Memories Of The Heights

[tmariar]

The Masons lodge (I assume now former Masons lodge) in Woodland Heights is on the southeast corner of Morrison and Byrne, so you were definitely in the right general area, assuming the beer garden or ice house was indeed in the backyard of the Masons lodge. It's probably the building you thought looked like a church or office. It's right there on the corner, but faces Byrne, not Morrison. It's got a nice stone exterior, and I think a striped awning in front.

Don't know if that helps. I hope someone remembers the place - it sounds interesting!

Edit: Now that I think more about it, I wonder if the lodge was still open at the time, and it was just a Masons event - or a regular Masons get together. I say that because some people still think of the Masons as a "secret" society. You'd know better from the conversation you had with your friend. I wonder if the lodge was still open at the time. Maybe someone else knows.

Edit #2: Found out that the building was built by the Woodland Masonic Lodge #1157, in 1922. The lodge has since moved to a new location. Here are some photos. And one from further away:

Edited May 20, 2009 by tmariar

[Heights2Bastrop]

Anyone have this book yet? My mom got one for Christmas. It’s pretty interesting, and full if photos, some of which I have never seen before. One in particular is of a young woman who was a dancer, who is in costume and barefoot, lying prone, and looking very seductive. She gave up dancing and went into the family business – banking. You’d never guess who it was.

The book was written by Mary Sloan and the Houston Heights Association, and can be purchased from them. I highly recommend the book, especially if you’re an ol’ Heights boy like I am.

[Tiko]

Anne Sloan, I think. The book and a companion postcard set are available at Walgreen's on 20th.

[Heights2Bastrop]

Anne, yes. My mistake,

[24zulu]

Anne, yes. My mistake,

Is this a new book? I'll have to get a copy to see who the seductive banker is ... most of them I know are anything but...

[Tiko]

Anne, yes. My mistake,

Sorry, not trying to be pedantic, she's just fairly well known in the neighborhood and thought it might be a draw for some people. Do you have any pics from your childhood of the neighborhood, H2B? That would be interesting...

[Heights2Bastrop]

Tiko, I was looking directly at the name from the HHA website, yet still manager to get the name wrong in the post. I am long in the tooth, and short in the attention span.

I do have photos from in the Heights area, but none that would be "of the Heights", exactly. All of my Heights snapshots are of the mental variety. Lotsa great images there.

[Rusty_S]

I have been here for a while and havent made many posts. I have how ever pretty much filled up a 4GB flash drive with mostly photos of just Houston. Also got photos of freeways throughout texas from different years. But atlast I still dont have photos I would like to have so this is my list of photos I am seeking.

1. Photo of the fuel station in the heights at 1402 Oxford St. Door decal from 79 says the station was "Harley R. Weyand Gulf" and I have a fairly current photo before the building was torn down (thats what I heard) but I am wondering if there was any photos of the same station taken in the 1950`s or possbily early 1960`s when it was still open?

2. Any photo taken in the heights during 1956 - 1965. Prefer photos that shows vehicles in the shots.

3. Any photos of Ivy Russell Ford Yale & 11th street. I have a photo taken in 1958 but if anyone has any photos of the building that I dont have or have photos of the interior of the building taken in the 1950`s or 1960`s I would like for them to be passed on.

These two photos are in relation to #1 and #3.

#1 this is the gas and service station I am seeking photos of taken during the 1950 - 1965 before becoming abandoned

#2, this is the photo of Ivy Russel I have, I would like to see other photos if they exsist other than this one both interior and exterior preferably 1950`s - 1960`s

Might be alittle much to ask for specific photos but I figured might as well ask maybe someone out there just happens have one of the photos I am looking for or know where they can be found at. In any case thanks in advance.

[Heights2Bastrop]

I just saw a photo of the gas station yesterday, but I can't find it now. It's a pretty "famous" photo, so it should be easy to find. It's a photo of Squatty Lyons in his football uniform standing on the football field behind the Reagan school building. Behind him is the gas station.

I always loved that old station, even though it was past its time of serving gas by the time I got to Reagan. Sorry to hear it's gone.

