Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Allen: aquarium, flood)

[Primo]

In a previous thread, someone mentioned a flea market at Wonderland Mall? I have very vague memories of an area on the first floor toward Frost Brothers.....I remember a maze of brwon cedar wood store fronts. I remember only going back there a few times with my cousin to an arcade in the back. Was this the flea market?


The last movie I saw at Wonderland Theater was "Uncommon Valor"

[irnag]

Originally Posted by Macgrad89

Willsatx,

Nope - you're thinking of the Texaco at McCullough and Rector (which, oddly enough, had the southeast garage of North Star Mall built on TOP of it). There was a gas station at San Pedro and Rector until the late 70s when the little strip center with Wallpapers To Go was built.

Macgrad89

I thought it was a Gulf station, but I can't remember. Macgrad89, you would not happen to know the name of the kid that was killed. For some reason I remember his last name as Hayden, but I can't confirm this.

[irnag]

Originally Posted by 940

Wasn't there a Swenson's Ice Cream Parlor across from Wonderland on Fredericksburg Rd...just down from the BMW dealership and near Jim's?

Great recollections, Jimgill...thanks for posting them and welcome to the thread!

Yes, I went to that Swenson's all the time

[OneManOnBass]

Originally Posted by spurs22

This is a great thread. Unlike any other I've seen out there.

I grew up in the south end of the Robert E. Lee neighborhood (right on the boundary between NEISD and SAISD lines). I remember (sorry if I've posted this stuff before):

When an HEB at the corner of Blanco and Basse was right up the street from my house. I believe it was the early 90's that this HEB left. I believe 1993 or 1994.

When a Handy Andy was right down the road in the other direction. On Basse and West Ave. And way way back when, late 1980s I believe, a Mr. Gatti's was in that same shopping center.

Anyone remember "HEB Video Central" on Fredericksburg Road and the Pizza Hut that was just up the road from there? I believe that Pizza Hut is now a Tink-a-Taco or Mr. Taco something.

I remember Target on 410 and Vance Jackson. And the Taco Bell right around the corner from there that is now a Mexican restaurant.

KONO 101...I miss that mid-50's to early 60's "golden oldies" music. Now they are late 60's to 70's music. I believe in 1999/2000 they started phasing out singers like Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, and Chuck Berry from their radio station. Its weird to not have those golden oldies on KONO anymore.

Central Park Mall and the FOX Theatre. Did they close down because of a shooting?

I grew up in the same neighborhood, north of Basse between Buckeye and Neer. We shopped at both the Handy Andy on West Ave and Basse and the HEB in Alenna Village. Also, but not so often, went to the Piggly Wiggly on West Ave and Nassau. Lot of shops of West Ave between Basse and Gilbert Lane back in the day... Gwynn Pharmacy, Civeltos Bakery, Soundtown, a small Mexican restaurant that I can't remember the name of. There is probably a lot more but memory fails. Do you remember the woods and bicycle trails around the creek just south of Lee. Didn't they call that White Cliffs or something like that?

[spurs22]

Originally Posted by OneManOnBass

I grew up in the same neighborhood, north of Basse between Buckeye and Neer. We shopped at both the Handy Andy on West Ave and Basse and the HEB in Alenna Village. Also, but not so often, went to the Piggly Wiggly on West Ave and Nassau. Lot of shops of West Ave between Basse and Gilbert Lane back in the day... Gwynn Pharmacy, Civeltos Bakery, Soundtown, a small Mexican restaurant that I can't remember the name of. There is probably a lot more but memory fails. Do you remember the woods and bicycle trails around the creek just south of Lee. Didn't they call that White Cliffs or something like that?

I don't remember that by Lee. When was that? It's cool to see there is someone else from the area I grew up in. I remember when they took down the old Confederate flag from Lee and replaced it with a different flag because of controversy. Actually the last time I passed by there, Lee had a couple of new buildings.

