Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Alamo: train, food)

[wCat]

Originally Posted by satx56

The Rocket is now called the "Phoenix"!!
Ride Rehab: Old Amusement Park Attractions Ride Again at Knoebels | Baltimore City Paper

Phoenix Roller Coaster - Knoebels Amusement Park & Resort



http://www.offroaders.com/Destinatio.../Dcp_59207.jpg

The Phoenix Rollercoaster at Knobels


All this discussed before on this page.

Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I

Thanks for the links SAT! Great info. But bummer! no pictures ??? Did I miss them somewhere? I got a little lost on the Off road link what did I miss there?

[SATX56]

http://www.offroaders.com/Destinatio...6/Img_1225.jpg

http://www.offroaders.com/Destinatio.../Img_1329b.jpg

Take the ride Video bottom of this link Cat!!!

The Phoenix Rollercoaster at Knobels

[Deep Forest]

Would you believe that I grew up within a twenty minute drive to Knoebels Grove ??? That place is so neat..I spent alot of summers there.....ah-h-h the memories.

[wCat]

Very interesting! I did find "River View" and "Riverview" Amusement Park on the south side. Very little written about it. No accidents from rides, but ironically 54 years ago today there was a gang related incident where three young boys were knifed and one named Tim Lucas died there.

There were no more articles after Jul 6 1955 about "River View". I wonder if they changed the name or just closed down. It apparently opened in 1946 but there was no article listed at to who the owner was. I need to do more digging.

So far I haven't found anything related to any injuries or deaths on the "Rocket"....or on any ride at either place. Doesn't mean it didn't happen...I just haven't found the articles.

[wCat]

Interesting...1946 early ads for River View Park say it's at "the heart of Mission at Mitchell Rd. 2 blks back of Roosevelt Park on the San Antonio River (the old circus grounds).

I guess that's where the Circus came to town!

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by wCat

Interesting...1946 early ads for River View Park say it's at "the heart of Mission at Mitchell Rd. 2 blks back of Roosevelt Park on the San Antonio River (the old circus grounds).

I guess that's where the Circus came to town!

VerrrrrY interesting.....

Middle of photo is approximate location of River View Park. It's more than two Blks south of Roosevelt Park though. But might have had more streets added since that time. Four of five blocks now. I took for granted back of referred to south of Roosevelt Park.

Google Maps

[wCat]

Originally Posted by satx56

VerrrrrY interesting.....

Middle of photo is approximate location of River View Park. It's more than two Blks south of Roosevelt Park though. But might have had more streets added since that time. Four of five blocks now. I took for granted back of referred to south of Roosevelt Park.

Google Maps

Great aerial. Gives a sense of what it was like. No signs of it now?? One article did mention it was on 50 acres!

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by wCat

Great aerial. Gives a sense of what it was like. No signs of it now?? One article did mention it was on 50 acres!

Whoa!! 50 acres would have involved much more land. It's possible the lot or property at one time extended south to Mitchell Street. But the Arch over the drive entrance was pretty centered with width of the property. Depth was limited by the river just behind to the west. I just recall the drive going straight back to the house maybe 100 or 200 ft from Mission Road. High weeds both sides of the drive. An abandoned amusement park ride, swings that are slung out as the entire contraption spins. In total disrepair of course.
That's about all there was to it!! Couldn't have been more than a couple maybe 3 or 4 acres enclosed by fence.

[BudB]

Originally Posted by wCat

LOL!!!! I love this story!! Bud...you can certainly tell a good tale! Wonder if the pictures came out???

Not likely Cat gal because movie screens bounce light wickedly when not not aimed properly. My hunch is that the newbie Air Force guys got some weird views of the screen around the sides with bright fields in the center where the action was. Really fast film might have worked without flash and now digital cameras can really suck the light in so it might work but back then I reckon those dudes were sorely disappointed when the snapshots came back. But I gave them an E for Effort and youthful Enthusiasm plus it sure made a fun memory. Ciao, Bud &

[*mud*]

.
.
So Casbeer's is gone from Blanco Road.

They were there from at least 1930 (listed in SouthWestern Bell telephone directory)

At that time there was also Casbeer's Garden at 1802 Fred Rd
and Casbeer's Little Beauty Cafe at 401 S. Concho.

In the 1940s, Eugene Pianta, son of Hannibal, ran the Blanco Rd joint.

In the same directory Mrs Gutzon Borglum has a phone listed at the Menger Hotel.
Borglum moved his family here in the mid 1920s.

Gutzon Borglum produced a model for Mt Rushmore
at his studio very near the San Antonio River. at the original City Pump House.
.
.
Gutzon Borglum, The Alamo, and the MUD Underground
.
.
He also produced a model, at that studio, for the Trail Drivers for the Witte Museum
originally intended to be cast in bronze at about 30 some odd feet tall
never happened due to lack of funding
finally cast at about 1/4 that size, after his death.

Hugo Villa another SATx sculptor cleaned up the original model,
after Borglums death,
and that was used for the casting.

As I read in Pompeo Coppini's AutoBiography, (From Dawn To Sunset)
he and Borglum were archrivals
competing for commissions from the Matrons holding the purse strings.

Coppini, another world renowned SATx sculptor,
mentor to Waldine Tauch, has work in front of the Alamo, (the Centopath).
above the doors at the Express News, "The Enlightening of the Press".
The bronze doors across the street at the Scottish Rite Temple.
the Littlefield War Memorial Fountain at the UT Austin entrance,
and all around the world.
He created the monument at his own gravesite
(at Sunset Memorial, his wife and Waldine Tauch are buried there as well),
finest I have ever seen.

Hannibal Pianta (he is also buried at Sunset Memorial) collaborated with all the folks mentioned above
casting many of the plaster models for the bronze castings.

Stories I've heard, they all, at times, hung out drinking and such down by the River.

Borglum, Coppini, Tauch, Villa, Pianta
they all have work standing today here and around the globe.
all gone, no way forgotten.

When I was a teenager, CasBeer's had my all time favorite enchiladas.
nothing comes close today.

mud
.
.