Memories Of Downtown

[TJones]

Heeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyy, wait a second here ! Where are all the christmas lights ? They are probably gonna blaim all the missing lights on George Bush also.

[TJones]

JB, I have some bad news, that is definately a 1960 Olds 98, I dug up a few searches on ebay, and got some really good views and matched em up to your Dad's pic. That car is without a doubt a 1960 model. 1958, it would have still had small fins on top of those tail lights, and 59 as well, but the reverse lights, are not the same on the bottom, and the fins are gone off of that car. I promise I'm not trying to argue with anyone, I just know you are probably chronicling all those photos I'd bet, and I know you want them right.

[nmainguy]

Heeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyy, wait a second here ! Where are all the christmas lights ? They are probably gonna blaim all the missing lights on George Bush also.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

TJones:

Nah. I wouldn't "blaim" the missing lights on President Bush.

I might, however, "blaim" the incredible incompetence in spelling so many of the Bush supporters in these forums display on Bush's dumbing down of our educational system.

I mean, can you "blaim" me?

[jb4647]

JB, I have some bad news, that is definately a 1960 Olds 98, I dug up a few searches on ebay, and got some really good views and matched em up to your Dad's pic. That car is without a doubt a 1960 model. 1958, it would have still had  small fins on top of those tail lights, and 59 as well, but the reverse lights, are not the same on the bottom, and the fins are gone off of that car. I promise I'm not trying to argue with anyone, I just know you are probably chronicling all those photos I'd bet, and I know you want them right.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But if you look at the same set of slides from above, there is a Billboard in the photo of the old Humble Oil Building with an ad for a 1959 Buick. In the same cube of slides is a photo of my Grandfather and his mother. She died in the sprint of 1959.

[nmainguy]

Here's an ebay listing for a '59 98. You guys hash it out but it doesn't look exactly like the one in the slide-but hey, what do I know? [this is what I love about these forums IMO]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Oldsmobile-...1QQcmdZViewItem

[TJones]

TJones:

Nah. I wouldn't "blaim" the missing lights on President Bush.

I might, however, "blaim" the incredible incompetence in spelling so many of the Bush supporters in these forums display on Bush's dumbing down of our educational system.

I mean, can you "blaim" me?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"D'oh!", damn spellcheck broke again. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts you looked at your post for about an hour before putting it up there, just to make sure your spelling was right.

[TJones]

But if you look at the same set of slides from above, there is a Billboard in the photo of the old Humble Oil Building with an ad for a 1959 Buick.  In the same cube of slides is a photo of my Grandfather and his mother.  She died in the sprint of 1959.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I saw that picture also, that is indeed a '59 Buick in that ad. I double checked though, (like I should have done my spelling for some people.)That car in the Christmas photo is a 1960 Oldsmobile.There is one being sold on ebay right now, and I looked around for some archive photos on the web, they all match up. Perhaps he had arranged the photos for all the pictures he had taken of downtown, or maybe just those few were misplaced. I'm sorry JB, none of this stuff really matters about when the pic was taken, what matters to me is that all these pictures he took are just simply spectacular. If you love this city of ours, seeing some of the photos just brings back some wonderful memories. I am enjoying every single one of them.

[EastEnd Susan]

The 1958 Christmas pics are great. Thank you so much. I was 21 months old when these were taken and mom had probably taken me to that very same Battelsteins that very same years. Thanks again.

[editor]

Wow. Pan Am is gone. And who knew Lane Bryant was so old?

[nmainguy]

Wow. Pan Am is gone. And who knew Lane Bryant was so old?

..and who knew editor was so young!

[EastEnd Susan]

My mom is trying to find out the name of a building she worked in downtown in the 60's. She said the building was very close to 2016 main building on the outskirts of downtown and at lunchtime she would catch the bus for a 10 minute ride to Foley's. She says it was a tall office building and when she looked down she could see a very nice pool area at a motel across the street. Thanks in advance.

[sevfiv]

sounds like it could be central square...it is located on milam between webster and gray

[EastEnd Susan]

sounds like it could be central square...it is located on milam between webster and gray

Thanks sevfiv, that has to be it. I looked on some aerial photos and she would have been looking down on the pool at 2016 Main.

Mom said she would call the building next door and ask for the pool area and ask to speak to a certain guy she could see, like.. the guy in the red trunks with the black hair. They would give him the phone and she would tell him he needed to turn over because he was getting too red. The poor guy would look all around to see who was watching him but of course he never could find my mom. Shes 75 now and still laughs about this. Thanks again

[sevfiv]

no problem

here is an older discussion on the building

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...hp?showtopic=90

[Ashikaga]

Thank you for that bit of information. It added depth and clarity to the debate.

