outside 410 suburbs history (Marshall, Leon Valley, Windcrest: house, neighborhoods, theater)

[samustang91]

I was just wondering if anyone knew how the suburbs outside 410 where built I'm just asking. Because the high school near my area(MacArthur) was built in 1950. I was just wondering how people moved out of the urban areas , and started to move gradulaly to the "outside the loop".

[ged_782]

MacArthur High School was originally known as Northeast High School, and was the lone high school in the rural Northeast School District. Northeast Junior High was also part of the same campus. Development inside Loop 410 (then Loop 13) in the 1950s in areas within Northeast's boundaries led to additional campuses, and Northeast High School became MacArthur when Robert E. Lee was built.

I believe development began to cross what is now Loop 410 on the North Side around 1960, and just kept moving farther and farther North. Additional campuses were added as new subdivisions sprang up.

[wCat]

San Pedro used to be....um SAN PEDRO....up to about 1604 in the 60's and 70's. Bitter Rd was sort of the jumping off point.....with the San Pedro Drive In Theater located about where The Embassy Theater is now. Hollywood Park was being developed very slowly.......very rural (still has that feel with no curbs and the deer population.) Several other older neighborhoods popped up along "San Pedro" on up to 1604.

When we lived on RAFB, in the 60's 1604 was just a two lane highway. We almost bought out in Hollywood Park, but dad thought that commute was too far! It really was WAY out in the country then (it seemed). McAllister Park was formerly called "Northeast Park Preserve"...and was mostly raw wooded areas with roughly paved roads for picnics and just wild life watching. There were some foot paths, but it was very "pristine" and undeveloped.

In the mid to late 60's, MacArthur had competition with Lee, Churchill and Roosevelt added to the NE district high schools. Competition was fun, and wholesome and good spirited.

Construction of the Airport (not sure what year) and the inner loop (410) changed the whole complexion of the far North side. Harry Wurzbach road was originally part of "NW Military Hwy". It extended up to where loop 410 is....cut across in front of the Airport property and connected to the current NW Military Hwy and ran all the way to Camp Bullis. This was the main route for new recruits to head up for basic training during WWII.

I-35 and Loop 410 were finished somewhere around 1960 or early 60's.

Blossom Athletic complex and stadium were added in the late 1960's and have been added on since.

I'm sure there is more I can remember.....I'll try to dig up some info.

BTW - there is a great info on the "Map thread" (I don't know how to find it)....that shows an early 1960's map and a 1950's map and some of the changes that occurred in that area. (hope someone can dredge up the map thread for you!)

[ShaneSA]

When I moved to SA in 1985, Stone Oak was a planned community. It was planned as an upper income area with shops and small malls close by. 281 expressway was just finished. I remember asking why they would build a freeway with no where to go. There was nothing along 281. I think all the development was helter skelter. Except for Stone Oak, there was and is no plan. I'm not sure Stone Oak even has a plan anymore.
All around the medical center there was wide open fields.
I seriously doubt there was any plans for development of SA. It just happened.

[Willsatx]

I am curious about the history of the area where Marshall high school is, and Leon Valley past 410.

[yodi711]

Originally Posted by wCat

BTW - there is a great info on the "Map thread" (I don't know how to find it)....that shows an early 1960's map and a 1950's map and some of the changes that occurred in that area. (hope someone can dredge up the map thread for you!)

Is this the map thread you speak of? http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...y-history.html

[samustang91]

Originally Posted by Willsatx

I am curious about the history of the area where Marshall high school is, and Leon Valley past 410.

I think that the area near Marshall High School I guess that people start to live around that area around the early 1950s to late 50s.

[banker]

Originally Posted by wCat

San Pedro used to be....um SAN PEDRO....up to about 1604 in the 60's and 70's. Bitter Rd was sort of the jumping off point.....with the San Pedro Drive In Theater located about where The Embassy Theater is now. Hollywood Park was being developed very slowly.......very rural (still has that feel with no curbs and the deer population.) Several other older neighborhoods popped up along "San Pedro" on up to 1604.

When we lived on RAFB, in the 60's 1604 was just a two lane highway. We almost bought out in Hollywood Park, but dad thought that commute was too far! It really was WAY out in the country then (it seemed). McAllister Park was formerly called "Northeast Park Preserve"...and was mostly raw wooded areas with roughly paved roads for picnics and just wild life watching. There were some foot paths, but it was very "pristine" and undeveloped.

In the mid to late 60's, MacArthur had competition with Lee, Churchill and Roosevelt added to the NE district high schools. Competition was fun, and wholesome and good spirited.

Construction of the Airport (not sure what year) and the inner loop (410) changed the whole complexion of the far North side. Harry Wurzbach road was originally part of "NW Military Hwy". It extended up to where loop 410 is....cut across in front of the Airport property and connected to the current NW Military Hwy and ran all the way to Camp Bullis. This was the main route for new recruits to head up for basic training during WWII.

I-35 and Loop 410 were finished somewhere around 1960 or early 60's.

Blossom Athletic complex and stadium were added in the late 1960's and have been added on since.

I'm sure there is more I can remember.....I'll try to dig up some info.

BTW - there is a great info on the "Map thread" (I don't know how to find it)....that shows an early 1960's map and a 1950's map and some of the changes that occurred in that area. (hope someone can dredge up the map thread for you!)

Great info!!

[banker]

My dad is a retired Army Dentist and he was stationed here in 1974, 1984 and 1994. It was amazing to watch the city change from 1984 to now (I don't remember 1974...too young). In 1984 we had friends that built a house out in Encino Park. It seemed like taking a road trip to go to their house. Now I live on the southern edge of all the development north of 1604 and am nearly across 281 from Encino Park!! My how things change. Even from moving back here permanently in 1994 the northern edge of the city has been transformed. It is nice to see the infrastructure finally catch up with the population move.

[smuboy86]

When my Grandfather retired, in 1978, from Ft. Sam, he decided to put his Columbia education to use and teach at SAC. They looked at Windcrest, but it was too far out for them, and decided to move to Northwood. A few years later they actually bought a plot and had custom plans drawn up for a house near present day USAA, but they couldn't get an interest rate under 18%.