Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio II (Mission, Fredericksburg: new home, theater)

[940]

This thread is for those who have lived in SA for some time now or maybe just have memories of places that no longer exist. It might be interesting to some of the newer folks who have no idea what used to be here, whether it was a beloved place or just something different that you can't find anymore.

I'm in my early 40s but I remember all the old movie drive-ins that used to be everywhere in the city. We used to frequent the old Bandera Rd Drive-In that used to be located at the SE corner of Bandera and Loop 410 where the old Target building sits empty. We also used to go to the Fredericksburg Rd Drive-In about a mile past Crossroads Mall (the old Wonderland Mall) just south of Loop 410. I remember the Woodlawn, the Mission and the Valley Hi theaters also.

For those that live on the far west side near Potranco Rd, there used to be a business just about 1/2 mile south of Potranco outside 1604 where you could drive back into the woods and target shoot. It was called appropriately enough "A Place to Shoot"...original, eh?! That wouldn't go over so well now with all the new homes being built, of course.

Also, at the eastern corner where Potranco Rd and Talley Rd deadends, was an old country gas station and store named "Reds" with old 1930s or 1940s gas pumps. It was owned by Mr and Mrs Red Laidley and they stocked everything from some basic groceries to farm and ranch equipment and feed for livestock. Most people don't know this but if you can find an old scary movie entitled "Race with the Devil" starring M*A*S*H TV star Loretta Swit and also starring Peter Fonda, you can see just how rural Potranco and that area used to be. The film was made around 1973 and the premise of the film involved two couples trying to get away from devil worshippers who caught them spying on one of their sacrifices..anyway..the scene shows them driving on Potranco towards Talley Rd in their RV and stopping at Reds for gas and information. You get a great shot of what the interior of this old country store looked like and you see both Mr Laidley and his elderly wife who had bit parts in the film. In the distance, you can see empty farm land and not the sea of homes that inhabit the view now.

The old gas station there off Culebra just to the west of 1604 that I hear was finally demolished for a new Jim's was called "Dan's"...it was similar to the store just mentioned above..Red's...everything seemed to have just one name! It serviced all the farms and ranches on FM 471 from where the old Grissom Rd intersected to the east all the way west towards the county line.

Anyone else have any old memores? I'll add some more later!

[perticusrex]

and the saga continues...

[Deep Forest]

I'm just glad it's starting off in the right order

[Dwangle]

I'm still looking at the picture Mudpuddle sent..the road further back must be Babcock and Jefferson Highschool!!

[AnthonySA]

My contribution to GBNFSA: http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...n-antonio.html Part I

[Dwangle]

I think I can see St. Mary's University off in the distance!

[satx56]

Well Congrats to 940 for starting this treasure trove of memories!!!

[satx56]

User Name Posts Willsatx 545 satx56 440 GWhopper 379 Primo 253 wCat 169 OzzyRules 161 Dwangle 155 940 152

[wCat]

Originally Posted by AnthonySA

My contribution to GBNFSA: http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...n-antonio.html Part I

OMG....THANK YOU ANTHONY!!!!! There is too much information, facts and history here to let that thread get lost!!!! Oh geeezz....time to make some notes!

[cholo57]

Originally Posted by 940

This thread is for those who have lived in SA for some time now or maybe just have memories of places that no longer exist. It might be interesting to some of the newer folks who have no idea what used to be here, whether it was a beloved place or just something different that you can't find anymore.

I'm in my early 40s but I remember all the old movie drive-ins that used to be everywhere in the city. We used to frequent the old Bandera Rd Drive-In that used to be located at the SE corner of Bandera and Loop 410 where the old Target building sits empty. We also used to go to the Fredericksburg Rd Drive-In about a mile past Crossroads Mall (the old Wonderland Mall) just south of Loop 410. I remember the Woodlawn, the Mission and the Valley Hi theaters also.

For those that live on the far west side near Potranco Rd, there used to be a business just about 1/2 mile south of Potranco outside 1604 where you could drive back into the woods and target shoot. It was called appropriately enough "A Place to Shoot"...original, eh?! That wouldn't go over so well now with all the new homes being built, of course.

Also, at the eastern corner where Potranco Rd and Talley Rd deadends, was an old country gas station and store named "Reds" with old 1930s or 1940s gas pumps. It was owned by Mr and Mrs Red Laidley and they stocked everything from some basic groceries to farm and ranch equipment and feed for livestock. Most people don't know this but if you can find an old scary movie entitled "Race with the Devil" starring M*A*S*H TV star Loretta Swit and also starring Peter Fonda, you can see just how rural Potranco and that area used to be. The film was made around 1973 and the premise of the film involved two couples trying to get away from devil worshippers who caught them spying on one of their sacrifices..anyway..the scene shows them driving on Potranco towards Talley Rd in their RV and stopping at Reds for gas and information. You get a great shot of what the interior of this old country store looked like and you see both Mr Laidley and his elderly wife who had bit parts in the film. In the distance, you can see empty farm land and not the sea of homes that inhabit the view now.

The old gas station there off Culebra just to the west of 1604 that I hear was finally demolished for a new Jim's was called "Dan's"...it was similar to the store just mentioned above..Red's...everything seemed to have just one name! It serviced all the farms and ranches on FM 471 from where the old Grissom Rd intersected to the east all the way west towards the county line.

Anyone else have any old memores? I'll add some more later!

"where the old Target building sits empty"

Whooa!!...back up a minute!!....the Target bulding at Bandera & 410 is empty??....when did this happen??
Granted, I moved out of SA back in '96 (good Good!, almost 13 years ago!!)...but I remember that building brand spankin' in the early 80's,..used to shop there often times.

"For those that live on the far west side near Potranco Rd, there used to be a business just about 1/2 mile south of Potranco outside 1604 where you could drive back into the woods and target shoot. It was called appropriately enough "A Place to Shoot"...original, eh?!"

I lived at Potranco Rd. (The Hollows Apts.) in the early 80's and I remember a place that you could do just that; but it was right on Potranco and before you reach Hunt Lane, before 1604..anyways, the place came unde heavy criticism due to the new housing developments around the area as some of the pellets started to land in people's backyard...don't remember the name of that shooting range.

One question to all of San Antonians still there....is "Maggie's" still open??...right there on San Pedro...by the Airport.

I'll come back when I remember some more of my life in SA 1982 - 1996.