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I was flown to Houston in Aug. of 1968, from the Plaza Hotel, New York. I arrived in a cream colored 3 piece linen suit, and sported brown and white spectator shoes. I recall that the afternoon temperature was over 100, with the humidity at or about 100%. I was driven out on a pot holed country road to a filthy, swampy, cow pasture. It's finest feature was a shuddered, ransacked, one room school house on the corner.

When we arrived we were introduced to a sweaty man that explained to me that he wanted to build a 20 story hotel, connected to a multi leveled enclosed glass covered mall with an ice skating rink in the center.. He appeared to have been drinking prior to my arrival.

I called home after that visit and stated that I just met a lunatic or a genius I wasn't quite sure, maybe at bit of each, but for some unknown reason I accepted his offer and I was going to move to Houston at once..

The two streets that intersected on that corner was to be Westheimer and Post Oak.. That project became The Galleria, and the Houston Oaks Hotel. The project cost about 20 million. That entire investment was returned within the first 5 years, and an additional mall and new hotel was under construction within the 2nd year. The city had about 350, 000 people, today the greater Houston area has approx. 4.5 million, and that corner in the country, is about the center of the city..

Yep, I'm still here. Ya'll come see us now.. :)