Beehive2

the beehive
December 31, 1951 - ?
4310 Procter Street-Old Casanova club
3944 16th Street-Painter's Hall
port Arthur, tEXAS

(Information, newspaper clippings and photographs courtesy of Mary Ash-Scott)

Young folks from Thomas Jefferson, Bishop Byrne, Stephen F. Austin High Schools
showed up. Teenagers from Mid County, Beaumont and even Orange begin to show
up and even became members. Local rock 'n roll bands made their first steps into
show business by appearing at the Beehive. Johnny Roy and the 'Dialtones', Dwight
Perrio and the 'Rockin' Knights', Johnny Piggot, Dale Gothia and Jivin Gene Bourgeois,
just to name a few.

I was just wondering if anyone had any pictures of the bands that played at the Beehive.
Jack Yager and I, Herman Myers, had a band and we played a lot of the weekends.
I don't remember who else was in the band except Ted Linscomb who played saxophone.
We had around 7 people in the band including a girl singer. We were called the Orcats.
If anyone has any pictures or information about who was in the band please e-mail me at hemyers@cox.net.

Herman Myers

Class of 55

Photo 10
Shirley Harrington, Doris Harrington, Allen Michon, Mike Slott, Marilyn Ash, Carolyn Ackerman, Robert Lopez,
Donna Melancon, Phyllis Richard, Murphy DeMacy, Morris Bellot, Jack Dupruy.

I went to the Port Arthur Library and did some research on the Bee Hive and the locations it occupied during its life.

The building that it occupied initially, located at 4310 Procter, shows up for the first time in the 1936 City Directory. It shows it was called the Casino Club with the owner shown as E.J. Schexnayder. In the 1939 City Directory, the owner was shown to be a Lora B. Parnell. In the 1943 City Directory, the name has been changed to the Casanova Club with a Tony Fragakis as the owner. It is still listed in the 1945 City Directory as the Casanove Club with the same owner. It should be noted that there is no City Directory for 1944. There is no City Directory for 1946 but the Directory for 1947-48 shows the location as being vacant. The 1949 and the 1951 City Directory shows the location as being occupied by the USA Organized Reserve Corp. The Bee Hive is shown as the occupant in the 1952 and 1953 City Directory. The property is shown as vacant in 1956 which would lead one to believe the building was demolished sometime between 1953 an 1956. We lived in the 500 block of Neches Avenue in 1956 and I remember when the building was demolished.

The Bee Hive must have relocated to the 16^th Street (Gulfway Drive) location sometime between 1953 and 1956. The building was owned by the Peveto family out of which they operated a cabinet shop and also operated a skating rink. There is no listing in the City Directory of 1957 for the Bee Hive which would lead one to conclude that it was no longer in existence. The actual address was 3940 16^th Street. Subsequent City Directories show that the location was occupied by the Painters Local Union.

Bob Morgan ... TJ Class of 1959

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