Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Pleasanton: resident, scenic)

[catriona]

Originally Posted by Willsatx

I remember the Sears, Penny's, Walgreens, and Luby's in that strip.

Wasn't there a Hallmark store there, too? Dillards' moved in at the other end of the strip, too. Was that where the Penney's was later on?

[Blanco Joe]

Southside Sears had a sort of candy corral in the middle of the store. My mom used to love to get a pound of choclate covered peanut clusters whenever we went there to Shangri-la....A/C was a BIG treat for us in the fifties. By the way, Central Park Mall was always rumored to have all legitimate businesses, including the CP Bank.... but the money used to build it all was ..... from the East Coast, Vegas, New Orleans, and other scenic places like that.

[Blanco Joe]

Another oddity of the mid fifties that was properly banished due to health reasons... when you went to get a pair of shoes fitted, there was a machine that your could slid your feet into and look down through a scope of sorts, and see the bones of your feet. It was gimmicky, and I'm sure dangerous due to low level radiation. I don't think the thing stayed there for very long. Funny how that machine would have been considered perfectly o.k. until someone wised up that it was a form of radiation. If you remember, radiation was the reason all the monsters came into being for all those fifties sci-fi movies. Ha!

[49 Olds]

Nice to see a lot of good input from southsiders. I lived on the northwest, but worked on the southeast at Holt Machinery in 1963-64. They had a water tank in front with a diesel pump. The water was sulphur and the bottom was blue green. The smell was strong and we would swim on Sundays and drive an old tiny D2 baby cat for fun. The water drained down a ditch to feed two fish tanks, which were located east of the building across what is now 410. We were allowed to fish one, but the other was reserved for Holt Atherton, who was Holts' president, and his friends. I fished the tanks once after 410 was built. I guess the fish tanks are still there. Let me know if you catch something. There was also an airport with a windsock for wealthy construction execs to fly in to party and to buy equipment.
A diesel mechanic started at $1.65 an hour. The 4 top lead mechanics made $2.25 an hour. I know, I handled the payroll. I guess that is how you can afford to buy an NBA team.
The other places I remember were the Farmers Daughter, and for food the Curve drive-in and I think the Flame drive-in. Southsiders were really great down to earth people.

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by catriona

Wasn't there a Hallmark store there, too? Dillards' moved in at the other end of the strip, too. Was that where the Penney's was later on?

Yes there was a hallmark and it was actually a Dillards and not a Penny's.

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by Blanco Joe

Southside Sears had a sort of candy corral in the middle of the store. My mom used to love to get a pound of choclate covered peanut clusters whenever we went there to Shangri-la....A/C was a BIG treat for us in the fifties. By the way, Central Park Mall was always rumored to have all legitimate businesses, including the CP Bank.... but the money used to build it all was ..... from the East Coast, Vegas, New Orleans, and other scenic places like that.

They also had a cafeteria style eatery with some decent food, they also had one at the downtown location.

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by Willsatx

I remember the Sears, Penny's, Walgreens, and Luby's in that strip.

Not Penny's. There was never a Penny's anywhere close to the old Sears location.

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by Willsatx

They also had a cafeteria style eatery with some decent food, they also had one at the downtown location.

Hi Joe, After Luby's closed it became Brittany Buffet.

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by Willsatx

They also had a cafeteria style eatery with some decent food, they also had one at the downtown location.

The Cafeteria inside Sears was up front in about the middle of the store. Windows all around it . Was pretty nice in it's heyday!

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by Willsatx

Yes there was a hallmark and it was actually a Dillards and not a Penny's.

Hallmark was between Sears and Walgreens. About the second little shop from Sears. Next to where Game Stop is now.