Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Houston: books, fire)

[Primo]

Originally Posted by Willsatx

Wow I remember hanging out at Sombrero Rosa many times, I also remember the Arby's on Blanco where KFC/Taco Bell are now. If I recall the Las Palapas used to be a Pollo Loco.

What was there before the Sombero Rosa? I thought the Pizza in was next to it, where the Subway is...or was that the Long John Silvers?
Across the street was the burger king/ carls Junior.
That McDonalds and Pizza Hut have been there since I can remember......Before the Albertson's...it was a grocery store called SKaggs. Down by the las Palapas...my family used to go to a Chinese place called "The Jade Tree"
What was there before the HEB? I miss that Arby's. What was that before it was an Arbys? That only came around in the late 80's

[texasguy30]

When I was a kid I heard there was a place by Chachos called the Midget Mansion. I know they tore the place down but has anyone actually seen the place when it was still there?

Just curious.

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by Primo

What was there before the Sombero Rosa? I thought the Pizza in was next to it, where the Subway is...or was that the Long John Silvers?
Across the street was the burger king/ carls Junior.
That McDonalds and Pizza Hut have been there since I can remember......Before the Albertson's...it was a grocery store called SKaggs. Down by the las Palapas...my family used to go to a Chinese place called "The Jade Tree"
What was there before the HEB? I miss that Arby's. What was that before it was an Arbys? That only came around in the late 80's

I think it was a pizza inn before sombereo rosa, where subway is now it used to be a taco bell. The LJS has been there forever. I remember Arby's as far back as the late 80's.

[BudB]

As a 17 year old, I graduated from Highlands in 1963 satx56 so you can do the math for our relative ages. The tree you describe is also intriguing as it grew across WW White from United Gas and the same blue smoke was what figured into the haunting of UG. You mention a Chinese graveyard and that's a story I'm keenly interested in as I've heard about it several times and always in a different place tho in the same general area. It was somewhere in the Stinson Field region possibly within the airport's footprint or just south. There are also many of the original San Antonio Chinese interred at Mission Burial Park that borders Stinson Field on the west and north so maybe some were buried nearby very early. In 2005 I published a definitive history titled "Chinese Heart of Texas; San Antonio's Chinese Community 1875-1975." It covers the first 100 years of the Chinese in texas which was mostly a San Antonio story since they came here after building the Southern Pacific railroad from Cal. to near Langtry. It's a great story since it also covers in detail the so called Pershing Chinese who were brought to Fort Sam Houston in 1917 after being massacred and chased out of Mexico by the murderous Pancho Villa. Anyhow, do you know anymore about a Chinese graveyard?

[majormadmax]

The haunted Chinese graveyard is west-southwest of Stinson, off of South Zarzamora outside of Loop 410 about a half mile. If you look on a map it is where Zarzamora bends westward, just inside the bend.

Just note that it is private property and you need to get permission to access it. I believe there is a phone number at the gate.

Cheers! M2

[SATX56]

Hello BudB, you must be 5-6 years older than me. I believe it was a lone tree in the field south of Military Drive. It's still there i'm sure! The tree was close to a little side road that paralleled Military. You're saying United Gas was behind the old Curve drive in basically. That's if the drive in was
around back then. The Chinese Graveyard Story as I know it is as follows; There was a very tall headless Chinese lady. She watched over the graveyard. The graveyard was at the south end of Stinson Field. Directly across Ashley Road from the south end of the n/s runway. I've heard other locations in more recent years from different people. Btw, I've never seen evidence of an actual graveyard at this location. I've read some about Langtry and the RR . Been to the Jersey Lily
hunted near there in Comstock. I know growing up there were Chinese grocery stores everywhere. In San Antonio that is! That's about all I know Bud! Hope it helps!

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

The haunted Chinese graveyard is west-southwest of Stinson, off of South Zarzamora outside of Loop 410 about a half mile. If you look on a map it is where Zarzamora bends westward, just inside the bend.

Just note that it is private property and you need to get permission to access it. I believe there is a phone number at the gate.

Cheers! M2

Hello Major
I remember going through all this a while back. I of course don't know for sure where the so called Chinese graveyard was. I just have memories of where I was told it was as a kid. I didn't live far from Stinson back then. Oddly enough in later years we lived off Zarzamora closer to your Chinese graveyard . In the early 70's we used to drag race out Zarzamora from 410 to Poteet HwY. I used to drive south of 410 hit Applewhite to go out to 1604. I liked it because it had the old trestle bridge and low water crossing at Medina. Also some good parking locations if you know what I mean! There's a little Cemetery just a little south of 410 on Moursund. I remember being told the Chinese Cemetary was out Somerset Road. Any how, I don't recall if you confirmed the cemetery on Zarzamora as Chinese.
I'm just saying who knows for sure? Personally, I never believed in the story. Certainly not the "Headless" part. If the one on Zarzamora is actually a Chinese cemetery it's got a shot! Cheers M+2 = M2

[Boss Rider]

[quote=satx56;5510021]Hello Major
I remember going through all this a while back. I of course don't know for sure where the so called Chinese graveyard was.

Try: +Lost Destinations::Chinese Graveyard+

It's from "Weird Texas" and is about a haunted chinese graveyard in San Antonio.

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by Boss Rider

Try: +Lost Destinations::Chinese Graveyard+

It's from "Weird Texas" and is about a haunted chinese graveyard in San Antonio.

That's the place on Zarzamora, although we respected the 'NO TRESPASSING' sign and stay outside the fence!

Cheers! M2

[BudB]

To MajMM and the Boss, many thanks for pointing out the so called Chinese Cemetery to us. Looking at the Weird Texas fotos it appears to be a fairly typical family cemetery, probably Hispanic Catholic. The witchcraft sign is meant to keep the Satanic/Voodoo types from using the site for their silliness. I live in Austin and we even had it going on in a large municipal cemetery here back in the '90s adjacent UT's baseball stadium just off I-35 so not secluded at all. How Chinese became associated with the cemetery in discussion is impossible to say by now; so be it. While researching my Texas Chinese book, I visited a small family cemetery near LaGrange that definitely had a half dozen Chinese buried in unmarked but documented graves. They had died from typhoid fever while working on the GALVESTON, HARRISBURG AND SAN ANTONIO RAILWAY in the early 1880s. There are also Chinese railroad dead in West Texas in small plots since they were commonly buried together. One near the old tunnel beyond Chispa and another alongside the tracks near Pecos is a grave holding five Chinese where railroad crews have maintained the site for nearly 130 years or so. Chinese Ghosts are another issue altogether about which I have nothing to add but am grateful for the input here that has settled the Stinson Field location for me. There are at least a couple books on San Antonio's ghosts for those who want to know more including one just on the Menger Hotel's spirits.