capt. kirk

PLAYLAND PARK WAS NO WHERE NEAR PEARLAND...........IT WAS IN THE AREA JUST BEHIND WHERE THEY BUILT ASTROWORLD................PEARLAND IS SOUTH OF HOUSTON

on further research......playland park was located on south main, just inside loop 610, bordered by south main-murworth-and lantern drive...further east was kirby...the map shows the outline of where the astrodome was to be and the bridge across 610 and of course no astroworld yet. the 1957 image shows everything....by 64 the racetrack was gone and the partial park remained, the next year that shows is early 70's, everything is gone

http://terraserver.m...ALat=29.6251737

hey there guys,

my name is scott and i was looking for info on meyers speedway..... i was looking for south main and this is what i got for you guys, i hope this helps

scott

harvick2win@yahoo.com

the picture that is posted, really clearly, is butler football stadium and baseball complex..........other posters said that meyer wrrapped in 77.......butler stadium was a gleam in someone's eye then. you must be talking about the very dim circle west of the sports complex...possible

I forgot myself... Seems it was somewhere around that year. They also once

ran a Nascar championship race there I think in the early 70's. If I remember

right, one of the Allisons won that race. I went to Meyer a few times. Of course,

living in Westbury, we could hear the races here at the house every Sat night.

MK

one site listed the winners from 59 thru 71

a.j. foyt, gene force, harold smith, don branson, dale swaim, parnelli jones, gordon woolley, ernie derr, ernie derr, jack bowsher, jack bowsher, iggy katona, bobby allison

oh nice!!!!!!!!

so pretty much of the contours of the track is still there........ i am from MA and most likely of all the tracks that closed in the last 30 years<5 of them> either a building or a amusement ride<1 track only> has taken its place....... thank you very much for those pics too!!!!!

scott

harvick2win@yahoo.com

i believe the pic you see is a baseball field and football field............that would be butler stadium and sports complex on south main.............meyer speedway went down with playland park in the 60's............lol................you young guys are something

Does any one know what were the school colors for San Jacinto? I've seen them sometimes refenreced in old newspapers as the Golden Bears, so I take it their colors were Gold and White? or at least Gold and something else. Does anyone know?

Thanks.

right, brown and gold, the golden bear was about 30 ft tall and the drill team was called the gauchos, all girls. last class was in 69 i think, now h.c.c. main campus. the history room is on the second floor and enclosed in glass. famous alum is walter cronkite

I can remember going to Playland Park back in 1958 with our CYO group. Riding the Tilt-a-World and eating lots of junk food. A boy that I really liked wanted me to ride the roller coaster with him and he wanted us to sit in the front car....and I told him that I didn't want to ride in the first car because it scared me....well he got mad and sat there anyway and I climbed into the second car while the rest of our group filled the back cars. Going down the fifth hill all the junk food in my stomach started churning and I up-chucked all over the "love of my 13 year old life" and then I just sunk down on the seat in embarassment...not knowing that the rest of my friends were getting pelted with flying vomit as the coaster was speeding around the tracks. Needless to say I was not too popular after we got off the roller coaster as I was the only one who didn't get a speck of puke on me. Think that was the last time I went with our CYO group anywhere. It was hard enough having to go to church on Sundays with them. I lived off of OST on Tierwester St. and went to the old St. Agnes Academy on Fannin St. Does anyone out there remember riding the ride that they called the Bullet....I think I told my cousin who rode it with me all the sins I ever commited because I thought I was going to die on that ride...and my cousin later became a nun...guess she made a promise to God if she got off that ride that she would live her life as a nun. I wasn't that desperate because I got married right out of high school and have been married for 46 years. All my family still lives in Houston but I moved to a small town in Bridgeport, Texas where we milked cows! Anybody out there can remember the platform dives at the Shamrock Hotel...oh well that is another story!

the bullet..........the ride my cousin put me on and the one i screamed at the top of my lungs to get off of, lol. playland was a great place, the wooden coaster and the might mouse or something close

One of my aunts lived over off of South Park Blvd. (MLK now) When we'd go visit her, the big thing was to drive by Gulfgate too. This entire area was vastly different in the late fifties and early sixties. I well remember the two dime stores, two shoe stores, Sakowitz and I think Joske's was an original store too. I know it was an early one, if not one of the firsts. The women's restroom (lounge) in Joske's was huge, with chairs to sit in. My dad bought me a mouton coat at that store. One of his few concessions to allowing me to follow the fads.

