Memories Of Aldine

[cosmic08]

What other businesses do you remember? Do you remember Springer Oil at Gulf Bank and I-45 (now underneath that Mobil station)? I always wondered what that place was. I never saw anyone in there either, but they had this big, nasty dog out front that was never chained up and would chase you if you came walking or riding a bike past the place. He'd even run across Gulf Bank. One day I threw a glass bottle in front of him (not to hurt him, but to scare him) and when that bottle busted, he yelped and ran off. He never bothered me again! LOL!

I remember taking the family dog to a vet that ran his clinic out of his home at the intersection of Gulf Bank and Sweetwater. The home is still there, but the vet sign has been down for at least 10+ years. And, this is random, but there was a huge house off Airline near Gulf Bank that had a huge Statue of Liberty in the front yard.

[Firebird65]

I remember taking the family dog to a vet that ran his clinic out of his home at the intersection of Gulf Bank and Sweetwater. The home is still there, but the vet sign has been down for at least 10+ years. And, this is random, but there was a huge house off Airline near Gulf Bank that had a huge Statue of Liberty in the front yard.

I think that vet was the Cahill Veterinary Clinic.

I never heard of that statue of liberty. Might have been interesting to see. I generally stayed away from that area. I once went through those apartments on Airway and the ones behind the Ukranian church on Meadowshire... scary. Like entering another world.

[gonzo1976]

Speaking of the Gulf Bank area, does anyone know where the old Humble tanks used to be on U.S. 75? I'm working on an upcoming blog post that has a reference to the Humble tanks north of Houston.

I was thinking it's that Exxon facility south of I-45 and Gulf Bank today, but I wasn't sure.

[cowboybud]

Speaking of the Gulf Bank area, does anyone know where the old Humble tanks used to be on U.S. 75? I'm working on an upcoming blog post that has a reference to the Humble tanks north of Houston.

I was thinking it's that Exxon facility south of I-45 and Gulf Bank today, but I wasn't sure.

Pretty sure that's what it refers to, as Exxon used to be Humble Oil.

[fairlane77]

Nope. I remember the old blimp base. That was way up near Holzwarth, I think. I was finally able to dig out my 1953 street map.

It looks like it's where Aldine HS is today.

yes the old blimp station was up that way, it was on a triangle section of land on west side of I-45 across the freeway from where splash town is now i think there is a shoping center with a home depot there now.

Pretty sure that's what it refers to, as Exxon used to be Humble Oil.

Speaking of the Gulf Bank area, does anyone know where the old Humble tanks used to be on U.S. 75? I'm working on an upcoming blog post that has a reference to the Humble tanks north of Houston.

I was thinking it's that Exxon facility south of I-45 and Gulf Bank today, but I wasn't sure.

yes the humble oil tanks were about 1 block south and 1 block east of I-45 and Gulf bank road. they were accessed from the feeder streat if i remember correctly.

Edited October 11, 2009 by fairlane77

[fairlane77]

When I was in elementary school back in the 1980s, we had a section on Aldine/Texas history. We were given these blue books that described the various areas of the state, etc. I remember the book said the name Aldine may have come from the trains that used to stop in the area. The conductor would yell "ALL DINE" when the train pulled into the area. From there, the name Aldine came to be.

That may not be the truth, but it was taught to us schoolkids!

i asked my mom about this, she graduated from aldine high in 1955, she was a senior the year the old high school burned down, anyhow she said the same story but with a little more info.

she said that when the steam trains would pull into this station to get water for the engine and the conductor would call out all dine since they would be there a while and that the railroad eventualy named the stop as aldine. but like you said might be just a local story. i assume since they were getting water the trains were inbound to houston and that is why they needed water and probably was late in the day so supper time also.

[JWR914]

Just to add some information about the airport that was located where the "new" high school was built. If you look at the picture you can still see the marks of the grass runways. This airport was moved to the H&H Guest Ranch. The west side of the airport was taken in when they built Drummet Blvd. for access to IAH from FM525 (what we all called Aldine-Bender). By the way 525 didn't go straight through. It stopped at Luthe, you had to make a right going east and then cut back to the right and then it came to a wye at Aldine-Westfield at the High School. There you took a right and went South until you turned left (East) again in front of the Elementary. The road then continued to Lee Rd. That was Bender, well the other side of Hwy59 was Bender. You had to go down to Lee to cross 59 and then go back up North. My 1st grade teacher lived on the East Side of 59 on Aldine-Bender, which was not FM525.

