Gone but not forgotten in San Antonio! (West, Franklin: association, builders)

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by sapphire

That would make a great-looking restaurant with some TLC.

Actually, the building itself is quite small. There wouldn't be room enough for tables inside, and behind it now are some vehicles that belong to the garage next door. There is a covering that goes all the way to the top of the building. You can easily see all this on Live Local Search

Still, it should be renovated as it is really a cool old building. Unfortunately, the location is not the greatest. It may have been back before the overpasses were built, but now it is kinda off the beaten path...

There is another old gas station downtown that I remember seeing, but for the life of me I can't remember where. I want to say it is on the corner of King William St and St Mary's, anyone know?

Cheers! M2

[wCat]

Originally Posted by Primo

Speaking of Donore Square Subdivision....there is where the County Clerk that stole all the dead peoples money and bought like 7 Ferraris lived. I think his name was Spillman? I had a roommate from college, and his parents lived in there, and I can remember seeing his house with all the Ferraris in the garage.

I was working in and out of the courthouse when that happened. We were all shocked because we dealt with him everyday. Just an average guy....in my opinion he needed a new suit! I mean, do we really need more than ONE Ferrari? I can't remember the details on that, but it involved the probate office and I don't know how he managed to scam that money. What year was that anyway? Before 1999, right?

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by wCat

I was working in and out of the courthouse when that happened. We were all shocked because we dealt with him everyday. Just an average guy....in my opinion he needed a new suit! I mean, do we really need more than ONE Ferrari? I can't remember the details on that, but it involved the probate office and I don't know how he managed to scam that money. What year was that anyway? Before 1999, right?

I found this article that was dated 2002:

(05-18) 04:00 PDT San Antonio -- He liked fast cars and attractive women, and if those passions did not make Mel Spillman unique among men, the cars, at least, seemed beyond the limits of his salary. Yet he would arrive at his $33,000-a-year job as a court clerk driving a Mercedes-Benz or a Ferrari.

Moderator cut: do not repost copyrighted articles

[GWhopper]

I found out Mel Spillman got sentenced to 10 years in 2002.

[GWhopper]

Here is (supposedly) an old picture of Midget Mansion from its hey day. I also found this story on the internet, which I think is untrue but pretty much summarizes the myth surrounding the place:

"It is said that long ago in the early 1900's a family of midgets / small people lived in a mansion. The owner a midget himself was a very wealthy business owner in downtown San Antonio Texas. He had a wife, who was also a midget and 2 children...one male and one female. The children themselves were not small, but regualar sized people.

As the story goes. The husband arrived at the home and simply murdered his wife, and two children with a shot gun. Then hung himself in a bedroom closet.

What is unknown is why he did it...or whether or not this part of the story is true or not, I suppose its up to you as the reader to believe. But what is fact, is that there was a mansion located between Medical & Donore Pl. which is again Promontory Pointe."

Now what I heard is the real story is that the house was actually the Gillespie Mansion, the same people who owned Gillespie Ford. It got the reputation of being "Midget Mansion" because all the doors had door knobs placed lower on the doors than is usual. This was due to the fact the wife was in a wheel chair and it was easier for her.

Again, I don't know if there is any truth to either of these stories, but the second one should be easy to prove/disprove, since there would have to be records of Gillespie owning the property.

[GWhopper]

I apologize, I think that last photo I posted isn't an authentic picture of the Midgent Mansion. It's a photo of another mansion in the same area that still exists to this day. Apparently, the person who posted the original said this was "similar" to the Midget Mansion.

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by shortscorner

Mickey Mantles was on the 410 side, outside between the Handy Andy and I forget what the anchor store was at the west end of the mall. Anyone remember what that anchor store was on the west end of Central Park?

So they no longer have cowboy breakfast at Central Park Mall before the rodeo evey year?

Do you remember a restaraunt that was attached to Sears? I think there was one there but not too sure. It was in the mall as soon as you walked out it was on the left.

[Primo]

On the subject of mansions. There is the park next to the Southwestern Bell/ AT&T building on Hildebrand...Right across from Incarned Word, there are some stairs and a headless angel statue. I heard there was a mansion there in the 1920's...owned by a wealthy doctor. His child was kidnapped for ranson.....it was botched and the child was found decapitated. He commissioned the statue to be made in memory of his child. Can anyone verify that?

[ath1980]

I'm hoping someone can help me out. I grew up in the Heritage NW subdivision and if you go to the sw corner of that neighborhood beyond that there used to be some land. One peice was owned by the Robbins who used to own Pete's and Bernece's Bar off Marbach (my parents used to drink there in the 80's), that storage place next to it, and of course Robbins propane. Another peice of land next to that was owned by a man named Burel(sp?) it went all the way between marbach and potranco from the backside of heritage all the way to 1604, maybe past that. I know because I used to play out there with my friends all the time in the early 90's, much to the chagrin of old man Burel.

My point being, there's what looks like two big old quarries cut into the rock near the Marbach edge of Burel's land. I'm talking two squares cut with about 20-30 ft sheer sides on 3 of the 4 sides. You can kinda see what I'm talking about as you go over that bridge headed sw on Marbach just before you get to that light in front of that elementary school. It's now being developed I'm sad to say.

I always wondered about what that place was. I know its not a natural formation, but there were no old buildings/equipment I ever found. We did find these giant fossil shells out there. They were close to 3 ft. across, kinda flat, but spirally formed. I guess trash from quarriing.

Any help and I'd be much obliged...

[gingerale]

it was the old Urrutia estate. Here is some info:

Dr. Aureliano Urrutia's Gates

Dr. Aureliano Urrutia's Gates, the forgotten San Antonio.