Highrise Tower

Found this advertisement in the newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated April 8, 1948. So wild! There used to be a golf range located at the modern day intersection of Bissonnet and New Castle? wow!! Bissonnet Golf Range Practice Driving Open Daily 5 to 10 P.M. 4560 Old Richmond Road Between Post Oak Road and Ave. A in Bellaire.

Photograph:

Photo in 1974:

I came across this Weber's Root Beer Drive-In advertisement. Would this have been in the 1960s? Featuring: Weber's Root Beer, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, French Fries, Fried Onion Rings, Steak Sandwiches, Cold Drinks, Bar-B-Que Sandwiches The owner of this particular Weber's was H.T. Brandon. 1 block east of Hillcroft.

Goofey's Game Room On Buffalo Speedway. January 30, 1975

2nd Office Club - 5245 Buffalo Speedway April 1, 1976

Photos of the Shamrock 4 Cinemas:

I was browsing the newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated June 22, 1955 and came across this business advertisement for Jim Deal's Golf Range located at 4003 Kirby Drive. Very cool! I thought golf ranges and courses were only out in the middle of nowhere, i.e. South Main in the 1940s. Kirby Golf Range Jim Deal, P.G.A. Pro Owner - Rice Graduate 1942. Complete stock golf clubs. Expert individual and group instructions. Sand trap target greens. Kiddie golf classes and play pen. Shaded tees. Open 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. 4003 Kirby Drive - JA 8-7389. Two classes in golf, one in for beginners and one for intermediates and advance, are scheduled twice a week for three weeks on Monday and Wednesday mornings at Jim Deal's Golf Range, 4003 Kirby Drive. For further information about the program, call the Downtown Y.W.C.A. FA 3-4346.

Found this club flyer on the internet. Anyone know about this place? Can we date it? I'd say 1950s - 1970s? Act III Go Go Girls Johnny Winter's Band 6663 S. Main - JA 8-9332

Peter Pan Dude Ranch located on South Main near University. Filling Station, 6511 Main Street, 1939 https://ricehistorycorner.com/2018/05/16/filling-station-6511-main-street-1939/ 1950: George J. Linenkugel Sinclair Service Station, 6540 Main. (6511 was Bill Williams’ and later Medical Towers.). Other mentions were in 1945 and in 1938. By 1956 the Peter Pan Dude Ranch was using that address. And, in 1948, there is a mention of a gentleman who rode a bicycle from St. Louis to Houston in 18 days, looking for work. He becomes a caretaker at Peter Pan Dude Ranch, so apparently the service station and the pony ranch coexisted for a time. And the addresses are annoyingly fluid. In this 1952 image, you can see the pony track near the Rice stadium. It's in the shape of an incomplete oval off of South Main. The Southside Park Association mentions Peter Pan Dude Ranch in the success of the Southside 1950 Carnival:

I was reading the newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated April 19, 1972 and came across this awesome advertisement for Brunswick Sharpstown Lanes. Nearly a decade later, in February 7, 1980, the bowling place was called Brunswick Lanes. Anyone ever bowl here? How did it compare to the nearby Bellaire bowling lanes?

Very cool find today! I've read that trampolines were very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. From the newspaper The Bellaire Texas dated July 27, 1960: Moonlight and Cedarhurst in Westbury. Windy Jurgens & John Brynes were the instructors. In this newspaper article it mentions the address, 11902 Moonlight.

Does anyone ever go to this bar & ice house? Looks pretty cool! Found it in a local newspaper dated February 1966. Looks like they had several locations: Pirate's Cove Inn # 1 - 1435 Gessner Rd. Pirate's Cove Inn # 2 - 2413 Rice Blvd. Pirate's Cove Inn # 3 - 5821 West Airport Blvd.

Called it! Again. I knew Mattress Firm would not be able to sustain all that extra land in their campus. JLL sign spotted along South Main.

I was confused on where "Meyer's Woods" was actually located. Both of the neighborhood shopping centers (Meyerland Plaza and Meyer Park Shopping Center) both had movie theaters. Someone in this thread mentioned apartments, so I guess this would be the MPSC since there are apartments near the Walmart. The forest land of Meyer's Woods eventually became Meyer Park Shopping Center. When looking at Meyer's Woods, you can even see the original street layout before the 610 freeway expansion. Very cool!! 1962: 1978, notice the additional freeway lanes: 2023: *Bonus, I'm not sure if I ever seen the Frank Meyer mansion at 9111 South Post Oak this clear before. This was in 1962 before the freeway expansion.

