Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Dallas: apartments, renting)

[googie2525]

Oh yes, remember the Seven Oaks Resort on Austin Highway?

From Paula Allan's column:

Q: As a child in 1946, I lived near the old Austin Highway. I remember a diner that was, I believe, the original Earl Abel's. It was not too far from where the new Earl Abel's is located and was then near a locally famous 1940s-style supper club, at that time headlining Harry James, with his wife, Betty Grable, in tow. Has there been any research or anything written on the old Austin Highway/Broadway portal to San Antonio in the early years following World War II?
James P. Miller,
Georgetown

A: That was a boom time for what used to be called "the Austin Road." Originally a country road, Texas 2 received state-funded improvements during the 1936 Texas Centennial, partly in anticipation that San Antonio would be chosen as the site for the Centennial Exposition.

That honor went to Dallas, and the new highway expected to bring throngs of fairgoers "was filled daily with the unemployed looking for work," says René Lynn in "Austin Highway Then and Now," a special section of the North San Antonio Times, published April 2, 1987.

The Depression "curtail(ed) much new development," writes Lynn, whose history of Austin Highway first was published as a series of articles July 31 through Oct. 9, 1936.

"World War II and rationing stamps followed, thwarting development not only on Austin Highway but throughout the nation."

The road stayed quiet, anchored by a school, a church and a few tourist-oriented businesses, until Sevenoaks — most likely the nightclub you remember — opened in the early 1940s. A country-club style resort, Sevenoaks had moved from more modest quarters on Broadway to a newly built facility at 1400 Austin Highway. Soldiers and civilians flocked to dances featuring live bands, local and touring.

"We got a good famous band — such as Tommy Dorsey and Xavier Cugat — at least once a month while they were making the circuits," Jo Chadwick Stewart, daughter of Sevenoaks founder Ben Chadwick, says in the history.

Since the late 1930s, trumpeter Harry James fronted a band, the Merry Makers, considered a "nationwide favorite of dance lovers," according to his biography on Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) (broken link).

There is no photo of James, with or without pinup girl Grable — to whom he was married from 1943 until their divorce in 1965 — in the newspaper collections of the Institute of Texan Cultures Library. Though the San Antonio Light and San Antonio Express normally published photos of visiting celebrities, picture coverage was sparser during the war, when photographers were needed for the war effort, says Tom Shelton, institute photo curator. James and Grable "could have been here," he says.

After World War II, says Lynn, young men returned to the work force, and "the slowly developing Austin Highway stood on the brink of a tremendous boom."

Motels and tourist courts, many with restaurants, opened on the revitalized highway, as gas rationing ended and recreational travel increased.

Eateries included Charlie's, a "casual fun spot" serving barbecue at 1533 Austin Highway; Damon's Seafood Restaurant at 110 Austin Highway; and the TeePee Steakhouse at 1718 Austin Highway. Damon's, decorated in tasteful gray with fancy terrazzo flooring, sounds too upscale to be a diner, and the TeePee was memorable for its cottages in the eponymous shape.

San Antonio Conservation Society Library volunteers checked city directory listings for Earl Abel and Austin Highway. Through the 1930s, the city limits stopped at the McNay mansion (now Art Museum) at 801 Austin Highway. In the 1951 directory, the venerable Bun 'N Barrel drive-in was at 1234, but Glasscock's Restaurant seems like a better bet. At 1234 Austin Highway, it was indeed not far from the location at 1201 Austin Highway, where Earl Abel's restaurant moved this past summer.

Glasscock's proprietors were Michael and Donald Glasscock. By the 1951 directory, Earl Abel's name was found only at 4210 Broadway — the location where the restaurant shut down earlier this year.

Going back to the 1930s and early '40s, there were Earl Abel's Tavern restaurants at 610 and 1910 Main Ave. and an Earl Abel's Drive-in at 4230 Broadway. None of the Earl Abel's listings had an address on Austin Highway.

Lynn's history, which may be the most comprehensive publication on the highway, is in the collection of several local-history archives, including the Texana/Genealogy Room of the San Antonio Public Library. Anyone with ideas about the diner may contact this column.

[SA Greed]

I remember Joskie’s

I remember when the lightening struck the popes mass “site” the day before and toppled the whole thing. How sad.

I remember referring to 1604 as the “Death Loop”

I remember Carl’s Jr being here. If you really look, you can still find one. And the taste is exactly the way you remember. If you remember it.

Still referring to food, I remember GW Jr’s, Red Line, Rally’s, Puffin Billy’s, and the way Whataburger, (back when everyone pronounced it “waterburger”) used to taste like. Why did they change it!!!!

edit: Oh, and Captain Kangaroo from KABB before she got married and moved away.

[940]

GW Jr's brings back memories. There used to be a location at Huebner and Bandera where we would go for senior lunch while in high school. They had great chili cheese hamburgers! Carl's Jr had a location near Ingram Park Mall too, if I remember right. And yes, their locations are few and far between in Texas now but you can find them around.

Joske's was great especially the downtown location where Rivercenter Mall is now and of course locations at Windsor Park Mall (no longer a mall, I hear??), Northstar Mall and Ingram Park.

Remember San Antonio's semi professional football teams like the Toros and the Gunslingers? I also remember as a kid back in the early 70's when the Dallas Chaparrals came to town and became the San Antonio Spurs of the old ABA. Of course the Spurs were lucky enough to be included in the list of old ABA teams that were invited to join the NBA later. The Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets were the other teams from the old ABA that came to the NBA at the same time.

[OzzyRules]

I would kill to have a GW Jr's burger again. I remember when Sonic burgers used to taste different in the late 70's.

I remember a lot more indoor malls, much smaller than the ones mentioned. Some of the Hobby Lobby locations today used to be a Handy Andy with a small indoor mall attached. The 6900 San Pedro shopping center used to be a Handy Andy that opened into a small indoor stip mall along its side. I remember a shoe store and a little cafe or ice cream shop. A drug store was at the end where a Blockbuster video used to be afterwards. Cici's Pizza is there now.

Does anyone remember Shakey's Pizza? I would kill to have one of their beef topping pizzas.

[OzzyRules]

Central Park mall used to have a tiny pizza shop near Dillard's called New York Pizza. It opened in the late 70's. It was the best New York styled pizza that San Antonio ever had.

There was also a Jim's Frontier Burgers near Sears on the lower level. After they closed it was a pet shop for a while.

[neddy]

If you go to Dallas last time I checked they still had a Shakey's pizza in the White Rock Lake area of town. Over near Keller's drive in burgers (if that is stll there!)

[SA Greed]

Don't remember Shakey's but I do remember Godfather's. I think there are still some around. I think it's just my imagination but in Ingram, I used to remember a Zbarro's across from the Theater. Does anyone else? Sorry, the items I remember are from the 80's considering that is when I was a kid.

[940]

I remember Shakey's Pizza...I had a few free birthday pizzas at some of their locations when I was a little boy in the 70s. Unfortunately, there aren't any more Shakey's in Texas. They're either on the west coast or in Georgia or Minnesota. I remember Godfather's too...great pizza...there was a location in the strip center across from Ingram Mall and the Long John Silver's.

And yes, SA Greed, I remember Sbarro's at Ingram Park.

[SA Greed]

I knew I wasn't going crazy. Man that pizza was good. It reminded me of the pizza in Along Came Polly.

Sorry my history isn't that far back guys.

[940]

Originally Posted by SA Greed

I knew I wasn't going crazy. Man that pizza was good. It reminded me of the pizza in Along Came Polly.

Sorry my history isn't that far back guys.

I was 10 years old in the mid 70s so I guess I've got a few years on you!