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Leon Hale's Houston book says the Charlie's location was actually one of two Sinclair service stations, in the 1930's, that Glenn McCarthy owned and ran, before he struck it big in oil.

I found another lost street name on a sign post off of Washington Ave., sitting at Barnes St. and S. Heights Blvd. Looks like S. Heights replaced Irving on the south side of Washington Ave. Those signs are handy for researching old road names. Actually, it was the house at 3705 Barnes that caught my eye, as I was sitting at the stop light at Washington. That ornate little attic window tells me it's a very old house. HCAD says 1910. It's just sitting there hidden in the trees, surrounded by businesses and busy roads. I just noticed the street sign while getting the address. The short street is listed on the 1st map, above post # 35. That area ia so interesting.

This news saddens me. I got to meet Mr. Ambrose once, at one of my first jobs, here in Houston...and since then, have always recognized his distinctive radio voice. He'll be missed.

Nice to know the history of this bldg., been admiring it on HAR . The ceiling in pic 3 is sloped, I like how they have left the rooms rustic. Nice lobby, as well. Someday I would like to live in one of those downtown lofts, but I would prefer it to be in the heart of the old section. The Nabisco factory, close to the VA, on Almeda had that nice baked bread smell well into recent years (1990's) when it was sold to the medical community. I'm always happy to see bldgs. in this city re-purposed.

link: http://www.golfcrestcountryclub.com/Golfcrest-Country-Club-History_4.html

Link to Houston's early library info. : http://scholarship.rice.edu/bitstream/handle/1911/12936/document.pdf?sequence=1 ...found the photos & library directory especially interesting.

IMO - That bldg. design looks much older than 1954. Would be a shame to see it fall. That whole area has some very nice old structures.

The area for the savanna-type grounds looks like it will be huge. Much better idea than those small areas that the grazers are in, now. Wil be located at the back southeast side. Will be nice for them to have a place to really run.

That must have been it. You're right, it is a pawn shop. BTW, I saw those small paperback Houston History books for <14.00 a piece at Costco. The one titled "Houston" postcards has some great pictures of early restaurants, among other things. S. Main was mentioned quite a bit.

...thanks for that last line. I needed a laugh today. One thing is for sure, we like talking about hotdog places.

Wow...that's wild, a pic of an actual Alfie's fish-n-chips restaurant...I remember a Fish-n-Chips fast food restaurant in Pasadena on Southmore, by the Sears. Don't recall that it was actually called Alfie's, there was another competitor, for a while. Maybe someone can verify another name. Seems like it had red and blue colors. I remember the old signs for the Alfie's on Edgebrook, around old Galveston Rd. A Pizza Inn or Hut was later in the strip. I also vaguely remember one on Bay Area Blvd.

I remember Der Weinerschnitzel... I went to the one in Pasadena, on Southmore, in the late 1960's. It was close to the Foley's. You drove thru a short little tunnel in the A-frame, to the drive-in window to order your hotdog. I always thought the sauerkraut option was bizarre, I was only 6 or so. For some reason, I remember the soda cups, probably paper "Dixie" cups, white paper wax with those horizontal green chain designs at the top. As far as the food quality, I can't recall.

Those are both great videos..thanks for sharing.

What a beauty that one is...I love all the rectangles in the formal home and yard design.

Would have loved to walk through this one...http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=ky-EmLkwVus&feature=related

I had no idea that house sat so close to the water. Nice shot, BTW.

see the Peppermint Park pictures & videos , bottom, left...they're great...http://www.facebook.com/pages/Remember-in-Houston-when/107646629279272#!/group.php?gid=53380145377&ref=share The carrousel motel is in the background of the first video. The photos are from several PP locations & time periods.

link: http://citemag.org/w...Webb_Cite59.pdf ...one of those mysteries I had as a kid, wondering what it was, way out on the horizon, on the many drives into Galveston, now solved. The pink bird looked cool at night, all lit up.

Thanks gnu, I've never seen that first block book, before. Now I'm wondering who the original investors were.

History & old photos of Sims Bayou Estates : http://unmapping.wordpress.com/2009/05/14/life-cycle-city-a-neighborhood-in-transition/

http://citemag.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/RemeberingWestburySquare_Moore_Cite65.pdf Cite, gotta love 'em.

Yeah, from my own experiences, it seems research always digs up even more questions. The Buena Vista address, for instance. One idea is that maybe in the beginning there were only two main streets (dirt or shell roads), Alta Vista and Buena Vista (later to be renamed Pasadena?). Or maybe it was a side road, later renamed. But that's pure speculation on my part. Maps from the time don't back up this theory, at all. That one's still bothering me. I don't understand why the Forest Hill Ave. that runs thru the middle of the neighborhood does not flow straight through from the old entrance road, also named Forest Hill Blvd. It's chopped up. Strange. It's interesting how remote that area was, in the beginning. Too bad the original plan didn't pan out. But it's still very nice, the land and trees are beautiful. The directory from 1913 shows: Lane, M. Cornell (Attorney), r. Buena Vista ave. Forest Hill add. 2 Dunn, Lindsey H., investments, 1020 Union Nat'l Bank bldg. r. Forest Hill 3 Radetzki, Gus (Forestdale Nurseries), r. Forest Hill add. 7 Radetzki Mary F. (wid Gus), h. Gus Radezski (a later directory shows her name only, with an abbreviation for taking in "boarders". Early years show several relatives, and their occupations. One, Miss Adelaide - maybe a daughter,(from 1919 directory) worked as a steno. (stenographer) for chief surgeon SP Lines hs 2 (house 2) Pasadena Av Forest Hill (Southern Pacific - railroad link again) maybe they mean't address, not addition or section name. I'd like to see the original plans. Did Hare & Hare lay it out? Key definitions: r = residence add. = addition ad. = address wid = widow Also, the attorney's house could have been moved, that went on a lot back then.

Gus Radetzki is listed in the 1908-09 Directory as General Superintendent for the H.&T.C., H.E.& WT and H Rys. (Railways) office/ Grand Central Station, residence 1718 Polk ave. That's probably the link to the "railroad - mansion owner" story mentioned in earlier posts to this topic.