northbeaumont

There was a Howard Johnson's restaurant on Bellaire, it was on the spot where Moellers Bakery is located now. (In front of the old Palace Bowling Lanes)

Now I've found out that Cendant/Wyndham is the company that now owns Howard Johnson's/Ramada/Super 8, etc.

Rettig's was very recognizable because of the window style. That is why I immediately recognized this building as being a Rettig's at one time. This one is (was) on either Studewood between 11th and 14th, or on North Main near 20th.

It looks like a shoe repair shop is the "sole" business that's in the building.

I think the Splash Day riot was May 1961. Before my time, but it was big enough that I've heard about it.

This site says 800 people were arrested. A poster here says the National Guard was called in.

(Splash Day sidenotes: President Bush got teased for referencing Splash Day a couple years ago. At Splash Day 1946, part of Murdock pier collapsed, injuring many people.)

Was Houston the city where that uprising at a nursing home happened? I remember people called it "The Cane Mutiny."

The old HoJo's location on Gulf Freeway (just inside Loop 610) is no longer a HoJo's--it's now a Red Carpet Inn. But, the old lobby building still sports the Orange Roof. It's the only one left in the Houston area that I'm aware of. Check it out here:

HoJo's Houston-Southeast

BTW, the rest of the autoage.org site is pretty cool if you're a HoJo-ologist like me. Lots of pictures documenting the chain's rise and fall.

True that, Ashikaga--hotel chains no longer show the same standardization or eye-catching logos they used to. I kinda miss these, though:

• Howard Johnson's orange roofs
  
• Ramada Inn's "innkeeper" signs (horn w/banner)
  
• Holiday Inn's "Great Signs," that looked like something straight from Broadway
  
• Quality Inn's old "gold medal"-looking signs, with the blue ribbon off to one side
  
• Shoney's/Bob's/Frisch's/etc. Big Boy
  

Road trips are little less fun these days without them!

I just joined AARP. Howard Johnson's is one of the hotels that I can get a 10% at. But I learned from its website that it is only one of many that belong to one company which also includes, Ramada, Super 8, TravelLodge, Baymont, and others. I'm pretty sure Houston has a Howard Johnson's, Ramada, and a Super 8. I don't know about those others.

All of their logos have changed over the years. Ramada no longer has the rotund innkeeper blowing a horn and TravelLodge no longer has the sleepwalking bear.

Mr Vaughan was a good friend of my family growing up, probably because he and my grandfather kept an A&M and LSU debate going since both played football for their college. He really had a way of dealing with people and still being a business man. Every car we ever bought came from there until my grandfather bought a Lincoln Town Car in 94. Mr Vaughan gave me one of my first jobs when I was in High School and he told me he rarely advertised because he believed if people wanted to come, the didn't need to be coaxed and he liked having a group of return customers he could forge a relationship with rather than sell you a car and never see you again. Earlier this year I went to Houston to see my family and went by Tommie Vaughan Ford because I was looking at buying a truck. Well Mr. Vaughan made an appearance with his nurse and it broke my heart to see this previously strong, loving, caring, personalble man sitting there weak and frail not recognizing me or my mom and feeling the weakness in his handshake. After my mom called and told me he had passed I am glad I had that one last chance to shake his hand. I know this has nothing to do with your post, but I guess I felt like I had to say it.

Tommie Vaughan Ford will never be the same. His son in law now runs it, and I have nothing to say negative, but I feel I must say it is run purely as a business now, not as a relationship when Mr vaughan was... God Bless Him and his family...

Since Tommie Vaughn died a few years ago, is the dealership still being run by his daughters and son's-in-law's? Does the sign still have his name on it?

Yeah, I remember the Lockshins. Wondered whatever happened to them, thanks for this. I knew too many "true believers" of this stripe.

Well, you've heard that doctor's want to get away from malpractice lawsuits.

Well apparently, it was nothing more than a silly rumor (perhaps a bit more than just a rumor, but very outdated... the proposed Hyatt expansion into the Sheraton was in the news several years back).

In any event this new remodel announcement is not at all similar or in any way related to the "rumored" expansion into the old Sheraton building.

