Dave W

The roller rink was on the same site as the pool, but in a separate building closer to the street. That might account for the different addresses. Or, since this is from 1948, it could be that it was renumbered, as we discussed in another couple of threads.

I'm not aware of anyone named Hansell owning it, although I certainly could be wrong. Gateway Swim and Skate was owned and managed by Les Oldfield.

Phill Hansel owned a swimming academy and was also the UH swimming coach for years.

Tinker was one of PJ Proby's sponsors, trying to verify one of PJ's many tall tales about Houston. 

The Hitching Post on Bissonet wasn't a live music venue. I remember it as a western wear store, but it had been a restaurant.

This wasn't near Bellaire. Old Richmond Road = Bissonet.

My ex and I rode there a few times. The last time, it had deteriorated. Westwood Mall had opened a couple of years earlier just east of it, and there was a neighborhood of new homes to the west. There wasn't much else there yet back then but the area was rapidly developing and it was just  matter of time.

4 hours ago, mkultra25 said:

The South Main Drive-In opened June 7, 1940 and was Houston's first drive-in, according to Cinema Treasures.

South Main Drive-In

There's no listing for the Main Drive-In. However, the book "Cinema Houston" says the South Main Drive-In was originally called the Texas Drive-In, and the address given is 9900 South Main.

Google Books link 

You can see ads showing the original Texas Drive-In name at the Cinema Treasures link, but they don't list an address, just general directions ("drive out South Main highway - near the underpass").

Very interesting.

My guess is that this portion of South Main must have been renumbered in the late 1940s. Keep in mind that this was definitely the outskirts of town back then. It was so far out that the first two years after we moved to the area, the only available residential phone service was an eight-party line.

In the recent Brochstein's thread, a poster raised that possibility, and I have to agree. There wasn't a Brochstein's at what is currently 10002 South Main, and their factory further out near Stella Link was built in 1940. 

There was only one Texas/South Main Drive In and only one Brochstein's factory. I haven't looked for any proof of renumbering, but that has to be what happened.

This was in the large Art Deco strip center in the 6600 block.

We moved to the area in 1950, and the South Main Drive-In at 11530 was already in operation. I believe it opened before WWII.

I don't remember this one at all, maybe it was closed by 1950.

Yes, it was one of those Sears Appliance Stores, and it was in the strip center where Cue's is. When that center was built in the early 60s, the main store was an A&P.

This building later became Lee's Den restaurant. It was not the same building as Jerry Irby's Texas Corral.

There was no bar or club called the Hitching Post at or near that location. That was a figment of PJ Proby's imagination, if you remember that long thread.

That was formerly the location of the End O Main Ballroom, and later became Look's Sir Loin Inn.

i remember the one on Willowbend. It was a takeout. It was on the north side of the street, just past a strip center, just before the railroad tracks.

We ate at Pier 21 frequently in the 50s and 60s. It was George Dentler's at that time, Jack Landers must have been earlier. The address changed when Fannin was extended.

I remember the Galley sign but not the restaurant. I don't think it was around for long.

That location was the Ship Ahoy until at least 1960. It was a well-known traditional full service restaurant that had originally been downtown.

A few years later, it was the Cathay House, which was also full service. It was around until at least the mid 1970s.

It was a full service car wash. Last time I was there  (about 1965), the conveyor broke down while my car was in mid-wash.

It was a photography studio.

Obviously there were at least a couple of other businesses called End O Main, but the End O Main Ballroom was definitely at 9810 South Main, a couple of blocks past where Buffalo Speedway ended at South Main back then. It was vacant for years before Sonny Look opened his Sir-Loin Inn in that building in 1967.

Harold Farb, mid 1960s

Westheimer Transfer & Storage was founded by Sigmund J. Westheimer, one of M. L.'s nephews. He sold the business to the Hurwitz family in 1927.

IIRC the Downtown School closed in 1973 b/c its lease wasn't renewed. the building was going to be rehabbed or redeveloped. The current Downtown College opened in 1974 after UH bought it from the former South Texas Junior College.

On 5/15/2022 at 11:40 AM, pecos said:

the restaurant I'm trying to recall was not a stand alone ...it was in the corner of a strip center on Main ...University blvd was next street towards downtown. 

That long strip center started at the corner of Main at Dryden. The first store (nearest Dryden) was Mading's Drugs, which became Eckerd Drugs in the mid-1960s. If there was a Chinese restaurant in that center, it wasn't at the northern end of the center, at least in the 50s-60s which is the time period you mentioned. Maybe later, but I don't think so. The next block north was the Tidelands motel, which fronted on Main between Dryden and University.

Ding How was directly south of that strip center.

7 hours ago, brucesw said:

Now that I don't remember at all.  Possibly gone by the time I got here in '70?  Wasn't Lee's Den in that block too?, with the Astrodome mock-up?

...

Lee's Den was at 8100, just past the Ace Trailer Park.

I can't remember when Ding How closed, it was definitely around well into the 60s.

4 hours ago, pecos said:

 name of chinese restaurant on south main across from medical towers 1950-60's ?

Ding How was at 6800 South Main.

That's not enough information. There have always been a number of all you can eat restaurants and chains.

If you scroll down the page, you'll find a 25 page (so far) thread titled Defunct Houston Restaurants. Maybe you can find it there.

On 3/27/2022 at 5:13 PM, NenaE said:

The Directory of Discount Department Stores, 1980 (digital) Internet Archive (source) lists a Fedmart at 3030 Woodridge. (typed in error as Woodbridge).

It also lists the other Houston Fedmart locations, including the Mykawa store.

One search for Globe Shopping City lists their Gulfgate store at 3030 Woodridge with "later occupants" as Fedmart #291, and Mervyn's #118 (source - BluePages Wiki).

I actually visited that Woodridge Fedmart with my father when I was young (as mentioned in an earlier post).

 

 

 

You are correct, and I stand corrected.

After a little research I found that Walgreen's closed or sold all the remaining Globe stores in 1978. Of the 22 stores they sold, 14 became KMarts and 8 became FedMarts. All FedMarts were closed in 1982. So that location must have been a FedMart for those 4 years.

2 hours ago, NenaE said:

I don't remember Globe being near the cinema on 610 Loop S. I remember Fedmart was located  off Woodridge behind those old apartments on Village Way.  So, where exactly was the Globe store?

Globe was at 3030 Woodridge. There was no FedMart there. The nearest FedMart was at 5600 Mykawa near Griggs.

On 3/12/2022 at 9:06 PM, Temple 3 said:

Anyone on this thread remember Burgerville #2? I think there was also a reggae bar that had 3 for 1 happy hour. 

I do! I can still imagine the taste of their double cheeseburgers 😀

Nice family run business. When I worked in an office nearby, we used to eat lunch there once or twice a week.