[24zulu]

I just saw a photo of the gas station yesterday, but I can't find it now. It's a pretty "famous" photo, so it should be easy to find. It's a photo of Squatty Lyons in his football uniform standing on the football field behind the Reagan school building. Behind him is the gas station.

I always loved that old station, even though it was past its time of serving gas by the time I got to Reagan. Sorry to hear it's gone.

Wasn't this gas station Mr. Remmert's car repair in the late 1950's? It sure looks like it.

[Rusty_S]

Wasn't this gas station Mr. Remmert's car repair in the late 1950's? It sure looks like it.

I hear in the 50`s it was owned by a german named Shauer (belive thats the correct spelling). I also hear it was a Gulf station and then a sinclair station.

As far as I know the only proof I have is of a door service sticker the the address saying "Harley R. Weyand Gulf"

How ever, I will try to look for that photo. I have a idea of how everything looked from description but seeing in a photo would be better. I hear there was a garage off to the right (when facing the station) that was used by Shauer to repair cars and that the "garage" is seen to the right in the photo. To be honest it looks alittle small to be a garage but this is what I am hearing from family that was here in the 50`s and 60`s.

The only history I know of the station is that my grandfather who lived in the heights took his 56 fairlane to get gas there all the time and as evident by the door sticker most likely had service done there alot. But I hear he also took the car to bobs on Yale street.

Any luck though I have been throwing around an idea for a building I was going to have built later on, on some property I have and try to recreate that fuel station (just the islands and the overhang not the whole building).

Story I hear is that in the photo I posted those houses with for sale signs were all sold including this old station and was all bulldozed down to make way for town homes all on that corner.

[Hanuman]

Wasn't this gas station Mr. Remmert's car repair in the late 1950's? It sure looks like it.

Remmert's Garage was on the side of the gas station where he repaired cars. I believe he co-leased it ??

[tmariar]

I think the filling station came up once in another thread. In case it helps, looking quickly, I saw the following city directory information for 1402 Oxford (and 1404 Oxford):

In 1936-38, in 1940, and in 1942, the listing for that address is the "Oxford Street Service Station".

In 1936-38, a Mrs. Frances Schauer is listed as living next door, at 1404 Oxford.

In 1940 and 1942, Frederick R. Schauer is listed as living next door, at 1404 Oxford.

And it looks from a quick search online that, when it was constructed in 1929, it was known as the "Schauer Filling Station".

Someone with the maiden name "Schauer" is mentioned in the acknowledgments section of Ann Sloane's new book of Heights photos. Assuming she's part of the same Schauer family, she might be a good person to contact regarding old photos of the filling station.

[Heights2Bastrop]

Wasn't this gas station Mr. Remmert's car repair in the late 1950's? It sure looks like it.

I posted a thread a few weeks back about a new book on the Heights. I believe there is a photo of Remmert's station in that book. However, Remmert's is on 16th Street.

[Hanuman]

I posted a thread a few weeks back about a new book on the Heights. I believe there is a photo of Remmert's station in that book. However, Remmert's is on 16th Street.

I found your post on the book, and will buy a copy. I remember Mr. Remmert, as he always worked on our cars. A very nice man. Thank you for the info.

[JR_Sunset]

I am trying to compile some history for the Sunset Heights neighborhood. I am looking for photos of any time period. Of course, the older the better.

[SaintCyr]

Anyone know where I can look for my home in old photos or abstracts? I recently bought Houston Heights, Images of America by Anne Sloan and saw that there are homes very very close to me that are featured which gives me small hope that mine might be somewhere as well. Also, I am originally from Eureka Springs and they actually have an architectural archive that has a lot of photos or abstracts of the homes when they were first built. Can anyone help me out with this?

Thanks

D

[JR_Sunset]

Anyone know where I can look for my home in old photos or abstracts? I recently bought Houston Heights, Images of America by Anne Sloan and saw that there are homes very very close to me that are featured which gives me small hope that mine might be somewhere as well. Also, I am originally from Eureka Springs and they actually have an architectural archive that has a lot of photos or abstracts of the homes when they were first built. Can anyone help me out with this?

