Highrise Tower

The Texas Jewish Herald dated December 4, 1930: Pauline Sterne Wolfe Home Is Dedicated The project of erecting the Pauline Stern Wolff Home, for indigent widows and orphans, is practically finished. The dedication ceremony was held on Thanksgiving Day with I. Friedlander, Houston business executive, presiding. Construction of this structure was made possible by Mrs. Pauline Stern Wolff, who before her death made provisions for such an institution by stating that she wishes to pass the residue of her estate to the endowment for the care of indigent widows and orphans. Thus far, three buildings have been erected. The center one is Wolffe Hall, which will include an open air veranda, reception rooms, and the business offices. To the south is the cottage which will accommodate fourteen widows. The orphans’ cottage, which will provide sixteen children, is located to the north of Wolff Hall. The Texas Jewish Herald dated April 23, 1931: Pauline Sterne Wolff Home is Now Open Without pomp or ceremony, the portals of the Pauline Sterne Wolff Memorial Home were thrown open Friday morning to receive the first beneficiaries of the institution. Two widows in the even ride of life were the first to enter its doors. To them it will be a home—a place where they can spend their declining years in peace and contentment. Shortly after three youngers, laughing with glee, where ushered in –to them it will be home – a place to grow and learn. Thus the will of the late Pauline Sterne Wolff, Houston philanthropist, reached its fulfilment Friday, 10 years after her death. Endowed by the late Mrs. Wolff, who died in 1921, the home was erected on a six and one-half acre tract on Castle Court Boulevard. Its quarters were dedicated to the use of widows and orphans of Texas Jewish families— People and Companies involved with the 3-building campus: Architect – Joseph Finger Landscape Architect – Mason C. Coney General Contractor – Jas. Roberts General Contractor Company – Tellepsen Construction Co. Ornamental Iron & Wire Works – A.A. Berger & Co., Inc. Millwork – Houston Co-Operative Manufacturing Co. Leaded Stained Glass – Texas Art Glass Co. Lumber – South Texas Lumber Co. Brick – Southern Brick & Tile Co. Wiring – J.S. Copeland Electric Company, Inc. Painting and Decorating – Barney N. Smith Heating and Plumbing – Dixie Heating & Ventilating Co. The Texas Jewish Herald dated September 21, 1933: Two and a Half Year's Work of the Pauline Sterne-Wolff Home Founded by the late Pauline Sterne Wolff, the Home which bears her name is located at Kenwood and Graustark Streets, Houston, Texas and has been functioning since April 17, 1931 Mrs. Wolff, born at Witkover, Germany, in 1842, the daughter of Alexander and Libbie Fox, was brought to Houston when a young girl by her brother, the late Henry S. Fox, Sr. She was married in 1858 to Samuel Sterne, a successful merchant of the City of Houston, who died in 1891, leaving an estate which was the aucleds of the Endowment Fund for the building and maintenance of the Home. In 1896, she was the married to Gustav A. Wolff, always a women of frugal habits, thrifty, a keen knowledge of business, died on February 8, 1921, at the age of 79 years, childless leaving a large estate, which was to be used for the creation of an endowment with which there was to be erected "a Home for the care of indigent widows and minor orphans of the Jewish faith, who are residents of Texas." A.B. Chon, President Pauline Sterne-Wolff Home.

I was looking at the publication Texas State Journal of Medicine dated July 1925 and came across a hospital that I've never heard of. It's the Houston Eye, Ear, And Throat Hospital located at 1300 Walker Avenue. Houston Eye, Ear, And Throat Hospital 1300 Walker Avenue, Corner of Caroline Street Open April 1, 1924 A modern, fire-proof Hospital, for the care of eye, ear, nose and throat cases. Staff: Eye: Dr. W.W. Ralston Dr. E.L. Goar Ear, Nose, and Throat: Dr. John H. Foster Dr. Lyle J. Logue Dr. Claude C. Cody Superintendent: Melanie Perry, R.N.