I was looking around at old images of Meyerland and came across an unusual shape in the forest land prior to Meyer Park Shopping Center being built. This would have been in the early 1960s. 1962 to be exact. I never knew about this! I wonder if this is a second, not as serious, Meyer Speedway? Looks like the race track was located at the present-day Banfield Pet Hospital located at 10275 South Post Oak Road. The track could have also had a West Bellfort address as well. It was located on the corner of S. Post Oak and W. Bellfort. Given the shape of the race track, this would have been a motorcycle/motocross track? Or possibly a go-kart track? It's not an oval shape. Looking on Google, both motocross and go-kart tracks have that similar "zigzag" shape. I know there were a few dirt bike retail stores in the area. Such as Westbury Yamaha located on West Bellfort near the present-day Taco Cabana. 1953, before Meyerland/Willowbend got developed! 1962: Larger: 2023, Meyer Park Shopping Center. The track was located where the first building is, on the narrow corner at the bottom. *and wow look at all that surface parking!! I wonder if Meyerland will ever densify and build on those vacant lots? Just build a parking garage, or two and then get rid of the surface lots!

You must be speaking about the Mountain Park Speedway. According to HAIF user @jwphillips2 : I wish I could remember Mr. Jackson's first name. He owned the three 10,000 square foot warehouses behind Sakowitz and Zindlers that became the Catacombs. He was a risk taker and developed some of his other projects into the first motocross track at the patch of dirt surrounded by Richmond, S. Post Oak, and 610 West. That later became the Texas Amphitheater. __ I was looking around the neighborhood of Mountain Park and I noticed another oval track and motocross zigzag track on bounded by Richmond Ave. and McCue Rd. What's this about? Race tracks were just everywhere back in the day!! These tracks are located at the present-day Providence Uptown apartments at 3323 McCue Road and the Galleria Parc Apartments at 3363 McCue Road. Next door to the Best Buy on Richmond store. These tracks must be the real Mountain Park race tracks? Those tracks had an address of 5100/5000 Westpark, not on McQue. They were located across the freeway from each other. I'd say they are separate tracks! 1973, you can see Mountain Park on the bottom portion and the dual race tracks on the top. Close up of the oval and zigzag tracks: By 1976 the tracks were filled in with grass: 2023, with both apartment complexes:

Very interesting site! Looks like there was 2 separate race tracks in its life span. One an oval track and the other a motocross zigzag track? In 1995 you can see the amphitheater. It only stood there a few years before TxDOT took over. The 1972 motorcycle track had an address of 5100 Westpark Drive. Mountain Park had a slightly different address of 5000 Westpark Drive. From the magazine Cycle News dated 10/17/1972: MOTOCROSS, Houston MX Pk., 5100 Westpark, Houston, Tex. $5 mail, 7114 Atwell, Houston, 77036; $7.50 gate. Gate 6, prac. 7. All classes/Mini/PP. Les Lowry, 713/774-9945. From the book Houston: Your Complete Guide to Texas' Largest City dated in 1985: Mountain Park - 5000 Westpark - Southwest - 668-4300. 1973, hill/mountain: 1976, oval track: 1983, zigzag track: 1989, multiple hills: Amphitheater construction? 1995, Amphitheater: 2002, all demolished: 2023, TxDOT freeways and the HCFCD water retention project:

Philip Hoffman was the fifth president of the University of Houston, and the first chancellor of the University of Houston System. Hoffman also served as president of the Texas Medical Center from from 1981 until 1984. From the newspaper The Bellaire & Southwestern Texan dated September 15, 1965: U of H Women's Tea Will Be In President's Home The University of Houston Women's Association in having a Tea honoring the Newcomer's to the University. The Tea will be held at the home of Marry Hoffman, wife of the President, Dr. Philip Hoffman, 3612 Parkwood between the hours of 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, September 18. The committee in charge consists of Romayne McElhinney, chairman, Yvonne Owen, Claraader and Lola Dudely, with assistance from A.J. Joeman and her Newcomer Committee.

