Houston In The 1960s

[JLWM8609]

I'm guessing that's probably Fifth Ward. Looks like the home is in a place where the surrounding structures and trees are being torn down. I'm guessing that this is from 1962-63 since I-45 was completed over Memorial, One City Centre is shown standing, the Tenneco building is almost complete, and the state would've been clearing out the Fifth Ward at that time to make way for the East Freeway.

Edited November 5, 2014 by JLWM8609

[FilioScotia]

I recognized two of the actors. Veteran Houston actor Jay Froman played Billy Joe's step-dad. I think that Jay and his wife Sylvia Froman have both passed on, but they were main-stays in Houston's theater community for several decades. They both had day jobs, but dedicated ALL their spare time to staging and performing in a lot of stage plays and musicals at Theater Inc., Theater Under the Stars, and Marietta Marich's Houston Music Theater.

 

The actress who played Billy Joe's mom was Chris Wilson, one of Houston's most respected actresses and acting teachers. She was with the Alley Theatre since its beginnings, has performed in dozens of plays and a few movies, and founded her own Actors Theater of Houston, which has turned out a lot of actors who went on to careers on the stage and in movies. I don't know if she's still living, but her veteran actor son Brandon Smith now runs her academy. Here's a link to more about Chris Wilson.

 

http://www.houstontheatre.com/actorstheatre.html

 

I was impressed with the professional production values of The World of Billy Joe. It brought back memories of when KUHT Channel 8 turned out solid and professional looking films for Houston TV. That hasn't been true for a long time, and probably won't ever be true again, sad to say.

 

 

Edited November 8, 2014 by FilioScotia

[FilioScotia]

deleted by poster 

 

Edited November 8, 2014 by FilioScotia

[FilioScotia]

deleted

Edited November 8, 2014 by FilioScotia

[FilioScotia]

I miswrote myself when I said in my earlier post that veteran actors Jay Froman and his wife Sylvia Froman have passed on. 

 

Jay died in 1972, but Sylvia is still with us and still performing. This past March, Bayou City Concert Musicals honored her with the Kim Hupp Award for her countless contributions to Houston musical theater. She even sang at the awards dinner where she received the honor. 

[JuliaBOldLady]

We wore dresses to the opening of the Astrodome and to shop anywhere in the city. Even up until the 1980's a person that was cultured wouldn't be caught dead walking into the Galleria -- newly opened without dressing proper. Ladies generally didn't leave the house unless makeup and clothing were presentably conservative. 

Now the culture is Wal-Mart rules, scratch the panty hose, comfort not style and who cares what happened to the finger bowls with a good set of china; which is really massed produced dinnerware from the another time. Who has time for course meals any more? Dump it and lump it back to work. 

[Propps]

Here's a couple of Class Photos from 1964 and 1966, respectively.

Rummel Creek Elementary School.

 

Our Culture was pervasive. We were all so the same!

 

 

Miss Brigg's Class.pdf

Mrs. Killough's Class.pdf

[mollusk]

Here's a couple of Class Photos from 1964 and 1966, respectively.

Rummel Creek Elementary School.

 

Our Culture was pervasive. We were all so the same!

 

Holy homogeniety, Batman... that was a nice little exercise in time travel.

 

I wish I could figure out how to scan in our 1974 Westchester class picture (for those who weren't there, 850 students, +/-, taken with a panoramic camera).  It takes white bread to a whole 'nother level.

 

Edited August 6, 2015 by mollusk

[Reefmonkey]

Here's a couple of Class Photos from 1964 and 1966, respectively.

Rummel Creek Elementary School.

 

Our Culture was pervasive. We were all so the same!

 

I don't know if you still live in the area and know this, but they tore Rummel Creek Elementary completely down and are in the process of rebuilding it on the same location. The elementary school is temporarily being run at a "transition campus" (basically a bunch of temporary buildings) in the parking lot of the old Westchester High School (now Westchester Academy for International Studies) but will be moving into the new RCE building later this school year.

[GEM]

I have ridden inside  a Mosquito Truck as it sprayed..................

[Witch King]

I have ridden inside  a Mosquito Truck as it sprayed..................

 

I drive a mosquito truck!

