sevfiv Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I threw together a few maps of the (mostly) dense motels along Old Spanish Trail, Main St., Telephone Rd., and McCarty from 1962 - very few still standing.. OST: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=205937566729555760537.00049d646191351378735&ll=29.697969,-95.382528&spn=0.053681,0.111494&t=h&z=14 Main St.: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=205937566729555760537.00049d63df2f256a71c77&ll=29.681803,-95.442164&spn=0.107379,0.222988&t=h&z=13 Telephone Rd.: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=205937566729555760537.00049d64817d1b51d0561&ll=29.666576,-95.301418&spn=0.107395,0.222988&t=h&z=13 McCarty St.: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=205937566729555760537.00049d64b8be6ba570f99&t=h&z=13 ..and a few ads: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Man Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Ooh,the Orbit Room! Sounds swanky... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Cool ads Sevfiv...The Skylane Inn was a cool '60's place. I can remember being drawn to the huge neon sign and the name "Orbit Room". Sadly, in later years it fell into shabby-ness, like all the rest.The neon signs in those days were much better looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houwest Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Cool ads Sevfiv...The Skylane Inn was a cool '60's place. I can remember being drawn to the huge neon sign and the name "Orbit Room". Sadly, in later years it fell into shabby-ness, like all the rest.The neon signs in those days were much better looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houwest Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 The Orbit Room was pretty swanky. The two things that I liked the most about it was they had a live jazz combo on the weekends and they din't check IDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 I've added bars and restaurants to them (except McCarty - the street numbering is getting weird).. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Pretty incredible research there Sev. I had no idea McCarty was such a strip. The Surf Lounge sounds like a place I would like to have visited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Was the Skylane Inn torn down to build the HISD school? When I type in the address on the ad I get apts. That can't be right. But what's confusing is the street leading into the apts. is nmed Skylane.Wonder what happened to the flagstones, I remember them on the bldg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) http://citemag.org/w..._Fox_Cite20.pdf--- Stephen Fox's Cite article - see no. 13 for builder of Skylane Inn and apartments... http://cgi.ebay.com/...R-/140518415984--- ebay matchbook for sale.---there is also a picture of the motel sign in the first Houston Architectural Guide, p. 151. Edited March 3, 2011 by NenaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specwriter Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 --- Stephen Fox's Cite article - see no. 13 for builder of Skylane Inn and apartments... --- ebay matchbook for sale. ---there is also a picture of the motel sign in the first Houston Architectural Guide, p. 151. One sees on the inside of the matchbook cover "*** Atmosphere." Different meaning of the term of very avant garde hotel? Thanks also for posting Stephen Fox's 1988 article on Garden Villas. I believe I used to have a copy in my files but cannot find it now. Hopefully I can save this one as a .pdf. I owned a house on Sims Drive in the 1990s. It was a great neighborhood (loved the large lot and abundance of trees) but HISD (Hartman Middle School, where the band director was arrested on a morals charge, and Sterling High School) had nothing to offer my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 Those apartments bordering Skylane Dr. were built in 1972 - I think the Skyline Inn was just south of Skylane Dr. and the Airport National Motel was right in the middle of the present Ortiz Middle School.I also fixed up the numbering on the McCarty map as best as I could.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilioScotia Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 (edited) I threw together a few maps of the (mostly) dense motels along Old Spanish Trail, Main St., Telephone Rd., and McCarty - very few still standing..Thanks Sev. As one of the "oldtimers" around here, I think it's useful to remember that OST was a major Houston highway back in the day. It really was -- and still is -- the "Old Spanish Trail". As your map clearly shows, the route of U-S Highway 90/OST still comes in from Beaumont on McCarty and runs through Houston NE to SW where OST merges with U-S 59 at South Main, and continues down to Richmond/Rosenberg where it splits. 59 continues south to Victoria, the Valley and eventually Mexico. 90 heads west to San Antonio. Our system of Freeways and Interstates eventually took all the "pass through" traffic away from 90/OST, but, as you indicate, evidence of that heavy traffic is still evident up and down OST. OST from the east end to South Main was a very busy area once upon a time. I can remember seeing it lit up like the Las Vegas strip with motel and restaurant neon signs from one end to the other. It's sad to see it today. Edited March 12, 2011 by FilioScotia 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absinthe_1900 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 The pool area at the St. Francis back in '62. The lady at the right was the owner. (We knew their family quite well) A pre-school absinthe drinker sitting on the patio table with her granddaughter. I remember all the neon lights from those days, I can't bring myself to drive down there and see how it changed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 Nice! Was the pool at the St. Francis up front by the road? I can't tell from aerials.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I threw together a few maps of the (mostly) dense motels along Old Spanish Trail, Main St., Telephone Rd., and McCarty - very few still standing..Threw together? I'm consistently amazed and gratified by your diligent research. Takes a keen eye and a sharp mind to reveal the patterns of our history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absinthe_1900 Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Nice! Was the pool at the St. Francis up front by the road? I can't tell from aerials..Yes, the pool was up front, they had two different swimming pools from my memory.Sometime between '62 when the photo was taken, and the mid '60s they had a larger pool installed toward the front.My parents were friends with the family that owned the St. Francis, I have photos going back before I was born, of my Mom and Dad hanging out there in the 1950s. I'll have to look through the photos and see if there are more of the building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted August 13, 2011 Author Share Posted August 13, 2011 I did some for 1955 too- Telephone Rd. Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214936188971787772976.0004aa675affef4858e85&msa=0 Old Spanish Trail: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214936188971787772976.0004aa6a717c796cb02ca&msa=0 Main St.: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214936188971787772976.0004aa56914c25d975099&msa=0 McCarty St.: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214936188971787772976.0004aa69fe37391cbba2a&msa=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earlydays Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 I did some for 1955 too- Telephone Rd. Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214936188971787772976.0004aa675affef4858e85&msa=0 Old Spanish Trail: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214936188971787772976.0004aa6a717c796cb02ca&msa=0 Main St.: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214936188971787772976.0004aa56914c25d975099&msa=0 McCarty St.: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214936188971787772976.0004aa69fe37391cbba2a&msa=0 Great work!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted August 28, 2011 Author Share Posted August 28, 2011 I also added an Interesting Bars of Houston - 1955 map: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214936188971787772976.0004ab8883813dddadd08&msa=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 Cool beyond belief. You are my official heroine. Some of the bar names are classics:Duck Inn & Wobble OutDo/Dew Drop InnThe Elbow RoomAla-Ru-Ru Beer PlaceVamp's InnPlace of PleasurePlace of JoyThe Midget BarDessire's Scientific Beauty Nook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utinga Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 I also added an Interesting Bars of Houston - 1955 map: Full map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=214936188971787772976.0004ab8883813dddadd08&msa=0 As someone who left Houston for twenty years. I truly thank you for these posts of late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 As someone who left Houston for twenty years. I truly thank you for these posts of late.Those names are hilarious...great research, sevfiv. My favorite is "Zanza Bar"...sounds exotic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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