ernie5823

Here I go again with 45+ y/o teenager memories, but seems like the one on Southpark was next to or very near the King Center Twin Drive-in movie. The closest thing to a Mickey Dees hamburger in Houston, 1960s & before was a local (I think) chain called Prices. They had small burgers with mustard/ketchup mix, a couple dill slices & chopped onions, for 19 cents, I believe- fries were 12 cents. Prices was a walk-up with a few picnic benches & were all over town (also Pasadena?), but one was right down Southpark at intersection with Belfort, I believe.

That drive in might have been Mac's in the '50s, but by early '60s I believe it was the Texan. Texan also had one on Hempstead Hyw. & possibly others. Yeah, I went to Milby.

In the '60s & before there was a local drive-in chain called McDonalds. It was like Princes, Ranger, Texan & others, with car-hops & sold beer. There was a McDonalds on Main & one on South Park - I think that's called MLK now - and probably some others that I can't remember. Not sure when Mickey Dees bought out the name - maybe mid to late '60s.

The "original" location was in Pasadena, but I can't remember exactly where. I went to work at the park in 1960, shortly after they moved to the Reveille & Arnim location. Many of the guys who I knew had worked at the Pasadena location. Everybody made a whopping 65 cents an hour.

I-45 between Houston & Galveston was named "The Gulf Freeway" several years before the Interstate Highway System existed. Maybe that's why people, especially "old timers" continue to call it that.

I worked at Peppermint Park after school & summers, 1959, '60 & '61. Would probably be against child labor & OSHA laws now since I was only 14 when I started. I remember that I was hired & started work with no social security card, but had to promise to get one. As I remember it, the park was only open Friday afternoon, Saturday & Sunday during school year (since all who worked there were students - mostly from Milby, but a couple from Austin & Mt. Carmel). During Summer, it was open 7 days a week. We made $.65 an hour, no overtime. Working the birthday parties (usually Saturday AM, before park opened at noon) was a real bonus. Our "party comp" was $3.00 plus whatever we might get as a tip. Once I got a $5.00 tip, but it was usually a buck - if anything at all. For that $3.00 we had to take the kids on all rides & help serve drinks, cake, etc. The park was originally in Pasadena & moved to the triangle formed by Revilee & Gulf Freeway frontage road in 1958 or early 1959. The train went around the whole fenced perimeter of the property, most of it open space. It was right across Revilee from the Carousel Motel & the park parking lot, between frontage & Revilee, backed up to houses in that neighborhood.