My older brother and Charles Aldrich worked at both airports while in High School. We moved there in 1949 and moved when we sold the last of our land to Shell for a service station at Beltway 8 and Claypool. My folks had a knack for buying land adjacent to property earmarked for highways and bridges.

Although steam engines were still in use in 1949 they no longer stopped at Aldine junction. Water is taken on every 100 to 110 miles, it still governs a "trip" for train crews to this day. Our land was rowed from what was supposed to have been a huge peach orchard. When we dug our first septic system we found old crates and stuff about three foot under ground.

The Okabayashi farm grew almost all your common vegatables which they sold at the Farmers Market downtown. My older brother worked for them when he was about 16-17. Mrs. Okabayashi would fix them egg foo yung for breakfast. The first time he got it he came home and made it for everyone. My dad never ate anything that wasn't separate on his plate and refused to eat it. I thought it was great and ate his and mine.

Very few of the roads were paved then. Hardy was alternately paved on opposite sides as you left Houston. Airline was paved as was Shepard. Aldine-Westfield was a well. When we were 12-13 we would walk Luthe Rd. to Aldine Mailroute and catch the Hardy-Hallsite bus to town (10cents)and deliver circulars for Dinwittie's for 50 cents a hundred during the summer.

In 1949 the area was still "free range" and many folks didn't fence, but just rounded up their cattle when they had to. Everyone fenced their gardens to keep the cows out. Most of the fenced land was for the dairy people (Spences, Millsaps, Greggs, Woodson and Satterfields).

W. W. Thorne is still alive, at least the last time I talked to Bill, Jr..

James

Edited August 18, 2010 by JWR914

[Firebird65]

The Okabayashi farm grew almost all your common vegatables which they sold at the Farmers Market downtown. My older brother worked for them when he was about 16-17. Mrs. Okabayashi would fix them egg foo yung for breakfast. The first time he got it he came home and made it for everyone. My dad never ate anything that wasn't separate on his plate and refused to eat it. I thought it was great and ate his and mine.

Great story, James. Thanks for sharing it. Thought this thread had died out long ago. Nice to see some new material.

[JWR914]

I also noticed some folks wondering about Acres Homes and that area and how the lines were drawn for the district. Before integration of the schools, HISD was being sued. Part of the suit had to do with number of whites vs. blacks in various areas. The area near Waltrip was at that time in AISD, but since AISD had the Carver schools they weren't being sued. Carver at the time was brand new and had a pool which the then AISD school did not have. The two districts swapped territory to increase the white population of HISD (in that area) and AISD got territory that wasn't miles away by bus from the then high school and junior high location. They made that deal in 1957 if memory serves. City limits had nothing to do with it then and still don't.

James

[Urban Commando]

Eric Gray, QB of the 1990 National Title team, lived back there...he got shot back there one night

How could Acres Home be zoned to MacArthur and Nimitz? That's a 20 minute ride......simply pitiful how they broke that area to fill a dang quota..

I think I can answer that question, at least from the late 1970's- through the 1980's.

AISD "revamped" G.W. Carver High School in the late 70's early 80's. It became known as Aldine Contemporary Education Center. The school was unique in the area as it allowed students a certain amount of flexiblity with classes, schedules, and work load. The staff was, as you would expect, very small and were hand picked. Classes were small by urban high school standards. As a student, you really couldn't get "lost in the crowd" like the rest of Aldine's high schools. ACE's first principal was Mr. Ralph O. Norman, who later became Principal of Aldine High School.

The establishment of this program meant that the students who would normally attend Carver were dispersed out to the remaining high schools in Aldine. Transportation was provided.

