tetherman

Does anyone remember when the Parker Brothers rented Playland Park (out on South Main) for a company party; they hired a Cajun Band for entertainment? BTW, this could well have been in the 50's or thereabouts!

Dave Lang

Here is the map I was searching for (from the jsc history site) showing all the NASA interim facilities:

Well actually it may be suspect regarding whether it shows ALL the early JSC sites, as I worked for JSC at the Franklin Apartments, which was located directly across the Gulf freeway from the Houston Petroleum Center (JSC site 5). This was in 1963 about the time of Kennedy's assasination. The Franklin was located in the block defined by Wayside-Freeway-Bayou-Telephone Rd (I think it was on Maxwell), between site 2 and site 5.

I actually live by some of the old nasa facilities on office city and a neighbor used to be a nasa photographer in the 60's. i'd have to guess you were in the EVA area?

I worked in the Franklin Apartment Building just across the Gulf Freeway from the Houston Petroleum Center. I worked in the Flight Crew Support Division (but at that time our group was separated from the rest of the Division because of the general shortage of facilities, so we were strung around Houston)....those in my Division did work on EVA, but I personally was in flight simulation and crew training.

Dave

There's a thread...i think tour of telephone....that has a post card of the restaurant....if it's the one i'm thinking about it was on telephone

Hi Musicman,

I checked out the thread "Tour du Telephone" (BTW, a great pic thread of old Telephone Rd).

I stand corrected, you were right on! That was in fact the very Las Vegas Inn where I loved to eat, and it was on Telephone, not Wayside as you said. I worked for NASA when it first moved to Houston, and was scattered all over the South end in miscellaneous buildings. I worked in an apartment house (NASA had rented), and the street in front of the apartment dead-ended into Telephone just about 2 blocks from where the Las Vegas Inn was located, so we had many a pleasant lunch there.

Thanks for the clue!

Dave

No actually that was Playland Park Speedway. In one of the pictues here you can see the roller coaster in the background. Meyers Speedway was further down, and took over the crowds as playland closed down.

Thanks for the clarification Mark. Also, the nostalgic pics of PP Speedway.

Dave

I am wondering if anyone else remembers (from about 1943) a P-47 fighter aircraft power-diving into the ground right next to Old Spanish Trail not far from the old OST theatre (in the direction towards Main st). It left a huge crater right next to the OST pavement; the pilot was reputed to have been buzzing his girl-friends house, and got into a flight condition from which he couldn't recover. I wonder if there are any photos of that crash site? Almeda Road & Old Spanish Trail?

Does anyone remember or have information about the "Las Vegas Inn", a great family owned Mex restaurant on (N side of) Wayside near the intersection of Wayside and the Gulf Freeway?

Was Meyer Speedway the speedway out on South main right next to old "Playland Park" (that had the big roller-coaster), where they used to race midget-cars? If so we used to hear the cars on Saturday night all the way over in Bellaire. Also used to see Doc Cossey and AJ Foyt (in his early carreer) racing there.

Dave

As someone who was a regular customer at the old Liberty Hall from its time of estbalishment up until about 1975, I have a very warm place in my heart for this historical venue. It was a safe and pleasant place to visit in those days, with easy access right off the Gulf freeway coming into Houston from the south. There was a group of us who worked at NASA, and played and enjoyed listening to alternative/folk bands). I used to bring my children there for musical "education". Since the Liberty served food, it was possible to bring in under-aged children (with a guardian); our whole family would eat red-beans and rice there (that was standard meal offering) it was an incredible opportunity to see bands that were one their way to national prominence, but who were still open to playing relative small venues. The place had a very intimate feel to it, and it seemed almost as though the performers werein your living room.

I remember one night in particular when Lightning Hpkins played there with Big Momma Thornton, and by the end of the set, Lightning (who seemed intent that night on impressing Big Momma) ended up playing his guitar lying flat on his back on the floor...something you wouldn't probably see in other venues.

I saw up-close and personal, many wonderful performances of the well-known and the obscure (for instance, anyone remember the numerous highly popular appearances of "GooseCreek Symphony"?). I have been trying to track down Liberty's historical development, and more importantly any pictures (inside or out) of the old venue. Some have said it was a theatre, while others have said it was an old VFW hall. Does anyone have authoritative info on this?

There was another Houston venue around the same time, that was located downtown (near the Bayou) close to the "farmer's market", called "The Old Quarter". Again, a very cozy place (much smaller than Libtery) where one could see performances of many great players (Lightnin Hopkin's...I had a drink with him at the bar during a break, ZZ Top before they became nationally aclaimed, Townes Van Zandt, etc, ....then the obscure.....a friend and I even played there one time).

I am seeking historical info about the looks and appearance of both these venues.

Thanks for any help.

Dave Lang