Thanks

D

You could try the Houston Metropolitan Research Center http://www2.houstonl...mrc/index.html. I believe it is currently closed, but it is suppose to reopen soon.

[Materene]

I spent most of my childhood living at 1629 Oxford street. This of course was only a block away from Eugene Fields Elementary. My first day in school my Grandmother walked me to the front door of the school and told me to pay attention to my surroundings because I would be walking home alone!. Well that was fine except she failed to notice both the front and back doors looked exactly alike, I walked around for an hour in the direction of N. Main and some kind lady saw me looking pretty distraught and asked me what was wrong so I told her I was lost. It wasn't too long before she found where I lived and walked me to the front door.

In those days life was so uncomplicated and easy, everyone looked after another. My Grandmother always did her shopping on Saturdays and we must have visited every store within 5 miles, there were stores everywhere in the Heights, Lewis and Coker, Studewood Market (later became Wiengartens), small mom and pop grocers, so many! I know there were kiddie corrals at just about every store, always had an area with a table and loaded with Comic books, we kids sat there and read comics while the grownups did the shopping. Every store usually had some kind of giveaway for the kids, usually a Indian feather band or something along that line. There was free products sent to every household in the mail, soap, Bread, Canned goods, just about anything the mailman could carry the stores and merchandisers sent out. One thing I particularly remember is an old Black man that came through the neighborhood once a week, he rode an old wooden wagon with two mules and sold fresh fruit from the wagon. Recently I read where Houston had banned any Horse Back riding and was really sad to see my home town turn into such a political ball park. Then there was an old man that always gave out candy to the kids, we actually called him the candy man!.. Try that now and someone would probably have you locked up, that old man was a great old man and a long time resident of the Heights, that's just how it was.

Christmas of 58 my Sister and I got new Schwin bicycles, I know we rode around that block so many times we couldn't stand. On our corner there was a family owned furniture reupholstering business, that building is still there. The opposite corner towards 20th was bare and vacant, there was a small wood frame church on the same lot just opposite the empty lot. For the longest time the church had the pews outside sitting on the vacant lot, I never knew why but I do remember laying on those long pews and napping in the sunlight. One of my classmates was Chinese and her name was Jenny G, they lived on the corner across from the vacant lot other side of the street. Her parents never let her out doors to play with any of us and our block was full of kids, there was Chuck, his Brother Bobby, Dennis, Paul, Casey. Kids everywhere! I started attending Baptist Temple in 56 and recently I was home for a short time and drove past the Church, it is all run down now and the window frames have rusted down the walls, the windows at the rear end of the block that came up into the Chaplin s office were broken and stuffed with trash! It pains me deeply to see this because the Church in my younger days was a show place in the Heights and it was so beautiful. The Church owned all the property across the street and it was strictly parking, because in the 50's every Church in Houston was full on Sundays.. I know of course they had to sale the property to just financially survive. I think perhaps we're living in those last of days, some of us just don't realize it.

Well I could ramble on for hours with memories of the Heights, next time I'll tell how great it was going down town and into those one of kind Movie Houses like the Metropolitan, the Majestic and so many movie houses.

gnight Houston

[Marksmu]

I spent most of my childhood living at 1629 Oxford street. This of course was only a block away from Eugene Fields Elementary. My first day in school my Grandmother walked me to the front door of the school and told me to pay attention to my surroundings because I would be walking home alone!. Well that was fine except she failed to notice both the front and back doors looked exactly alike, I walked around for an hour in the direction of N. Main and some kind lady saw me looking pretty distraught and asked me what was wrong so I told her I was lost. It wasn't too long before she found where I lived and walked me to the front door.

