Houston In The 1950s

[brerrabbit]

That Gulfgate Village Apt. complex had some beautiful old trees, last I saw, they were still there, behind the Wendys. Huge trees like those were very common throughout Pecan Park. The street before that, that the *bank is on, had a strip mall in the 1950's-60's, with a Olan Mills Portraits Studio, & a carpet store with a sign out front, (round, space age w/blinking? sticks), very 60's.

* I forgot, there are alot of banks around there now, the one I am talking about is maybe 4 stories, looks like an office bldg, st. is directly west of where the apts. & Globe were.

Plum Creek runs through there somewhere, and across Gulfgate.

Plum Creek runs under Gulgate and comes out on the other side of the freeway next to the now closed Bennigans. The street Plum Creek runs between Telephone and Winkler and if I remember right the creek passes under the street somewhere in that stretch.

[mikeR]

I was born at the Heights Hospital in 1951. We lived near where Pinemont crosses N Shepard on Brinkman. At that time the city limits was only a couple of blocks north of our house. Went to Hohl Elementary and Hamilton Junior High. Moved away after the 9th grade. I'm in the oil and gas business and still visit Houston frequently. Lot's of memories.

[isuredid]

I was born at the Heights Hospital in 1951. We lived near where Pinemont crosses N Shepard on Brinkman. At that time the city limits was only a couple of blocks north of our house. Went to Hohl Elementary and Hamilton Junior High. Moved away after the 9th grade. I'm in the oil and gas business and still visit Houston frequently. Lot's of memories.

If you could, describe what you remember of you neighborhood at that time. Were there still farms around there? What stores did you shop at? Were their still some forest in the area? etc.

[RedScare]

Let's see, you got 57T-bird, FilioScotia, H2B, and Redscare............

Not so fast, TJ. I only hung in the 50s for about 3 weeks....hardly enough time to claim it.

[TJones]

Not so fast, TJ. I only hung in the 50s for about 3 weeks....hardly enough time to claim it.

Oh sure, it took you THIS long to finally have a comeback ?

[RedScare]

I never saw this thread before. I leave 50s fondness to the old farts and Vertigo. I'm a 70s and 80s stoner.

[ricco67]

I'm am not looking back at the 50's in my memory, I HOPE to remember my 50's when I get there (unless my daughter kills me).

[Vertigo58]

I wasn't born yet but have always loved hearing about those days from big sis and the family. Being the family historian of sorts, I always get a kick out of having the old photos copied and enlarged. Luckily, I still have most of the family to ask what each pic was about or who and what the event was. Just seeing the cars and styles and hearing about prices and local eateries and such is what keeps me tuned in. Everything from movies, television & especially music of that time are of even more interest to me.

What's really peculiar is back in High School (78-79) we always had 50's day so everyone dressed up 50's ala TV show Happy Day's. So I imagine now kids would dress 80's day? Wow, kind of funny/scary.

[mikeR]

If you could, describe what you remember of you neighborhood at that time. Were there still farms around there? What stores did you shop at? Were their still some forest in the area? etc.

Brinkman and Sue Marie Lane were parallel streets running north off of Pinemont. (At that time -as I recall, Tidwell did not extend west of Shepard and Donavan did not extend west of Brinkman.) Our house was the first north of Pinemont on Brinkman. Sue Marie was a dead end. Brinkman ended turning east onto Donavan - now the location of St. Pias X HS. The areas north of Sue Marie was still a heavily wooded pine forest. There were cattle on the property and the neighborhood kids called it the "Bull Woods". Our parents warned us constantly about the deadly hazards of entering the Bull Woods. You can imagine how thrilling it was to cheat death and walk a short distance into the woods. The fence line separating our neighborhood from the Bull Woods was the Houston City limit. (Even though our neighborhood was just inside the city limit, we did not have city services - sewer or water - until the late 50s.)