Very cool find! Apparently 60 years ago, Buffalo Speedway in River Oaks/Greenway Plaza was an industrial area filled with oil and gas and technology companies. One company is still there, Texas Crude Energy located at 2803 Buffalo Speedway. This building was across the street from the Exxon Upstream Research Company Campus at 3102 Buffalo Speedway. I'm not exactly sure which building it is on old aerials. From the magazine Geophysics dated October 1956: Houston Technical Laboratories (HTL) A subsidiary of Texas Instruments Incorporated 3609 Buffalo Speedway * Houston 6, Texas * Cable: Houlab

A few newspaper articles mentioning Westheimer's race track. The Galveston Daily News dated November 13, 1893. Fixing For The Races. This morning at Westheimer’s race track west of the city, there was some lively speeding of good stock under the saddle and in harness. It was a sort of meeting of the “talent,” and a general comparison and classification of stock in preparation for the races to be run there and the 30th instant and 1st prximo. There were several good horses on hand and within reach, and the races will be quite interesting. There were some good horsemen on hand and they will be able to make it right lively for those who get out to the races. In the party were several from abroad. The prizes that will be up will make it to the interest of owners to take a hand. The Houston Post dated September 28, 1915. Motorcycle Rider Hurt. Riding on a tryout swing of the Westheimer race track Sunday morning, Albert Granger, former police chauffeur, was hurled from his racing machine when it struct a rut and severely injured. He was in a semi-conscious condition until Monday morning. He suffered several severe gashes to his face, a wrenched shoulder and sprained left wrist. This is the second mishap Mr. Granger has had in two weeks, the first being when his motorcycle threw him on Washington avenue. The Galveston Daily News dated January 19, 1893. The pacing race to have taken place at Westheimer’s track yesterday. Mile heats, best two out of three, was postponed on account of the bad track from excessive rain. The Galveston Daily News dated July 1, 1893. A Horse Race. There was a lively race at Westheimer’s track last evening between Mamie, entered by Archie Stayton, and a sorrel horse entered by John Parker. It was a quarter dash and was one of the closest races ever run there. The mare won by less than a head, and a bout $1000 changed hands on the result. Before the race the horse was a big favorite and $100 to $40 was offered on him. A Galvestonian was there largely on the wrong horse. The Galveston Daily News dated January 14, 1893. Did Not Occur. The horse race to have taken place yesterday afternoon on the Westheimer track did not take place on account of one of the horses being out of condition. T is also understood that the race fixed to come off next Tuesday on the same track will not take place. It was to have been the best two out of three heats for $500, but one of the contestants, it is understood, has decided not to enter.

I was browsing the newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated July 30, 1958 and noticed in an article mention of Westbury Water District located at 11655 Chimney Rock Road. Looking on old images, I can definitely see a bunch of round water treatment tanks. The circular tanks were first around in 1957 and disappeared in 1973. I guess in 1973 the Chimney Rock Park and Community Center was built. Looking at present-day satellite images, in the back of the Chimney Rock Park, I can see 1 round tank and 2 cylindrical towers. I wonder if the Westbury Water Works was just downsized, remodeled, and relocated. Willow Meadows Chapel Offers Lecture Series A week long lecture series, "Operation Understanding," will be held next week under the sponsorship of Willow Meadows Baptist. The series, open to the public, will feature Dr. J.W. MacGorman of Fort Worth and will be held nightly at 7:30 p.m. at the Westbury Water District auditorium, 11655 Chimney Rock. -- 1957: 1973:

I called it! A few weeks ago I was thinking about making a posting saying this large parcel a long South Main will be sold soon. The 500-Acre TMC BioPort development is practically down the street. I knew the massive TMC project would spark interest in this land. It's prime land fronting South Main! Under Contract per Loopnet:

I was browsing the publication Orthopaedic MRI: A Teaching File Approach dated in 1990 and saw a business advertisement for Shamrock Magnetic Imaging located at 7311 South Main Street. Looking on Google Earth Desktop, there appears to have been a set of office buildings located where the vacant 7200 Main plot currently is. I assume this business was located in one of those (now demolished) office/medical buildings. Anyone have a picture of the old office buildings? Looks to have been demolished some time in between 2002 - 2009. In 2009 the buildings were not there and only the St. Nicholas School located at 1920 North Braeswood was left standing.

I was browsing the magazine Offshore dated November 1955 and came across an awesome office building located at 3815 Buffalo Speedway. Anyone know the architect? It's so simple, but so cool! New home of United Core, Inc. of Houston, is this building at 3815 Buffalo Speedway. Facilities for the company, a petroleum well logging and engineering firm, include offices, an accounting department, a production laboratory, a research laboratory, and printing and drafting rooms.