Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Highland Park: Chinese, to work)

[oldlibrarian]

Toddle House - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DING DING DING DING DING!!

Outafocus, you are the winner! Whatever the prize is for knowing what the Toddle House morphed into is yours to claim at, well, I guess it would now have to be Denny's? Or IHOP? (Alas, Earl Abels's is no longer a choice after 11 PM, week-ends). Your description was spot on.

I, too, remember chasing those 50's trucks. I grew up in Allena Village, and the trucks were blue and white. They held a plethora of treats -- the Dreamsicle and the Fudgesicle being my faves. Ate lots of those goodies during the 50's drought.

[gy2020]

Originally Posted by outafocus

When I was a kid, I couldn't wait for the ice cream man to come down my street. In my north side neighborhood it was always a dark blue and white 1949 or so Chevy truck with the name "Cravey" written on the side. They sold Popsicles, Fudgesicles, and Dreamsicles, and Dixie Doodles (similar to Eskimo Pie) for 6 cents. Ice cream sandwiches, Nutty Buddies, and others cost 11 cents!

Outafocus: When I got out of high school I worked at that company for two summers. The first year it was Cravy Ice Cream and we got our treats from Foremost Dairies a few blocks away. The following summer the name was changed to Tiner's, same location and same supplier. The offices were on Euclid.

Here is the Cravy truck outside of the Jefferson campus, 1960.

[Dwangle]

I always heard that the Ice Cream trucks used Dry Ice to keep everything cold. There was no refrigeration system. I also heard you could buy dry ice from the trucks to use for halloween parties. Was any of this stuff true?

[outafocus]

Originally Posted by gy2020

Outafocus: When I got out of high school I worked at that company for two summers. The first year it was Cravy Ice Cream and we got our treats from Foremost Dairies a few blocks away. The following summer the name was changed to Tiner's, same location and same supplier. The offices were on Euclid.

Here is the Cravy truck outside of the Jefferson campus, 1960.

Those were great pictures! Definitely brought back memories. I thought Cravy had an "e" in it though. Oh well, it's been a while!

Another similar ice cream company to Cravy, and Daniels came around in the mid 60s. It was called Red Wing, and the trucks were red and white. The trucks themselves were International Harvesters. The song their music box played was "Red Wing".

I also heard you could buy dry ice from the ice cream man, but know of no one that ever did.

[gy2020]

Originally Posted by Dwangle

I always heard that the Ice Cream trucks used Dry Ice to keep everything cold. There was no refrigeration system. I also heard you could buy dry ice from the trucks to use for halloween parties. Was any of this stuff true?

You're right! We had to buy dry ice every day. The units had refrigeration, however, since we were opening the doors often, the ice cream would get soft if we didn't use dry ice to help keep it extra cold.

[gy2020]

I personally liked the vendors with the push cart for popsicles and ice cream bars. Something quaint about them.

[oldlibrarian]

Yeah, but you really gotta dig those uniforms the Cravy guys wore -- in the heat of summer!

[gy2020]

They were definitely warm! To boot, they were worn over your clothes. They were like a canvas sport coat.

[BudB]

Originally Posted by gy2020

Outafocus:Here is the Cravy truck outside of the Jefferson campus, 1960.

Dear Outafocus, are you certain that the wonderful Cravy Ice Cream shot was made outside Jeff? At least three of the kids look like classmates of mine at Highlands at that same time. Either way, it is a great foto as those trucks in various two-tone paint schemes were familiar sights in every neighborhood in SA thru the 1950s and '60s. Memory tells me that trucks in Denver Heights were blue & white. They played a tune that I cannot recall other than it had an instantaneous effect of bring kids running from houses up and down the block. Predating them were a very old memory of my first year at 231 Cooper St.(1951) of a man driving an ancient horse drawn spoked 4-wheel cart with steam whistle that sold hot pop corn & peanuts. Don't think we ever got anything from him but just seeing him & hearing coming along was unforgettable. A couple years past then one evening after supper while watching "Uncle Milty" or "Death Valley Days", I heard the steam whistle faintly calling and ran outside. Darkness had fallen but I had to find the cart so began running toward the whistle only to stop and turn as it then seemed to come from a little different direction. I must have changed directions a half dozen times as it grew more faint then gave up finally realizing it was moving beyond my 7 year old stamina at the end of a busy day. That was the last time I ever heard the alluring steam whistle and the old cartman never appeared again in Denver Heights. Ring any bells amongst you other old timers out there?

[outafocus]

Originally Posted by BudB

Dear Outafocus, are you certain that the wonderful Cravy Ice Cream shot was made outside Jeff? At least three of the kids look like classmates of mine at Highlands at that same time. Either way, it is a great foto as those trucks in various two-tone paint schemes were familiar sights in every neighborhood in SA thru the 1950s and '60s. Memory tells me that trucks in Denver Heights were blue & white. They played a tune that I cannot recall other than it had an instantaneous effect of bring kids running from houses up and down the block. Predating them were a very old memory of my first year at 231 Cooper St.(1951) of a man driving an ancient horse drawn spoked 4-wheel cart with steam whistle that sold hot pop corn & peanuts. Don't think we ever got anything from him but just seeing him & hearing coming along was unforgettable. A couple years past then one evening after supper while watching "Uncle Milty" or "Death Valley Days", I heard the steam whistle faintly calling and ran outside. Darkness had fallen but I had to find the cart so began running toward the whistle only to stop and turn as it then seemed to come from a little different direction. I must have changed directions a half dozen times as it grew more faint then gave up finally realizing it was moving beyond my 7 year old stamina at the end of a busy day. That was the last time I ever heard the alluring steam whistle and the old cartman never appeared again in Denver Heights. Ring any bells amongst you other old timers out there?

I didn't post that photo, gy2020 did. I think it came from the back of a Jefferson yearbook.