The lot to the immediate south of our house at the corner of Pinemont Road and Brinkman Street was always vacant as it is today. Why this lot has stayed vacant is a great mystery to me. The lot was wooded and fallow with plenty of trees, bushes, poison ivy, blackberry vines, snakes, bugs, and turtles. We picked many coffee cans full of blackberries in that lot. The lot behind us faced Sue Marie Lane was vacant and not heavily wooded. The Sue Marie lot was our neighborhood sandlot baseball and football field. Most of the kids I played with lived on Sue Marie.

The location of St. Pius X HS was still forest. When the bulldozers moved in to clear for construction of the school, our neighborhood was overrun by snakes.

I can remember that the first grocery store (early supermarket) that we shopped at was the "Texas Serv-all" on the NE corner of Shepard and Crosstimbers. My first encounter with Santa Claus was at the Sears store on the east side of Shepard at Garden Oaks Blvd.

There was a small amusment park on the SW corner of Curtin Ln and Shepard. I can't remember the name, but "______ Playland" seems vaguely familiar. The park had a small carosel, hand-crank cars on a track, a boat carosel, etc. Lots of fun and memories.

Haircuts happened at Green's Barber Shop on the W side of Shepard at Janisch or Martin Rd. Green sliced into my ear with his scissors when I was about 3 years old. My head was probably on a swivle at the time, so I guess he couldn't prevent the ear incident.

Janisch Rd was named after the Janisch Family. In the 50s and 60s they still had a small truck farm between Janisch and Martin roads, east of Shepard and west of Yale.

In the early 60s my parents sold the Brinkman house. We made the long distance move directly east to Hohldale St between Yale and Sheaprd. I'm not sure why we did this except for a small change of scenery.

I'll add more as time and memory permit.

[isuredid]

Brinkman and Sue Marie Lane were parallel streets running north off of Pinemont. (At that time -as I recall, Tidwell did not extend west of Shepard and Donavan did not extend west of Brinkman.) Our house was the first north of Pinemont on Brinkman. Sue Marie was a dead end. Brinkman ended turning east onto Donavan - now the location of St. Pias X HS. The areas north of Sue Marie was still a heavily wooded pine forest. There were cattle on the property and the neighborhood kids called it the "Bull Woods". Our parents warned us constantly about the deadly hazards of entering the Bull Woods. You can imagine how thrilling it was to cheat death and walk a short distance into the woods. The fence line separating our neighborhood from the Bull Woods was the Houston City limit. (Even though our neighborhood was just inside the city limit, we did not have city services - sewer or water - until the late 50s.)

The lot to the immediate south of our house at the corner of Pinemont Road and Brinkman Street was always vacant as it is today. Why this lot has stayed vacant is a great mystery to me. The lot was wooded and fallow with plenty of trees, bushes, poison ivy, blackberry vines, snakes, bugs, and turtles. We picked many coffee cans full of blackberries in that lot. The lot behind us faced Sue Marie Lane was vacant and not heavily wooded. The Sue Marie lot was our neighborhood sandlot baseball and football field. Most of the kids I played with lived on Sue Marie.

The location of St. Pius X HS was still forest. When the bulldozers moved in to clear for construction of the school, our neighborhood was overrun by snakes.

I can remember that the first grocery store (early supermarket) that we shopped at was the "Texas Serv-all" on the NE corner of Shepard and Crosstimbers. My first encounter with Santa Claus was at the Sears store on the east side of Shepard at Garden Oaks Blvd.

There was a small amusment park on the SW corner of Curtin Ln and Shepard. I can't remember the name, but "______ Playland" seems vaguely familiar. The park had a small carosel, hand-crank cars on a track, a boat carosel, etc. Lots of fun and memories.

Haircuts happened at Green's Barber Shop on the W side of Shepard at Janisch or Martin Rd. Green sliced into my ear with his scissors when I was about 3 years old. My head was probably on a swivle at the time, so I guess he couldn't prevent the ear incident.

Janisch Rd was named after the Janisch Family. In the 50s and 60s they still had a small truck farm between Janisch and Martin roads, east of Shepard and west of Yale.

