Memories of Houston 1955

                                                       
Nasa was in Houston.
                                                     
 Astrodome  came to be.
                                                     
The Eastex Freeway was going
                                                       
straight to  the secret buyers                                                                                                  
 
called (Jetero Ranch)
They were: J. S.Abercrombie,
 Edgar W. Brown, Jr., George Brown, Herman Brown,
 J. F. ( Pat) Corley, Roy H. Cullen, 
J. Brown Cutbirth, W. H. Francis, Jr.,W. J.Goldston, ...
many business men buying acres for the new Jetro airport.
I knew Pat.
Then the plan was to get the city to want  an airport, and sell it to the city
making double the $$$. The town was like a frontier .
 How did Geo, Bush get his name on it? $$$ payback? 
They said the old Hobby air port had to be shut down.
We had a club on top of the old Airline Hotel, The Ogerria brothers owned 
it.all the airport Pilots stayed there.
Braniff, Pan Am, Delta. Those were fun days. we Had great entertainers
Henny youngman, Julie Christie, John Gary Tenor, lots of name acts.
I remember Lenard Bernstein conducting the Houston Symphony. They had a 50th
Anniversary, very exciting time in Houston. 
Joe Gaiconnie's Pizza on Kirby Dr? 

JFK came in a  convertible, 
Jackie was gorgeous.

I remember Lynn Saks, 
and the Lamar Hotel, 
Mamma had a hat shop. 
next to the Lamar. 
Looks like the hotel is not at 
Main and Lamar today.
POOR HOUSTON ,
 they have nothing left of their great history.
The Rice hotel and coffee shop it's gone too.
I saw James Cagney.and
talked to him. In the drug store soda fountain.

We owned the Show Biz After hours club,
at Maine and Holcombe Blvd.
Another secret, Mayor Holcombe bought land and had a highway 
put in to get there, Taxes $, we paid for his highway.?
Who doesn't remember Brown and Root, we took them to court, they 
tore up  the street in front of Club. They were in Court with everyone.


The owner of the Shamrock Hotel across the street, came in and
he was a bigot, he pissed on our door as he left because there were 
Blacks sitting with Whites. His name was Glenn McCarthy (wild Cat oil)
I was sitting with Arnett Cobb, a great Sax player who was Black.
As we know just because you have money doesn't mean you have Class.

Hovis started a show business career doing fashion shows at Neiman Marcus.,
He also played at the Show Biz for my Husband. Then as most our talent took
off for Hollywood.  His career included work as a drummer, singer, stand-up 
comedian, writer, producer of game shows and stage actor. TV Hogan's Hero's.

Larry in
Hogan's Heroe's


Remember Paul Berlin KNUZ, he was a good friend.
I met Peggy Lee one of the best voices and Mel Torme.

worked in Bobby Doyle
Trio at Show Biz.
Married Margo.






We had all the name act's in town wanted to sit in with the trio.
Everyone came in after 12pm and the big shows at the Shamrock,
Tidelands, etc closed. Frank Sintra , Dino, Jonathan Winters came
came to Sunday dinner at my house for home cooked meals.
My Daughter had so many Autographs. Remember the song,
"Baubles, Bangles and Beads", made famous by the KirbyStone Four?

Well they came in the Show Biz and saw Kenny
and they took him to Vegas. He Later joined some
singing group. I think he has had 5 wives and 4-5 kids.




Johnny Dunn, Dunn Insurance, think he was one of the businessmen
in the Jetro airport group.. He started Life flight, a very great man.
He had a son who had been in a bad plane crash.


Oh then there was Jones, that owned the Houston Chronicle,
and the Houston Oil club in the Rice Hotel.
Houston still had those iron posts with a horses head and a ring in
the mouth to tie up your horse.
They were down by the  Viaducts on the way to Stewart's Drive inn.
 Stewart's had curly fries in 1954.
The other end of Main street had
Bill Williams Chicken house. With a big Indian on the roof.

 Henke and Pillot's shucks I have some of that stock. Henke opened
with very little capital, he opened a grocery store across from Market Square.
When he hired a young bookkeeper, Camille Pillot. He made him a partner.
The firm of Henke & Pillot was born.
 Does anyone know if the stock is still good?
Posted by Yvonne @ La Petite Gallery
Comments are welcome