Sandy Spears (Koslosky-Siddall)

It's funny that several of us lived in MM and didn't know it. I had to ride the bus to school. I remember one bus driver assigned seats to keep us in order.

What I remember about the park was as an older teen some of my friends and I went down to the park after dark when we were supposedly Trick or Treating to meet some boys. They scared us by not answering our "Is that you?" calls and having plastic knives that the moonlight glinted off. We thought we were gonners! 

Roger who built that go cart that we rode up and down the street? I was in the little car attached to the back when we rounded the corner coming around the back of the park. The brake came loose and to stop the cart we wound up in the park against a tree. We were lucky not to have been hurt any more than a couple of cuts and bruises.

Anybody remember Barbara - lived on Hialeagh (sp?) at the dead end next to the park. When we were in high school she used to have these great parties.

Yeah, fun times, and you're right, we didn't worry about safety. :-)

Sandy Spears (Koslosky-Siddall)

Roger, I must have missed something. What's with the new picture?

Roger Felton

I think the guy that built those two go carts was Mrs. Sullivan's hubby.  Those were fun...even when we crashed into that tree.  She lived a couple of houses down from yours.  Mr. Sullivan got a little tipsy one day at a friends house and turned on a gas jet thinking it was a water fawcet.  After about 30 minutes, he lit a cigarette and the whole place went kablooey.  He ended up in the street with his pants on fire still sitting in a recliner.  Scuffed him up a bit.

That photo was when we went to the Aransas Pass Wildlife Refuge and I walked around the lake looking for Whooping Cranes.  As you can see, I was taking a little rest break but I told Beverly that I was holding up that tree so it wouldn't fall. 

Stephen Ray Puckett

In the early 1950's Dad switched from selling Hudsons (Washington Motors on Washington) to selling houses in the brand-new Mangum Manor. Soon, he was building houses, eventually in Timbergrove.  We got to visit MM many times in those early days. A prominent memory is of the multistory treehouse in the lot (as I recall) close to Mangum Road.  I really really wanted to explore it but seldom could because I had to help watch my little sister.

Some history sites of Mangum Manor:

http://www.mangummanor.org/pages/history.html

http://www.richmartinhomes.com/areas/mangum-manor-homes

https://sites.google.com/site/cemeteriesofharriscotexas/five-union-soldier-mass-grave-1862

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1cJwuXbEn4

Jan Barnes (Nimtz)

Stephen, here's a picture of an old Hudson for you. Actually it's made from a 1952 Hudson Hornet 4-door. Just found it in Shipshewana, IN at a Hudson museum. A real beauty!
 

Lindy Clarke (Hall)

We had a Hudson... BIG old dark green wonderful car.
I don't recall it ever needing a repair. Great car.
My sister and I used to take turns laying in the back-window,
to watch stars while my dad was driving. It had a huge space
there... sometimes we slept there...
We lived on Wakefield, and had that car there, and I think we
still had it, for another few years, when we moved to Poinciana.
I'll bet my parents bought the house from your dad, because I do
remember my parents later mentioned they had debated whether
to buy in Mangum Manor or Timbergrove, though I didn't know
about that at the time. So, odds are good, he may have bought
a car and/or a house from your dad..

Re the school bus... I recall we had to walk over to Saxon to
catch the bus to Black... and there was a Mavis Minter and
she had a sister, maybe Arlene or something like that. Mavis 
was like a year ahead of us, and I always thought she had the 
most beautiful hair. I would stare at her the whole time. Other
than the busstop, I don't recall ever seeing them around.

And yes, we caught LOTS of minnows and crawfish and frogs
in that ditch, it was a fun place to play... never got deep enough
to be dangerous. That ditch is gone now... completely level...
I suppose they put big pipes down there and filled it all in.
Damn shame.

Roger Felton

Ah, those sleek beautiful Hudsons.  They could out drag a Packard.

Drag racing makes me think of the guy I'd see at the Texan Drive In who raced his Volkswagen Beetle at the sanctioned race tracks.  He called them "funny car races".  He managed to put a Chrysler hemi engine in his Beetle and race it.  Always had photos of that Bug coming off the line with it's front wheels way up in the air and stayed that way clear down to the finish line.  Popped one heck of a wheelie.

