Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Spring: spring break, automobile)

[TexasBAD]

Originally Posted by MLeahy

Boy, do I remember Frontier burgers on Fredericksburg Rd.! I used to eat there all the time after school when I went to Jefferson HS. They had the Char Grill right behind the counter where you could see the burgers cooking. I can smell them now!

I was the night closing manager at Pistol Petes Pizza when I was going to St. Mary's University. In fact I was working the night we got fourteen inches of snow in Jan. of 1985. By the time I got out at 2 A.M. all of us had to dig out our cars to see which was which (ha ha!) It was hard to get out of the parking lot as it was shaped like a bowl and my 1975 Malibu Classic had no traction.

Thanks for the memories! MLeahy

Wow, the Jim's Frontier Burgers...in mid to late '60's the girls wore skates and skated to your car with some of the biggest hamburgers you ever saw.

[Willsatx]

I loved that Jim's on Fred Road and Club

[TexasBAD]

Somewhere in this thread someone mentioned remembering when Marbach was a two lane road to the Heritage area...

I remember in or about 1967 when Marbach stopped at Loop 410 inside the loop. Outside the Loop Marbach was a gravel road that dead ended about 1 mile outside the loop at the old city dump that was covered up and bought by Ray Ellison where he built the Heritage homes.

[TexasBAD]

Originally Posted by texasborn

Boy... have I gotten hooked on this site/thread. This is the next best thing to being (home) in SA. Been gone 30+ years!

And for those of you lucky enough to still been there and have reminders of the area of "then and now", my memories may not be as clear. But, ... those movie houses! I DO remember them. I remember the MAJESTIC Theatre (it was truly majestic and mystical-I lost a transistor radio there while watching John Wayne's CHISUM; (westerns on THAT screen were captivating!) and the the TEXAS Theatre (saw TO SIR WITH LOVE there). And, the LAUREL Theatre was right across from my JR HIGH (not middle school) Mark Twain and the OLMOS Theatre, and the WOODLAWN Theatre (the SAND PEBBLES). I saw the musical CHICAGO at the MAJESTIC (and took my spouse) when I was in town for business a while ago. So glad to see it was not torn down. I wasn't the same (but, then, it never is, is it?) but glad to see it none the same.

And back to DOWNTOWN SA, does anyone remember FROST BROS Dept Store? I recall there was a magnificent Chistmas display there during this time of year. I remember when going DOWNTOWN was really something. Does anyone recall the Rexall Drugstore on the corner across from the Post Office and the Alamo (circa mid-60's)? Twirling on those seats at the soda fountain (cherry coke please with extra cherry, sir). Walgreens will NEVER compare to Rexall.

And, just briefly, re Playland Park, I DO remember it. I'm old enoungh to remember it before it became delapidated. And, does anyone remember the park right outside of Brackenridge Park? (I LOVED THAT TRAIN!) They had Shetland Ponies there. I remember getting tossed off one (can Shetlands buck? The San Antonio ZOO, Brackenridge Park, that Train and the Small (?) Park. All remain except the Park, right?

I saw John Wayne's "The Alamo" and "The Dirty Dozen" sitting up in the balcony at the Majestic Theater. Our mother would drop us kids off there on Saturdays and she would go to the beauty shop across from the Alamo to get her hair done and then go shopping at Joskey’s before picking us up. When I was about 10 years old I remember and “Old Timer” saying to us: “I wouldn’t go up there, that’s where the “Negros” used to sit.”

[TexasBAD]

Originally Posted by irnag

Texasborn, remember the day the Brackenridge train got robbed? Oh the rampant crime in SA. Also, does anyone know if Dibbles Hobby Store still exists? It was near Jefferson High School if I remember correctly. Also is Randy's Rodeo still there? I think that was Bamdera and Hillcrest.

I remember the train robbery, it made the headlines and was touted as the first train robbery in over 100 years or something like that. I do not know if it still is, but at that time the train was under the Texas Railroad Commission due to it being over a certain length of track. Some GI’s that went AWAL from Ft. Sam Houston stopped it and robbed all the passenger of their money and jewelry.

[TexasBAD]

I have only read through 36 pages...so far a lot of old tv shows have been mentioned. Does anyone remember Dark Shadows?

[TexasBAD]

Originally Posted by Dementia_Impaled

Hubby worked at 'Stop -n- Rob' for almost a year in '94; Diamond Shamrock was in the process of buying them out. I'm not sure why 7-11 left, but I'm assuming it was a similar thing.

I worked at the Winn's on Goliad & Pecan Valley from 88-89, and not long after that they closed. I've read that the company went bankrupt.

Love the pic of NSM!! Does anyone know when they put the boots there? I've forgotten. Does anyone remember when KISS did a marathon broadcast remote in the booth that was in them?

Would anyone be interested in pics of various places? It's amusing that the 'First Mate' sign is still standing; I'm seriously thinking of rescuing it. My job has me traveling all over the city during the week; let me know of any requests.

Stop n go bought out 7-11, diamond shamrock bought out stop n go, valero bought out diamond shamrock.

[TexasBAD]

Originally Posted by rssawyer

I have found this thread and have been reading it now for the past 2 hours. WOW it sure brings back alot of memories. My dad worked for Lubys and we moved to SA in 1972. We stayed until Dad was transferred in 1981. I have not seen anybody mention the sniper at the parade....my little brother got away from us to use the bathroom about the time the shots rang out from the snipers RV. We were about 200 yards away from the shooting and we could not find my brother. I thought my Mother was going to have a heart attack. Finally about 30 minutes later, my little bro wandered back to our car like nothing had even happened. One other thing, remember when Locke Hills Elementary was on IH-10 and had the marker on it as "the oldest school in Texas"?

The sign was moved to the newer location by Clark HS. It read the oldest continually run school in Bexar County.

[Button75]

The Montgomery Ward at Wonderland has many memories for me. In the late 60's my dad would take me, my sister and four brothers to Wonderland every Saturday.

We had a routine down. First we'd hit Montgomery Ward where you'd buy a hot dog and a coke for 15 cents at a stand that was set up only on Saturdays at the top of the escalators.

From there we'd walk across the parking lot in the back of the mall to a site where the VIA park and ride is now. Back then there was a giant fiberglass slide which you slid down by riding a bath towel-sized piece of fabric. You got three slides for a quarter.

After the slide our next stop was back in the mall to the Winn's for a small Icee. Once we had our frozen drinks we'd go downstairs to see the slot cars race around the giant track.

I can't remember how many times we went through this routine, but it remains a fond memory of growing up in SA in the 60's.

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by TexasBAD

Stop n go bought out 7-11, diamond shamrock bought out stop n go, valero bought out diamond shamrock.

Actually 7-11 did not sell out to stop-n-go, a neighbor worked at the offices of 7-11 and the reason they closed was because of the cost of bringing in the trucks from dallas with all the groceries. They never opened up a warehouse in SA and it was costing them a lot of time and money so they had to close the stores.