I've wondered if the little umbrella was on the original sign before the mall was covered? I thought that it was added after making Gulfgate an "all weather" shopping experience. Meyerland and Gulfgate both were built open air and when it was raining, the trick was to dash in and out of the stores without getting too soaked.

Seems life went full circle for me. I graduated high school, moved away then back again and ultimately married a guy who lived in Houston's east end. We bought our first child's baby bed at ABC furniture in Gulfgate. Attended Boy Scout Pinewood Derby races there. My youngest, at five, bought me a coffee cup with 'Mom' on it at MacFrugals there. Took my kids to the cinema to see "Jungle Book". Now, I shop at HEB, Staples, and bank nearby. Yes, Gulfgate has changed but I'm very glad I live in this area.

Thanks to all for the photos....wish there were more. Does anyone remember early Palm Center? Didn't it predate Gulfgate and Meyerland both?

yes palm center was on griggs near cananaugh.........it predated all of the future malls in houston. it now belongs to hcc as the southeast campus i think.

A tad off topic but whenever I hear of any reunions I get images of that mascot "Stevie" galloping around on the old auditorium stage. I used to crack up when he would emerge out of now where during pep rallies and freak out the unsuspecting crowds of students. It was always a mystery whom was underneath all the garb. Hilarious.

i dont know about the rest of the years but i do know who was under that costume in 72-73, a good old friend of mine, david alexander. austin went to state a couple of times in the 50's but did not win either contest. i also remember the scottish brigade and knew several people that were in that organization. that area and the school has real gone done but so have the rest of that end of town. my school is not doing much better but it is still standing and for 83 she still looks pretty good.

Letter found in East End estate @ 20 yrs ago. Found it again last week. Written Sept 1956. I've posted the letter in Historic Houston under heading 1956 Gulfgate Shopping City & Weingartens Grocery. It's a folksy, interesting invitation to see the first shopping center in Houston. I think Northline followed a couple of yrs later. Anyone remember this opening?

according the houston archives, gulfgate opened sept 20, 1956...the first open air mall....(palm center was actually the first one, hcc is there now on griggs rd)....77 stores with 5,500 parking spaces, 802,770 square feet.....150,000 were there for the grand opening. gulfgate was torn down in 2002 and rebuilt as gulfgate center.

after palm center came gulfgate, then northline, then almeada and northwest......but don't forget meyerland and westbury square.....memorial city, town and country(completely demolished)......greenspoint somewhere in the mix.....then the mall near n.a.s.a......willowbrook comes somewhere in here.........there was shaprstown in the early 70's and was just recently renamed according to the area of town...........also a mall near 59 beltway area, since diminished and may not be there.......then katy mills...........first colony but have no idea the year.........katy mills is the newest...........GALLERIA is by far the biggest and most expensive

Does anyone know where this Gateway would have been located, by landmarks from past or present? I know the street well, but not by addresses. "8510 S. Main"... in/outside of the loop 610? Can't believe I never heard of this place.

just inside of 610, about 4 or 5 blocks, i think that there is hotel of some kind there now. the pool must have been filled in

I believe that used to be 69th St. (running one-way parallel to Wayside).

If Will Clayton had retained the name "Jet Era Blvd." perhaps it could now could have been renamed "Regional Jet Era Blvd."

yes, 69th was before garcia...that street and wayside originally were two way streets going north and south. sometime in the late 50's or early 60's they made 69th one way going north and wayside one way going south. garcia i believe was a vietnam veteran with lots of medals from the area'

I just thought of another road that was covered up to make way for an extension - Eldridge Parkway north of 1960 makes a bend just south of Cypress North Houston Road. This curved section was formerly a street called Susquannah (not sure of spelling).