In the early 60s my parents sold the Brinkman house. We made the long distance move directly east to Hohldale St between Yale and Sheaprd. I'm not sure why we did this except for a small change of scenery.

I'll add more as time and memory permit.

That land was part of the S.W. Allen Survey of 2404 acres. The subdivision is called Pine Forest Annex and it looks from the Harris County Block books that your lot was lot 4 of Pine Forest Annex, with the address 5215 Brinkman.

The owners of that land at the time the subdivision was platted were named George Elbert Castiller and M.F. James.

The street Sue Marie was named for George Castiller's daughter, Susan Marie Castiller. George's wife was named Jean Marie Bulter Castiller.

Pinemont used to be called Pearson Street. Was it called that when you were growing up?

BTW...the empty lot is actually 3 separate properties running north-south. Two are owned by the same person.

[mikeR]

That land was part of the S.W. Allen Survey of 2404 acres. The subdivision is called Pine Forest Annex and it looks from the Harris County Block books that your lot was lot 4 of Pine Forest Annex, with the address 5215 Brinkman.

The owners of that land at the time the subdivision was platted were named George Elbert Castiller and M.F. James.

The street Sue Marie was named for George Castiller's daughter, Susan Marie Castiller. George's wife was named Jean Marie Bulter Castiller.

Pinemont used to be called Pearson Street. Was it called that when you were growing up?

BTW...the empty lot is actually 3 separate properties running north-south. Two are owned by the same person.

I seem to remember that Pinemont did have a different name when pavement only extended as far west as Ella. Beyond Ella it was unimproved. It was entended to the Hempstead Hwy in the mid-50s. I think that's when it was renamed. Pinemont became a major EW street. Truck traffic became terrible. All night long trucks would be engine-braking as the approached Shepard. My father complained all the time about not being able to sleep. That's one of the reason we moved.

[WestUNative]

Let's see, you got 57T-bird, FilioScotia, H2B, and Redscare............

Hey, what am I, chopped liver??? As some of you have gleaned, I was born in old Methodist Hospital, downtown, long gone, in 1941. Thus the 1950's were my prime years and I loved it! For those of you extremely young ones who may doubt our memory function, just stop right there. Ask anyone and you'll get the same answer, it was the true golden age for teenagers. And I must say Houston was a great place then for it.

As for the primitive side, West University was pretty well established from my first memories, but when we moved into our house on University Blvd. in 1941, my mother said she could see all the way to Bellaire Blvd. with only a house or two between. In the mid-50's, once you got beyond Prince's Drive In and Playland Park, prairie and cows all the way to Sugarland. Pre-freeways, developments were pretty sparse. Think no Galleria, to head for San Antone, we took Post Oak (regular street) to Katy Rd. Westheimer was out in the country heading westward from Post Oak. And a trip to Galveston was a slow crawl down a 2 lane road.

A wee comparison to "modern life" will give you an idea. Zero crime in my neighborhood. I never saw any kind of drugs, including weed, nor knew anyone who indulged. We were really free and not because our parents weren't strict. Imagine now turning loose a pack of 14 year olds to go on their own to Galveston for the day and evening with absolutely nothing to worry about. We got our unrestricted driver's licenses at 14. A small child could ride the public bus downtown alone and be safe, I did it many times to go to library or meet mother for lunch in summer. The clothes were cool sans nudity, the cars out of this world, so much fun to have and no weltschmerz! We really did not worry at all about "the bomb," in spite of those drills under the desk at school.

Eat your hearts out, those who missed it. My own daughter is forever envious, she doomed to grow up in the 70's & '80's.

[Montrose1100]

I'm proud to have grown up in the 90's! When I moved to Spring, I rode my bike to school, played outside in the subdivision with the rest of the neighborhood kids till sunset. I'm happy I had a childhood before the Internet craze. I still had my video games, but I was outside all the time.