Carver is now a magnet school within Aldine and the school has undergone significant changes to where it is almost unrecognizable to an original ACE student who attened since day 1 of the program. The state has placed a historical marker outside it's auditorium facing S. Victory Dr. detailing some of its history and the school's original beginnings as part of the defunct White Oak School District.

-You can sign me on this issue as one of the original students of this unique school.

[Firebird65]

I also noticed some folks wondering about Acres Homes and that area and how the lines were drawn for the district. Before integration of the schools, HISD was being sued. Part of the suit had to do with number of whites vs. blacks in various areas. The area near Waltrip was at that time in AISD, but since AISD had the Carver schools they weren't being sued. Carver at the time was brand new and had a pool which the then AISD school did not have. The two districts swapped territory to increase the white population of HISD (in that area) and AISD got territory that wasn't miles away by bus from the then high school and junior high location. They made that deal in 1957 if memory serves. City limits had nothing to do with it then and still don't.

James

Oak Forest was still part of AISD in 1958. Sometime in 1958 (and I don't have an exact date), apparently about 2,000 residents in Oak Forest complained to the Harris County School Board that Aldine wasn't doing enough for their area and they wanted out. Among their complaints were that Aldine junior and senior highs were 26 miles (that can't be right, but that's what the reports say) away, while Houston ISD schools were but a mile and a half away. On September 17, 1958, the county school board ruled for the residents and said AISD had to cede 3 square miles of Oak Forest and Langwood to HISD. AISD appealed to the state.

On April 11, 1959, the state rejected AISD's appeal and ordered they hand over Oak Forest to HISD.

One of the reasons AISD fought the measure was because Oak Forest was the richest part of the district and at the time, AISD was in serious financial trouble. A few days after the decision, the district's schools closed for two days April 16 and 17, 1959, when AISD couldn't make payroll. Oak Forest made up approximately 2 percent of the land area of AISD, but contained 17 percent of the district's revenue. So you can see why they didn't want to let it go.

The news stories say Aldine could appeal to a district court. However, seeing how the district had no money and had bigger, more pressing matters immediately at hand, I doubt they did so. All of the stories for the rest of April dealt with the school closing crisis. No mention is made of an appeal. If one happened, it must have been later.

So it would appear, unless I find information to the contrary, that AISD turned over control of Oak Forest for the 1959-1960 school year. Kathryn Smith Elementary and its faculty were part of the transfer.

[Firebird65]

There once was someone on here who wrote she was the mascot for the Aldine High School twirling troupe. I don't remember the person's name, but I do remember she said there was a photo of her as the mascot in the 1940 yearbook and she was wondering if anyone had a copy. Well, I came across a copy and here is that photo. Unfortunately, I do not know how to reach her. So... I hope she someday finds this post and if so, I am sorry I can't remember the name:

Here's a smaller version:

Edited March 21, 2011 by Firebird65

[houstonaltima]

Wow, this is some great information. I've enjoyed reading about the area I grew up in and the high school I attended. I'm 29 years old and graduated from Aldine High School in 2000. My family first moved to Hidden Valley in 1986. My parents still live there today between Bunny Run and Deer Trail. Although the neigborhood has changed a lot in the last 25 years, I think its still a pretty calm and quiet place to live.

Although I don't know Mr. W.W. Thorne personnaly, I did know that he lived down the street from me. He was very active in the neighborhood Civic Club. As far as I know he is still alive. I think he was given an award by Lone Star College (I hated the name change, still do) a month or two ago. Someone mentioned Allen Office Supplies and Printing earlier, I think they used to print the monthly Civic Club newsletter.

I attended Hidden Valley Elementary from 1986 - 1992 (K-4th), Anderson for 1992-93 (5th), Stehlik Intermediate for 1993-94 (6th), Stovall MS for 1994-96 (7th-8th), and Aldine HS for 1996-2000 (9th-12th). I know that the school was renamed a while back, but if will always be Hidden Valley to me! I remember my Elementary principals were Mr. Godwin and Ms. Serkala. I am misspelling her name but that's how it sounds.

I was in band from 6th through 12th grade. I have too many high school memories to list here, but the marching and the football games were the best. The team my freshman year was so close to playing for the state championship in 1996, but we lost to Austin Westlake in the Astrodome.

