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Gone but not forgotten- Old Corpus Christi Revisted
Quote:
Originally Posted by wehotex
I have an uncle that used to cook at ship ahoy downtown. I'll ask him.
My first visit and post to this site so bear with me. If the recipe for Ship Ahoy's "Best Shrimp In The World" hasn't appeared here . . .noting that was an old 2007 post, it so happens I have the original recipe. In fact I have several old Corpus recipes, grew up in a restaurant family, I would be happy to provide.
The past several hours I've read this complete nostalgic thread. What a collection of ephemeral and disjointed memories it provokes. Growing up in Pope Pl. in the mid-50's some of my best memories were
the old Conway Conservatory of Music (Alameda St) where I studied as a child, the old Lindale Recreation Center on Swantner Dr. and later the Jitney Jungle store where I had a job as a bag-boy.
Mr. GWhopper mentioned ""Jimmy Storm and "Celika S" docked at the T-Head and "Hans" the ex-Nazi chef . . .wasn't that his name "Hans?" and Tooter Brown. I'll just bet you knew of Neil Dancer, Wm. Piper and Jenny Lee Piper too! I recall Billy Pugh, didn't he invent that life raft capsule for astronauts?
I left Corpus in the 60's for Viet Nam and didn't return for some twenty years. After Hurricane Allen I went back to Corpus for a brief vacation and stayed 18 months . . .the fishing was fantastic. When the passes sanded back in I left. Sometime in the early 2000's I revisited Corpus and to my utter dismay Jessie Lerma was still working as a fry cook at Hamlin Pharmacy on S. Staples.
Sadly, the old Donut Hole, on Ayers, has closed. I got their carne guisada recipe from a girl whose mother worked there in the 80's. And Btw, didn't hear anyone mention "Jack's Dinner Bell" at Parkdell Plaza.
Folks, I'm bleary eyed now but I've sure enjoyed this unexpected trip down the back pages of my mind so I'll leave you with this:
My first visit and post to this site so bear with me. If the recipe for Ship Ahoy's "Best Shrimp In The World" hasn't appeared here . . .noting that was an old 2007 post, it so happens I have the original recipe. In fact I have several old Corpus recipes, grew up in a restaurant family, I would be happy to provide.
The past several hours I've read this complete nostalgic thread. What a collection of ephemeral and disjointed memories it provokes. Growing up in Pope Pl. in the mid-50's some of my best memories were
the old Conway Conservatory of Music (Alameda St) where I studied as a child, the old Lindale Recreation Center on Swantner Dr. and later the Jitney Jungle store where I had a job as a bag-boy.
Mr. GWhopper mentioned ""Jimmy Storm and "Celika S" docked at the T-Head and "Hans" the ex-Nazi chef . . .wasn't that his name "Hans?" and Tooter Brown. I'll just bet you knew of Neil Dancer, Wm. Piper and Jenny Lee Piper too! I recall Billy Pugh, didn't he invent that life raft capsule for astronauts?
I left Corpus in the 60's for Viet Nam and didn't return for some twenty years. After Hurricane Allen I went back to Corpus for a brief vacation and stayed 18 months . . .the fishing was fantastic. When the passes sanded back in I left. Sometime in the early 2000's I revisited Corpus and to my utter dismay Jessie Lerma was still working as a fry cook at Hamlin Pharmacy on S. Staples.
Sadly, the old Donut Hole, on Ayers, has closed. I got their carne guisada recipe from a girl whose mother worked there in the 80's. And Btw, didn't hear anyone mention "Jack's Dinner Bell" at Parkdell Plaza.
Folks, I'm bleary eyed now but I've sure enjoyed this unexpected trip down the back pages of my mind so I'll leave you with this:
An old musician now. . . from Corpus Christi, City By-The-Sea
Where a little grass, and her fine _ _ _
Made a horse's a$$ out of me.
Rust Never Sleeps
Wow! Did you meet any other musicians in Corpus Christi, if so what were their names? I may have heard of some them. Where was the Musican place that you talked about?
Also I found out about a Chung Mei #1 on Water st, back in the 1950s next to the original Ship's Ahoy.