My dad always talks about growing up. Even though it was the early sixties, in Lake Arthur, Louisiana. His dad (my grandfather) Owned a car dealership in Jennings, and my father would trade cars in Houston ever so often (with some dealership a little up 45). He was only 15 or so, and on the way back, the state troopers would stop him and they would drive the new cars really fast down Hwy 90, and my father would follow in the trooper's car with the lights & siren. "If you were tall enough to see over the bar, you could have a drink" he always brags.

[silverartfox]

Hey, what am I, chopped liver??? As some of you have gleaned, I was born in old Methodist Hospital, downtown, long gone, in 1941. Thus the 1950's were my prime years and I loved it! For those of you extremely young ones who may doubt our memory function, just stop right there. Ask anyone and you'll get the same answer, it was the true golden age for teenagers. And I must say Houston was a great place then for it.

As for the primitive side, West University was pretty well established from my first memories, but when we moved into our house on University Blvd. in 1941, my mother said she could see all the way to Bellaire Blvd. with only a house or two between. In the mid-50's, once you got beyond Prince's Drive In and Playland Park, prairie and cows all the way to Sugarland. Pre-freeways, developments were pretty sparse. Think no Galleria, to head for San Antone, we took Post Oak (regular street) to Katy Rd. Westheimer was out in the country heading westward from Post Oak. And a trip to Galveston was a slow crawl down a 2 lane road.

A wee comparison to "modern life" will give you an idea. Zero crime in my neighborhood. I never saw any kind of drugs, including weed, nor knew anyone who indulged. We were really free and not because our parents weren't strict. Imagine now turning loose a pack of 14 year olds to go on their own to Galveston for the day and evening with absolutely nothing to worry about. We got our unrestricted driver's licenses at 14. A small child could ride the public bus downtown alone and be safe, I did it many times to go to library or meet mother for lunch in summer. The clothes were cool sans nudity, the cars out of this world, so much fun to have and no weltschmerz! We really did not worry at all about "the bomb," in spite of those drills under the desk at school.

Eat your hearts out, those who missed it. My own daughter is forever envious, she doomed to grow up in the 70's & '80's.

West U Native, I was born in the old Methodist Hospital, too - but in 1938! Your recollections of the good times kids had in our childhood and teen years brought back memories. Unlike you, I was an only child with few friends and over-protective parents. My interests in classical music, the visual arts, literature, history, foreign cultures and travel were not those of my contemporaries in the 'hood, so frequent trips on the bus to the downtown library were my escape from reality.

[WestUNative]

West U Native, I was born in the old Methodist Hospital, too - but in 1938! Your recollections of the good times kids had in our childhood and teen years brought back memories. Unlike you, I was an only child with few friends and over-protective parents. My interests in classical music, the visual arts, literature, history, foreign cultures and travel were not those of my contemporaries in the 'hood, so frequent trips on the bus to the downtown library were my escape from reality.

How cool, you are the first person I've "met" born in my hospital! I think it was falling out of favor or getting ready to close by the time I came along in May 1941. There was only one other baby born there when I was. I know this because my mother used to joke (?) that when she first saw me, she told the nurses there must have been a mix up with the babies. They told her impossible, the only other kid in the Nursery was an Hispanic boy.

I too was an only child, but had cousins in Southside Place, just 5 blocks down the street. I was interested in the same sort of things you were, I alone in my family. So I went singularly to Museum of Fine Arts, downtown Library, old Music Hall for matinee shows, all that jazz. I even took a bus to the old Houston Auditorium with violin in hand for auditions with Houston Youth Symphony Orchestra, that place was spooky. It seems so strange now for a 10 or 11 year old to be traipsing around the big city all alone.

My Step-Father worked for Missouri-Pacific and I had a free pass, so spent a lot of travel time in trains alone as well, visiting my Father's family in Dallas and one big trip to Louisville and back by myself. I guess it instilled self-reliance and maturity, but kind of lonely too.

Don't you still love the old days at the Julia Ideson? Like stepping into a movie set with all the heavy wood trim and the little separate rooms. The big, glass box was impressive when it came along mainly for its incredible collections, could find most anything there. Got the best of both, my daughter was raised with the newer one.