Another obscure one was when the Antoine extension was built from 290 to Hempstead Road, it went over the top of a tiny street called either March or May Street. April Street still exists a couple blocks down.

Does anyone know why Ora Street was closed? It's a short street near Dacoma and Hempstead. I've seen other funny things with sections of streets barricaded.

Wow that was great about all those streets. Here's another good bit of trivia - the Gulf Freeway was never a "full freeway" until the 70s. Highways with crossovers are not freeways.

I have some web sites of abandoned highways, bridges and "lost" highways if anyone might be interested. I have also been thinking about taking pictures of abandoned streets in the Houston area if there was any interest - I know of at least a dozen places where the concrete remains from old roadways - North Houston Rosslyn, Perry Road, FM 529 just to name some.

i dont know if you will come back to this but yes i'm interested..........my email is buffman656565@yahoo.com, thanx gary

I used to live right on the other side of that hill.

that is an amazing picture. the only thing missing is the water slide. as you look at the pic, it was located on the right side of the pool very near the rope that separated the shallow and deep end.

it was a great place and for $1 or $1.50 it occupied a saturday for sure

Here's an old photo I found of a movie theatre called "Garden Oaks." Where was it located?

located on shepherd dr...go north from 610 just as you go under the railroad bridge its on the right. not sure what it is now

Here's an old photo I found of a movie theatre called "Garden Oaks." Where was it located?

located on shepherd dr...go north from 610 just as you go under the railroad bridge its on the right. not sure what it is now

Psych! Going through old photos, found this 1975ish Texas Ave photo a friend took. At first glance, at least to me, looks like Jones Hall is under attack, but actually 19th century buildings being cleared away for progress.

MANY YEARS AGO NOW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,THEY REPLACED IT WITH THE HOBBY CENTER.....................YOU NEED TO GO DOWNTOWN MORE......................ITS CHANGED

At the risk of opening a can of worms, I've wondered for some time how much longer three HISD schools will continue to bear the names they were given many decades ago. I'm speaking of Jefferson Davis High, Robert E. Lee High, and Albert Sydney Johnston Middle School. All over the country various groups and individuals are doing their best to erase all traces of the Confederacy -- i.e. the Confederate battle flag, and schools named for Confederate leaders.

For some reason, this hasn't come up in Houston, and I find that surprising. Lee High School has a large minority enrollment, especially African-American, and you would think they would be the ones complaining loudest about the name of their school. On the north side, the enrollment at Jeff Davis High is almost a hundred percent minority -- Hispanic and African-American -- and there too you would expect to hear complaints about the school's name. This is also true for Johnston Middle School, which is named for a confederate general who was killed early on in the Civil War.

Three schools -- all with large minority enrollments -- named for men who put their lives on the line to defend the institution of slavery. Any thoughts on why this doesn't seem to be an issue in Houston? I sincerely hope the mere discussion of it won't cause it to become an issue.

