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The Mitchell inn was severely ravaged by a fairly significant tornado back around 1965 or 1966. It seems I recall further damage across the street. I think it may have been (of course) a trailer park. That same night, some roofs were blown off buildings at the (then new) Madison High School just off Orem Road. Can anyone add details (or pictures) on this event.

Well, seeing is believing! We indeed had "bombers in our backyard". Thanks for linking to the picture. I recall seeing it before, but didn't notice the B-24 to which I have no excuse! I guess with those big fat tires, the Liberator didn't always need concrete below it. Any idea what publication this picture was taken from? Great topic!

There were some PBY Catalinas kept out at Clover (now Pearland Regional) during the fifties. They were in really rough shape, but managed to fly in and out of there. I shot some 8mm of them from our C182 as we taxied out one time. We T-hangared just down from them. I saw no bullet holes in them but they were otherwise really battered and bruised! I couldn't imagine they were still airworthy. During one flight within 100 miles or so of Houston I observed a number of decommissioned B-36 "Flying Cigars" parked in storage at an airfield somewhere. Although I'm thinking it was towards Louisiana, it must have been Kelly AFB in San Antonio. Any additional information out there on where that may have been? Houston Municiple (now Hobby), aside from Ellington was the closest thing to South Main that had concrete load bearing runways back then. I would think the stored WWII aircraft must have been rolled in on rail cars since Sam Houston was right along side the tracks. (My dad's first flight lesson was in a J-3 at Sam Houston in 1946.) I sure hope additional feedback comes in on this story. Being a native Houstonian (from Bellaire) I am certainly fascinated by the thought of "bombers in our backyard".

Additional source for Ed Gooding's story at: http://www.maxmcrae.com/major_fires/poeElem.htm I was in 4th grade at Fondren at the time which was a small country school way out in the middle of no where back then. We were all affected by this terrible event and took our fire drill bells very seriously after that.

Thanks! I just sent an email off to Judy. I'll transfer some photos over from one of my off-line PC and post a few. I'll also get some over to Sharon at the Houston Tribune with some info. I talked with her today. She said the Tribune is a positive spirited publication so I guess I'll keep the crash pictures to myself. As Playland spectators recall, when you mix open-wheel stockers on a 1/4 mile track, many would end up inverted and often over or through the fence!

What do you know about the GND Video? Is that the footage that was used on the PBS production Houston Remember: When Vol.3? I would like to get that footage, but have not gotten a reponse from PBS. I grew up at Playland track since I was 2 years old so I am anxious to obtain any film or pictures from there. I do hold an extensive collection of stills from Playland, but most are of Archie Lacy's cars and his driver, Billy Wade. I am very interested in your DVD and any information on the GND video. I would appreciate being included on your shipping list. Keep me posted! Thx