What was the first Condominium built on the Island?
>Wow! Did you meet any other musicians in Corpus Christi, if so what were their names? <
From or extant in CC: Helen ( Erwin ) Donath, Susan Taylor, Larry Norman, Don Williams and Cooney Jack. I wonder how many CCians recollect Old Cooney Jack of the Downbeat Club down in the "Cuts?" Or for that matter, Lt. Jackson on the circa 1963 CCPD vice-squad? The old Red Carpet Club on Lexington. . .aka SPID . . .and Dogforbid, the Green Dragon?
>I may have heard of some them. Where was the Musican place that you talked about?<
Right here: 3046 S Alameda St Corpus Christi, TX 78404
>Also I found out about a Chung Mei #1 on Water st, back in the 1950s next to the original Ship's Ahoy. <
Oddly, I recall the original Ship Ahoy from that famous old sign " Best Shrimp In The World. " I recall the subjective value rant from my dad. My dad used cracker meal and ,in mnsho, Mr. Hall's shrimp were better. Otoh, I still think my dad's Chili Con Carne was better, as did the TRA.
>What was the first Condominium built on the Island?<
I left Corpus in 1964 didn't return until Nov. 1979. Carla blew me out and Allen blew me back in I liked to say. My expressed purpose was to go fishing after some 26 passes opened up. There were snook and tarpon in the Laguna Madre for a time back then. Caught about a 3' tarpon wading Dead Man's Hole behind Corpus Christi Pass ( on a silver spoon ) which had me hooked for some 18 months. I left and avoided CC since retiring in 1995. Corpus had lost it's charm with the crosstown expressway, SPID, urban sprawl and in-your-face refineries. . .Koch country. Played the old Key Allegro Yacht Club for awhile and preferred Rockport's laid-back atmosphere. Since 95' I've only been in CC a few times for weekends maybe have dinner at the Yardarm or Snapka's. I recall an old place on, or near, North Water and Palo Alto sts. A stark white two-story building with a neon clock on it's front and simple sign in red neon with the letters " EAT ". It served great coffee and breakfast after a cold morning's wade of the oyster reef on North Beach. Interesting fact, that old oyster reef on the right side of the Portland causeway appears on old Topo maps as "****** Reef." It was the only Black beach in CC when I was young.
I seem to recall visiting the Mayan Inn, Mustang Towers and Port Royal condo's on the island when Corpus Christi Pass and the Fish Pass were open. As they sanded in I went to Big Shell until everyone had 4x4's, boats and jet skies. I learned it's, or was, more rewarding to go to the 7th. Pass in La Pesca, Mexico for snook and tarpon. How things have changed . . .to go to La Pesca now is taking your life in your hands.
Your questions provoked a lot of old memories of people, things, and places that no longer exist.
I wonder if anyone recalls Leroy Frazier (sp) of Flour Bluff who used to airbrush t-shirts at "Pat's" on Staples across from W.B. Ray H.S. and the Buccaneer Apts? He died in a car wreck coming back from partying in Laredo in 1962. It was a carload of kids with several killed and others seriously injured.
The name Bob Mudd, old motorcycle cop (knucklehead), just flashed through my mind . . .time to get my hat. Not much of a C&W fan but sometimes it hits the spot:
I recently discovered this building that looks old and kind of like a school at 1115 Sam Rankin St. Does anybody know what that building used to be? It is in the "cut".
I am also wondering if there was any place that fit the description of a "Saturday night fever/1970s/disco" club in corpus at any time period.
For those who no longer reside in The City, I have some brow raising news.
-Lichthensen Building is torn down.
-Ships Ahoy is turned down.
-Harbor Bridge is set to be replaced.
-Someone bought the old Butter Krust Bakery and is going to make a shopping place out of it.
-Sunrise Mall is just about Vacated. There is 1 place in the food court, and a seinor citizen was killed two years ago in the bathroom.
Does anybody know when the Old First Luther Church at 1201 Morgan St was build. It looks 1950's?
I also have a suggestion for downtown. Sell to the Chinese! Make all of our decrepit buildings into a Chinatown. MMMMMMM Dim Sum!