In those days life was so uncomplicated and easy, everyone looked after another. My Grandmother always did her shopping on Saturdays and we must have visited every store within 5 miles, there were stores everywhere in the Heights, Lewis and Coker, Studewood Market (later became Wiengartens), small mom and pop grocers, so many! I know there were kiddie corrals at just about every store, always had an area with a table and loaded with Comic books, we kids sat there and read comics while the grownups did the shopping. Every store usually had some kind of giveaway for the kids, usually a Indian feather band or something along that line. There was free products sent to every household in the mail, soap, Bread, Canned goods, just about anything the mailman could carry the stores and merchandisers sent out. One thing I particularly remember is an old Black man that came through the neighborhood once a week, he rode an old wooden wagon with two mules and sold fresh fruit from the wagon. Recently I read where Houston had banned any Horse Back riding and was really sad to see my home town turn into such a political ball park. Then there was an old man that always gave out candy to the kids, we actually called him the candy man!.. Try that now and someone would probably have you locked up, that old man was a great old man and a long time resident of the Heights, that's just how it was.

Christmas of 58 my Sister and I got new Schwin bicycles, I know we rode around that block so many times we couldn't stand. On our corner there was a family owned furniture reupholstering business, that building is still there. The opposite corner towards 20th was bare and vacant, there was a small wood frame church on the same lot just opposite the empty lot. For the longest time the church had the pews outside sitting on the vacant lot, I never knew why but I do remember laying on those long pews and napping in the sunlight. One of my classmates was Chinese and her name was Jenny G, they lived on the corner across from the vacant lot other side of the street. Her parents never let her out doors to play with any of us and our block was full of kids, there was Chuck, his Brother Bobby, Dennis, Paul, Casey. Kids everywhere! I started attending Baptist Temple in 56 and recently I was home for a short time and drove past the Church, it is all run down now and the window frames have rusted down the walls, the windows at the rear end of the block that came up into the Chaplin s office were broken and stuffed with trash! It pains me deeply to see this because the Church in my younger days was a show place in the Heights and it was so beautiful. The Church owned all the property across the street and it was strictly parking, because in the 50's every Church in Houston was full on Sundays.. I know of course they had to sale the property to just financially survive. I think perhaps we're living in those last of days, some of us just don't realize it.

Well I could ramble on for hours with memories of the Heights, next time I'll tell how great it was going down town and into those one of kind Movie Houses like the Metropolitan, the Majestic and so many movie houses.

gnight Houston

As a relatively young person, I cant help but think how much times have changed. I tell my wife all the time that the America of the past is not the America that we live in. From the old tv clips and old newspaper articles it seems to me that people used to be proud of being American, proud of the things we manufactured and invented, and just generally a proud people...Now, we are scared of our shadows and everything is dangerous and will kill you somehow....either through poisoning, cancer, or some slow fashion like global warming. None the less I enjoyed your reminiscence.

I think I would have enjoyed everything about the old days with the exception of the lack of Air Conditioning, and the internet. I still do not know how you could live in Houston in the summer without AC.

[NenaE]

As a relatively young person, I cant help but think how much times have changed. I tell my wife all the time that the America of the past is not the America that we live in. From the old tv clips and old newspaper articles it seems to me that people used to be proud of being American, proud of the things we manufactured and invented, and just generally a proud people...Now, we are scared of our shadows and everything is dangerous and will kill you somehow....either through poisoning, cancer, or some slow fashion like global warming. None the less I enjoyed your reminiscence.

I think I would have enjoyed everything about the old days with the exception of the lack of Air Conditioning, and the internet. I still do not know how you could live in Houston in the summer without AC.

I grew up in Texas, without air-conditioning. I remember the new wing of my elementary school having it, in the 4rd grade (we had big huge fans before that). The house I lived in had an attic fan, seemed to work pretty good. I like that I was able to grow up in a time that saw so many changes.

[Materene]

I think I would have enjoyed everything about the old days with the exception of the lack of Air Conditioning, and the internet. I still do not know how you could live in Houston in the summer without AC.

The overall temps have changed considerably in 55 years!! Stop and consider that Houston now is nothing but concrete and asphalt, miles and miles and miles of it... it has a tremendous effect on the overhead air currents and other things that make our weather. It wasn't that hot in the fifties, like the other poster stated they used only an Attic Fan. I never slept in air conditioning until I left the Army in aug of 1970. Our schools there in the Heights did not have air conditioning, we had tall up right fans that the stronger kids always seemed to sit near. The more trees that are cut the less oxygen is produced, it's just the way it is. I remember a movie many years ago where the plot was the earth had slipped out of it's natural orbit and it was slowly starting to die from heat. Can't imagine dying like that, I already quit smoking 25 years ago and I think I'm still losing the battle with Father time.