Local businesses that I can remember are: Stop & Go and the Archer Mazda at Gulf Bank and 45. The Circle K, Airline Dry Cleaners, TG&Y, Weiners, and Eckerd at West Mount Houston. There used to be a grocery store in the shopping strip where Weiners was, does anybode remember the name? For some reason the colors yellow and black come to find and that the place always smelled like fish. I also remember Furrow's and Claytons. We would ride our bikes as kids to the Diamond Samrock next to HV elementary which is now a Valero. I remeber the Fiesta across the street from Aldine HS being an Apple Tree.

We primarily shopped at Kroger (Store #159) on West Mount Houston and 45. I actually worked there from August 1997 to March 1999. There was a woman there that I think had worked there since the store first opened. Her name was Pat. She even appeared in a Kroger once due to her long years of service. I have many great memories of that Kroger and the people I met there. I was sad to see it close.

I am going to keep following this discussion. Thank you everyone for your input!

[calgofo]

Just to add some information about the airport that was located where the "new" high school was built. If you look at the picture you can still see the marks of the grass runways. This airport was moved to the H&H Guest Ranch. The west side of the airport was taken in when they built Drummet Blvd. for access to IAH from FM525 (what we all called Aldine-Bender). By the way 525 didn't go straight through. It stopped at Luthe, you had to make a right going east and then cut back to the right and then it came to a wye at Aldine-Westfield at the High School. There you took a right and went South until you turned left (East) again in front of the Elementary. The road then continued to Lee Rd. That was Bender, well the other side of Hwy59 was Bender. You had to go down to Lee to cross 59 and then go back up North. My 1st grade teacher lived on the East Side of 59 on Aldine-Bender, which was not FM525.

My older brother and Charles Aldrich worked at both airports while in High School. We moved there in 1949 and moved when we sold the last of our land to Shell for a service station at Beltway 8 and Claypool. My folks had a knack for buying land adjacent to property earmarked for highways and bridges.

Although steam engines were still in use in 1949 they no longer stopped at Aldine junction. Water is taken on every 100 to 110 miles, it still governs a "trip" for train crews to this day. Our land was rowed from what was supposed to have been a huge peach orchard. When we dug our first septic system we found old crates and stuff about three foot under ground.

The Okabayashi farm grew almost all your common vegatables which they sold at the Farmers Market downtown. My older brother worked for them when he was about 16-17. Mrs. Okabayashi would fix them egg foo yung for breakfast. The first time he got it he came home and made it for everyone. My dad never ate anything that wasn't separate on his plate and refused to eat it. I thought it was great and ate his and mine.

Very few of the roads were paved then. Hardy was alternately paved on opposite sides as you left Houston. Airline was paved as was Shepard. Aldine-Westfield was a well. When we were 12-13 we would walk Luthe Rd. to Aldine Mailroute and catch the Hardy-Hallsite bus to town (10cents)and deliver circulars for Dinwittie's for 50 cents a hundred during the summer.

In 1949 the area was still "free range" and many folks didn't fence, but just rounded up their cattle when they had to. Everyone fenced their gardens to keep the cows out. Most of the fenced land was for the dairy people (Spences, Millsaps, Greggs, Woodson and Satterfields).

W. W. Thorne is still alive, at least the last time I talked to Bill, Jr..

James

Interesting that Minoru Okabayashi was I believe interned for a short while during WWII. His son, Tommy Okabayashi served in the vaunted 442nd RCT (one of the most highly decorated of WWII).

[crooow579]

There used to be a grocery store in the shopping strip where Weiners was, does anybode remember the name? For some reason the colors yellow and black come to find and that the place always smelled like fish.

You're thinking of Price Buster Foods. The grocery store changed hands over the years and in the 1990s, Rice Food Markets bought the location and turned it into a Price Buster. It was a no-frills grocery store that had a yellow and black color scheme.

Rice opened several Price Buster Foods locations around town in the early 1990s but closed them all about 10 years later. Today, the company just has their handful of Rice Epicurean stores remaining from the dozens of stores they once had.

