Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Marshall: public school, live)

[irnag]

Originally Posted by retrocarnation

The whole Countywide ditty was:
For the finest, fastest service
in cooling and heating repair
call Countywide Service company
we're professionals- fast and fair.

The first thing I remember built on the north side of 410 at Fredericksburg was Ray Ellison Real Esatate's home office. It was directly across 410 from Wonderland, or top center of 940's post card. Across Fredericksburg on the northwest corner was Alamo Investments and the then brand new La Fontana restaurant. For all I know, the La Fontana is still there.
Up Fredericksburg, at Wurzbach, was the bowling alley on the northwest corner. That is the first place I ever saw a video game. It was Pac-man, as I recall.

Wow! you guys are going to the way back machine. All that stuff and I am drawing a complete blank. I don't remember much of that. I remember Oak Hills Bowling, but that was and still is I think on the corner of Fredricksburg and Callaghan. I remember when we first moved out to the northside (Babcock and Callaghan), my dad coming from the city from I-10 would miss the 410 exit and we would laugh because the next exit was El Paso. Not literally, but there wasn't an exit at Callaghan or Wurzbach at the time. I think you had to go all the way to Fredricksburg back then. I used to buy my vinyl albums at Davy Jones's Locker at the Colonies North Mall. Anyone remember the skating rink in the mall that was near the airport, I think near or on Broadway? I can't for the life of me remember the name of the mall. I do remember it was missing a key ingredient, stores.

[catriona]

LOL! That's it! I remember the County Wide jingle, too.

As for First Mate, I remember there being one on the corner of Pecan Valley and Goliad. The building was shaped like a boat painted blue and white with a really neat entrance ramp. We used to pretend it was the SS Minow! They had really good coleslaw, too. Does anyone remember the jingle for it? All I remember of it is something like:

"The food tastes great at First Mate
Every thing we server is really first rate"

I'd forgotten about the Fargo's Pizza. Yep, I loved the movie room. Mr. Gatti's uses that concept, only it's nothing but straight Cartoon Network. Bring back the Stooges!

I think all the Handy Andys had the covered carports. The baskets had plastic numbers on them, one that you could remove and the other fixed to the front of the basket. You grabbed your number and just held it up for the baggers to see when you drove up. Wish they still did that now!

Thanks for posting the Wonderland postcard. That's how I remembered it! Remember the Picadilly Restaurant that was on the lower level? Or the Summers Drug Store with the soda fountain? We used to go to the weekend fleamarket and spend a lot of time at the soda fountain drinking cherry cokes or playing video games down on the lower level.

The only skating rinks I can remember were the Carvel Skateland ones. One was off of San Pedro, one out by Windsor Park and the other one on Goliad Road. There may have been others, too.

I also remember a guy that raised tropical fish on the southside. His house was somewhere near So Flores and Southcross. Anyone ever buy fish from him?

Across the street from the southside Sears was a restaurant called Youngblood's. They had the best buttery rolls...

This thread is so much fun!

[irnag]

I'm sorry, I meant the ice skating rink. It was around the mid to late 70s. Because by the time I had a car and could drive to it, it was gone. Please, I beg of you, someone remember the name of the mall, it's driving me crazy. 940 where are you?

Oh yeah, I forgot about those numbers on the Handy Andy carts. And they had signs out for people not to tip the help.

Was the Summers Drug Store over by Handy Andy? On the lower level, I just remember the car race track(60's) Radio Shack an art supply store and a magic shop. I thought I remembered a video game place on the first floor. I know I played Space Invaders somewhere in the mall. After the remodelling, I'm not sure where everything went. Arrg! It's been too long ago and those memories have melted away.

Oh, and I remember at Northwest Center there was a record shop in the back and the sales guy was trying to sell me an early Billy Joel album when he was in some band. I told him no. I was watching on TV the other day and I guess that album is now a coveted collectable.

Ooooh, I think I am beginning to remember First Mate. Was there whistling in the jingle? Or happy horn sounds?

