Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Victoria: interiors, couches)

[Basse Bud]

..was beginning to wonder if you became one of the Gone But Not Forgotten...!

[SATX56]

Glad you're still around Bud!

[gdillcd15]

Dirt-track races, drive-in eateries, black cows - good old San Antone!

I got here two weeks after top soil and just after Big Foot Wallace headed out with John Coffee "Jack" Hayes and Rip Ford to points west.

The Flame drive-in - yummy! Was a dude called "Hands" what did drag racing out W W White near United Gas. He showed out by passing a half-dollar coin through his wedding ring. His running pal had a '50 Ford with no hood showing eight one-barrels and a moded Lincoln Flathead.

Speaking of running - ever been to the Running Bear drive-in?

"Running Bear loved Little White Dove with a love as big as the sky. Running Bear..."

George Dill

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by gdillcd15

Dirt-track races, drive-in eateries, black cows - good old San Antone!

I got here two weeks after top soil and just after Big Foot Wallace headed out with John Coffee "Jack" Hayes and Rip Ford to points west.

The Flame drive-in - yummy! Was a dude called "Hands" what did drag racing out W W White near United Gas. He showed out by passing a half-dollar coin through his wedding ring. His running pal had a '50 Ford with no hood showing eight one-barrels and a moded Lincoln Flathead.

Speaking of running - ever been to the Running Bear drive-in?

"Running Bear loved Little White Dove with a love as big as the sky. Running Bear..."

George Dill

You must have been a little before my time George. The old Howell Refinery is still there at S. Presa and SE Military. I forget it's current name. The Flame is long gone though the building remains as a Mexican restaurant. All of Brooks AFB now City Base is a whole new world. Someone else on here spoke of United Gas at WW White and SE Military i think. Running Bear at Mission Rd. and SE Military is long gone. Stopped there for a beer here and there long ago. Building gone and a little double strip center with flower shop and headstone shop etc in it's place. Bobby Bare's still around I think.

[Basse Bud]

In reorganizing a collection of images, I rediscovered this absolute jewel of a source for pictures,
well worth saving in "favorites" !

Zintgraff Studio Photograph Collection


Here's a rewarding expenditure of an hour or so, exploring downtown S.A. from 1880's to 1960's.
..a tour that many will recognize...

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by Basse Bud

In reorganizing a collection of images, I rediscovered this absolute jewel of a source for pictures,
well worth saving in "favorites" !

Zintgraff Studio Photograph Collection


Here's a rewarding expenditure of an hour or so, exploring downtown S.A. from 1880's to 1960's.
..a tour that many will recognize...

I discovered the Zintgraff Collection at the Institute of Texan Cultures years ago Bud. I'm glad they've finally digitized much of it. I've waded through it a few times. Always wished there was more.

[huckster]

I cannot believe the sign is still there.....KRESS

Originally Posted by SATX56

You must have been a little before my time George. The old Howell Refinery is still there at S. Presa and SE Military. I forget it's current name. The Flame is long gone though the building remains as a Mexican restaurant. All of Brooks AFB now City Base is a whole new world. Someone else on here spoke of United Gas at WW White and SE Military i think. Running Bear at Mission Rd. and SE Military is long gone. Stopped there for a beer here and there long ago. Building gone and a little double strip center with flower shop and headstone shop etc in it's place. Bobby Bare's still around I think.

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by huckster

I cannot believe the sign is still there.....KRESS Attachment 157991

I can't recall exactly where Kress is/was. Wasn't it Neisner's that had the Chimp in the basement? Across from City Hall? Most of my downtown exploits were before I was 12. If that's a Kress sign still standing it would be strange.

[huckster]

I had completely forgotten all about this until you stirred up the muck from my memories. A Chimp in the basement. Yes, I remember seeing that now. Don't , can't remember which store it was in though.
This sign is still there though, it plainly reads- Kress. These posted are poor quality pics, from an older phone- from before the cameras were improved to the point where they take such high quality pictures as they currently do. Hell I think the brand new phone cameras are at 16 megapixels- this picture was taken with only 3.3 pixels of resolution. IT does say Kress, however. Download the pic and magnify it, you can read it.
This sign was there, at least it was when I took this particular set of pictures in 2012. What else can it be? There is the proof. Seeing is believing. We also used to go to Kress, Neisner's, etc. also. We, both, are I believe- around the same age I believe SATX, but I also believe you might be a little bit older.

