by.

The union I once belonged to has it's own health and welfare benefit that includes medical incurance. The employee pays for this in their negotiated hourly rate. The government insurance could be funded the same way, with insurance companies bidding for the opportunity to be a provider. The government would only be involved in the up front part, with the providers operating just like they do now. However, I am aware that some of the posters on this site are oppossed to anything that unions have made work.

I liked the building better when it was painted black. It just looks faded now!

"The Cotton Exchange" is just a play on words for a second hand clothing store I presume, not the downtown former commodities trade building.

St. Mary's seminary was located just north of Bayshore Park. The old buildings remained vacant for years after the seminary relocated to it's new digs on Memorial Dr. in the late 1950's. If I rememebr my history right, the seminary building was once a hotel before the Galveston Diocese acquired it early in the 1900's. I'm almost positive that some of the seminary property is now part of Sylvan Beach Park. The chapel is still standing and is an active church. (at least it was the last time I was up that way).

UT is funding the Bertner St. South Extension. Bertner will cross S. Braeswood at Cecil St. and continue south until about St. Agnes St. From that point it will vear east around the new patient family housing apartments and cross OST approximately were Selma St. would cross if it had extended that far.

I remember riding to the airport as a kid and going down Broadway it was wide open on both sides from just south of Sims Bayou to the airport entrance. The apartment buildings didn't get built until the mid 1960's and they were built quickly.

There was an Humble Camp south of Dickinson Bayou. There is still an Humble Camp Rd. off of Texas Highway 3.

My colleagues and I were dumbfounded when TMH leadership decided to keep the old Diagnostic Hospital Building standing while the Outpatient Center was constructed. It would have been so simple to bring it down with the other Diagnostic Clinic and Proffesional buildings. The old Diagnostic Hospital, West Tower as TMH refers to it, is a dump, with Select Specialty, a physical therapy and biomedical engineering departments scattered throughout the empty floors. It looks so out of place in the WHR rendering.

I think all of these renderings and annoucements are just landowners collaborating together to run up the price of area real estate. They figure if the oil speculators can get away with it, so can they.

Yes the fault damaged several homes on Westview in particular that had to be completely torn down. Be careful and watch your step, literally.

It probally smelled like Rot around that park for awhile. I never could understand why folks, mostly church groups, would bring food to these "homeless people" on weekends. Why not serve them in their own church or in parks in their own neignborhood. We all know the answer to that. Thank God the city finally ran these bums out. I don't even care were they went.

My mother attended St. Agnes in the 1920's and then again in the early 30's. It was all grades 1-11 at that time. I have her yearbook from 1933. I will try and scan some pages that show the building. My father attended St. Thomas downtown on Austin Street in 1936. He graduated from Reagan though in 1938. It seems my grandparents were having a tough time and could not afford to keep the kids in catholic school. His younger sister attended Reagan, but the two youngest boys did attend St. Thomas in the 40's which by then was on Buffalo Drive (now Memorial).

There is an old school building on the corner of Lamar and Paige east of downtown that looks like it is being used as a residence of sometype.

I think a lot of people had maids back then. Even we had one and we were just a working class family. Her name was Othea and granted she only came once a week. She worked for a lot of people in the neighborhood. I once remember seeing her at a friend's house one day and I felt betrayed somewhat, like, "Hey, that's my maid, what's she doing working here." I felt sorry for her sometimes, because the bus line only came out as far as Chimney Rock and we were two blocks beyond that. She wasn't "Hazel" though.