Historic Houston Images

[brucesw]

Yes, looks like Main Street, looking north from approximately where the Audrey Jones Beck building is now located (the "new" MFAH building.)

The "Street with traffic" picture appears to be Allen Parkway, coming into downtown.

Memorial Drive. I remember reading something on the history of Otto's on Memorial when I was there - when they opened in 1950, Memorial was still a dirt road. That looks like too primitive a roadway to be West Gray at that time (and there would have been development along the street, not trees) and surely the street in front of the Sear's store on Buffalo Drive was more improved than that 17 years after it originally opened. The dip in the background would be about where the Police Memorial is off to the left, I think.

BTW, great pics, tmariar, thanks for the post.

Edited November 21, 2008 by brucesw

[brucesw]

Some notes from my research:

October 17, 1946, Houston Press, p. 5 noted the October 21 issue of Life would feature Houston. I remember I wanted to see if I could find a copy of the mag to see what it said but I never got around to it. I wonder how many of these pics made it into the mag and what the text said.

October 3, 1946 - Houston Press, p. 1 - the Saturday Evening Post in a feature article predicted Houston would be the 4th largest city in the nation by 1950! We were 21st in 1940. I wondered if that was a typo in the Press?

Chronicle - Continental Bus Station @ 300 Travis, formerly City Hall - a fire on 4/20/46. I think the company was Bowen Trailways which became a part of the Continental Trailways system..

[gnu]

Memorial Drive. I remember reading something on the history of Otto's on Memorial when I was there - when they opened in 1950, Memorial was still a dirt road. That looks like too primitive a roadway to be West Gray at that time (and there would have been development along the street, not trees) and surely the street in front of the Sear's store on Buffalo Drive was more improved than that 17 years after it originally opened. The dip in the background would be about where the Police Memorial is off to the left, I think.

BTW, great pics, tmariar, thanks for the post.

you are probably right about being too primitive for w.gray

after looking at THIS picture..i think it Buffalo drive/Allen Pkwy...maybe that part just past the Sabine bridge in the background

Edited November 21, 2008 by gnu

[tmariar]

where and when was there a monorail in houston? i have lived here almost all my life and i don't recall seeing one.

Here is a short piece about Arrowhead Park (on Old Spanish Trail) and the monorail prototype.

Anyone know what the roller coaster is in the background of this monorail shot?

October 17, 1946, Houston Press, p. 5 noted the October 21 issue of Life would feature Houston. I remember I wanted to see if I could find a copy of the mag to see what it said but I never got around to it. I wonder how many of these pics made it into the mag and what the text said.

In the years for which I saw photos of Houston, they were generally on a particular subject. The article in 1946 must have been just a general article about Houston, though, as there were many 1946 photos taken by the same photographer, but of different things around town.

[tmariar]

Here's another 1946 aerial of downtown to complement the one above.

And another.

Another.

A photo of the intersection of Main and McKinney. The empty lot is where the First Presbyterian church (in the background in this Carnegie Library postcard) had stood - it was destroyed by fire in 1932.

A shot looking over the Foley Bros. construction site, and up the 1100 block toward the bayou.

Area around Sam Houston statue.

Area around the (then) new Navy Hospital.

Another 1946 aerial, of a subdivision I can't identify.

Ditto.

Unidentified street/houses.

House/insurance company.

Stretch of ship channel with some residential.

There are a bunch more than what I've posted here, so y'all should look for yourselves. There are so many different random shots - like Jesse Jones and Glenn McCarthy playing cards - the scope is nearly as broad as the Bob Bailey collection.

i think it's playland park shown here

Thanks. That was my guess, but others know way more about Playland Park than I do.

Edited November 21, 2008 by tmariar

[NenaE]

i think it's playland park shown here

I agree with Musicman, Playland Park. Saw a previous article about the monorail, was south of Astrodome area.

One subdivision pic, tmariar, was Pecan Park, gnu identified it, already.

Edited November 21, 2008 by NenaE

[musicman]

Stretch of ship channel with some residential.

looks like the turning basin by hidalgo park which looks to be right center. and lower left would be where wayside overpass is currently.

Edited November 21, 2008 by musicman

[tmariar]

One subdivision pic, tmariar, was Pecan Park, gnu identified it, already.

Thanks! Sorry gnu - just missed that.

[travelguy_73]

Is there where Minute Maid Park is now? Perhaps taken from downtown looking past what is now the 59 elevated and toward Navigation?

Bus Station

[toadfroggy]

Wasn't there also, for a brief time, a monorail at Hobby Airport?

[musicman]

Is there where Minute Maid Park is now? Perhaps taken from downtown looking past what is now the 59 elevated and toward Navigation?

Bus Station

that's where market square park is now. you can actually see the building where la carafe is now

[Vertigo58]

That was a rush!

