Thought I was finished with it
July 23, 2008 (Wednesday)
Hurricane Dolly is on our minds today as she comes ashore. More about her later.
I said yesterday’s blog was the last one about my experiences with downtown buildings, but I have to mention a couple of buildings that are no longer standing: the City Auditorium and the Sam Houston Coliseum.
I attended my first symphony concert at the old City Auditorium (1910-1966), located on Texas Avenue and Louisiana Street. I was in the 7th Grade at the time, and it was 34 years old then, and not air conditioned. That building was host to the likes of Elvis Pressley, Judy Garland, Enrico Caruso and Babe Ruth. We attended with our music class and heard, “Peter and the Wolf,” which not only entertained, but demonstrated various instruments in the orchestra, with each instrument representing a character in the story told by the music. I enjoyed that day very much. Later, my uncle Lloyd, Mother’s brother, took me to a boxing match, and, after that, a wrestling match. Troy tells me that I asked him to go with me to a wrestling match after that, all at the old City Auditorium. That was the last one we ever saw. My interests turned to “Roller Derby,” and those contests were staged at the Coliseum.
The Coliseum (1938-1998) was a newer building, and the complex included an exhibition area (mainly for the live stock show) and the Music Hall, where concerts and shows were performed. For years the Coliseum had no air conditioning, but it was later installed (a family friend fell to his death during the installation process). I attended many events there: Roller Derby (rough and tumble stuff), the Rodeo, Ice Capades, the Southern Baptist Convention (Billy Graham spoke), and the Baptist General Convention of Texas. It was a great building, but gone now, replaced by several newer, bigger and better arenas.
It’s interesting to see how downtown Houston is developing clusters of government buildings, convention halls and hotels, and a theater district, within the business community. I can see the skyline from the Houston Heights, where I am now pastor, but I hardly ever go to downtown any more. We used to “go to town,” but now “town” is all over the place. The automobile, and then the freeways, changed city life in America, north and south, east and west.