In all seriousness why do any of you think that Padre Staples mall is thriving, but Sunrise is almost dead?
Rust!....I have one for you, Remember that Pharmacy and Taco place in flour bluff? Or what about the small mass of water where N.A.S and S.P.I.D meet? Wasn't there a bar or gas station there. Can you name some of the early businesses of flour bluff, and where they used to be???
I recently discovered this building that looks old and kind of like a school at 1115 Sam Rankin St. Does anybody know what that building used to be? It is in the "cut".
I am also wondering if there was any place that fit the description of a "Saturday night fever/1970s/disco" club in corpus at any time period.<
The White Rabbit was located at Six Points, Ayers St. side. Club Voodoo off of SPID.
Rust!....I have one for you, Remember that Pharmacy and Taco place in flour bluff? Or what about the small mass of water where N.A.S and S.P.I.D meet? Wasn't there a bar or gas station there. Can you name some of the early businesses of flour bluff, and where they used to be???
In the 50's and 60's Flour Bluff, even with it's very sandy soil, had very poor drainage. Water sometimes pooled in front of a large bar where Lexington Blvd. curved to the left was the large "Pink Elephant Bar" . . .you couldn't miss it. There was an old Dairy Queen and A&W Root Beer drive-in. There has been a "Jet Car wash" on the west bound side of Lexington/SPID since the Guerre des Pâtisseries. In fact that's how Flour Bluff got it's name in 1838 in the Pastry War. When SPID was constructed drainage was improved. There was also a small carnival affair which latter became a miniature golf course of sorts. On the east bound side of SPID were various and sundry bait and tackle shanties, tourist shell shops and liquor stores. There once were train tracks for the old Tex-Mex railroad that went to NAS.
City Detective, check La Retama library for both historical aerial photographs and old Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. They often list the site structures by address.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Corpus Christi, Nueces County ... www.loc.gov/item/sanborn08479_008
Library of Congress
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas. ... Site: American Memory - Geography and Maps Division - Sanborn Maps Original ...
Does anyone else remember "The Golden Dome Drive-In" on (then) Lexington Ave. back in the '60's? It was an amazing place...especially after it closed! If anyone can help me fill in the blanks, thanks ahead of time!
Gateway Pharmacy used to be along NAS Drive just before the south gate entrance in the 60's it moved to NE corner of Waldron/SPID, probably still named Lexington then. Dan and son Marvin Korn were the proprietor-Pharmacists. After The Dad passed away MArvin heldo on to the store for several years. I worked there as a relief Pharmacist and my sister-inlaw who graduated from FB High School as Salutatorian in May 1973 also worked there as a Pharmacist around 1978.
Dr Hughes a Family Practice DO had a a day care next to his office. The sort lived PAdre Pharmacy now houses a liquor store on Waldron Rd. My wife grew up in FB and and on the corner of Lakeside and Waldron was "Our Place" (beer joint", the O'Donovich 's had a DQ on PI and ioin FB. LAter Craig , a son opened owned Craig's Record Factory. The Nicholson's had a grocery store there on SPID and Eddie Buhidar's Bluff Save way was on your right as you entered the Bluff.
spicemeister,
Wasn't there a golden dome that sold BBQ burgers on Lexington? If I remember it was on westbound Lexington kinda between Carroll Lane and Weber, not sure though.There was also another one on Hwy (, (Leopard) going west near the Rand Morgan, McKinzie area. I may be wrong though.
So funny you asked that. I sure do remember the Golden Dome, too! I've asked friends from long ago and, no, they can't remember and think I'm crazy. It actually had a gold dome as i recall. I don't remember the location but it seemed "way out there" and I don't think it was around too long. Don't know what went on after dark as I was just a young thing but they sure had delicious hamburgers during the day.
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Gone but not forgotten- Old Corpus Christi Revisted
In fact that's how Flour Bluff got it's name in 1838 in the Pastry War. When SPID was constructed drainage was improved. There was also a small carnival affair which latter became a miniature golf course of sorts. On the east bound side of SPID were various and sundry bait and tackle shanties, tourist shell shops and liquor stores. There once were train tracks for the old Tex-Mex railroad that went to NAS.