THERE IS SAN ANTONIO LEE, ROBERT E. LEE IN MIDLAND, LEE OF BAYTOWN, HOUSTON LEE, DAVIS HIGH SCHOOLS ARE EVERYWHERE, SAME WITH THE 3RD ONE. AND DONT FORGET THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI AND ITS REBELS...........IT WAS A BATTLE FLAG AND NOTHING MORE, IN FACT IT WAS THE 4TH FLAG OF THE CONFEDERACY, AND THE CIVIL WAR WAS NOT TOTALLY ABOUT SLAVERY. IT HAD TO DO WITH TAXES, REPRESENTATION, NOT AGREEING ON LAWS. THE SOUTH WANTED INDEPENDENCE AND LINCOLN WANTED TO DO WHATEVER IT TOOK TO HOLD THE UNION TOGETHER. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER WILLIAM TESCUSEH SHERMAN, HE BURNED ATLANTA AND DESTROYED SOUTH CAROLINA, AND HE WAS A SEMINARY STUDENT AND PRESIDENT OF WHAT WE CALL L.S.U. OR LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY. A PREACHER NO LESS. DO SOME RESEARCH. MOST OF THESE SCHOOLS WERE BUILT BEFORE SEGREGATION AND HAVE HISTORY. SOME HAVE LIMITED THEIR MASCOTS AND SUCH JUST TO NOT CAUSE PROBLEMS. AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS BACK WHEN THE SCHOOLS WERE BUILT WERE MOSTLY CAUCASION AS THEY SAY. OVER THE YEARS THE MAKEUP OF EACH SCHOOL AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS CHANGED. WILL YOU SAY THE SAME ABOUT CHAVEZ HIGH SCHOOL OF HOUSTON OR OTHER PROMINENT PEOPLE. YOU FORGOT JAMES MADISON, MOSTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN BUT MADISON WAS THE 4TH SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. LOOK UP SOME OF THE HISTORY ON ALL THE HOUSTON SCHOOLS, IT MIGHT CHANGE YOUR MIND A LITTLE...........I FOUND A BLOG ON THIS VERY SAME THING AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING, ALSO SCHOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN DUE TO RELOCATION OR CHANGE IN ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS. ALSO THE THREE SCHOOLS THAT YOU MENTION DONT MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT THE NAME....THEY ACCEPT IT AND GO ON AND YOU SHOULD DO THE SAME THING.....AT ONE TIME THEY TRIED TO GET THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS TO CHANGE THEIR LOGO BUT GUESS WHAT.....THEY ARE STILL THE REDSKINS AND K.C. IS STILL THE CHIEFS..........FLORIDA STATE AND OTHERS NAMED THE MASCOT DUE TO THE PEOPLE THAT INHABITED THE AREA IN THE FIRST PLACE, YOU KNOW BEFORE THE WHITES. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR RESEARCH

Good point! Add to the list... my old school, the Lamar Redskins.

AND THEY ARE STILL CALLED THE REDSKINS AFTER ALL THESE YEARS...HMMM

We used to be called the Westbury Rebels, complete with Confederate flag. It was even on our class rings. Our mascot was called Johnny Reb, guarded over by the Rebel Guards. Our drill team was known as The Rebelletes. I have no idea what their mascot is now.

westbury77.com shows photo of Johnny Reb

class of 1976 photos

photo of the capture of the Bellaire Cardinal mascot, an annual tradition of days gone by

AND THAT WAS WHEN THE WESTBURY REBELS WERE PRETTY GOOD

Looking through some of the old photos of freeway construction, I've noticed a 9-story or so building adjacent to the Sam Houston Coliseum. It's to the left of it in the photo below. I'm going to guess that it was demolished for the Albert Thomas Convention Center since the site appears to be at the corner of Bagby & Capitol. Seems to be gone from the 1970's era photos posted on here as well, so that begs the question as to just what it was...

THERE WAS THE MUSIC HALL AND RIGHT BEHIND IT WAS THE COLISEUM....ACROSS THE STREET TO THE SOUTH WAS THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY......ITS SINCE BEEN MOVED. ALLEN PARKWAY IS RUNNING UNDER I-45

I also remember us going skating at a roller rink (1962-64) that I think was on IH-610 west of Gulfgate Shopping Center/Mall. Was there such a place in that vicinity? Or in this case, has my memory failed me?

Chet Cuccia

YES, THE LAST TIME I SAW THAT BLDG IT WAS AN EQUIPMENT RENTAL PLACE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 610...............THERE USED TO BE SEVERAL SCATTERED ACROSS HOUSTON

THE BUILDING IS STILL THERE.........THE ADMIN OFFICES FOR SBISD...........NEXT TO IT IS REGGIE GROB ATHLETIC FIELD...........THERE WAS AN OLD STADIUM BEFORE GROB

I've just taken an interest in Rice University. Has there ever been any year(s) that it won any championship? The only pro football player who comes to my mind who attended Rice was Tommy Kramer. When I attended the University of Arkansas from 1984-86, I remember that Rice University was in the same conference.

