Podunk Texas Denver Harbor Houston Texas. (original) (raw)

	The Globe Theater - reborn as a tire shop on the corner of Lyons Avenue and Lathrop Courtesy Dr. Jay Grady

Before suburbia, gated communities, and strip shopping centers - back when convenience stores were corner groceries and before pedestrians became extinct; Texas cities had very distinct neighborhoods. These self-reliant communities were usually held in place by stable landmarks like high schools, fire stations or theaters. When residents needed something really important - there were buses to take them on a downtown adventures. Sometimes these communities had their own parks and sometimes they even had their own watertowers. This is the story of one such community, its watertower and the mystery of the name. It's also the story of a record-breaking basketball game played by an underdog team of fourteen-year olds in 1948.

	The Old Denver Harbor Fire Station on the corner of Lyons Avenue and Kress Street Courtesy Dr. Jay Grady

	The Charles Elliot Elementary School 6411 Laredo Street Courtesy Dr. Jay Grady

Houstonian author Jay Grady has started a grassroots movement to have his old neighborhood officially recognized as "Texas' Official Mythical Town."

	The Mystery - The Legend - The Book

The neighborhood went by other names, but the most popular was and is Denver Harbor. The original boundries of "Podunk" were west of (what is now) Wayside, north of the tracks and not far from from the notorious juncture of Lyons Avenue and Jensen Drive (aka "Pearl Harbor").

	Photo of Jay Grady circa 1948

Former Denver Harborites or anyone wishing to sign Dr. Grady's petition for Official recognition are encouraged to visit his website www.podunktexas.com. The photos in this page are from the book "Where the Hell is Podunk, Texas?" and our courtesy of the author, Dr. Jay Grady. Call toll-free @ 1-877-476-3865 to place an order.

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John Troesser
First published May 1, 2006