[Specwriter]

You're thinking of Price Buster Foods. The grocery store changed hands over the years and in the 1990s, Rice Food Markets bought the location and turned it into a Price Buster. It was a no-frills grocery store that had a yellow and black color scheme.

Rice opened several Price Buster Foods locations around town in the early 1990s but closed them all about 10 years later. Today, the company just has their handful of Rice Epicurean stores remaining from the dozens of stores they once had.

The grocery store originally in that space was a Piggly Wiggly. I'm not certain but I believe a regular Rice Food Market preceded the Price Buster. My mother was so pleased when the TG&Y opened. That meant she did not have to drive all the way to the Hancock Fabric store on North Shepherd at Pinemont to get her "sewing notions" (thread, zippers, buttons, etc.) Where the CVS is located there was previously an Eckerd's. Many Eckerd's became CVS when the latter bought the former. Before the Eckerd's there was a drug store that had a soda fountain. I believe it was called Duggan Drug. I do remember that it was a Rexall store.

My parents had their house built in Hidden Valley in 1961 and still live in it! They have been there 50 years as of last month. At that time none of the places Houstonaltima mentioned were there. I believe there might have been a U-Tote-M store on FM 149 (now State Highway 249) at U. S. Highway 75 (now Interstate 45). This would be just west of the Shell station at the southeast corner of the intersection. There was also an "ice house" across Halls Bayou; I guess near where Turney intersects the southbound frontage road now. It sold beer, of course, and "set-ups" since liquor-by-the-drink was not yet legal in Texas.

My father and Mr. Thorne know each other and speak when they meet but I wouldn't consider them close friends even though they have been neighbors for a long time. Even so, Dad would tell me if Mr. Thorne had passed away and I haven't heard such news yet.

Edited August 10, 2011 by Specwriter

[Firebird65]

The grocery store originally in that space was a Piggly Wiggly. I'm not certain but I believe a regular Rice Food Market preceded the Price Buster. My mother was so pleased when the TG&Y opened. That meant she did not have to drive all the way to the Hancock Fabric store on North Shepherd at Pinemont to get her "sewing notions" (thread, zippers, buttons, etc.) Where the CVS is located there was previously an Eckerd's. Many Eckerd's became CVS when the latter bought the former. Before the Eckerd's there was a drug store that had a soda fountain. I believe it was called Duggan Drug. I do remember that it was a Rexall store.

My parents had their house built in Hidden Valley in 1961 and still live in it! They have been there 50 years as of last month. At that time none of the places Houstonaltima mentioned were there. I believe there might have been a U-Tote-M store on FM 149 (now State Highway 249) at U. S. Highway 75 (now Interstate 45). This would be just west of the Shell station at the southeast corner of the intersection. There was also an "ice house" across Halls Bayou; I guess near where Turney intersects the southbound frontage road now. It sold beer, of course, and "set-ups" since liquor-by-the-drink was not yet legal in Texas.

My father and Mr. Thorne know each other and speak when they meet but I wouldn't consider them close friends even though they have been neighbors for a long time. Even so, Dad would tell me if Mr. Thorne had passed away and I haven't heard such news yet.

The history of the 9419 North Freeway space in the Hidden Valley Shopping Center is as follows:

Piggly Wiggly 1966 - 1973

Rice Foods #44 1973 - 1985

Price Fighter Foods 1985 - 1986 (wasn't around long)

Aaron Sells Furniture 1987 - 1993

Price Buster 1993 - ???

Family Dollar #3394 1998 - 2000

Caramba 99 Cent Store 2000 - 2004

Giant $1 2004 - present?

The history 9411 North Freeway space is as follows:

Mading-Dugan Pharmacy #10 1966 - 1970

Eckerd Drugs #336 1970 - 2004

CVS Pharmacy #6249 2004 - present

Might as well give the rest, while I'm here... LOL!

The space at 9421 North Freeway:

TG&Y 1969 - ???

The space at 9423 North Freeway:

Weiners #33 1971 - 2001

Also in the Hidden Valley Shopping Center at 9403 North Freeway:

Hidden Valley Enco (latter Exxon) 1964 - ???