Anybody remember the Seven Seas advertisements? It would go "Blah blah blah blah blah blahblah" "Come to Seven Seas"

Seven Seas was much like Sea World and was in Arlington.

[940]

Speaking of jingles, I about flipped when I heard the old Alamo Music jingle that was so popular in the 70s. I was down at Christmas visiting my parents and the old original commercial was being rerun on channel 5 with the Clef Brothers dancing around and singing! Boy, that brought back memories in an instant!

Let me think about the name of the mall..and the ice skating rink...I'm drawing a blank now too!!

[irnag]

Oh yeah, the Clef bros. They were great.

About the mall, think 940 thiiiiinnnnkkk.

The mall did exist? Didn't it?

[940]

Was it called the Quadrangle? That name pops into my mind....

Okay..NO...I'm getting that confused with Ft Sam Houston...LOL

[irnag]

Thats it! I'm pretty sure it was the Quadrangle Mall. Oh, I feel so much better. And I was thinking it started with a B.

[940]

Originally Posted by irnag

Thats it! I'm pretty sure it was the Quadrangle Mall. Oh, I feel so much better. And I was thinking it started with a B.

I'm still not sure about that name. I'm still trying to find some info on it. If I get desperate enough, I can always check with my parents. Their minds are like steel traps..LOL

I remember the Baskin-Robbins ice cream store at Wonderland. And my sister worked at Baker's Shoes during high school. I remember the Piccadilly Cafeteria as well. Wasn't there also a small US Post Office inside the mall? And irnag, I had completely forgotten about Northwest Center. Where exactly was that located again? It's still a bit fuzzy...

And you said you lived off Babcock and Callaghan but you went to Holmes? You must have been right on the boundary then b/c at one time, Dreamland Oaks, which was near that intersection, was zoned to Marshall..then it was switched to Holmes. It's now back at Marshall..go figure.

[irnag]

Let's see, the post office was next to an Office Supply Store. Can't remember the name of the Office Supply and I will leave it at that. Northwest Center was maybe 1/2 a mile from the intersection of Balcones Heights or where the McDonalds is and Fredricksburg. (I think that McD's was one of the first in the city, I know there was a big hub bub when it opened) I remember flea markets being there and not so much Wonderland. It's funny, I remember the big sign in the middle of the mall that said Tandy on it and listed all the stores. I guess Tandy owned the mall, because I don't remember a Tandy's. And I remember the Piccadilly Cafeteria being on there but I don't remember where it was in the mall. My parents would only take me to Luby's. And I remember the Orange Julius kiosk as you went down the corridor to Handy Andy.

Now I got one for you, there was a burger joint that was on the corner of the entry into Wonderland from Fred Rd. if you were headed to Handy Andy. All I remember about the place was once they had a drawing for stuffed bears there. I have no idea what that place was called. I also recall a Swenson's Ice Cream Parlor across the street. It was a good place to cap off the evening.

Now does anyone remember the Sinclair Dinosaurs which came to Wonderland Mall? Evidently those dinosaurs were made for the New York Worlds Fair. After the fair, they took those things on the road. You could get a wax replica of those dinosaurs. Those machines are much like the ones in the zoo. I had to get a giraffe or something just for the memories. According to wikipedia, there are two of the statues in a park west in west Texas.

Where is Dreamland Oaks? Sounds familiar, but I can't place it. There were so many Oak names around there.

When I was growing up the boundry for Holmes and Marshall was Wurzbach. I lived in Glenoaks, so we all went to Holmes. It stunk because Neff had half the people go to Holmes and half to Marshall, I had a lot of friends that lived in the Marshall district. My friends and I used to cross Babcock and go to the back of the church and play baseball in a field behind the Oak Hills Florist Shop. We could also watch the Texas Open for free in Trees that overlooked the golf course when they played that tournament there.

[OzzyRules]

Piccadilly cafeteria was on the lower level just inside the entrance closest to the Montgomery Ward service center. I know because practically every Sunday after church my family ate there. It was a drag though because none of the stores were open and that was really the only time we went to that mall.