I am guessing the neighborhood is a birds eye view of either River Oaks or Macgregor Place

The big 2 level house with the numerous dormers should be a clue.

[NenaE]

This pic shows that Todd Co.(right bottom corner) in one of those house pics on your list...http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?img...l%3Den%26sa%3DN

Can't tell if it's the same location.

But what a great pic, with all the businesses.

Edited November 21, 2008 by NenaE

[gnu]

found these addresses out of an old phone book

1226 W. Gray

Todd Decorationg

street/houses.

3400 Montrose

Southern Insurance co.

House/insurance company

Edited November 21, 2008 by gnu

[tmariar]

found these addresses out of an old phone book

Cool!

[musicman]

Musicman can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the little barber shop just to the right of the main building as you're looking at it in the photo is the building that now houses La Carafe. The 1949 city directory listed a barber shop at that address.

rosalie's barber shop is what it looks like.

[e streeter]

arrowhead park near main and OST in 56, but only for less than a yr.

thanks for the info. it was there before i was born. i asked my dad and he remembers it. he said he can't understand why they didn't pursue it and build it out. that was when houston was forward thinking and innovative, unlike now a major metropolitan area without a decent light rail system like atlanta, san francisco, denver, salt lake, dallas.

[musicman]

unlike now a major metropolitan area without a decent light rail system like atlanta, san francisco, denver, salt lake, dallas.

not sure i'd call all those decent.

[dbigtex56]

The "Street with traffic" picture appears to be Allen Parkway, coming into downtown.

I think its West Gray instead of Allen Parkway - comparing it to where City Hall is.

West Gray is approximately 11 blocks from City Hall, at its closest point.

[gnu]

West Gray is approximately 11 blocks from City Hall, at its closest point.

oops...i just realized my typo...i meant West DALLAS! duh!

anyways.. after seeing this picture i think changed my mind to allen pkwy too

you are probably right about being too primitive for w.gray (meant DALLAS - sorry)

after looking at THIS picture..i think it Buffalo drive/Allen Pkwy...maybe that part just past the Sabine bridge in the background

Edited November 25, 2008 by gnu

[MadMax]

Anyone know where that Christie's Seafood was?? That's not Westheimer, is it??

[rsb320]

Anyone know where that Christie's Seafood was?? That's not Westheimer, is it??

Wasn't it on Westheimer, near Fountainview. I think in a building that later became Mama's or some diner type place.

[MadMax]

Wasn't it on Westheimer, near Fountainview. I think in a building that later became Mama's or some diner type place.

Actually there is still a Christie's at that location. I guess what I'm asking is.....is that the same location as in this old picture? If so, it's an interesting look at what Westheimer looked like.

[Dub]

Actually there is still a Christie's at that location. I guess what I'm asking is.....is that the same location as in this old picture? If so, it's an interesting look at what Westheimer looked like.

When i moved to Houston back in '68, I seem to remember a Christie's somewhere along South Main around the Holcumbe (sp?) area?

Edited November 25, 2008 by Dub

[brucesw]

When i moved to Houston back in '68, I seem to remember a Christie's somewhere along South Main around the Holcumbe (sp?) area?

Christie's history

Somewhere on one of the threads about defunct restaurants or Main Street here on HAIF there is an exact address and an aerial view but I believe the Med Center location referred to in 1939 was right at Main and Holcombe.

There was also a Christies on Bellaire at Rampart but I understand that was not actually the same people.

[plumber2]

Actually there is still a Christie's at that location. I guess what I'm asking is.....is that the same location as in this old picture? If so, it's an interesting look at what Westheimer looked like.

Westheimer was a two lane black top road with deep ditches along both sides at least until the mid 1960's, so there was no street scene like this back then, just empty land.

The Christie's location shown in the Life photo is definently South Main. The street light pole gives it away. In fact there is one of these street light poles still standing, on Main Street in front of the Baylor Clinic Building. The lamp has been retrofitted with a modern "cobra head" fixture but the pole is exactly the same as shown in the Christie's photo. If you walk across the level two crosswalk going from O'Quinn Tower to the Baylor Clinic it will be on your left just outside the window as you cross on to the west side of the street. I saw it yesterday.

[Dan the Man]

Is the Christie's photo looking North or South on Main? What is the nearest cross street? I don't recognize anything in the photo that would provide me with a visual reference, but then again, it may all be gone.

[Subdude]

Is the Christie's photo looking North or South on Main? What is the nearest cross street? I don't recognize anything in the photo that would provide me with a visual reference, but then again, it may all be gone.

Christies was at 6703 South Main, a bit north of Holcombe.

[plumber2]

Christies was at 6703 South Main, a bit north of Holcombe.

About were the present TMH/TWU parking garage is.

[20sGirl]

I'm coming to this thread a little late in the game but thank you for posting that beautiful photo of Market Square. Why why why did they tear this down?? It's pretty neat to see it in context to where La Carafe is today.