Checkers Hamburgers 1993 - 1996

Sonic Drive-In 1996 - present?

It is possible this late at night that I have some of the ones in the grocery store space and the TG&Y space mixed. I'll have to look at my original notes tomorrow and I'll make corrections if needed.

The U-Tote-M was Store #83 and was located at 715 West Mount Houston (or FM 149). It opened in 1963 in a strip center behind the Shell, which opened in as Hidden Valley Shell, also in 1963.

I've done a lot of research on area retail businesses so if you'd like to know when a retail store, a gas station, a restaurant and such community things such as schools and churches opened, just let me know. I do have the name of that bar somewhere, but I'll have to look for it tomorrow too.

[Firebird65]

We primarily shopped at Kroger (Store #159) on West Mount Houston and 45. I actually worked there from August 1997 to March 1999. There was a woman there that I think had worked there since the store first opened. Her name was Pat. She even appeared in a Kroger once due to her long years of service. I have many great memories of that Kroger and the people I met there. I was sad to see it close.

I worked in that Kroger #159 from March 1983 to October 1987. Lot of fond memories there... I was sad to see it close too. I personally have known Pat since I was three years old. I remember my mom checking out in her line and me eating animal crackers there as a kid. LOL!

Funny story... when I was there, an older lady named Margie opened the store in the mornings at 7 a.m. She was the only cashier until 9, when Pat would come in. I went in there one morning on my way to school at North Harris (I worked evenings) and I noticed Margie signed on with a passcode of... ta-da!... 1-2-3. The very thing they tell you not to use. Well, I already knew her checker ID number, so an evil thought ran through my brain.

One night when I was the closing checker and no customers were around, I secretly signed on using Margie's ID and passcode. Then I changed her passcode, logged off, and signed back on as me. The next morning, I made sure I was the first customer in the door at 7 a.m. when the store opened. I got a pack of gum and was the first in line as Margie went to open her register. Well, she couldn't log on the checkstand as what she thought was her passcode (1-2-3) would not work (I had changed it!). Margie tried several times to log on, each time becoming more frustrated. I was turning red trying to hold back the giggles. There would be no one in the courtesy booth until 7:30 a.m. and the line was starting to back up. Finally, exasperated, ol' Margie just sat down on the register totally unable to do anything. Classic! No one ever knew what I had done... good thing too. LOL!

[Specwriter]

The U-Tote-M was Store #83 and was located at 715 West Mount Houston (or FM 149). It opened in 1963 in a strip center behind the Shell, which opened in as Hidden Valley Shell, also in 1963.

I've done a lot of research on area retail businesses so if you'd like to know when a retail store, a gas station, a restaurant and such community things such as schools and churches opened, just let me know. I do have the name of that bar somewhere, but I'll have to look for it tomorrow too.

Firebird, everything you've said is just as I remember it. Thanks for your efforts on all the history of the Aldine area. At some point a free-standing Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant was built between the little strip center containing the U-Tote-M and the first house on Sunnywood in Hidden Valley. At first I thougth that was kind of neat because my mother would never fry chicken at home after a little grease fire incident one Friday night when she was preparing some filleted fish for dinner. It didn't take long for me, however, to become a little nauseated when, on the rare times the wind came from the east, the whole neighborhood smelled like fried chicken.

I love the smell and taste of good food before and when I am eating but, after I finish my meal, I don't want to smell it anymore.

[youbetcha]

Firebird, everything you've said is just as I remember it. Thanks for your efforts on all the history of the Aldine area. At some point a free-standing Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant was built between the little strip center containing the U-Tote-M and the first house on Sunnywood in Hidden Valley. At first I thougth that was kind of neat because my mother would never fry chicken at home after a little grease fire incident one Friday night when she was preparing some filleted fish for dinner. It didn't take long for me, however, to become a little nauseated when, on the rare times the wind came from the east, the whole neighborhood smelled like fried chicken.

I love the smell and taste of good food before and when I am eating but, after I finish my meal, I don't want to smell it anymore.