I too, was under twelve years old when I used to go downtown with my mom to shop, this was in the day before suburbian shopping malls were built- so downtown we used to venture to exactly like my mom used to do as a child so many, many years before, to shop for things. Everyone did. It was the place to go.

378 Houston st. is the address on google maps for this Kress sign location, I looked at this again out of curiosity and it is indeed still there, yes, and can more clearly be read there. In fact there are two Kress storefront signs on the google maps site, with a jogger running by the store front except now it is a Texas De Brazil Restaurant , which I have never patronized. The signs remain.
These old signs must be 60-80 years old? More? Google cameras are merely a little higher quality than mine was and so pictures are plainly decipherible. I have bought a regular camera now, a Nikon. Humorously -when buying this new camera, the camera guy advised me to buy not the highest quality camera available because with higher resolution also come facial shape and complexion flaws that appear too clearly visible in group portrait -pictures. He held his palms with finders outspread around either side of his face to emphasize his point.

Originally Posted by SATX56

I can't recall exactly where Kress is/was. Wasn't it Neisner's that had the Chimp in the basement? Across from City Hall? Most of my downtown exploits were before I was 12. If that's a Kress sign still standing it would be strange.

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by huckster

I had completely forgotten all about this until you stirred up the muck from my memories. A Chimp in the basement. Yes, I remember seeing that now. Don't , can't remember which store it was in though.
This sign is still there though, it plainly reads- Kress. These posted are poor quality pics, from an older phone- from before the cameras were improved to the point where they take such high quality pictures as they currently do. Hell I think the brand new phone cameras are at 16 megapixels- this picture was taken with only 3.3 pixels of resolution. IT does say Kress, however. Download the pic and magnify it, you can read it.
This sign was there, at least it was when I took this particular set of pictures in 2012. What else can it be? There is the proof. Seeing is believing. We also used to go to Kress, Neisner's, etc. also. We, both, are I believe- around the same age I believe SATX, but I also believe you might be a little bit older.

I too, was under twelve years old when I used to go downtown with my mom to shop, this was in the day before suburbian shopping malls were built- so downtown we used to venture to exactly like my mom used to do as a child so many, many years before, to shop for things. Everyone did. It was the place to go.

378 Houston st. is the address on google maps for this Kress sign location, I looked at this again out of curiosity and it is indeed still there, yes, and can more clearly be read there. In fact there are two Kress storefront signs on the google maps site, with a jogger running by the store front except now it is a Texas De Brazil Restaurant , which I have never patronized. The signs remain.
These old signs must be 60-80 years old? More? Google cameras are merely a little higher quality than mine was and so pictures are plainly decipherible. I have bought a regular camera now, a Nikon. Humorously -when buying this new camera, the camera guy advised me to buy not the highest quality camera available because with higher resolution also come facial shape and complexion flaws that appear too clearly visible in group portrait -pictures. He held his palms with finders outspread around either side of his face to emphasize his point.

I'll be 64 by the year's end. Wished we'd had the hi res digital cameras in our youth. What joy we would have looking back at our youth. This younger generation seems to have no real concern for capturing moments in time for later enjoyment. It's live for today in this generation. They seem irked when I mention what used to be. They have the best means available to document every moment in time. It's a crying shame.

I best remember Joske's and their regular product demonstrations. (think Ron Popeil) Also the submarine like pinging noise over the PA system. The Mezzanine floor, the basement, the Christmas Display and restaurant. There was Wolf & Marx and I've forgotten the other Landmarks now. Going to the magnificent Majestic Theater and then to eat at Manhattan. Hardly recall Coney Island. The Aztec and Texas too a kid could be taken away by the scenery.
Our southside Sears and Roebuck was a true landmark. Devastating to see it go and the building demolished. It was all we had besides Thom McAn shoes (maybe Brunners) until McCreless Mall was built. Downtown started a downhill spiral after all the malls started up.

I wish i had some of the old signage from these old places. Hindsight is 20/20. Wish I was better at photography too. I like to watch "Pickers" on the History channel.