Gone but not forgotten- Old Corpus Christi (Houston, Center: for sale, real estate)

[Marlow]

Originally Posted by SoldierBoyBliss

wehotex is that the funny looking red brick building that sat in what looked like the median near the water?

thats gone now? what will replace that building?

After arguing about what to do with the Memorial Coliseum for 5 years, it's finally being torn down. It was built by a famous architect, Richard Collier, as a WWII memorial and was the civic auditorium for many years. Then the American Bank Center arena was built and it closed. Some people wanted to save it and the city spent 5 years arguing about it, but in the end could not come up with an economically feasible plan that didn't involve basically giving it to investors. Now, there's yet another committee meeting to decide what to do with the land. It'll probably be 5 more years before they come up with a plan.

[jbtx]

Yes, that was the Coliseum. Someone can correct me if I'm disremembering, but wasn't there an amusement park on that site back in the 1950's-1960's? When I was a kid we used to drive down from Dallas for vacation. We stayed at the Breakers (also gone now) on what is now North Beach, it seems to me we drove over to Shoreline to an amusement park. IIRC, it had about the worst roller coaster in the world, it wouldn't have scared a 5 year old. Of course I was from Dallas and we had the Cyclone at Fair Park,,, now that was a fun ride.

[ohmanon]

I remember going to something called Buccaneer Days somewhere in that same vicinity, I think. Lots of fun as a teenager.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by jbtx

Yes, that was the Coliseum. Someone can correct me if I'm disremembering, but wasn't there an amusement park on that site back in the 1950's-1960's? When I was a kid we used to drive down from Dallas for vacation. We stayed at the Breakers (also gone now) on what is now North Beach, it seems to me we drove over to Shoreline to an amusement park. IIRC, it had about the worst roller coaster in the world, it wouldn't have scared a 5 year old. Of course I was from Dallas and we had the Cyclone at Fair Park,,, now that was a fun ride.

Buc Days was there for many years in that lot. The earliest memories that I have date back to 1969. The roller coaster was there then, but was taken out soon after that. It was a very small roller coaster. There may have also been an amusement park @ north beach. I'm just not sure. Before my time.

[jbtx]

I was just a kid myself then,,, maybe 10-12 years old, I'm probably wrong about the exact location but I definitely remember a Coaster and a Ferris wheel,,, I remember thinking; "Jeeze, what a waste of time", I had more fun on my Cushman motor scooter, which probably had all of 9hp.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by jbtx

I was just a kid myself then,,, maybe 10-12 years old, I'm probably wrong about the exact location but I definitely remember a Coaster and a Ferris wheel,,, I remember thinking; "Jeeze, what a waste of time", I had more fun on my Cushman motor scooter, which probably had all of 9hp.

the roller coaster was on the side closest to the holiday inn. the ferris wheel was close to the Coliseum itself bordering n shoreline.

[jbtx]

Thank you, it's good to know I'm not losing my mind after all.

BTW, I attempted to rate your post positively, and got a note to "spread it around" before giving you a better reputation. Just so's you know, we appreciate your experience in CC, even if we can't do it on this forum.

[kf5wd]

There was an amusement park on North Beach in the 30's -40's. Don't remember a ferris wheel there but there were other amusements along with a salt water swimming pool. The amusement park was right along the beach.

[jbtx]

There was an amusement park on North Beach in the 30's -40's.

This rather conflicts with my memories since I wasn't even born in the 1930's-1940's. I'm thinking it was mid-to-late 1950's when we visited CC for vacation. Granted I was just a snot-nosed kid then, but I wasn't senile. There was a ferris wheel and a coaster on the beach, I know it, I rode it. It may have been on North Beach, or it may have been on Shoreline, that's the part I can't remember.

I'm not trying to be an idiot here, but we are talking about CC history in this thread, I think it's important we know where those attractions were located. I have attempted to verify this with several older long time CC residents that I know and they are kinda fuzzy about these details too. It seems they thought these were just a passing fad and didn't bother to make a note in their memory banks. They remember a popular roller skating rink and a dance hall on the water front where some name brand bands played and young boys romanced the girls on Saturday night, etc. (I think they had as much fun then as we do now).

Most do remember when the Colosseum was built, how do you forget that?

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by jbtx

This rather conflicts with my memories since I wasn't even born in the 1930's-1940's. I'm thinking it was mid-to-late 1950's when we visited CC for vacation. Granted I was just a snot-nosed kid then, but I wasn't senile. There was a ferris wheel and a coaster on the beach, I know it, I rode it. It may have been on North Beach, or it may have been on Shoreline, that's the part I can't remember.

I'm not trying to be an idiot here, but we are talking about CC history in this thread, I think it's important we know where those attractions were located. I have attempted to verify this with several older long time CC residents that I know and they are kinda fuzzy about these details too. It seems they thought these were just a passing fad and didn't bother to make a note in their memory banks. They remember a popular roller skating rink and a dance hall on the water front where some name brand bands played and young boys romanced the girls on Saturday night, etc. (I think they had as much fun then as we do now).

Most do remember when the Colosseum was built, how do you forget that?

Maybe this is what you remember on North Beach? The photo caption says it was snapped in the 1940s, but maybe it stayed over to the 1950s?

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