I have to give Firebird65 props here. He has done miles and miles of research on this area and the Aldine Mustangs football team and makes it available to those interested, for nothing (free). This is high quality stuff. I have printed it off and bound it. Just for fun I looked up the KFC restaurant mentioned and quickly found it was opened in 1974 at 739 W Mt Houston. You're missing out if you don't take him up on his offer to e-mail you a copy. Thanks Firebird65.

[Firebird65]

It didn't take long for me, however, to become a little nauseated when, on the rare times the wind came from the east, the whole neighborhood smelled like fried chicken.

I lived in Northline Terrace, but sometimes I'd ride my bike through Hidden Valley as a kid and yeah, the smell could get pretty strong. Wasn't like a Channelview or Pasadena kind of smell, but even fried chicken can be overpowering if the wind is right.

[Firebird65]

I have to give Firebird65 props here. He has done miles and miles of research on this area and the Aldine Mustangs football team and makes it available to those interested, for nothing (free). This is high quality stuff. I have printed it off and bound it. Just for fun I looked up the KFC restaurant mentioned and quickly found it was opened in 1974 at 739 W Mt Houston. You're missing out if you don't take him up on his offer to e-mail you a copy. Thanks Firebird65.

Thanks youbetcha! Yeah, anyone who wants one, it's free for the asking. Haven't updated that area history in about three years. It's just too hard to do living on the westside. Too much going on in the area now. But even missing the last three years, it's still a good read.

[littlebunny]

Firebird that was just mean, but it was really funny. I worked as a cashier for Kroger for a long time. (not the Mount Houston store though) Poor Margie should have just made you get on that register on your own checker number and put you to work!!!! I have a question for you, my dad worked at the Fina station on Airline at West Mount Houston when I was growing up. I believe it closed down in 1978 or 79, and my dad opened up a tire shop at 9020 Airline, right next to The Fairway food store. What I am wondering is how long the Fina station was at that location before it closed down. I remember being up there with my dad on summer evenings and dad letting us pump gas when I was in Jr high school, so it must have been 1974 or 75. Mom and dad or both gone now, so I can't ask them. Any help would be appreciated.

[Firebird65]

Firebird that was just mean, but it was really funny. I worked as a cashier for Kroger for a long time. (not the Mount Houston store though) Poor Margie should have just made you get on that register on your own checker number and put you to work!!!! I have a question for you, my dad worked at the Fina station on Airline at West Mount Houston when I was growing up. I believe it closed down in 1978 or 79, and my dad opened up a tire shop at 9020 Airline, right next to The Fairway food store. What I am wondering is how long the Fina station was at that location before it closed down. I remember being up there with my dad on summer evenings and dad letting us pump gas when I was in Jr high school, so it must have been 1974 or 75. Mom and dad or both gone now, so I can't ask them. Any help would be appreciated.

The Airline Fina #1 opened in 1968 at 9601 Airline just north of West Mount Houston. I don't know when it became a Chevron, but your timeframe sounds about right.

[littlebunny]

Thanks so much Firebird. I bet dad was working there pretty much when it first opened. I was born and raised in Aldine and now raising my kids here, so I really appreciated all the early history of it. I have seen it go through alot of changes, some good and some bad. But the school system is still great and as long as these teachers continue to push these kids to learn just as hard as I do, I will be staying here. By the way, nice name, my first car was a 74 Firebird, and they sure don't make them like that anymore!!!!

[Marcia Gruver]

I'm very late to this topic, but I would love to have the research if it is still available. I grew up on Raymac Road and walked to Inez Carroll 1st through until I went to Stovall the first year it opened. I love reading all this information about where I grew up, and I would love to have the research papers if they are still available. Thanks!

Also, I'm unable to open any of the attached maps or pictures. Anyone know why? And was there another thread started on this discussion?

Edited August 24, 2016 by Marcia Gruver

[Firebird65]

On 8/24/2016 at 10:05 AM, Marcia Gruver said:

I'm very late to this topic, but I would love to have the research if it is still available.

 

Hard to believe it's been FIVE YEARS since there's been a post in this thread. How time flies.

 

Welcome... better late than never, I suppose.

