Mid 1970's kidnapping & executions @ Houston

[deemus]

So why was it so bad during that time? Gangs? drugs? what was the deal?

Its that friggin humidity. Makes you want to hurt someone.

lol

 

[deemus]

Houston was always rough in the past,

Eli

My dad was a cop (not in Houston) and he had the same opinion of Houston. When we traveled there to see his best friend, my dad always has his pistol sitting in middle of the seat next to him. On most trips it was stowed in the glove compartment.

 

[oldag]

Before all the yankees moved in during the 70's, you could walk downtown at midnight without a worry. I never had a problem back then. Afterwards? Heck, downtown could be dangerous in daytime.

Certain parts of town (Scott Street on the south side as one example) were always trouble.

 

[leVieux]

It was technically illegal to carry concealed. Drugs were everywhere. Lots of itinerants.

leVieux

 

[Texasjack]

The oil boom brought all sorts of craziness to town. The sky over Houston was filled with cranes building new skyscrapers. Want a job? People would stop you on the street and offer jobs. HPD was corrupt and poorly run. The annual Offshore Technology Conference was the largest orgy in the world. Helicopters circled the Astrodome like some kiddie ride. Whores were brought in with buses. Booze was free and there were thousands of people swarming the site. There was an oil rig set up inside the Astrodome and the Derrick Dolls (Houston Oiler cheerleaders) danced on each side of it.

As I type this, I realize 2 things: 1. Most people who weren't around then are thinking that I'm exaggerating. 2. The reality is that it was so crazy that it's hard to describe even now. These aren't exaggerations; these are minimalizations.

101 KLOL was a rock and roll station back then. They found out that one of the outlying area's police were stopping vans with their bumper stickers on them (out of hatred for those "hippies"). I think it was Shenandoah. They wired up mikes and sent vans out. Sure enough, they got stopped and harassed. In fact, if you drove a van anywhere, you were likely to get stopped.

Vendors routinely took us out to lunch at local strip clubs. There was no drug testing, and the "3 martini lunch" was still deductible. You figured out which company VPs were good drunks and got them to sign purchase orders and such after lunch. The ones that were bad drunks, you had them sign before lunch.

In Pasadena, you could read a newspaper outside by the light of all the flares that were burning. The stench was unbelievable, but the money being made was real. The KKK still had a public office in Pasadena. Driving from Houston to Katy, you'd drive past more cows than people. FM1960 was out in the country. It was as dark at 149 (now 249) and FM1960 as you'd expect in far West Texas. Before the Urban Cowboy movie ruined it, you could spend an evening at Gilley's listening to GREAT country music, dancing, watching brutal fights among the patrons and bouncers (they had hollow pool cues to reduce the number of concussions), you could buy every possible article of clothing with "Gilley's" on them, and, if you were really stupid, you could ride a mechanical bull that could send you flying though the air to land on the most piss-stained old flop-house mattresses you've ever seen.

I fell in love with Houston back then, even with all the craziness. I've watched it survive boom times and bust times, rode out hurricanes and tropical storm floods that would drive most people to flee the country. Houston air conditioned a stadium and put men on the moon. We took in people fleeing Hurricane Katrina, fed them and gave many new lives. When this last hurricane hit, people who had been evacuated to shelters volunteered to help run the place. FEMA had to turn volunteers away. I'll be the first to bitch about the traffic and the politicians and the criminals, but I love this town.

 

[leVieux]

The oil boom brought all sorts of craziness to town. The sky over Houston was filled with cranes building new skyscrapers. Want a job? People would stop you on the street and offer jobs. HPD was corrupt and poorly run. The annual Offshore Technology Conference was the largest orgy in the world. Helicopters circled the Astrodome like some kiddie ride. Whores were brought in with buses. Booze was free and there were thousands of people swarming the site. There was an oil rig set up inside the Astrodome and the Derrick Dolls (Houston Oiler cheerleaders) danced on each side of it.

