Memories Of Before The Southbelt

[Zephyr]

I've had a devil of a time finding information on the old orphanage. Of course, being in Dallas, the Texas History section of the local libraries is limited where Houston info is concerned.

[Michelle C]

You guys bring back a flood of memories. I was stationed at Ellington in the late 60's and used to frequent the Breezway at Fuqua and Gulf Fwy. I also remember well the Dyer Home for Children, thats what the sign said at the time. Someone memtioned the Genoa post office. It was originally on Old Galveston Road and was later relocated to Almeda Genoa Road closer to the Gulf Frwy. It was only about a block from the Almeda Skate Ranch. Another of my favorite watering holes was the American Legion post across the street from Ellington. Remember the F-84 that was in front of the VFW post? When I first moved to the area, it was pretty desolate after you got past Almeda Genoa road on the Gulf Fwy.

 

heres an aerial of the old Breezway.

 

[sevfiv]

Thanks for posting! The South Houston American Legion Post 490 is still there going strong, plane and all:

 

[Zephyr]

The aerial shot of the Breezeway and the aircraft at the American Legion post brought back a flood of memories. Thanks for sharing!

[bred]

I think I have found the holy grail for all of the folks who grew up in the Southbelt area.  This blog contains tons of scans from Dobie High School yearbooks from the 70s and 80s, along with research on some other topics related to the area.  Get ready to waste some time:

 

http://southbelthouston.blogspot.com/

 

 

[CadetDon]

I remember all these places, events, and some of the lore. I lived on Sagedowne Lane from about 1964 to 1981. The Breezeway and the factory leading into the neighborhood were still functioning when I was a kid. I don't recall the orphanage but I have found it in old Google aerial photos. Most of the place, Sagemont, was lapsed rice paddy and cattle country early on. There were still some old rusted water pumps out in the fields behind our house before Scarsdale came about. Or maybe they were remnants of early oil exploration wells. Who knows. We swam at Ellington AFB, built forts in the vacant fields, caught crawdads, played tee-ball and little league baseball just a few houses down at the end of Sagedowne. Created our own childhood legends and myths. Shopped at the Safeway, bought Dr Peppers at the 'Sev", attended Stuchbery, where we drilled for atomic blasts, Thompson ("George A Thompson is our school" was the catchy opening to the school song), J Frank, fished in ponds off hall road, ate at C&D (although I liked Ziggy's better) and road bikes and played yet more baseball in the future Superfund site out where the Goat-man lived. (I remember going out with dads/coaches to help build those fields, digging in the mud, running around areas where, for some reason, plants would not grow!) Anyway, the factory/warehouse was a machine shop/storage facility as I recall  and then vacant for a few years before becoming a flea market (some old guy there sold us skin mags even though we were obviously too young, legally) and then it became an indoor race venue. I think there were some outdoor go-kart tracks eventually but I can't be sure. In between uses the old warehouse was empty and guys with motorcycles in the neighborhood would ride and race inside the building and, since it was the 1970's,  do some drugs. For a while, the area directly south of the building was a sadly kept golf driving range. My brothers and I would go out at night and fill buckets with range balls and take them home to practice in the back yard. Just north of there was the old Breezeway, which we pretty much stayed clear of. I do remember as a teen prowling around the place either before or right after it closed and there was a ton of old metal junk piled out back: fridges, barrels, car parts, signs, and lots of old beer cans, bottles, and caps. Always expected to come across a body or some other freakishness, but never did. Breezeway burned to the ground. And years later, I think at the end of that road that eventually connected Southbelt with the I 45 feeder, there briefly was another bar, but I think it either was not welcome or just plain went out of business. I also know of the 'castle' on Sagewood but I'd rather not go into who lived there or any stories about it. It certainly was out of place in Sagemont. Anyway, one of the saddest things I remember is coming upon a scene at the end of Sagewood where it meets Southbelt. I saw the emergency vehicles and, as a kid does, followed on my bike down Sagewood to find a scene where a child had just been hit by a car, a hysterical woman standing on the porch of a home at the corner, fire and police consoling her, a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road, ambulance, firemen, blood, and wailing. The woman was wailing like I had never heard. I think she was the driver. Horrific scene.    Not sure why I wrote this....

[alcus2]

I think happy Harvey Thompson was at the breezeway .