 

I am the one who did the research. I no longer send out the report for various reasons we won't get into here. If you are interested in the history of Aldine High School, I did put at least some of it on Wikipedia. Here is the Aldine High School Wikipedia page:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldine_High_School

 

Not sure when or if you'll be reading this, but if you are anyone else coming across this, I'm posting on Sep. 9. Tomorrow (Sep. 10) is the 60th anniversary of the opening of Aldine High's current campus on Airline at West Rd.

 

On 8/24/2016 at 10:05 AM, Marcia Gruver said:

Also, I'm unable to open any of the attached maps or pictures. Anyone know why? And was there another thread started on this discussion?

 

The reason you can't see any of the maps or pictures is because the website that hosted them put an expiration date on them. Kinda stupid, if you ask me. Now, fortunately, you can attach things directly to a post. Back when this thread was created, 10 years ago, that was not possible.

 

Yes, there was/is another thread about Aldine on here. That one is specifically about the schools whereas this one tended to be more about the area. I doubt there's been a post there in five years either. 

 

[Materene]

On 9/9/2016 at 7:58 PM, Firebird65 said:

 

Hard to believe it's been FIVE YEARS since there's been a post in this thread. How time flies.

 

Welcome... better late than never, I suppose.

 

I am the one who did the research. I no longer send out the report for various reasons we won't get into here. If you are interested in the history of Aldine High School, I did put at least some of it on Wikipedia. Here is the Aldine High School Wikipedia page:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldine_High_School

 

Not sure when or if you'll be reading this, but if you are anyone else coming across this, I'm posting on Sep. 9. Tomorrow (Sep. 10) is the 60th anniversary of the opening of Aldine High's current campus on Airline at West Rd.

 

 

The reason you can't see any of the maps or pictures is because the website that hosted them put an expiration date on them. Kinda stupid, if you ask me. Now, fortunately, you can attach things directly to a post. Back when this thread was created, 10 years ago, that was not possible.

 

Yes, there was/is another thread about Aldine on here. That one is specifically about the schools whereas this one tended to be more about the area. I doubt there's been a post there in five years either. 

 

I  don't know how old you are Firebird65, do you by chance remember the old dirt track that was named North Houston Speedway, it was a little 1/4 mile dirt track surrounded by pastures and had wooden bleachers ..   Every Saturday evening we were there when I was around 6.  There were stand vendors selling bottled beer and would walk up and down the bleachers hollering "Cold Beer", they would open the bottle and pour it into a wax cup of the day and stick the empty back into a second pail they were carrying.  I had a good friend who passed away in 08 and he had worked for the new airport authority and he said that the old track was still there on airport property and you could still make out the track,  sure nuff a couple years ago I looked at google earth and there was definitely a race track outline on the recent update of google,  things change so much now I have no idea if it is still visible.  I'm sure one day they will expand and it will be bull dozed into non existence.   I spent my entire young life there on the north side and later the heights.  When I was born the family lived I think on Doverside just off Berry Rd .  Many years later I lived on the corner of Gears Rd and Stubner Airline and of course Gears was renamed several times since 72.  There is a strip mall located on that corner now and that is where I was living  then.  

[Firebird65]

No real action on this thread in quite awhile. But in case anyone does happen to wander in here, I can give an update for anyone interested.

 

Aldine ISD is in the process of building what it calls the Aldine Heritage Museum, dedicated to the history of AISD schools and of the Aldine area. I was a small part of this project as items were being collected. I have seen pretty much everything related to Aldine High School that has been assembled. As a result, I have a pretty thorough history of the school which has enabled me to answer pretty much all of the questions posed in this thread starting a decade ago. I have donated copies of my finished books on the history of Aldine High and the Mustang football team to the museum. There's far too much to post here, but if anyone who used to post or comes across the thread now that it has been bumped up has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

 

I've no idea when or if this museum will ever actually get off the ground. I'm no longer involved. But I do now quite a bit of really good stuff was donated. I hope they do ultimately build it. If I learn any more, I'll be sure to post it here.

[joubles15]

Does anyone remember Duiett's truck stop on I-45?  It was on the east side of 1-45 right as the freeway bent around Steubner Airline.