[Subdude]

[FilioScotia]

deleted

Edited September 29, 2015 by FilioScotia

[UtterlyUrban]

That is a very cool map! Thanks for posting......

Neiman Marcus downtown! Wow!

[FilioScotia]

Everything was still downtown in 1966. 

[Subdude]

I thought it was interesting because it was right around that time when a lot of businesses and retailers started to leave downtown.  Five years later I think downtown was a lot more vacant.

 

[IronTiger]

Interesting that Pierce and Calhoun are marked as I-45, even though they legally couldn't be (because they were surface streets).

 

Change, of course, was already underway, as Sharpstown and Gulfgate were coming in and were popular.

[UtterlyUrban]

And smith and Louisana were marked "59"

Was there ever a plan to put 59 through on that side of town?

Of course, depending on how to read the map..... The 59 and 45 marking could just denote the way "to/from" those highways.....

[cspwal]

"US 59" just means that it is US highway 59, which doesn't have a design standard - a US highway can just be a two lane road, especially in rural areas.  What I think is more interesting is the I-45 designation on those surface streets, even though they were definitely not up to Interstate standards.  Probably has to do with the fact that the Gulf freeway predates the Interstate highway system, but was added to it for I-45.

 

Where US 59 was before it was turned into a freeway all the way through Houston means that they probably put it where it is to bypass the core of downtown - I mean this map of downtown doesn't even show where US 59 is now

[IronTiger]

Well, remember, original U.S. highways were supposed to go through downtowns. Interstates were not, which is why I-45, I-10, and US-59 form a "diamond" around downtown instead of going through it (the growth of downtown-like growth since notwithstanding). This is also why small towns built along U.S. highways that were bypassed by Interstates started to whither up after the 1960s.

[ADCS]

"US 59" just means that it is US highway 59, which doesn't have a design standard - a US highway can just be a two lane road, especially in rural areas.  What I think is more interesting is the I-45 designation on those surface streets, even though they were definitely not up to Interstate standards.  Probably has to do with the fact that the Gulf freeway predates the Interstate highway system, but was added to it for I-45.

 

Where US 59 was before it was turned into a freeway all the way through Houston means that they probably put it where it is to bypass the core of downtown - I mean this map of downtown doesn't even show where US 59 is now

 

That's not where 59 was originally, though - its western branch came in through downtown on Main, and followed Main and Fannin all the way to the intersection with the 59 eastern branch and 90A at OST, then followed 90A's current route to Rosenberg.

 

https://1968d90e831cd27d2017897e0c81e9a12852eb10.googledrive.com/host/0B4gwdXQk1LyieHZHSTBqd0VJSnc/old-highway-maps/1950_humble_houston_large.jpg

 

The route here was adopted to direct traffic to the Southwest Freeway via what is now Spur 527.

[cspwal]

Oh that makes more sense

[Subdude]

The streets were numbered thus because they connected the built freeways around downtown.  It would have been useful to drivers to know how to connect between segments.

 

[Michelle C]

I know we didn't have as many freeways in Houston in the 1960's but I sure liked driving around in Houston better then than I do now. To tell the truth, I liked the whole city better then. If you were on the streets regularly you knew the streets that had the traffic problems and which ones to avoid.

[forever123]

Does anyone remember Davis Auto Parts in Houston?  It was there about 1967 I know.  I am trying to remember the owner's name.  Anyone know?

[Firebird65]

In a 1964 story in my high school's student newspaper, it mentions that two weathermen from a Houston TV station are using data from a weather station installed by the math and science club atop the school. Unfortunately, the story fails to mention which station it is. I guess because everyone in 1964 knows these guys, so it was a little unnecessary at the time, but puts me in a bind as I wasn't around then.

 

The weathermen are named Tom Evans and Chris Chandler. Anyone know which station or stations they worked for?

[57Tbird]

This post I did in an old topic should answer your question.

[Ross]

This comment

mentions KTRK, and here's a link with a Tom Evans reference at Universal Weather http://www.universalweather.com/about-us/our-history/

 Reference to Chris Chandler in the comments to this link https://bill37mccurdy.com/2010/08/21/early-houston-tv-programs-personalities/

IMDB reference for Chandler http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151335/

Picture at KPRC here

 

[Firebird65]

Thank you!

[Firebird65]

Thank you!