[57Tbird]

Hey, what am I, chopped liver??? As some of you have gleaned, I was born in old Methodist Hospital, downtown, long gone, in 1941.

West U Native, I was born in the old Methodist Hospital, too - but in 1938!

WestU and Silver... Help me out here. Part of my very young childhood in the early-mid 40's was spent in a house on Elgin. We lived not far from what I think was the old Methodist Hospital, which you say was "downtown". I remember a hospital that was located just a few blocks from us on Anita or Tuam and between Fannin and San Jacinto, I think. Was that the old Methodist Hospital? I used to help an older friend deliver newspapers to the patients in their rooms there.

[silverartfox]

57Tbird, you are right about the location - that was the old Methodist Hospital. It was still open at least through the late 1940's. I recall that Dr. Tuttle was our "family doctor" for many years until he specialized in surgery.

Does anyone know when the building was demolished or what is on the site now?

[Vertigo58]

57Tbird, you are right about the location - that was the old Methodist Hospital. It was still open at least through the late 1940's. I recall that Dr. Tuttle was our "family doctor" for many years until he specialized in surgery.

Does anyone know when the building was demolished or what is on the site now?

This raises a good question.

Is there any advice on how to locate family doctors from way back? We had a Dr Dave Kaminski for years here in Houston. He was well known and supposedly has a son or two in the same practice. Boy if I could interview Dr Kaminski he could sure tell much about the history of the city. His office was on Lyons Ave since late 1940's to about 1990's.

[chroniclereporter]

I almost forgot, I was wondering if anyone had a picture of the sign for the Gulfgate Village Apartments or any pictures of that area back around the 50's 60's 70's, I was going to dig out the pictures I have (not a whole lot that just have buildings or signage) and try to scan some, the slides that my dad had are going to be harder to scan. My scanner doesn't have the ability to scan slides, but I have a friend that says he has a scanner that does, so it will take longer to get those on here. So far the pictures I have seen brought back lots of memories I hope more people will post more pictures. I am sure there are pictures of everthing in that area, just finding them tucked away somewhere or at a family members house. My friend said he had seen a book that had lots of pictures of Gulfgate's opening day.

Hi there. My name is George Lupercio, Houston Chronicle Correspondent, and I am doing a story for the East End\Third Ward Section on the history of Gulfgate mall. I want to talk to some people who were there on the grand opening. Also, I read that a friend of yours has pictures of the opening day. Would it be possible to e-mail those to me so that I can forward them to my editor at the chronicle?

George

jalupercio@uh.edu

[Vertigo58]

Fed Mart I think was around 78-79 because I remember buying 1979 Topps Baseball Cards there. I had a box still with the sticker on it.

This date would be almost exactly correct. There is a separate topic about Fedmart. I worked at this one briefly in that time period still have the FedMart name tag & some of the 8 track music tapes that they were tossing out. It was a new kind of shopping experience they boasted. Food, sundries, and much more all under one roof. I recall shoplifting becoming a real prob even then. The front entrance faced towards Woodridge. Our loading dock was facing West. One thing that really stands out in memory is when our freezers broke down overnight and the next morning we had to toss out loads of frozen foods, ice cream, TV dinners a real major mess. Playing on the loud speaker was the most fun though.

and FedMart story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FedMart

[WillowBend56]

I have lived in Houston twice: from 1954-1960 as a kid and 1975-1978 as a young adult fresh out of college. The first time period was much more fun in my memory. I guess Houston was growing in the 1950s but had not yet exploded as it had by the 1970s with many of the attendant problems.

My family moved to Houston in 1954 from Corpus Christi. Dad was in the oil & natural gas business with Atlantic-Richfield. We lived on Tierwester at first. In 1956 we moved to a brand new house on Stillbrooke in Westbury as our family size grew.

Some things I recall from the Houston area:

The opening of Meyerland Shopping Center or Plaza.

An ice cream parlor in Westbury Shopping Center called Rumpleheimers (sp?).

