Old Houston maps

Dang!!! Good find Smokey.

That brings back tons of memories for me. Who else remembers when 1960 (the road) was referred to as "Jackrabbit road"? Most of North Houston was cow pastures, horses grazing, small corner grocery stores, little 2-lane roads and lots and lots of trees and open land.

There were NO strip malls in North Houston in the late 60's early 70's. Also in that map from 1965, you can see Houston's city limits in the yellow. The city annexed most of the area shown on that map in the mid 1970's to become part of the city of Houston.

 

Thanks Smokey. Those are really cool.

Makes you wonder what people did without the tollways or 290.

My only real memories of the freeway systems being different from what they are now is 290 not being built till the early 80s and the tollways not being built till the late 80s.

Finn,

I grew up in Cypress and up until the mid to late 80s, it was indeed not much more than cow pastures. In fact, my father always had to drive to Tomball to have his work shirts dry cleaned.

Now, Cypress is considered a major suburb. Of course, traffic out here on 290 is just as bad as the Katy Freeway. *sigh*

 

Codell,

We lived in North Houston and the nearest shopping center was a good 8-10 miles away. As a matter of fact anything was a good 8-10 miles away from us. In between us and any thing that remotely resembled a city was miles and miles of woods, cow pastures, horse stables and some roads that were badly in need of paving.

To this day when people find out I lived in Texas, they always ask "Is it like they show it in the movies? All cows and horses?" Having lived there when it actually was like that, I can answer them with a straight face, "It shore is"

 

There used to be a bookstore on Chimney Rock near 59 called the "Old Book and Curiosity Company". I used to drop by there and run through her old collections of National Geographic, periodicals from the 1700's, old SI's and other magazines. I bought a "moon landing" and "Richard Nixon resigns" paper from her. I looked through some of the ads and addresses just to see what's there now. Talk about interesting stuff.

It was run by one little lady. She shut down several years ago unfortunately.

There was a store also somewhere on Braeswood, I think called "Roy's"-something-or-other that had aerial photographs of Houston from way back when. They also had pictures of the building of the Astrodome as it was being built for sale. Really neat stuff.

Thanks for the link Smokey.

 

codell.. just curious as to what high school you went to..

I graduated from cy-fair and i've seen some pics of that place back when it was first built and there was absolutely nothing in that area.. my how things have changed...

when were langham .. creek etc built?

 

You guys familiar with Treeline Golf course? I think it was off of Spring-Cypress road. Used to play there quite a bit back in the 70's and early 80's.

 

Another few tidbits...... No Astrodome or Colt Stadium before 1962. In the 1965 map Kingwood is called "Kinwood". In the 1965 Map the Astrodome is only shown as "Stadium". No Veterans Memorial Dr. (NW Area by 1960), its all Stuebner- Airline.

I agree, a great find!

 

I graduated c/o 2000 from Cy-Fair.
CyCreek and JV were built around '85, Langham and the other CF were built in the early '90s.... IIRC.

But yeah, I remember living off of W Little York and 290 before the Tinseltown or the Target or any of that.... Back when Fairfield was FARfield - it seemed like it to years to get out there.... Now I (OK well, my parents) have lived in Cypress for the past 8 years, and when we first moved out there, it was gorgeous forests and no construction.... Now there's nothing but construction and all the trees are being used for the neighborhoods. GRRRRRRR

 

Smokey,

You are THE MAN

 

Jersey Village was built in 79 and Cy Creek soon followed after, I think 81?


Langham Creek was built in the mid to late 80s? I think somewhere in 88 I suppose.

Cy Falls was built in the mid 90s, and thats when Cypress Creek Footballl started sucking.

Cy-fair was built in the 50s.

 

As a Klein Forest Alum it is my duty to say the following:
Cy Creek sucked way before they built Cy-Falls.
Cy-Falls didn't have the decency or imagination to come up with their own:
Mascot
School Colors
Name for their Drill Team (Although I personally prefer "w**** Core")
They simply coopted all of KF's stuff. At least they picked a good school to bite off of. Sheesh.

Now that I got my duty out of the way I can admit that I couldn't care less about this stuff anymore, it's just fun pickin' on folks.

 

thanks man, this is totally bookmarked.

when I get home I just might remember to put of 10 or so simular links. I love this kind of stuff.

 

What an awesome site! Thanks, dude!

 

This is really neat --- thanks!

 

Hey i grew up on Jackrabbit Rd in Hearthstone!

 

Another KF person? What year?

 

Hey, I have some memories of Jackrabbit Road! That was a place to cruise in something like a '56 Chevy or a '65 Mustang back in the old days. On more than one occasion (and always when I wasn't with him! ) my cousin claimed there were weird lights to be seen late at night. A lot of beer was consumed and seat belts were some foreign concept.

I grew up in Southeast Houston, so that was a trip to get out there. SE Houston looks so different in the '55 map. My cousin's parents belonged to Golfcrest Country Club (fancy!), my Grandmother and Aunts and Uncles lived in Garden Villas and I knew people in Meadowbrook and Park Place... which wasn't far from where I grew up. I have dim memories of Gulfgate being built, being a little kid.

Thanks from me as well, Smokey!

 

I moved to Houston in '67. I remember the only commercial establishment on 1960 between 45 and 290 was a little log bbq place just west of 45.

There also use be a place out 59 north called the Log Cabin that served "homestyle meals." Servings were brought out in bowls or platters and everyone at your table helped themselves, just like home. Anybody ever eat there?