I was browsing the newspaper The Bellaire & Southwestern Texan dated May 10, 1972 and came across a business advertisement for Willowbend Florist located at 4040 Willowbend Blvd. Looks like this was located at site of the present-day BestCare EMS Ground and Air Ambulance Services. Did anyone ever go here? Any pictures you can share? Tell Mother you care with our Bunch-of-Love This warm, wonderful collage of long-lasting blooms say lovingly "I'm glad I'm yours." Knowing you care is what Mother wants most on her day. Nearby or many miles away, we'll guarantee delivery almost anywhere in time for Mother's Day. The Bunch-of-Love is available in three sizes, $10, $12.50, $15. Floral Wire Service Willowbend Florist 4040 Willowbend 668-0565

Found a scan of a film negative!! Listed as "Autry Memorial" from archives.library.tmc.edu.

wow!! I just realized the name of this hospital corresponds with the new, ultra-luxury Hanover Autry Park mixed-use development. Any photos of the hospital? Looks like this would have been where Alta River Oaks is located at 3636 West Dallas St. Or maybe even where the Renoir Lofts is located at 1005 Shepherd Dr. 98-years has past since the Autry Memorial Hospital School was in operation. Now the area is littered with luxury developments. Before all the luxury development, the area did stay true to the healthcare centers. You had the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation located at 3550 West Dallas, and The Center for Hearing and Speech/The Melinda Webb School at 3636 West Dallas. There was a small healthcare campus located at that intersection it seems. I thought Hanover Autry Park was named after that tiny park on the corner of Allen Parkway. Did the Autry Memorial Hospital School come before the park? Or perhaps Autry Park was dedicated and named after the hospital had been demolished? Kind of like the Shamrock Hotel site on Holcombe & Main. Now there is a small park at the site.

Can I get clarification where the Fondren Elementary School was originally built? In 2023, the school is located at 12405 Carlsbad Street. Was this the rebuild? Did they rebuild on the same site? Apparently, the original school only lasted 11 years. Very, very short life for a building! Why did they demolish it so quickly? Anyone know the back story? Was this school actually located in Missouri City? Appears it was located off of South Main near Fondren. The current school is a few miles east of South Main. From the current school's history page: https://www.houstonisd.org/domain/6010#:~:text=The elementary school opened in,college-ready and beyond.”&text=highest potential. Fondren was named for Walter W. Fondren, one of the leaders of the petroleum industry in the 1920s and 1930s and founder of Humble Oil Company, which later became Exxon Corporation. The elementary school opened in 1949 and was replaced with a new structure in 1960. I found this in the newspaper The Cameron Herald dated May 3, 1956: Precinct 146: Fondren Elementary School. Cromwell Street, Reid South Main Acres; Elwood Bickley. From The Bellaire & Southwestern Texan dated November 13, 1968: When I drove down Fondren Road last week to vote (way down across South Main at Fondren Elementary School) I was surprised to see a sign on Fondren Road saying "Future Site of the Y". After talking to Gary Nichols, who is the directing the Westland YMCA from an office near Westbury Square, I discovered that great things are planned in this area for the Y--

I was looking at the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Houston, Texas, 1950, Sheet 1614 and came across a school called Sunnyside Elementary School located at 3810 Holmes Road. A publication dated 6 years later on May 3, 1956 specified the address of 7800 Scott Road. On the 1950 Sanborn map, it appears Scott Road was not paved yet. I assume the original address was 3810 Holmes and later changed to 7800 Scott? Young Elementary School now occupies the history of the school. The history read: The entire southeast area of Houston, adjoining the city, was once an old farm owned by the Masons. In 1912, Mr. H. H. Holmes, a real estate agent, developer, and former City Councilman, negotiated to purchase the land. The committee continued to work for a school building. Finally, Trustees Vassat, Tuffley, and Hartsfield agreed to give the Sunny Side Addition a 20 x 30 building as a school facility. Because of Mr. Holmes’ interest and encouragement in the project, the new school carried the name of the community, Sunny Side School. Located on the corner of Holmes Road and Scott Street, Sunny Side opened its doors in 1918 with only 20 students and one teacher, Mrs. N. J. Lewis. Years later, Mrs. Ethel Mosley Young became the first principal of Sunny Side School.