As I type this, I realize 2 things: 1. Most people who weren't around then are thinking that I'm exaggerating. 2. The reality is that it was so crazy that it's hard to describe even now. These aren't exaggerations; these are minimalizations.

101 KLOL was a rock and roll station back then. They found out that one of the outlying area's police were stopping vans with their bumper stickers on them (out of hatred for those "hippies"). I think it was Shenandoah. They wired up mikes and sent vans out. Sure enough, they got stopped and harassed. In fact, if you drove a van anywhere, you were likely to get stopped.

Vendors routinely took us out to lunch at local strip clubs. There was no drug testing, and the "3 martini lunch" was still deductible. You figured out which company VPs were good drunks and got them to sign purchase orders and such after lunch. The ones that were bad drunks, you had them sign before lunch.

In Pasadena, you could read a newspaper outside by the light of all the flares that were burning. The stench was unbelievable, but the money being made was real. The KKK still had a public office in Pasadena. Driving from Houston to Katy, you'd drive past more cows than people. FM1960 was out in the country. It was as dark at 149 (now 249) and FM1960 as you'd expect in far West Texas. Before the Urban Cowboy movie ruined it, you could spend an evening at Gilley's listening to GREAT country music, dancing, watching brutal fights among the patrons and bouncers (they had hollow pool cues to reduce the number of concussions), you could buy every possible article of clothing with "Gilley's" on them, and, if you were really stupid, you could ride a mechanical bull that could send you flying though the air to land on the most piss-stained old flop-house mattresses you've ever seen.

I fell in love with Houston back then, even with all the craziness. I've watched it survive boom times and bust times, rode out hurricanes and tropical storm floods that would drive most people to flee the country. Houston air conditioned a stadium and put men on the moon. We took in people fleeing Hurricane Katrina, fed them and gave many new lives. When this last hurricane hit, people who had been evacuated to shelters volunteered to help run the place. FEMA had to turn volunteers away. I'll be the first to bitch about the traffic and the politicians and the criminals, but I love this town.

What a great description of it all. The touridiots didn't realize that the Gilley Club "bull" actions were adjustable by a hidden operator. Cute chicks would be given mostly easy rides, but when a drunk he-man braggart saddled-up, he was in for a Hell of a surprise.

Our Texas Med Center Physicians were told to not wear their Rolex watches, as the druggies at Ben Taub would kill them to get the $5,000 watch, which could then be traded for $50 to buy a pack of heroin. HPD told us Doc's to concealed carry, illegal or not. After a near-miss kidnapping adventure, I went to Hook's gun shop on South Post Oak and bought a PPKS & a J-frame to carry.

Sadly, we left right before things calmed down.

Thanks for the memories.

leVieux

 

[Frank59]

I remember the Dean Corll/Elmer Wayne Henley stuff from the 70's, but not this. Houston was really bad in the 70's.

One of my development projects is adjacent to the infamous boat barn where Corll and Henley buried about 13 of their victims. Still a spooky place.

 

[oldag]

The oil boom brought all sorts of craziness to town. The sky over Houston was filled with cranes building new skyscrapers. Want a job? People would stop you on the street and offer jobs. HPD was corrupt and poorly run. The annual Offshore Technology Conference was the largest orgy in the world. Helicopters circled the Astrodome like some kiddie ride. Whores were brought in with buses. Booze was free and there were thousands of people swarming the site. There was an oil rig set up inside the Astrodome and the Derrick Dolls (Houston Oiler cheerleaders) danced on each side of it.

As I type this, I realize 2 things: 1. Most people who weren't around then are thinking that I'm exaggerating. 2. The reality is that it was so crazy that it's hard to describe even now. These aren't exaggerations; these are minimalizations.

101 KLOL was a rock and roll station back then. They found out that one of the outlying area's police were stopping vans with their bumper stickers on them (out of hatred for those "hippies"). I think it was Shenandoah. They wired up mikes and sent vans out. Sure enough, they got stopped and harassed. In fact, if you drove a van anywhere, you were likely to get stopped.