The searchlight beams in the night sky advertising new housing subdivisions, particularly Meyerland.

A kids' amusement park called Wee Wild West. Not sure exactly where it was. Off Westheimer maybe?

Swimming at the big pool at the Shamrock. [i think non-hotel guests could pay a fee to swim there---probably white-only too.]

A pony-riding place off South Main.

Some English restaurant on South Main with a red double-decker bus parked out front.

A trampoline place on Willow Bend. [seems such places were a fad for a short while.]

South Main drive-in theater.

A factory whistle that blew each workday at noon from some business off South Main.

The Hermann Park Zoo.

The steam locomotive (displayed there in 1957) and miniature train ride near the zoo in Hermann Park.

Kindergarten at Parker Elementary School.

First grade at Corpus Christi Catholic School (brand new in 1959).

Snowcones sold after school on the school grounds (at CC).

Shopping in downtown department stores with my parents.

Seeing various downtown parades particularly the Houston Fat Stock and Rodeo one.

Attending the Houston Rodeo and seeing TV star James Arness of "Gunsmoke" fame in person.

Seeing Kitirick (sp?) on TV and meeting the magician from her show at a local birthday party.

Riding the Rock Island "Rocket" train from Union Station to Dallas (1956).

Riding a propeller-driven commercial airline plane out of the old municipal airport (now Hobby).

The fish pond just outside of Battelstein's over in River Oaks.

The day it snowed and melted the same day (circa 1959-60).

The day a hurricane or tropical storm flooded our street (Stillbrooke)---possibly Hurricane Debra in 1959.

Picking wild berries along the bayous.

The scary "high bridge" driving to the Freeport beaches.

The old concrete pillboxes left over from WW II in Galveston---not the same as the coastal artillery bunkers.

The San Jacinto Inn near the Battleship Texas site.

The first phone number I ever learned: PArkview 3-2352.

Home milk delivery.

Watching noon cartoons on TV followed by the Liberace Show (yuck!). Watching my mother and a neighbor lady exercising to the Jack LeLane Show.

Given more time, I can probably think of other small snapshots of Houston life as a child.

[Aland11223]

A pony-riding place off South Main.

I am 29 years old now, though I remember a park that use to be on Main Street before you got to Holcombe. It had a bunch of rides plus a pony ride you could go on. Was this the same place you are regarding when it comes to that? You know, I don't think I even remember when they tore it down. It seems like it was there and then it was not.

[VicMan]

A pony-riding place off South Main.

I am 29 years old now, though I remember a park that use to be on Main Street before you got to Holcombe. It had a bunch of rides plus a pony ride you could go on. Was this the same place you are regarding when it comes to that? You know, I don't think I even remember when they tore it down. It seems like it was there and then it was not.

It was Kiddie Wonderland.

[EastEnd Susan]

I remember the fish pond at Battelsteins. Mom always had to drag me away from it. I can still see it sitting there on the left hand side of the door. Ahhh.. good memories.

[Vertigo58]

Many of the answers to your questions/memories will be found right in this very section of Haif!

There were so many unanswered or mysteries answered (for me anyway) on this forum.

For sake of time I can say that one of my best and most memorable experiences growing up in Houston as a child in the mid/late 60's was the trips to Downtown. Going on a city bus was that more exciting! Remember most had those sideway seatings with the chrome bars to hold on to? Just seeing the doors fold/extract out to let passengers off was wild for a 6 yrs old to see!

What always stayed with me was how well dressed everyone once was when in downtown. Men with business suits/hats women w/hats & some gloves. It was the very Mod 60's so the timing was just right. Riding the escalators in Penney's/Foley's/Grant's etc to what seemed like the biggest department stores in the world to me! It seemed like NYC! Then holiday season snapping pics with Santa at these very crowded and clean places. I mean downtown was the place to be!

Just like Pet Clark sang at that time...

The lights are much brighter there

You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares and go

Downtown, things'll be great when you're

Downtown, no finer place for sure

Downtown, everything's waiting for you...