I was looking at the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Houston, Texas, 1950, Sheet 1615 and came across a Nite Club located at 3214 Holmes Road. Does anyone know the name of this club?

I was looking at the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Houston, Texas, 1950, Sheet 1614 and came across a Dance Hall located at 3900 Holmes Road. Does anyone know the name of this place?

Found a postcard for this motel. For some reason, this motel wasn't as popular as all the other infamous South Main motels. Las Vegas Motor Hotel 9604 South Main Houston, Texas 77025 Phone: MOhawk 6-1411 "Bien Venidos Amigos de Mexico" Warm Texas Hospitality and Luxurious Accommodations Color Television in All Rooms Fine Restaurant, Swimming Pool, Convention Facilities, Shopping Center, Private Club, Studio Suites, 24 Hour Room Service, Complete Hotel Service, Just Two Minutes From Domed Stadium.

I was reading the newspaper The Houston Post. June 3, 1924 and came across an article detailing a new hospital called Autry Memorial Hospital School located at the intersection of Shepherd's Dam Road and West Dallas Avenue. Awesome, awesome find!! I never knew about this hospital! Apparently the hospital was another tuberculosis treatment center that paired with the Houston Anti-Tuberculosis League Hospital located at 806 Bagby Street. Here's the newspaper clipping and article: Child Hospital Is Given To City By Mrs. Autry $50,000 Institution to Stand as Memorial to James L. Autry Jr. Tubercular Boys and Girls Will Be Cared For in Effective Way. A hospital and school for tubercular children and those threatened with the diseases to cost $50,000, is to be built and given to the city at once by Mrs. Allie K. Autry. Announcement of the gift was made by Mayor Holcombe at the meeting of the city council Monday afternoon. Plans for the building were begun some months ago and have been completed and approved both by the council and by the advisory board representing Mrs. Autry. The hospital will occupy a site near the city present tubercular hospital, at the intersection of Shepherd’s Dam road and West Dallas avenue. It will be known as the “Autry Memorial School” in honor of the donor’s son, James Lockhart Autry Jr., who died in 1922.

The Loopnet listing has been taken down! This listing is not currently being advertised on LoopNet.com. I wasn't aware this was Under Contract. Was this recently sold under the table? Perhaps Frank Liu/InTown Homes will revamp the project and has asked Loopnet to take it down? https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/Buffalo-Speedway-South-Main-St-Houston-TX/21700394/

I was browsing the newspaper The Bellaire & Southwestern Texan dated December 15, 1965 and came across an advertisement for Weiner's. Looking briefly online, the company was started in the 1920s and ended in the 2010's following Hurricane Allison. A little confused. Was this just a clothing store, or an actual department store? Was this a bargain retail store? Anyone know more information about this place? I wonder if there were any in my neighborhood in the Texas Medical Center? I know HAIF has a few department store and retail connoisseurs. Fill me in!!

Matchbook I found on Ebay displays the Cork Club (CC) logo.

From the magazine Manufacturers Record dated June 06, 1927. Tex., Houston - Curtiss Airports Corp., Garden City, Long Island, New York, acquired 450-acre site five miles from Houston on Old Main Street Rd.; construct $2,500,000 super-airport; port will maintain flying field for Curtiss services' own use; servicing field for transcontinental aviation; headquarters for air taxi service; cotton dusting service, aerial photograph and aerial surveys; sales and services headquarters for Curtiss products, and Curtiss Flying School.

I was browsing the newspaper The Jewish Herald-Voice dated October 3, 1968 and came across a business advertisement for Venice Italian Restaurant located at 4118 Willowbend. Does anyone know about this place by any chance? Come here after the South Main Drive-In Theater? Awesome name and company graphics. Any descendants of Rafaele Levi around? A little bit of Italy and plenty of finest Italian home cooked food by Rafaele Levi. 4118 Willowbend (2 blocks west of South Main) Reservations and Orders To Go - MO 8-7249 Carte Blance - American Express - Diners Club

I was going through the area on Google Satellite and noticed that OMICRON has a bunch of their parcel left over for future expansion/development. I wonder if they would ever expand their manufacturing/distribution warehouse to utilize the remaining space? Would have thought OMICRON was a bio technology company given the immediate area. However, the business appears to be regular technology. Not affiliated with medical. I wonder how much space is contained in that slender parcel. 5 to 10 acres?