THE OLD SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE.....IN THE 40'S THEY WON A BOWL GAME I THINK........IN 61/62 THEY WERE PRETTY GOOD UNDER JESS NEELY........CWS BASEBALL 2003........FOOTBALL 2008 BEAT WESTERN MICHIGAN IN TEXAS BOWL..........THE REPLAY OF DICKIE MEAGLE RUNNING FOR A TOUCHDOWN AND A PLAYER COMES OFF THE BENCH OF THE OPPOSING TEAM AND TACKLES HIM........OTHER THAN THAT THEY ARENT VERY GOOD...........BUT RICE IS ONE OF THE BEST FOR EDUCATION FOR THE MONEY...........ONLY $10,000 PER SEMESTER................BERKMAN FOR THE ASTROS WENT TO RICE.................KING HILL FOR RICE FOOTBALL IN THE LATE 50'S..................KEN HATFIELD WENT TO ARKANSAS WITH JERRY JONES AND JIMMIE JOHNSON AND COACHED AT RICE FOR A WHILE.........YOU KNOW JOHNSON AND JONES, RIGHT..............JUST TYPE RICE INSTITUTE IN THE SEARCH BLOCK AND IT WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEF HISTORY

I've just taken an interest in Rice University. Has there ever been any year(s) that it won any championship? The only pro football player who comes to my mind who attended Rice was Tommy Kramer. When I attended the University of Arkansas from 1984-86, I remember that Rice University was in the same conference.

LARRY IZZO OF THE DOLPHINS PLAYED FOR RICE

Only few people may remember or have documentation of some of the huge mansions that once stood in the near East Side. Telephone Rd and Wayside/45 areas. Here are 3 that come to mind and thats only becuase I remember seeing them as a kid and even then they were abandoned and near collapse in the mid 70's.

1. Was at Wayside near Lawndale across the street from the Gus Wortham Golf Course. Where there is now an overcrowded, jammed Fiesta market and adjacent strip mall once stood a Plantation-like mansion with tall elegant columns painted white with a huge fountain in the front of the curved/circular expansive driveway. You could imagine Scarlett O'Hara rushing down the grand staircase to meet Rhett. Had tall oak trees lining the drive. Bulldozed around 1975 for this ugly over-developed heap. To make matters worse they crammed an elementary school in there. Pure insanity.

2. Over by Telephone Road and Winkler as Telephone curves going east once stood another huge mansion very similar as the Plantation home also with curved drive. Was in the high Gothic-Victorian style 2 stories with a servants quarters on the side and horse stable. All that remains is the old palm trees that lined the circular drive. Nothing has ever replaced it to this day. Makes you wonder who and why it met such a fate?

What kind of people lived there? Why such a palatial home? What kind of people visited, dignitaries?

3. Where the East End post office now stands on Lawndale/Des Jardines st. There was another beautiful three story palace of a home. In the turn of the century Victorian style too. Massive upstairs screened in porch (must have been a great view) with a large front and backyard. Vacant for many years but could have been restored to its former glory. I recall actually sneaking inside with friends out of shear curiosity. Hit my head on the huge newel post. Guess I deserved it. I recall it being an elephant of a house the kind crazy movie people used to make back in the silent film days. Now this house did seem as if Norma Desmond lived in it. It was torn down around 1976. All that remains are the 3 tall elegant palms that seem so lonely without their beautiful painted lady, now just a memory.

Houston "shame on you" for not being so supportive of restoration and preservation from the get-go.

