How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Tempe: fencing, activity)
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Yes, my parents always took the out of state family visitors there to the "Mining Camp Restaraunt" as i believe they called it. They had metal plates and utensils and you sat at a long wooden bench. Usual fare was steak/corn on the cob/baked beans and baked potato. This was in the early 60's and it was fun for our visiting family members to eat in the desert at the base of the superstition mountains.
Here is an old postcard of the interior, must be the gift shop for drugstore cowboy tourists.
Here is an old postcard of the interior, must be the gift shop for drugstore cowboy tourists. Attachment 66561
Yeah, That's where our "eastern" relatives could buy the covered wagon lamp that you built yourself. I remember everybody had the Blakely iced tea frosted glasses with cacti on them that they gave you when you filled your gas tank. Thanks for the pic of the place.
This Photo of downtown appears to be earlier than the 1970's, possibily much earlier.The area north of Washington where Symphony Hall and the Covention center were built clearly shows the old buildings.I don't know the exact date when they were demolished, but I do know for an absolute fact that the complex was completed by the time of the Rodeo of Rodeoes Parade in March of 1973.I was in the 6th grade and marched with my school's band in that parade.We assembeled around 2nd st. and Monroe,marched through downtown to 7th ave and Grand and out Grand all the way to the fairgrounds at 19th ave and McDowell.I'll never forget it.It seemed like we marched forever and our poor bass drum player nearly passed out.I believe that years route was the longest in the history of the parade.I could be wrong about this,maybe someone said that and it stuck in my 11 year old brain.I do remember that me and a couple of my friends went up the steps to that big open concrete area in front of Symphony Hall before we had to assemble and looked into the lobby of the hall.Since the complex was open in spring '73 the land must have been cleared around '69 or '70.
Also the city bus visible in the photo looks like the G.M. buses the city operated in the 50's and 60's and I dont see any cars that look like 70's models, all seem to be 40's and 50's models.To the left,the old V.N.B. building is seen,but no sign of the Valley Center(now Chase Bank).It was completed in 1972.If the photo had been taken even as late as 1970, construction would have been far enough along that part of it would be seen.I doubt the picture was taken much later than 1960.I'm thinking of the opening shot from Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho",where the downtown skyline is panned north to south,facing south-west.The area mentioned above is clearly seen and virtually identical.
The pictue of the "Center street bridge by moonlight" is what we always called the old Central ave.bridge.Does anyone know when Center st. started being called Central ave?The post card must be very old due to the use of Center st.and due to the era when the bridge was built.Look at those lovely streetlights.The bridge was constructed around the time as the old bridge across the Salt river in Tempe.My memory is saying 1911 or it could be 1915 for the Center st./Central ave. bridge. A portion of the road deck of the southbound lanes collapsed during the 1965 flood.It was never repaired and it took several years before a new bridge was built next to the north bound lanes and the old one demolished.roosevelt has photos of the collapse and damage done to the old bridge by the '65 flood on one of his excellent posts.
Arizona Mike you have some really nice old postcards,thanks for sharing them.
I would like to hear from anyone that has memories of the '73 Rodeo Parade. AzSon.
Last edited by AzSon; 08-08-2010 at 10:00 PM..
Reason: want to add more reasons why pix is not from 1970's
This Photo of downtown appears to be earlier than the 1970's, possibily much earlier.The area north of Washington where Symphony Hall and the Covention center were built clearly shows the old buildings.I don't know the exact date when they were demolished, but I do know for an absolute fact that the complex was completed by the time of the Rodeo of Rodeoes Parade in March of 1973.I was in the 6th grade and marched with my school's band in that parade.We assembeled around 2nd st. and Monroe,marched through downtown to 7th ave and Grand and out Grand all the way to the fairgrounds at 19th ave and McDowell.I'll never forget it.It seemed like we marched forever and our poor bass drum player nearly passed out.I believe that years route was the longest in the history of the parade.I could be wrong about this,maybe someone said that and it stuck in my 11 year old brain.I do remember that me and a couple of my friends went up the steps to that big open concrete area in front of Symphony Hall before we had to assemble and looked into the lobby of the hall.Since the complex was open in spring '73 the land must have been cleared around '69 or '70.
Also the city bus visible in the photo looks like the G.M. buses the city operated in the 50's and 60's and I dont see any cars that look like 70's models.
I would like to hear from anyone that has memories of the '73 Rodeo Parade. AzSon
Yes, probably in the 50's, the huge Valley National Bank rotating sign is not up yet and the Fox Theater is still there. Postcard is very fuzzy but the cars are all rounded in shape so early 50's.
Good eye roosevelt,I missed that detail,I remember the huge V.N.B. sign,orange or red neon and could be seen a long ways away. What year was the Fox theatre demolished ? I vaguely remember it ,I saw a couple movies there with my Mom when I was very little.
Do you remember the name of that Steak House, on what is now Central Ave, at the Base of South Mountain? I think they even had a riding stable.......
I don't know of a steak house on Central ave,but there was on at the end of 19th ave.at the base of South Mtn. According to my sister,(who by now is not a completely reliable source for memories) it was called Pinnacle Peak South.This was in the 50's and 60's.She recalls that if you wore a tie they cut it off ond hung it on the wall,just like the original Pennacle Peak Steak House.Our Aunt loved to take visitors there wearing a tie and not telling them what was going to happen,and watching the rection of the unsuspecting victim.In the late 80's I used to go to the area and let my German Sheppard run around the foothills,but I can't tell you if the restaurant was still open then or not.