From the brochure that I picked up at the Texas Tourist Bureau:

"Located in the heart of downtown, Hyatt Regency Houston offers sophisticated elegance, luxurious accommodations and state-of-the-art amenities in a setting of unparalleled convenience."

The Hyatt Regency probably made a lot of money from ENRON executives before that company folded.

I heard an interesting rumor this week:

Was talking to someone who mentioned that there are two rumors going on about the old Sheraton location. One is that the Hyatt is in negotiations to buy the old sheraton to expand the amount of rooms it has and having an additional expansion over Louisiana street. The other possibility is that they ARE going to do a conversion of that property in some sort of residential space.

I have mentioned about 6 months ago that I saw some people taking a very casual survey of the exterior of the Hyatt DT and then a few weeks later a more detailed survey. So there might be some truth, but at this moment it's all speculation.

Apparently it's no rumor. On page D1 in today's Houston Chronicle it says that Hyatt's owners are "pumping $35 into the property for more meeting space, a new restaurant and guest room renovations."

Kerry and Edwards were opponents in the primaries, and it is doubtful that they ever became friends. The choice of a running mate is purely strategic. As I remember it, Bush and Reagan did not like one another at all.

And from what I've read, Kennedy and Johnson didn't care much for each other, either. Kennedy simply wanted to carry Texas.

As a child watching Feliz the Cat, I often wondered what the ending credits meant by Trans-Lux.

More long time mysteries solved!

I don't recall seeing a Felix Chevrolet in the Houston Chronicle. Is it affliated with Felix Mexican Restaurants?

I also was in Mr. Trevathan's band in 1977. I graduated SHS in 1979. Email me so I know who you are.

On page D1 in today's Houston Chronicle, there's an article entitled: "Sharpstown Center in Chapter 11, for sale." I wonder if they'll find a buyer?

On page D1 in today's Houston Chronicle, there's an article entitled: "Sharpstown Center in Chapter 11, for sale." I wonder if they'll find a buyer?

On page D4 it reads: "...as of Dec. 31, the mall's owner had received offers, including one in excess of $48 million." Now, I don't know anything about mall value, but is $48 million a big amount?

It's a company that now produces mainly LED displays

http://www.trans-lux.com/corp_overview_history.htm

I remember that cartoon of Felix the Cat.

"Whenever he gets in a fix, he reaches into his bag of tricks."

Hillary would definately mobilize the Republicans to go out and vote against her. If it's not Hillary as the candidate, I don't see there being a high enough voter turnout on the Republican side to beat the Democrats, none of the Republican candidates are getting their party as excited as Obama and Hillary are for the Dems. Hillary would get many Republicans to vote against her, instead of voting for the Republican candidate because they like him. But as long as Edwards stays in the race, he seems to help Hillary, since him and everyone else are splitting the Anyone-But-Hillary vote. If he wasn't in the race in New Hampshire, Obama would have most likely gotten a lot of Edwards votes, giving him the win.

I can't believe how John Kerry shunned John Edwards, his running mate four years ago, by endorsing Barrack Obama. I voted for Kerry. I guess he's an opportunist. When a lot of people see their preferred candidate running behind in the polls, they line up behind someone who is doing better.

In mid-January 1948 Houston hotelman W. Albert Lee, who at that time either owned or leased the Milby Hotel, installed a 62' animated Trans Lux sign on the Texas Avenue face of the hotel. It was a smaller version of the famous sign in Times Square, NYC, and displayed messages in letters 4' tall.

The sign was in support of Lee's first broadcast venture, KLEE-AM, 610, which launched at the end of the month and had studios on the 2nd floor of the hotel.

The full page ads for the launch of the radio station included pictures of the studios and transmitter facility and the control room for the Trans Lux which had 2 full time employees to type the messages displayed, but no picture of the sign itself.

Do any HAIFers know of any pictures of the hotel with the sign? or any memories of the sign? I do not know how long the installation was maintained. (It was turned off at 10pm each night, which I'm sure the guests at the Rice appreciated).

Lee owned the radio station until his death in late 1951; in 1952 his estate sold it to Dallas' Gordon McLendon who changed the call letters to KLBS and then in 1957 to KILT.