Vendors routinely took us out to lunch at local strip clubs. There was no drug testing, and the "3 martini lunch" was still deductible. You figured out which company VPs were good drunks and got them to sign purchase orders and such after lunch. The ones that were bad drunks, you had them sign before lunch.

In Pasadena, you could read a newspaper outside by the light of all the flares that were burning. The stench was unbelievable, but the money being made was real. The KKK still had a public office in Pasadena. Driving from Houston to Katy, you'd drive past more cows than people. FM1960 was out in the country. It was as dark at 149 (now 249) and FM1960 as you'd expect in far West Texas. Before the Urban Cowboy movie ruined it, you could spend an evening at Gilley's listening to GREAT country music, dancing, watching brutal fights among the patrons and bouncers (they had hollow pool cues to reduce the number of concussions), you could buy every possible article of clothing with "Gilley's" on them, and, if you were really stupid, you could ride a mechanical bull that could send you flying though the air to land on the most piss-stained old flop-house mattresses you've ever seen.

I fell in love with Houston back then, even with all the craziness. I've watched it survive boom times and bust times, rode out hurricanes and tropical storm floods that would drive most people to flee the country. Houston air conditioned a stadium and put men on the moon. We took in people fleeing Hurricane Katrina, fed them and gave many new lives. When this last hurricane hit, people who had been evacuated to shelters volunteered to help run the place. FEMA had to turn volunteers away. I'll be the first to bitch about the traffic and the politicians and the criminals, but I love this town.

Pretty accurate.

OTC filled the Astrodome, Astrohall and most of the parking lot. Was a heck of a show. Took a couple of days to see it all. Great gimmes.

I preferred KILT FM100 for album rock, though, over KLOL 101.

Tomball was a little country community out in the sticks.

Going south on the Gulf Freeway, once you passed Broadway there was nothing but prairie all the way to Galveston.

I remember driving through Houston on Pierce (before the elevated interstate was constructed) in the wee hours of the morning. Lights were timed, so you could cruise right through. Might not see another car.

Left there in the 80's, can't say I have ever missed it. Too much traffic.

 

[leVieux]

What a great description of it all. The touridiots didn't realize that the Gilley Club "bull" actions were adjustable by a hidden operator. Cute chicks would be given mostly easy rides, but when a drunk he-man braggart saddled-up, he was in for a Hell of a surprise.

Our Texas Med Center Physicians were told to not wear their Rolex watches, as the druggies at Ben Taub would kill them to get the $5,000 watch, which could then be traded for $50 to buy a pack of heroin. HPD told us Doc's to concealed carry, illegal or not. After a near-miss kidnapping adventure, I went to Hook's gun shop on South Post Oak and bought a PPKS & a J-frame to carry.

Sadly, we left right before things calmed down.

Thanks for the memories.

leVieux

When we got back to H-town in 2004, it was a completely different City. Clean, more safe, notable community spirit, etc. But, still plagued by crime. Just before we left again, a neighbor couple were butchered in their mid-city town-home. HPD arrived 21 minutes after the 911 call, to find the grisly, blood splattered home and two bodies. The woman had often bragged to neighbors that she would "never allow a gun in her home" ! They were followed home from a formal gala downtown, their door was broken-in, and they were stabbed & cut to death. IDK if the perp's were ever caught. leVieux

 

[leVieux]

KRBE with the "Weaver Morrow" morning classics show. It is a Mex station now? His sign-on music was "Dream Weaver".

 

[oldag]

KRBE with the "Weaver Morrow" morning classics show. It is a Mex station now? His sign-on music was "Dream Weaver".

KRBE was pretty good, just a little on the soft rock side.

KILT went country in the early 80's. Sad day...

 

[leVieux]

KRBE was pretty good, just a little on the soft rock side.

KILT went country in the early 80's. Sad day...

The ones I HATE are the "sports talk only" stations. Unless it is a LIVE broadcast of a TAMU, LSU, or UT Longhorns FOOTBALL GAME, I just don't want to hear it. leVieux