Old photos of Sharpstown tell short stories about the neighborhood

PHOTOS: The early days of Sharpstown

Aug. 16, 1970: New Sharpstown High viewed by transfer students Dee Ann Patrlak, Lynn Portis and Nancy Hastings. PHOTOS: The early days of Sharpstown

Aug. 16, 1970: New Sharpstown High viewed by transfer students Dee Ann Patrlak, Lynn Portis and Nancy Hastings. Photo: Tom Colburn/Houston Chronicle Photo: Tom Colburn/Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 80 Caption Close Old photos of Sharpstown tell short stories about the neighborhood 1 / 80 Back to Gallery

Archival photos from the Sharpstown area give us brief, fascinating glimpses of life in the neighborhood decades ago.

One photo captures the day in 1964 when Wallace Rashall, a draftsman, heard about a swarm of bees that had invaded a car at lunchtime at the Sharpstown mall.

Despite having no bee experience, Rashall left his office to go use his draftsman's brush to collect them in a box, telling the Chronicle photographer he always wanted a swarm of bees.

MORE MEMORIES: Old-timey photos of Spring Branch

Then there was Jon Fontenot, who went to the Sharpstown Golf Course in 1989 to try to stop animal control officers from shooting a roaming coyote. SPCA workers wound up using a trap with a whole chicken to try to catch the coyote.

We also collected photos of school zoning protests in 1970, bomb shelters being built in 1964, roads buckling from heat in 1963 and Hollywood actors and actresses attending a movie premiere in 1980.

Of course, much of the Houston Chronicle's Sharpstown coverage throughout history has centered on the mall.

Check out the photos above and tell us in the comments whether you recognize anyone.