Can't recall his name but he told me his first effort was when he took a VW Beetle and put a turbocharged  Comet engine in it.  Coming out of the back was a great big key like it was a wind up toy.  Going down the road the key would turn.  The VW-Comet hybred was what he called "The Vomet".  If he'd made them commercially, I don't think the conjunctive name would have sold very many. 

But then, if they put Buick engines in Hummers they'd probably have to call them Bummers and they'd probably sit on the car lot too.

Stephen Ray Puckett

Per an old ad, in 1926 Lundell Motor Co. (Hudson), was at 3617-3619 Washington Blvd. Per the July 1949 Southwestern Bell Greater Houston Telephone Directory, Washington Motors (Hudson) was at 3711 Washington Avenue, very close to Heights State Bank (now Rockefeller Hall) at 3620 Washington @ Heights Blvd. We lived at a couple of rent places on nearby streets - Harvard was one of them, I think. Dad could walk to work and the bank if he wanted to. More Hudson info at http://home.comcast.net/~sarahdyoung/hudsondealerships4.html

In 1952 we moved to a brand-new house at 1349 Chantilly, close to the corner with Oak Forest Blvd., just in time for me to start Kindergarten at Oak Forest Elem.

Roger Felton

Just received this from Roy George.  Very interesting for all you Mangum Manorites.  Find MM on the map and zoom in...check out the current value of everyone's old house. 

http://www.homes.com/Home-Prices/TX/HOUSTON/

Stephen Ray Puckett

I was in awe every time we went to Heights State Bank.  It seemed like the biggest building in the universe and had been there forever.  A good friend of mine at Reagan helped design and build Rockefeller Hall.  I went there in the 1980's, just a few times because I avoid crowds, smoke, and loud music.  It sure seemed different inside!  This was the last bank that Bonnie & Clyde knocked over before leaving Houston and getting shot - some say they had been staying in the Heights area.  A friend's Aunt Flossie worked there and was locked in the vault with the other staff.   In the early 1980's, producer/showman Ted Toddy was a friend of mine in the Spring area.  He had been the owner of B&C's last car: http://terrysplace2000.tripod.com/deathcar.html

Joyce Barta (Bayersdorfer)

My folks actually banked at the old Heights State Bank, when it was a real bank. 

Joanna Hinton (Garrett)

To Linda Jennings-Webster,

Thank God for your great news.  We all love you and have prayed for you.  What a wonderful gift at this upcoming holiday season.

Love to you my dear - Joanna

Arletta Parnell (Glankler)

Linda, that is absolutely awesome news.  May it stay that way forever.  Hugs, Arletta

Dianna Dudley (Westmoreland)

Sandy sent me this from our High School days.  Funny thing is none of us can remember when, where or why we were in such pic.  Anyone have a better memory??  ☺️

Stephen Ray Puckett

Momentos from yesteryear...

1966 (I guess the name had just changed from Chuc Wagun)

1965

Arletta Parnell (Glankler)

Class of 65

Merry Christmas to all from Tennessee.  I hope each and every one of you have the best Christmas ever. May God Bless you all. And remember, Christ is the reason for the season.  And we got a new addition to the family, Piper Ruby all decked out in her Texans colors!

Warm Regards,

Arletta Parnell Glankler        

Eileen Caudel (Key)

Oh my stars, Arletta! Cutest picture ever. Merry Christmas!! 

Gary Tharp (Tharp)

Joanna Hinton (Garrett)

What a beautiful little girl - I know she is going to be spoiled by her Grandma.  The best to you and your family, Arletta and keep the pictures coming.  Joanna

Steven Jay Stoneburner

Brannan Grocery Store, it was Don and his brother I can't remember his name but they got robbed and he got shot he survived but I remember it very well as my Dad was friends with them.

Larry Cooper

The man in the Brannan's picture was Dean Duncan. I worked there for 3 years. Great place.  Mr. Flowers, Tom Kinney, and  Don Brannan's were the owners.

Steven Jay Stoneburner

I knew Dean he was the Butcher

Steven Jay Stoneburner

I remember the ice block machine on the end of the building

Jacquie Campbell (Biggs)

The Flowers went to St Matthews Methodist where I attended.  Seems like there were two sons -- Kennenth and Keith -- or I could be dreaming.  Jacquie

Hilda Carol Smith (Godell)