You're welcome!

[WesternGulf]

Dec. 23, 2005, 11:02PM

RETAIL

The Foley's tradition

Holiday memories abound as Houston icon is set to become Macy's

By DAVID KAPLAN

Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

TODAY marks the end of a more than a century-long tradition: Christmas shopping at Foley's.

The fact that Foley's will become Macy's in the fall of next year means little to some people. Others might even welcome it, being able to shop in familiar stores with a new name and perhaps a different personality.

Read More: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/3546090.html

[editor]

Very timely. Thanks.

[TJones]

Very timely. Thanks.

My memory of Foley's for Christmas dates back to 1987. Mickey Mouse gear had just come out, and was super hot. I got a Mickey varsity jacket from there, it was exclusive for downtown, and I was able to get the only 2X to be had at that time, I also got the Swatch Limelight watch from there that year, one of the best Christmases ever for me.

[rps324]

Wasn't the downtown Foley's originally 10 floors of retail? I thought I had read once that they shut the upper 4 floors for office space. I wonder if Macy's will keep that arrangement or reopen some of the additional floors to retail.

[editor]

I remember reading once that some of the upper floors were eventually converted into a few exceptionally expensive apartments for executives working downtown. I don't know if they're still that way or not. If they are, I wonder what will happen to them.

[editor]

I just had a thought about all those people with Foley's cards: I wonder if they'll get to keep them.

When Macy's bought Bamberger's in New York in the 1970's, they continued to honor the old Bamberger's cards; which was funny because Bams used a non-standard shape for their cards, and they didn't have a magnetic stripe or anything. To this day my mother still uses her old Bamberger's card at Macy's and unless she goes to a sales clerk in New York who's over 60 she is always challenged by the checkout person saying they can't take her card. Eventually she convinces them to just try it, and to their amazement the transaction goes through. It's really quite humorous if you're the sort of person who enjoys being a smartypants.

So, imagine going into Macy's five years from now when there's a new crop of kids behind the counter and showing them your Foley's card. You might have an easier time paying with two dollar bills.

[Alpha]

Here are the pictures again

1940 Main at Lamar

1994 Main at Lamar

1940 Main at McKinney

1994 Main at McKinney

1940 Main at Walker

1994 Main at Walker

1940 Main at Rusk

1994 Main at Rusk

1940 Main at Capitol

1994 Main at Capitol

[CE_ugh]

Im just as astonished at the difference 12 years makes.

What replaced the Woolworth's building. I use that building tunnel entrance when I get off the train but I never even bothered to look at what building I was walking into. It's not 1001 McKinnely

[Subdude]

Im just as astonished at the difference 12 years makes.

What replaced the Woolworth's building. I use that building tunnel entrance when I get off the train but I never even bothered to look at what building I was walking into. It's not 1001 McKinnely

It is a parking garage with some shops on street level.

Great photos btw. "Then and now" shots are always interesting.

[TheNiche]

In 1994, we decided to travel the same route and take pictures at the same intersections.

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I prefer Main Street's aesthetic before LRT. Now, it just kind of seems cluttered.

[editor]

There was a Jack In The Box downtown?!? That would have been great.

[gonzo1976]

There was a Jack In The Box downtown?!? That would have been great.

Heh. My friends and I used to avoid that one and just go to one outside downtown.

[Montrose1100]

How Electric Houston looked back then (both in 1940 & 1994).

[WesternGulf]

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I prefer Main Street's aesthetic before LRT. Now, it just kind of seems cluttered.

I agree. This area look better 12 years ago.

Interesting photos Alpha.

[KinkaidAlum]

Trust me, it wasn't better.

I worked for the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program located at 806 Main Street right after college (1993) until I went to grad school in 1995.

The streets were very sketch. The old Rice Hotel, which I had to walk by daily on the way to the courts, was literally a public urinal. During the hotter months, it STUNK badly.

The Jack in the Box was beyond nasty and I used to love me some drunken monster tacos at 3 a.m. back in the day. You wanted to shower if you touched anything there.

The Woolworth's was a cool building. Wish that could have been saved and turned into something nice.

Oh, and I am not sure when these 1994 photos were taken, but I don't ever seem to recall a time when bus fumes weren't completely fouling the air. At 5 p.m., the commuter buses would be lined up and running for blocks it seemed.