I DONT KNOW ABOUT 2 OR 3 BUT 1 WAS A CATHOLIC CHURCH. MOST OF THE PROPERTY RAN FROM LAWNDALE TO ALMOST THE BAYOU..........IT HAD A BRICK WALL RUNNING THE ENTIRE LENGTH FACING WAYSIDE. ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE FIRST STREET PAST WAYSIDE WHEN YOU ARE GOING WEST ON LAWNDALE.......TURN LEFT OR SOUTH...........THEN WILL THE IRON FENCE YOU COULD SEE THE CLEARED LAND AND CHURCH, ETC.......THEY TORE IT DOWN FOR MONEY AND PROGRESS

Many old Houston city maps have Breen Road listed as Mulberry Street. Was the named changed, possibly around 1965 or 66? Why was the name of the road changed?

I know many other roads in Houston had names changed - South Park to MLK, ?? to Sgt. Macario, even T. C. Jester was originally called White Oak Drive.

Sometimes pieces of roads were absorbed into longer roads when the extensions were built. Antoine took over a short street called Oxbow, T.C. Jester took over a street called Telford. T. C. Jester took over Leroy Street. etc. any other examples? probably many!

SGT MACARIO GARCIA USED TO BE 69TH STREET GOING NORTH AND WAYSIDE DRIVE COMING BACK SOUTH.

More than likely in that part of Houston NO ONE ever talks about. If you drive south on Griggs Road to near 610 you see Mykawa Road the veer left it runs all along that old, old railroad track. Keep going east along Mykawa and it MUST be in that dreary old depressing forgotten nabe. Sorry its the honest truth. No "guilding the lily" this time my old friend. I don't even know what the area is called "Mykawa" ?

In any case it would seem unlikely that a place with that name would be in ay other part of Houston. Feel naughtious thinking about that area. There is a police sub station right there and for good reason. You should see it at night. Oy vey!

IF YOU GO SOUTH ON MYKAWA FROM GRIGGS YOU WILL PASS BELLFORT AND A FEW OTHER STREETS AND GO UNDER BELTWAY 8, I THINK, PASSED THE OLD PEE FARM FOR PRISONERS, PASS THE CEMETARY AND BROOKSIDE VILLAGE AND END UP IN PEARLAND.

HAVE A NICE TRIP...........IT USED TO BE A GOOD AREA

The Mykawa School is now used as the Minnetex Civic Center. My question: Where is it?

I have searched the internet and cannot find an address for the place. Does anyone know where it is?

IF ITS THE ONE IM THINKING OF........GO SOUTH ON MYKAWA, TURN RIGHT AT ALMEDA GENOA...........THERE WAS AN OLD SCHOOL BLDG AT THE CORNER.............LAST TIME I WAS THAT WAY THERE WAS SOMEONE LIVING IN IT BUT ITS BEEN ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO

Wasn't where Town and Country Mall used to be...before the mall, supposedly there was an open-air mall anchored by Joske's (which carried over to the mall) and Sakowitz. Then they razed it to build the mall. Am I correct or do I have my facts all wrong?

SOUNDS LIKE GULFGATE..............BOTH STORES WERE THERE...........OPENED IN 1957

Town & Country opened around 1966. I don't remember when Joske's was built, but Sakowitz opened in November of 1967. I know because I worked there from the time it opened until 1972. Behind Joske's was a mini mall containing a few stores, but the only store name I remember was The Berry Tree. There was also a store called The Mod Mart in the strip center that was on the east side of the street that runs from Kimberley to where Joske's was. It had nice gift items and I still have a glass lampshade that came from there. There was a Mini Max grocery store and SuperX drug store. There was also a James' Coney Island and Demaris Barbeque. They were both on Kimberley. The Mexican Restaurant was Casa Martinez.

MOST OF THE TENANTS MOVED INTO THE SHOPPING CENTER BEHIND TOWN AND COUNTRY AND TOWN AND COUNTRY WAS COMPLETELY TORN DOWN AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS STILL IN GOOD SHAPE WAS SOLD.................SEVERAL YEARS AGO NOW