Buffalo Point/Holmes Road Wastewater Line https://harriscountyrda24.org/buffalopoint/ The agreement known as Buffalo Point was executed 11/20/2014 for a participation amount of a maximum contribution of $3.5M for the purpose of constructing a wastewater line in conjunction with the paving improvements for Holmes Road, a designated major thoroughfare. This proposed infrastructure improvement opened approximately 1,300 acres within TIRZ area boundaries that could not previously obtain a building permit for wastewater services. Again, the purpose of creating TIRZ 24 was to open development opportunities to over 4,000 acres of vacant or underdeveloped acreage, in the southern area of the Zone, due to a lack of suitable infrastructure. This TIRZ investment will generate new taxable property values that “but for” the TIRZ investment otherwise would not have occurred in a timely manner within the service area.

I was browsing the newspaper The Citizen dated January 28, 1948 and came across a full page advertisement for Cook's Paints located at 6634 South Main Street. I wonder what ever happened with this business? Did the mom & pop store go out of business or was it merged with a larger company, and then a larger company, until it reached Home Depot or Lowes?

This park in Bellaire. I never knew about it, and it looks like the Zindler family was a major donor. https://www.bellairetx.gov/1711/Bellaire-Zindler-Park

Never knew about this Texas Medical Center park until today! Some information I gathered: Full name of the park is Katharine Randall Schweppe Park. It was developed in the 1980s and has a doctor involved as a donor. Dr. Irving Schweppe. The park, 1801 El Paseo Road, was originally purchased with money from Dr. Irving Schweppe and his wife, Laura. The couple wanted to create a park in honor of their daughter, Katharine Schweppe. Katharine Schweppe, a graduate of Kinkaid School and a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin, was 19 when she died in a car accident in 1979. According to the department, her parents wanted to create a park for children and for it to represent Montgomery County, Port Aransas, and the family ranch in Kendall County - places Katharine spent most of her life.

I was browsing the newspaper The Texas Jewish Herald dated February 11, 1932 and came across an advertisement for Le Blanc's Restaurant located at Main & Bellaire. Looks like they specified in fried chicken and other southern style cooking. I know the 1930s was too long ago to personally remember, but does anyone know about this place? They had three locations: * 4111 Main at Southmore * Main & Bellaire * Log Cabin Inn on Galveston Highway Sunday Dinner at Le Blanc's Fried Chicken Chicken & Dumplings Roast Turkey With hot biscuits, tea, coffee, or milk 50 cents Le Blanc's 4111 Main Main and Bellaire Log Cabin Inn Galveston Highway

While browsing Ebay for historical Houston items I came across an image of an illegal dump site located on Holmes Road at Keely Street. The image was taken in 1982. 40 years ago. https://www.ebay.com/itm/275662252061?hash=item402ec0281d Without coming off as a ranting tone of voice, I just ask why. Why in 40 years has Holmes Road continued to be a dumping ground for tires and contractor waste? The surrounding community and residents have not changed in 40 years? Multi-generational poverty? 40 years is a very long time!

Last week I saw a dumpster permit for the Residence Inn By Marriott Houston Galleria located at 2500 McCue Road. Kind of confused. I thought there was another Marriott close by, the Houston Marriott West Loop By The Galleria At 1750 West Loop S. Guess they are different hotels, just 2 miles away from each other.

Does anyone have any expierence with the local ice house in the Willowbend neighorhood called Red Rice Ice House located at 10308 South Main Street? Red River Ice House invites you to our laid back sports bar and grill near NRG Stadium Houston. https://www.redrivericehouse.com/ Typical sports bar? Do they happen to have (basic) craft beer such as Saint Arnold, Buffalo Bayou Brewing, 8th Wonder Brewery, Karbach Brewing? Looking for more places to sit down and enjoy a cold one. Nothing like drinking a beer, watching sports and eating fried food and cheese!