roym Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 One thing that would be really cool would be able to change the maps by decade let's say, then click on locations of interest and link to any existing articles that may be have been contributed. Add the ability for each topic/point of interest to have it's own forum or comment section and that would be really awesome. Next, add the capability to overlay maps. The possibilities are endless.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Yeah, layered time periods would be neat - that is *sort of* happening on Wikimapia in places like MainPlace where the demolished buildings are there as well as the new... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roym Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 If there was a smart HAIFer who knew how to combine Google maps with the Wikipedia engine and restrict the geography to just the Houston area, I'd be happy to integrate the whole shebang into the Towrs wiki. Or maybe there's another way to do it without Google maps...Hmm.... (mental wheels turning). Well, the low-tech approach would be to add links to high-level scans of Houston maps. I'm thinking they could almost be the variety you see in tourist brochures. It almost seems like complete high scale maps, ala Mapquest or something, is overkill as the primary focus as I understand it is on the history of the area and not necessarily the desire to map yourself some directions to the local movie theatre in 1958... You could fake a mapquest feature by showing a map, providing an address field and search a database on the backend to see of the wiki contains any info for that location, then pinpoint general area on the high level map if found. Not that high-level map scans couldn't be provided in the archive. Again, is everyone beginning to sense the large amount of work this all requires?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Again, is everyone beginning to sense the large amount of work this all requires?? Great idea, but my thought, as well. I've often thought of how nice a paper & reference chart/layout of early Houston neighborhoods would be...thought of it as "thesis" work. And a chart of downtown bldgs. (past and present) including info. on what previously stood before the newly constructed ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roym Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 What happened to the original poster, OnTheOtherHand? Did we scare you away? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKW Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Hello, I am a homeowner with a 1935 home with the concrete trees. I'm working on State landmark and historic register status. I'm aware of the gazebo in Hidalgo Park but I'm wondering if there are any other examples. I know the builder was P.R. "jack" Plumb, Jr., and I'm trying to figure out if he was also the architect and if there are other homes built by him for style comparison. I haven't figured out how to find any original building plans and permits. I would much appreciate any assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narrow Larry Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 The concrete trees could be the work of artisan Dionicio Rodriguez, who created many "faux wood" structures in Texas (and other areas of the U.S.) in the 1930s and 40s.:http://www.narrowlarry.com/nldioniciosa.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionicio_Rodriguezhttp://www.narrowlarry.com/nlcrystal.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/Capturing-Nature-Sculpture-Borderlands-Traditions/dp/1585446106/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285968236&sr=8-1-spell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 http://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2013/06/the-streets-of-houston-in-1936/#12958-1 http://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2013/05/a-1937-look-inside-the-houston-public-library/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGlen Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Looking for resources, as the facts as to the cause of the flood is disputed. This is what I got from the official report at the Texas Room: December 7, 1935 Downtown Houston got 5.62 inches of rain in one day. Westfield got 11.5", but can't find any instance of flooding in that area. Downtown Houston was under 8' of water at Milam. 5" doesn't seem to be a lot of rain to cause such devastating flooding, but those are the numbers cited. Magnolia Bridge over Buffalo Bayou was the cause of the flood, mentioned specifically by name throughout the report. Reason for flood is contested. Bridge's base was too narrow for water to easily pass through, that is agreed on. Whether the base of the bridge dammed up the bayou causing the flood or the pressure caused the water to flow through at to rapid a speed for the already full bayou to handle is in dispute. Resulting flood destroyed almost all the bridges in Downtown, took every railroad out of commission, destroyed the farmer's market, MK&T railroad, post office and damaged every building in downtown. Approximately 20-40% of the buildings downtown were damaged beyond repair, depending on the source. Fire Department lost 8 trucks in the flood, most to put out the fire at the Yellow Cab building. Pumping stations were out, HFD was forced to drive their trucks into the flood to be able to reach the fire. Unknown if all the trucks were lost in this manner, photograph confirmed at least 4 trucks were flooded out stopping the Yellow Cab fire. Seven people confirmed killed, though another source has 8 dead. State investigation in 1937 placed blame solely on Magnolia Brewery and their bridge for causing the water to flow out of the Bayou directly into downtown. The bridge was sited for causing an extremely strong current causing more damage than a simple overflow would have caused.Those are my notes, looking for anything I missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEM Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilioScotia Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 It didn't have to rain a lot downtown to have flooding there. In fact it didn't have to rain at all. It was the heavy rain out in the far flung watersheds that feed White Oak and Buffalo Bayous that caused the massive 1935 flood at the confluence where the two bayous merge on the north edge of downtown. It's worth remembering that the Addicks and Barker reservoirs didn't exist in 1935, which means Buffalo and White Oak Bayous were out of their banks long before they even reached the confluence point. It's a fact that the resulting catastrophic flood was the reason the Barker and Addicks dams and reservoirs were built in the 1940s. Barker was completed in 1945 and Addicks in 1948. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 My dad told me that the flood of 1935 separated the city for weeks. People could not cross Buffalo Bayou to get to work, shop, conduct business or just to visit. Dad lived in the Heights but attended St Thomas High school which was still downtown on Austin St at the time, so he could not get to school which was okay for a 15 year old. My grandfather told me a story about him and his buddy traveling out to Addicks or Barker dam soon after it was completed. They had been reading and hearing about it for years, both thinking there was going to be acres and acres of impounded water, filled with fish and other things. They parked and hiked up to top, but were disappointed when they looked out only to see a few cows crazing in the grass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9075 Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 The 1935 Flood destroyed much of the inventory at the Houston Sears & Roebuck store on Buffalo Drive (now Allen Parkway). This was the second such event at this store (it also flooded shortly after opening in 1929), and it spurred the company to build a new store on South Main St. The South Main St store opened in 1939, and it is still operating today. There are some great images online of the 1929 flood damage at Sears. Unfortunately, I can't find them right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Otto Mation) Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 elnina999 has added a photo to the pool: Main Street - view at the Gulf Building from Preston St. Gulf Building is one of the most significant examples of Art Deco architecture in the southwestern United States. Click here to view this photo at the HAIF Photo Pool on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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