Institute Spur Train Line To Rice University

[NenaE]

Yes. The camera is facing East, away from Rice in the Life photo. It's a great picture of Herman Park.

There is another good picture of the Herman Park entrance & Rice University, very similar to the Life shot, in the Houston Then & Now book, pgs. 102 & 103. Hermann Hospital towers over the trees in it as well, it even states that Hermann Hosp. is the bldg. seen in the picture. The Rice Campus Bldgs. are seen, across Fannin. The trolley line is also detectible, you can see how the new metro line somewhat follows it. In the newer photo, you can see how the oaks have grown.

[rsb320]

Yeah, Rice is a good 45-60 degrees to the right in the Life photo.

Anywho, the old Hermann Hospital is still in there somewhere, right? I'm talking about the physical building. It was never torn down, right? I think new construction surrounds it. I remember going into the lobby many years ago and remember that it had a Spanish style. I specifically remember green, Mexican tile.

[NenaE]

Yeah, Rice is a good 45-60 degrees to the right in the Life photo.

Anywho, the old Hermann Hospital is still in there somewhere, right? I'm talking about the physical building. It was never torn down, right? I think new construction surrounds it. I remember going into the lobby many years ago and remember that it had a Spanish style. I specifically remember green, Mexican tile.

Yeah, it's still there, been added on to, alot. That's the one I was talking about touring, the Spanish bldg. There is a little medical museum in it. I remember green inside the bldg somewhere.

[57Tbird]

Anywho, the old Hermann Hospital is still in there somewhere, right? I'm talking about the physical building. It was never torn down, right? I think new construction surrounds it. I remember going into the lobby many years ago and remember that it had a Spanish style. I specifically remember green, Mexican tile.

Here's a recent photo at Wikipedia

[NenaE]

Here's a recent photo at Wikipedia

I think the blend of old & new has been done very well, in that Hospital. Don't see that very often.

[patroklos68]

The Chronicle ran a story years ago on the old Houston trolley lines. They had a pic of the Rice Institute trolley car which you can see at: http://www.chron.com/news/photogallery/Street.html#11770648

[rsb320]

The Chronicle ran a story years ago on the old Houston trolley lines. They had a pic of the Rice Institute trolley car which you can see at: http://www.chron.com...t.html#11770648

Looks like Houston has a long history of collisions between trolleys and cars. At least I'm assuming that the trolley damage is a result of.

[NenaE]

Compare the left side of this picture of Hermann with the part of the building shown in the Life photo. The Lovett Hall structure is not like that in the Life photo. Lovett would be further to the right and out of the Life picture.

I read last night, in one of my Houston books, that the true pronunciation for the Hermann name is actually pronounced Harmon.

Texans add rrrrr to everything.

[Highrise Tower]

The Rice Thresher newspaper dated November 10, 1961.

Band Displays Rice History

As the band forms first an outline of Lovett Hall, the original building of the University and second a trolley car, the band will recall the days when this campus was the last stop on old Main Street trolley run. 

[Highrise Tower]

I can see this in the background!!  Look behind the Autury House and The Owl Supply Co. at 6265 South Main Street.  Very cool!!

[Highrise Tower]

Found some additional information this week.

Here's the rail car with the Rice Institute logo.

Two maps showing the SA&AP main line splitting into the Institute Spur. Definitely looks like the spur carried coal to the Rice Institute power plant.

At the bottom of this photo, you can actually see the train tracks.