Then and now photos show the beginnings of the North Freeway and its growth

Then: The North Freeway at I-10 looking north in March 1978. Then: The North Freeway at I-10 looking north in March 1978. Photo: Bill Clough/Houston Chronicle Photo: Bill Clough/Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 21 Caption Close Then and now photos show the beginnings of the North Freeway and its growth 1 / 21 Back to Gallery

You've heard of the "10-year challenge" on Facebook right? It's where you post a photo of yourself from 10 years ago and one from today.

We can't do that for Houston freeways. In 2009, the North Freeway was dotted with furniture stores, sexually-oriented businesses and car lots. In 2019, well, not much has changed there, though the traffic inside the Beltway seems to have gotten worse.

Instead, we're going to do the "60-year challenge." Even then, you can see the freeway, with its upgraded lanes, begin to take shape.

NEAR WILLOWBROOK TODAY: 60 years ago this month, 'Dead Man's Crossing' claims another life

According to Erik Slotboom's "Houston Freeways: A Historical and Visual Journey," the North Freeway was constructed faster than any other Houston freeway (especially in light of the long-running joke about the Gulf Freeway and it being perpetually under construction). The first section of freeway opened in December 1959. By 1963, it stretched all the way to Spring.

With the help of Google Earth, we're able to get a good view of how much the landscape has changed over the years. From just inside Montgomery County at FM 1488 to downtown Houston, see how the North Freeway cut a path through the region in the photos above.

J.R. Gonzales, a third-generation Houstonian, covers local history with an eye toward the people and events that have mostly been forgotten to time. Follow him through Bayou City History on Facebook and Twitter. He can be reached at 713-362-6163 or john.gonzales@chron.com.