What was Trans Lux? When I hear Lux, a remember a brand of bar soap many years ago.

When, I lived in Dallas near Dallas Love Field airport I lived a mile from Fiesta, Albertsons, Tom Thumb, and Kroger. We had HEB stores, but only in the suburbs and not in Dallas proper.

Also, I still have my Tom Thumb Discount Card and can use it at Randall's. The Randall's, Tom Thumb, and Simon David logo are on the back of it. I have also heard that Publix (which is in the eastern states) is owned by Safeway as well.

Watch out for those supermarket discount cards. A website called "nocards.org" says that what you buy is kept in a computer database and it's sold to other businesses. For example, a supermarket sold someone name and what they bought to their health insurance company. When the insurance company saw that the person bought a lot of red meat, they increased his premium. They contend that too much red meat is bad for your health.

Everyone was talking about the tear on Wednesday. Or to be more precise, about the near-tear. Was it for real?

Women who've spent years in Texas politics said yes, they believe Hillary Clinton when she came perilously close to shedding a tear on the campaign trail earlier this week.

full article

HAIF ladies...comments?

Kevin Brady, the representative for my district, said that he believes there's a 90% chance that the Texas votes won't mean anything because its primary isn't until March 4, and that the nominees of both parties will most likely be known after Super Tuesday on February 5.

Ok then Starbucks, Bennigan's, Krispy Creme, Macy's, cats and dogs, etc are all Historic Houston. Tsuh?

Is that chain called Dunkin Donuts still around? I haven't seen any for quite awhile. Is Krispy Kreme the Wal-Mart of donut shops, putting all of the others out of business?

You got the friggin' internet at your fingertips and you can't do an image search ?

What are you talking about?

I just found an excellent website called "texhwyman.com." Most of you probably already know about it. Maybe the person who created it is on this forum. He did a good job of explaining highways, interstates, signs, etc.

I found another good website called "okroads.com." I looked at the photos of the entire 143-mile stretch of IH-37 from Corpus Christi to San Antonio. It has many other freeways and highways, too.

I don't mean to sound ugly, but this topic is not even near being considered "historic".

Now if you would have mentioned Piggly Wiggly stores thats historic Houston.

All supermarkets have a history.

I completely agree with you, but Ron Paul may just be the exception that proves the rule. Not saying he's perfect, but I'll take him over any of the other lying scumbags every time.

Thanks, Granite State! Hillary all the way!

I believe his degree was in Math... PhD.

Frank Ryan's thesis was entitled: "Characterization of the Set of Asymptotic Values of a Function Holomorphic in the Unit Disc."

They were a SWC powerhouse in the late 40s and 50s. They filled the stadium up especially when they played UT and Texas A&M. Weldon Humble, Billy Howton, King Hill, Frank Ryan, Buddy Dial, ND Kalu(sp) with the Texans,Larry Izzo with the Patriots and many more from Rice have played in the NFL. Rice has such an endowment that up until the 60s, if you were accepted to Rice the tuition was FREE. Also , from what I understand, Commerce and PE were majors open only to Athletes. They could major in other things but those were reserved for jocks. Frank Ryan who quarterbacked the Cleveland Browns got his degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

I've never heard of a degree in Commerce. Is it another name for Business? Yes, the only names that sound familiar are Dial and Ryan. I think Tommy Kramer is the most recent. I read that he ended up having big problems with drugs and alcohol.

i have yet to make it to a game, but i'll make sure that when i do i'll keep my eyes out for the MOB! heh

Speaking about the former Southwest Conference, is Southern Methodist University still around?

old_sharpstown...

See the Sharpstown Mall thread for some excellent pictures of the Sinclair station and more!

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When I was in high school, there was the Gaylynn Theatre on 11th Street in Beaumont.

Rice was talkin about nixing their football program a year or two ago. If they eventually do, I'm sure it will be torn down.

How did Rice's football team do for the Fall 2007 season? When I was watching the Cotton Bowl, the sportscaster said that back in the 1954 game someone came off of the bench and tackled a Rice kickoff returner.