As far as the Internet I can't imagine living without electricity, gone through that several times in my lifetime from Hurricanes. I was around when Carla came calling, the water in some places there in the Heights was 3 feet high. I am in Louisiana now and had the first one before you guys got your last one, I have cousins living in Galveston and they lost everything, even with insurance it didn't come near covering their loss. My uncle and family once lived there on 13 1/2 street near Reagan High School, he moved to Galveston in the early 60's, when he finally got around to building his own house on seven mile road, he buried telephone poles for pilings that raised the base floor up around 6 feet, every hurricane still destroyed everything on the bottom floor. The last one still did not destroy the house but my cousin , his daughter, was the only one left there and she said it was too much to repair it and sold it as is. I had just visited them in 08 before her Mother passed away and the place was beautiful inside. If I were a rich man I think I would take my chances and live there! one of my unfulfilled dreams was to eventually live in Galveston.

[Tiko]

Thanks for posting, Matarene - I enjoy these glimpses of the past, and it's a nice break from all the squabbling on here lately. Got any pics to share? You must have seen some amazing changes to the Heights and Houston as well.

[Materene]

Thanks for posting, Matarene - I enjoy these glimpses of the past, and it's a nice break from all the squabbling on here lately. Got any pics to share? You must have seen some amazing changes to the Heights and Houston as well.

I have one picture taken in the front yard at 1629 oxford, a few years ago I was visiting a late Aunt that lived two blocks down towards Reagan High and when I left I drove by the old homestead and had a short moment in time, there was a man outside doing some shovel work in the front yard so I pulled over and spoke with him for a few moments. I told him that I had lived there over 50 years ago and it surprised him a bit. He told me they added a rear upper story to the back of the house and outside of course had been painted and remodeled somewhat, very nice and it still has the same appearance as 50 years ago except for the siding. Believe it or not the siding on the house when we lived there was a roof type rolled tar simulated two tone brick!! Crazy but that's what it had on it. There was a garage apartment in the rear and the young people living there were newly weds who had a small infant daughter. Their names were Billy and Bobbie Copland, don't remember the child's name, I think it was Cindy. The opposite side of our driveway was an old man and woman, with 2o dogs in a fenced back yard. Like I told others recently, back in those days people rarely complained about what other people were doing. Minor nuisances are just what they are!.. anyway the man we always called Uncle Bob, he was German decent and his Wife was Aunt Jewel to us. He was a real card and he worked as a diesel mechanic for the city bus line. The fella always wore these old low cut shoes with the toe sides slit so his corns could breathe! and overalls. He would always bringing cakes and cookies to give to us because he passed the bakery day old store and got them for next to nothing. His wife was a devout church goer there at Baptist Temple and for a hobby she usually gave poor old Uncle Bob a good cussing everyday when he came home from work..lol There bathroom was facing our driveway and we kids would be there playing and hear her calling him every name under the sun, and in the background we could hear him singing , Sally was a good ole girl!!! It was great growing up in the fifties, I do have some black and whites I'll dig them out and scan them and post them. One was Christmas 1958 and all the close family was there, everyone lived right there in the neighborhood, it's sad now because recently all of them died and the roots there in the Heights have all gone with them. I need to reinstall Google Earth again and post a picture of what the place looks like now compared to the picture I'll post with it, not a lot of change except the outside color and appearance. One very striking thing I noticed while driving through there was that all those once plentiful vacant lots are all gone.