[NenaE]

A pony-riding place off South Main.

I am 29 years old now, though I remember a park that use to be on Main Street before you got to Holcombe. It had a bunch of rides plus a pony ride you could go on. Was this the same place you are regarding when it comes to that? You know, I don't think I even remember when they tore it down. It seems like it was there and then it was not.

See the amusement park topic for more info. I posted a pic of Kiddie Wonderland there, from the yrs. before it disappeared for a Kroger grocery store & parking lot.

[Fringe]

Yeah. Look around and you will find discussions of all the items you mentioned plus a whold bunch of stuff you have completely forgoten about. That's why this site is so great for old Houstonians.

[rsb320]

I have lived in Houston twice: from 1954-1960 as a kid and 1975-1978 as a young adult fresh out of college. The first time period was much more fun in my memory. I guess Houston was growing in the 1950s but had not yet exploded as it had by the 1970s with many of the attendant problems.

My family moved to Houston in 1954 from Corpus Christi. Dad was in the oil & natural gas business with Atlantic-Richfield. We lived on Tierwester at first. In 1956 we moved to a brand new house on Stillbrooke in Willow Bend as our family size grew.

OMG - I know a couple who recently bought a house on Stillbrooke. Could it be the same? Anyway, much has been updated and the house is just awesome. I love that area.

[WillowBend56]

To answer a couple of responses:

That sure sounds like the location and description of the "Broken Cookie Place." Thanks for confirming that memory.

We lived at 5111 Stillbrooke-- a brand new house in 1956. No central AC. We had window units. At least two lots across the street were still vacant even by the time we moved away in 1960. Before the area behind our lot built up, I could stand on our picnic table and see trains on the tracks parallel to old Hwy 59.

I wish I could remember details about a couple of nice country club swimming pools we visited with friends who had memberships. They were about the only pools we used except for the one at the Shamrock Hilton. I also recall some place in the woods (NW Houston or out in the boondocks?) where Atlantic-Richfield held a company picnic once. It had a swimming pool, picnic area, playground, and a rather large area with several parallel horseshoe pits. Don't know if A-R owned it or just leased it for corporate events. It's a dim memory but I hope it might elicit a memory of its location in someone else.

Another odd tidbit that sticks in my mind is the memory of an Army-Navy surplus store off OST (I think) that had an aircraft (fuel) wing tank out visible as part of the store's sign. As a kid I always thought it was a real rocket instead of a wing tank.

Yet another unrelated memory: We drove down to the Ship Channel once to go onboard a WW II-era US Navy diesel submarine (S.S. Peto) that was on public display. Not sure how my father knew about it. Perhaps from being in the Naval Reserves.

Most of these memories are somewhat disjointed and do not pertain to Houston architecture. As buildings go, I can say the Prudential Building and its fountains sure impressed me as a kid! That was somewhat reinforced by watching Walter Cronkhite host the weekly TV documentary show "The Twentieth Century." Prudential was the sponsor I recall.

[FilioScotia]

I also recall some place in the woods (NW Houston or out in the boondocks?) where Atlantic-Richfield held a company picnic once. It had a swimming pool, picnic area, playground, and a rather large area with several parallel horseshoe pits. Don't know if A-R owned it or just leased it for corporate events. It's a dim memory but I hope it might elicit a memory of its location in someone else.

That sounds like the H and H Guest Ranch. A private facility just like you describe. Open to the general public with picnic areas and party facilities available for private events.

It's still there on Greens Road just east of JFK Blvd near Bush Intercontinental Airport. It really WAS miles from town out in the boonies in the 50s and 60s. Houston's urban sprawl has caught up and surrounded it though.

There's another place out in NW Harris County that also fits your description. It's a private recreation area owned by one of the oil companies at the intersection of Huffmeister and Spring-Cypress Road. It's for use by the company's employees and their guests. It has a golf course, clubhouse, large recreation area with all the usual amenities. It's also been there for a very long time.