The riding stables WERE on Central not far from the entrance to South Mountain Park.In the mid 70's there were 2 or 3 seperate stables.One was owened by a family named Applebee.I went to school with thier son Ronnie in the mid 60's.
Good eye roosevelt,I missed that detail,I remember the huge V.N.B. sign,orange or red neon and could be seen a long ways away. What year was the Fox theatre demolished ? I vaguely remember it ,I saw a couple movies there with my Mom when I was very little.
O.k. i've read a few hundred more posts and now know the Fox theater was lost in 1975.
There are a couple things I remember about being in Phx in the 70's I'd like to know more about :
Anyone remember a big slide with a small pool at the bottom called SplashDown ? I think it was at the 5 points of 7th st.east Dunlap and Cave Creek rd. The "tickets" were wide rubber bands.
This would have been around '74 or '75.I think I remember Wallace and Ladmo promoting it on thier show.
I haven't yet read anything about Sombreo Playhouse/Theater,east side of 7th st. just south of Camelback.I went there regularly from fall '77 until '81 or maybe '82. Rocky Horror Picture Show on fri. and sat. nights plus saw films like Harold and Maude,Kentucky Fried Movie.A Boy and His Dog,Zardoz,Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings,and so on.What was the name of the restaurant adjacent to the theater ? It had had a south seas island
type of design with palm frond roofs.When the theater was built in the 50's its purpose was to stage plays,but that idea had long been abandoned by the time I was going there.The place was on hard times and run down.There was a article about it in a issue of Arizona Highways some time after it opened.Can't remember what year.My Dad had every issue of A.H. from 1948 to 1983 in cases the magazine sold with the year and Arizona Highways embossed on the spine.The first three,'48,'49, and '50 were actually bound like a book.Wish I had those volumes now.I don't know when the theater and restaurant were demolished.I hadn't been there for a while , when one day I passed by and there was a pile of rubble where they had been.A mid-rise office building took thier place.
Anyone else remember this place or am I the only "creature of the night" on this thread ? Speaking of creatures I saw 'Creature from the black lagoon" there on a double bill with '"It came from outer space",both in 3-D.
Back then,before this current phase of 3-D movies, 3-D was retro !
Last edited by AzSon; 08-09-2010 at 03:56 AM..
Reason: correct mistakes
Good eye roosevelt,I missed that detail,I remember the huge V.N.B. sign,orange or red neon and could be seen a long ways away. What year was the Fox theatre demolished ? I vaguely remember it ,I saw a couple movies there with my Mom when I was very little.
It was torn down in 1975. They had an auction, the total for everything was $5,000. No interest in Art Deco at the time. The dentist upstairs over the drugstore, Dr. Pease who was there forever, put up a fight. He didn't want to move. They had to buy him out.
Last edited by roosevelt; 08-09-2010 at 06:00 AM..
O.k. i've read a few hundred more posts and now know the Fox theater was lost in 1975.
There are a couple things I remember about being in Phx in the 70's I'd like to know more about :
Anyone remember a big slide with a small pool at the bottom called SplashDown ? I think it was at the 5 points of 7th st.east Dunlap and Cave Creek rd. The "tickets" were wide rubber bands.
This would have been around '74 or '75.I think I remember Wallace and Ladmo promoting it on thier show.
I haven't yet read anything about Sombreo Playhouse/Theater,east side of 7th st. just south of Camelback.I went there regularly from fall '77 until '81 or maybe '82. Rocky Horror Picture Show on fri. and sat. nights plus saw films like Harold and Maude,Kentucky Fried Movie.A Boy and His Dog,Zardoz,Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings,and so on.What was the name of the restaurant adjacent to the theater ? It had had a south seas island
type of design with palm frond roofs.When the theater was built in the 50's its purpose was to stage plays,but that idea had long been abandoned by the time I was going there.The place was on hard times and run down.There was a article about it in a issue of Arizona Highways some time after it opened.Can't remember what year.My Dad had every issue of A.H. from 1948 to 1983 in cases the magazine sold with the year and Arizona Highways embossed on the spine.The first three,'48,'49, and '50 were actually bound like a book.Wish I had those volumes now.I don't know when the theater and restaurant were demolished.I hadn't been there for a while , when one day I passed by and there was a pile of rubble where they had been.A mid-rise office building took thier place.
Anyone else remember this place or am I the only "creature of the night" on this thread ? Speaking of creatures I saw 'Creature from the black lagoon" there on a double bill with '"It came from outer space",both in 3-D.
Back then,before this current phase of 3-D movies, 3-D was retro !
The Sombrero was there in the 50's. They ran 'art' films from Europe. I saw the one on the behavior of monkey's including a 'making out' scene. Big stuff back then. The Islands was next door, had a great buffet. Their Tiki drink menu had nudes all over it. Before that it was the Silver Spur nightclub.
Thank you roosevelt, again I read about the islands restaurant after posting. I guess if I read them all I'll know most of what I want to know.
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AzSon.