[spacedrum]

I grew up on Guibeau Road from1982 to 1991. When we first moved out there Bandera was two lanes and Guilbeau was almost a dirt road. It was nicknamed "Guil-bump" by my mother. The veterinary clinic on Bandera and Guilbeau was a Stop-n-Go which later changed to a video rental. KKYX was right behind in a huge field. We lived in Village in the Woods which became quickly un-developed due to Hardy-Homes running out of money. I returned recently to find the middle of Bandera-Mainland-Tezel-Guilbeau completly developed. I knew those trails like the back of my hand. There was an old man who lived in a farm deep in the woods near Mainland Road. He would always chase us out when we would cross the barbed-wire onto his property. Anyone remember Consumers Commissary and Woolco where Bandera Bowl is now? I would always have my birthday at Pistol Petes Pizza next to Ben Franklins. There was also a Krogers there too. OMG and Winn's!!! I loved Winn's across the street next to Remco which later became McDuff's. Anyone remember the Slot-Car Racing Track on Huebner and Bandera around 1985? I remember going to Skate Ranch on the weekends and hanging out at Dairy Queen and Baskin Robins.

[OzzyRules]

Originally Posted by OneManOnBass

Do you remember the woods and bicycle trails around the creek just south of Lee. Didn't they call that White Cliffs or something like that?

I remember going there in the early 80's. I remember part of Olmos Creek in that area being undeveloped, still like a real creek. The trails were accessible on one side from the French Valet apartments, which are on Jackson Keller.

The trails got developed over when they built the high rise apartment building which is across from Jackson Keller Elementary. It was built sometime in the 80's.

[eyeta2]

Originally Posted by Primo

In a previous thread, someone mentioned a flea market at Wonderland Mall? I have very vague memories of an area on the first floor toward Frost Brothers.....I remember a maze of brwon cedar wood store fronts. I remember only going back there a few times with my cousin to an arcade in the back. Was this the flea market?

My husband says yes, that was the area where the flea market was located. But he says the gun shows were actually held upstairs.

My husband actually worked part time at American Handy Craft during the early 70's. American Handy Craft was downstairs with Tandys, Radio Shack, etc. He says Picadilly Restaurant was also down there. I remember eating there after church on Sundays, in the 70's. My grandmother lived close by there on Fredricksburg Road, she owned Storms Drive Inn and Storms BarbQ, which later became Grady's Barbque. I miss those days...

[OneManOnBass]

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

I remember going there in the early 80's. I remember part of Olmos Creek in that area being undeveloped, still like a real creek. The trails were accessible on one side from the French Valet apartments, which are on Jackson Keller.

The trails got developed over when they built the high rise apartment building which is across from Jackson Keller Elementary. It was built sometime in the 80's.

I remember you could go into the creek a couple of blocks north of Allena and Dresden when Allena would dead end. You could just go around the guard rail and you were on one of the bike trails. You could also go in at the Arroya Vista dead end at Westmorland. That's where we used to cut through walking too and from Lee. I remember we all called those woods an trails White Cliffs, but that's going back to the late 60s/early 70s. I don't live in S.A. anymore and I get back once, maybe twice a year, so I don't know when it happened, but "White Cliffs" has been razed and concreted over. I assumed it was for flood control. Anyone else out there remember White Cliffs?

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by spacedrum

I grew up on Guibeau Road from1982 to 1991. When we first moved out there Bandera was two lanes and Guilbeau was almost a dirt road. It was nicknamed "Guil-bump" by my mother. The veterinary clinic on Bandera and Guilbeau was a Stop-n-Go which later changed to a video rental. KKYX was right behind in a huge field. We lived in Village in the Woods which became quickly un-developed due to Hardy-Homes running out of money. I returned recently to find the middle of Bandera-Mainland-Tezel-Guilbeau completly developed. I knew those trails like the back of my hand. There was an old man who lived in a farm deep in the woods near Mainland Road. He would always chase us out when we would cross the barbed-wire onto his property. Anyone remember Consumers Commissary and Woolco where Bandera Bowl is now? I would always have my birthday at Pistol Petes Pizza next to Ben Franklins. There was also a Krogers there too. OMG and Winn's!!! I loved Winn's across the street next to Remco which later became McDuff's. Anyone remember the Slot-Car Racing Track on Huebner and Bandera around 1985? I remember going to Skate Ranch on the weekends and hanging out at Dairy Queen and Baskin Robins.

I remember the K-mart on bandera-guilbeau that place was awesome. Do you remember when the HEB at Bandera and Huebner closed?