Yeah I was a regular there at Akin's Drug Store the soda fountain, all my close friends and I spent a lot of our time there before and after school. Directly across Studewood at the V there was a Retig's Ice Cream Parlor where you could get one of the best Banana Splits in Houston. A few years later we moved across the street from Akin's at the intersection where there is now a fancy Bus Park. Our House was demolished for that Bus Park, our front porch would have been exactly where the Bus Bench is now located. There was a Beer Joint or Ice House as they were called in those days directly across the street to our right. On the opposite corner was Hubards Body Shop, many years later he moved his business way out there off Hardy Road and it was spared when the Toll Road came through. A childhood friend living across the street was Jay Demaret the nephew of Jimmy Demaret the US Open Winner way back in the early 50's and also the owner of the Champions Gold Course and Developement. His Father was Malon and he ran the real estate office there at the Champions. Last time I saw Jay was in 1970 downtown at the McDonalds Drive INN, he was in the Air Force at the time and only home for the weekend. His folks had moved from that place I mentioned above out on TC Jester in a very nice posh House. I guess they are dead now that was 40 years ago and they were already getting pretty old. His Mother was a secretary that worked there in the Gulf Building Downtown Houston. Well as you know already that neighborhood has changed so much now I could just barely find landmarks. Akin's was closed years ago, the Hilsher's Home Furnishings that was built new while I was living there , it is also gone and demolished. Wish I could tell about the Fridays and Saturday Nights there at the Pok Rok, a Polish Private Club, it is now a two story refurbished Condo, there was live Polka Bands every weekend and we young guys would buy the Black Janitor his beer if he would bring ours down to us, lol.. We were just teenagers and boy did we have fun dancing with the Polish Girls. I'll PM you and let you know when I post some pictures.

[seoid]

Thank you for sharing your memories! I love to hear what life used to be like and can't wait to see some of your photos. Life really has changed in many ways.

[Materene]

Thank you for sharing your memories! I love to hear what life used to be like and can't wait to see some of your photos. Life really has changed in many ways.

Glad you like the ramblings, there are a lot of photos on my blog page, also put a little music on another entry. I'll try and get around to scanning a few black and whites this coming weekend. There are several good shots from the front of 1629 Oxford, one where my Mother and Brother and two Sisters and myself are having one of those great Hempstead Watermelons on the front lawn. In the early fifties everyone drove to Hempstead to buy watermelon, no one bought them from the stores. You could just manage to get three into the trunk of a 1955 Ford, and they were 50 cents a piece Also a Christmas picture with other family members parking out front. You know if you look at the Reagan High School now and notice where the track is located, that is not where it was in the past, yes it was on 14th running parallel with the school, it was covered with that little red peat rock, very unique. I made many a round on that track with my Schwinn , this picture is exactly the same color I got in 1958, my sister got a green girls model.

[roamworld]

"Recollections: A History of the Woodland Heights and Surrounding Communities"

This is a book concerning the creation of the Woodland Heights neighborhood, located in Houston, Texas. This discussion also details the area's history prior to the neighborhood's creation, including the period of the Mexican Land Grants. Additionally, this narrative explores some of the questions raised during the Centennial Committee meetings, and the investigator uncovers some surprises. There are roughly 80 illustrations, including photos from the 19th century and area maps dating to 1839.

You can read more about this book on it's facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Recollec ... 6315858783

You can also meet the author at one of the book signings scheduled for the following locations in the month of December......

Saturday, December 3, 2:30-4 p.m. Write Now!, 3122 B White Oak

Saturday, December 10, 11a.m. to 1 p.m. Buchanan’s Native Plants, 611 E. 11th St.

It is currently available for purchase at Kaboom Books on Houston Ave and at The Lift on 19th st. You can also get a copy via one of the following links.

https://www.createspace.com/3582355

http://www.amazon.com/Recollections-History-Woodland-Surrounding-Communities/dp/1461014808/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1322711491&sr=8-3

[SanchoCat]

Just a reminder that this Saturday December 10th from 11 to 1 pm there will be a book signing at Buchanan's (in the Bungalow) on 611 E. 11th street in the Heights . Come meet the author to learn more about the Woodland Heights history. The book contains historical photos of prior dwellings and residents of the Woodland Heights.

You can link to the facebook page for more details......

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Recollections-A-History-of-the-Woodland-Heights-Surrounding-Communities/275206315858783

[SilverJK]

Thanks for the heads up, i've been meaning to drop by buchanan's anyway.

[fwki]

This is great one from June 28th. I like the additional comments also.

http://swamplot.com/comment-of-the-day-choosing-which-history-to-preserve/2012-06-28/#comments