Dave W

The Baker Drive address is the current address of Doyle McTigrit, or at least it was as of 2021. Not the address of the store.

Wasn't that in Tomball?

What's the date of the photos?

8800 was on the west side of South Main. By the early 50s it was Wynne Mart, a small grocery and beer bar with living quarters upstairs. If there were any motel units or trailer pads there, I don't remember them. Mr. Wynne sold out to Houston Oilers defensive end Don Floyd, who turned it into Don Floyd's Huddle Club. I believe it later became an adult entertainment club.

That park was known as the Ace Trailer Village before it was Pine Shadows. It was mostly semi-permanent trailer homes, rather than RVs. It was just north of Lee's Den (Chinese restaurant).

There was another trailer park on the east side of South Main, just south of the intersection with OST. The name escapes me now.

The sentence in bold is correct.

W. L. Foley founded Foley Dry Goods at the 214 Travis location.

The Foley Bros. at 507 Main, founded by Pat and James Foley, was the company that later became Foley Bros. Department Stores.

Confusing, I know.

This is the same business that later became Foley Brothers department stores.

21 minutes ago, Highrise Tower said:

Can anyone help me with this? Didn't Kenneth Schnitzer build and develop GWP? So what's this about?

Smith Tract, The Lumbermen's Company. Office buildings, commercial buildings, and residential buildings.

Buffalo Speedway, Southwest Freeway, and Richmond Ave.

Charles M. Goodman Associates, Architects & Land Planners, Washington, DC.

Goodman was the original planning architect. They were replaced, IIRC before anything was built.

Bassist and vocalist of the Bobby Doyle Three was a young Kenny Rogers.

Okay, here's what I found on Google Books from the book Lost Restaurants of Houston, according to Ann Criswell, retired Chronicle food editor:

In 1967, the family sold the name, recipes and goodwill to Mike Lewis, who was reared in the restaurant business. He moved the restaurant to 4009 Bellaire Blvd. By 1984, the restaurant had moved again to the terrace level of the River Oaks High Rise at 3435 Westheimer. This location was run by Pat Jesselson, the niece of Vira Frederick. The name was changed to the Oaks Restaurant and a Texan advertisement from April 4, 1984, told us what to expect: "Announcing the re-creation of the original Green Parrot menu, featuring family-style dinners from the original recipes along with many of the original staff."

So there was an association with Vira Fredericks through her niece, but not an ownership interest.

No evidence I've found of any connection to the Braeswood Square location.

The original restaurant was demolished in 1967 after being taken for freeway expansion.

10 minutes ago, Rex said:

There were actually two "reincarnations" one briefly at Braeswood Square, S. Braeswood & Chimney Rock, in the secondary structure that housed the Mama Leoni's and then later in the ground floor of the River Oaks Apartment Building a few nights a week as "Blue Parrot Night"...these were in the late 70's...and neither lasted long...

Neither one was associated with Vera Fredericks, who owned the original. IIRC the one at Braeswood Square was mostly a takeout place.

13 hours ago, Ross said:

Turnverein is a German athletic club. Here's a article on the one mentioned above https://www.heritagesociety.org/turnverein

That's correct. Turner is German for gymnast. A Turnverein is literally a gymnastics club. But most of them seem to have become much more, such as having bowling alleys. One I'm familiar with that's still very much in operation has a restaurant and bar and is a big wedding and special events venue, in addition to gymnastics classes.

Turnverein Bowling Alley At 5502 Almeda Rd.

From what I've found, that complex was on Caroline between Prairie and Texas.

The Turnverein I remember fronted on Almeda at or near Southmore.

I don't remember the restaurant either but I definitely remember the airport which was closed by the time I was old enough to remember it. This site reckons it was closed by 1950: Cunningham Airport / Erwin-Newman Airport

3 hours ago, brucesw said:

I was thinking I remembered a camera shop along there - not the name though as I never went there.  I don't remember the Piggly Wiggly or Ship Ahoy but I do remember a tobacco shop - The Brier Shop(pe) (or Ye Olde...) in the 70s.  I might have been once or twice in the 60s when I was in town and it might have been in the next block north.

The Briar Shoppe was in that center. Ship Ahoy became Cathay House by the 70s, maybe you remember that. Piggly Wiggly was long gone by then, IIRC its space was occupied by an auction house.

That's the flood that finally prompted the county to get serious about flood control efforts on Brays Bayou. That effort eventually led to years of legal wrangling between Glenn McCarthy against the county flood control district and the city, which is why it took so long for North Braeswood to be extended through what had been a portion of his property. Believe it or not, the south border of his property was originally the centerline of the bayou, which is why he was able to fight it for so many years. But that's a tale for another day.

Yes, I remember the store. It was in the long strip center with Mading's Drug Store, Piggly Wiggly, Ship Ahoy restaurant and others. It was there for many years.

Quality Hill was east of Caroline.

Uncle Lew The Meyerland Record Man 10C Trade Tokens

7 hours ago, Highrise Tower said:

I have an unknown club/bar building here.  Does anyone know more information?  Wast his located at 610 and South Main next to Sonny Look's?  The area does not fit South Main?

Round Up

That's the Round Up Rodeo in Simonton.

I don't think so. Pig Stand was founded and based in Dallas. Pig 'n Whistle was a famous chain in California, and there were a lot of imitators scattered across the country using the name.

Same stables later on Bissonet west of 59, as mentioned here.

Parish Stables At 9825 Bissonnet St.

https://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2011/05/the-old-evangelistic-temple/

It was a large house, not what I'd call a mansion.

There were Florence Crittenton Homes all over the country, the organization still exists. The Houston home was taken over by the DePelchin Faith Home years ago, they might have more information.

3 hours ago, Highrise Tower said:

Found another name for this racing track.  Or maybe it's the proper name? Or maybe a whole different race track!

A company's city directory of Houston in 1931 specifies the race track called Main Street Auto Speedway. Located at South Main & Brays Bayou.

Morrison & Fourmy's Houston (Texas) City Directory 1931

- Main Street Auto Speedway, es Main 1 s Brays Bayou

Must be the same track. East side of (south) Main, 1 (mile?) south of Brays Bayou.