Palms Theater and Dairy Queen

I've been working at the Sugar Land Heritage Foundation for several months, reviewing their collection of artifacts.  I think their collection is fantastic; all kinds of things turn up.

Here are two photos I hoped to find, but wondered if I ever would.  The first is the only picture of the Palms Theater auditorium I have seen.  (Of course, I hope we find more.)  It was taken on September 11, 1957 and shows the stage prepared for an Imperial safety awards program. 

I've posted aerial photos showing the Dairy Queen, but here's a ground photo showing the old haunt in all its glory.  It was taken in July 1957.
 

The Museum is in temporary quarters for the foreseeable future, so display space will be limited for an extended period of time.  We are, however, rearranging our current layout to allow exhibition of more items from the collection.

I hope the photos in today's post will pique your interest enough to visit the Museum on a Saturday morning between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.  It's located in the old Imperial Engineering-Personnel building next to the Char House.

I'll alert you when new items go on exhibition. 

    

Teas Nursery

Thanks to my aunt, Mayme Rachuig Hause (SLHS '48), for sending me the following note about Teas Nursery.  I'd forgotten they had a 'small farm' (as opposed to a retail center) in Sugar Land.  The accompanying aerial from 1940 shows what she's describing:

Many of the resident of Sugar Land after World War II are not aware of Sugar Land's connection to the famous Teas Nursery of Bellaire, Texas. Before the war, the area bounded by Brooks St. Eastside and Guenther St. Southside was the area of Belknap Subdivision started sometime in 1950s and a few years before. This area was filled with the gorgeous roses of all species that Teas was famous for. My memory of the roses glistening in the sun as if nature had dusted them with millions of diamonds after their daily sprinkling. The mist swirling around from the tall sprinkling system and the aroma filling the air for blocks around is still as vivid to me today as when I grew up. This area with roses remained until after the war, and then at that time was platted for residences in the newly developing subdivision.

My mother built her home in 1950 in the new development and resided there until her death in 1979. Mother had a love of roses and flowers and it occurs to me if it could have been fostered as she passed by the nursery as she went to work in the Post Office and later bank.

The nursery in Sugar Land was not for retail, but was a place to develop and grow their stock; the retail store was in Bellaire on Bellaire Blvd. Research does not give information if any other area around Bellaire and Houston had another growing area for the nursery.

Teas Nursery was established in 1843 in Raysville, Indiana, and later moved to Missouri, and then in 1910 moved to Bellaire, Texas established just 2 years earlier in the southwest area of Houston. John C. Teas was the founder, and then later to his son, Edward, who ran the Bellaire establishment. After 100 years of operation in 2010, the nursery was sold to the Rubenstein family foundation and is now known as Evelyn’s Park. The old red brick home still stands as well as the Japanese Tea Room.  Both are still visible from Bellaire Blvd behind the fenced area as of spring 2013.

Teas Nursery was responsible for the landscaping of early Houston areas, such as River Oaks, Rice University and other beautiful old homes of the early years .

Many beautiful memories of the nursery in Sugar Land for us “old timers”, and certainly for me for “The Roses of Yesterdays.”

 

 

Hispanic School House and American Legion Hall in Mayfield Park

Earlier posts have included aerial photos showing this building, but I recently found the following ground-level photo that shows it well.  It was taken in 1965 when the current American Legion Hall was constructed in Mayfield Park.  An annotation on the reverse says the building was demolished soon after this picture was taken.

It stood on the west side of Ulrich Street just as you entered Mayfield Park driving north.

 

Laura Eldridge Hospital Construction, 1956

As I've mentioned before, the first hospital in Sugar Land was built in 1923 on the northeast corner of Wood and Lakeview Streets.  In 1956 construction began on a more modern hospital located further east, where Lakeview intersects Eldridge Road.  The Parc is located on that corner today, as you can see on this Google satellite photo.

The following photos show how that location appeared in February 1956 when the site was proposed as the new location and in August of the same year when construction began.

I have more good photos of this hospital's early days, which I'll post in the future.  They show the staff and the interior including the surgery and patients' rooms.

 

Employee Credit Union in 1956

I had forgotten that the employees' credit union was originally located in a small building next to the Char House.  These pictures were taken in April 1957.

 

These next two photos show Wayburn Hall talking with Relma Watson, Assistant Treasurer of the credit union.  Since Wayburn appears in the picture, I assume membership included Industries as well as Imperial employees.

 

 

West End Ball Park Update

Several weeks ago I saw a map that showed the old West End Ball Park much closer to Highway-90A than I remembered.  I thought it was a mistake, but I've found an aerial photograph taken in 1952 which confirms the park in that location.

I don't have a date yet, but a few years later the park moved a little over one hundred yards due north on the other side of old Imperial Boulevard.   [I presume Visco (Nalco) expanded westward causing the relocation.]  The move included the stands and 'dug outs,' but there were no outfield fences.  I guess there never were any because they don't appear in the photo.
 

   

Alligator Splash from May 17, 1946

Old Sugar Land High School's student newspaper was called 'The Alligator Splash.'  I thought the page I posted last week, highlighting Clara Ruth Sembere Dierks, was interesting, so I decided to post the complete issue.  Many of the senior profiles are amusing, especially if you know the person spotlighted.  

The profiles begin on page 5.

SLHS Alligator Splash, May 17, 1946