Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Austin: mall, bus)

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by retrocarnation

940, I came along three years later, so no I didn't go to Orlando.
Anyway,how about more things that are lost forever? Does anyone remember Los Gallos restaurant on the corner of Eckert and Bandera? It and the propane company next door were the only things there in the late 70's. Just down from that, but on the opposite side of Bandera, was the Texas Star Inn. Mom and Pop Klein had the slickest dancehall and restaurant there until Conrad Pierce bought it in about '83 or '84. If you do remember it, you will also miss the Friday night fish fry.
There wasn't much out that way then. For that matter, there wasn't much between 410 and Helotes. Mandry's hardware was between Grissom and Huebner on the west side of Bandera. Just down from that was Bradford's filling station.
Just to illustrate to the newer folks how rural this area was (until recently), Gilbeau Road wasn't paved until about 1982 or so. Anyone remember the big dip right where Gilbeau hits Bandera? You can guess how quiet Braun was all the way to Galm. I have no idea why there was a stop sign at Braun and 1604 at this time. I don't recall ever seeing another car at that intersection.
In Helotes, there was Mrs. Linder's Seafood, which later became the Helotes Cafe. That and Topperwein's were the first businesses you saw going into town. Does anyone remember Charlie dressed up as Pancho Villa on the menu at El Chaparral? How about Charlie and Lucy Brown (no joke) publishing the Helotes Echo? Who else used to have a mail box at the tiny little post office next to the gas station?
I'm sorry, but nostalgia makes me a chatty Cathy.

I lived by Marshall and moved there in 1988, would have loved to have seen how the area looked back in the 70's and early 80's.

[940]

Originally Posted by Willsatx

I lived by Marshall and moved there in 1988, would have loved to have seen how the area looked back in the 70's and early 80's.

Just think of miles and miles of empty farm land off 1604, Bandera Rd, Braun Rd, Hausman Rd and Guilbeau Rd. Throw in a few neighborhoods here and there, like Braun Station off Braun Rd near Bandera; or the older areas of Leon Valley off Bandera and Evers Rd; other older areas in Helotes and off Babcock Rd past the Medical Center.

The development played out right past Bandera and Huebner Rd. as you headed north. There was an HEB there at that intersection and it was the only grocery store for miles around. GW Jr's was across Huebner in its own stand-alone restaurant located on a parking lot. The building is no longer even there.

Marshall was surrounded by empty land or a few country homes with a little bit of acreage off Eckhert Rd. The old neighborhood to the south of the school was back there of course but that was about it in the immediate area...no large subdivisions out that way until you went up Babcock Rd near Prue Rd to the older area called Babcock North subdivision.

I can remember having to go to the "new" Clark High many times to listen to some band performances or for some other school functions and it was country the whole way. We took school buses from Marshall over to Babcock Rd and headed north until the road curved and it turned into DeZavala. It was nothing but a two lane road with empty woods with barbed wire fencing. We got to I-10 which I believe was a stop sign and then continued on a bit further until we saw the new school sitting all alone with nothing around...just more woods and more barbed wire fencing! There was a neighborhood further down DeZavala that was fairly new then but not much else until you got to Shavano Park near NW Military. This would have been either 1978 or 1979. My sister has memories that go back even earlier when Marshall was definitely out in the boonies and many of the students were from farms and ranches further up in the hill country. Her best friends from school lived in the Colonies North area off Wurzbach and I-10, which is now zoned to Clark.

[Willsatx]

Question 940, when did the HEB close there at the corner of Bandera-Huebner? What about the GW jr's there?

[940]

Originally Posted by Willsatx

Question 940, when did the HEB close there at the corner of Bandera-Huebner? What about the GW jr's there?

I have to admit that I honestly don't remember. After high school, I wasn't always driving that route but I want to say maybe the late 80's? GW Jr's all closed up...they used to be owned by the Church's Chicken people so I guess they wanted to concentrate more on serving chicken instead of burgers.

[irnag]

What was the time frame for GW Jrs? I don't recall their existence. If they came after 81, that could be why.

I remember when Stevenson Jr. High (1976)was built. Pat Neff lost a few students to Stevenson.

That is so funny that Colonies North was going to Marshall. I image it took the bus most of the school day just to get there.

I mainly recall that on Babcock, once you past the hospitals there was nothing except the little league ballfield on Hamilton Wolfe and Carpenters Par 3 golf course.

[940]

Originally Posted by irnag

What was the time frame for GW Jrs? I don't recall their existence. If they came after 81, that could be why.

I remember when Stevenson Jr. High (1976)was built. Pat Neff lost a few students to Stevenson.

That is so funny that Colonies North was going to Marshall. I image it took the bus most of the school day just to get there.

I mainly recall that on Babcock, once you past the hospitals there was nothing except the little league ballfield on Hamilton Wolfe and Carpenters Par 3 golf course.

Hey Irnag...GW Jr's was actually around before 81 because I was only a year behind you when at Marshall and I remember that location off Bandera for quite a few years before I even graduated.

Yea, Stevenson took quite a few from Neff. Considering that if you lived up in Helotes or just on Bandera Rd further north, you made that bus trip down to Neff until Stevenson opened since there wasn't a junior high any closer.

And concerning Colonies North and other areas further north off Huebner..it really wasn't such a trip back then because there wasn't much development/people/stop lights/traffic/whatever at that time! My sister's girl friends in Colonies North and my buddies off Huebner and I-10 took the bus and it traveled down Huebner, crossed Babcock and took a right onto Eckhert which took you in front of the school. It was maybe 5-7 miles then and without development slowing you down, it wasn't so bad.

What's weird is to think that the whole Marshall zone ran from Lockhill-Selma near the NEISD line/Churchill zone north toward Boerne Stage Rd and I-10...west towards Medina Lake and south to past Potranco Rd outside Loop 1604! I can't imagine making those drives now because it would take a long time. Makes you think how incredibly empty all those areas were b/c now they've all been divvied up from one high school years ago to about four different ones today!

[Willsatx]

What was located where Bandera bowl is now? I bet it was some kind of store? Also in front of the bowling there are some stores, there used to be a Drug Emporium there, wonder what that was before?

[spurs210]

Thanks for the helpful info googie2525!

[Willsatx]

940 was the Fargo's at the corner of Callaghan-Evers, I wonder where else in town they were located.

[Willsatx]

Wanted to share this with everyone:

Nation's Restaurant News, Jan 6, 1986 by Mark Schoifet


SAN ANTONIO -- Church's Fried Chicken is closing 100 geographically scattered restaurants that lost an estimated $3 million in 1985, company executives said.

The move follows Church's decision to shut its 25 Philadelphia chicken stores and its 45 remaining G. W. Jr's and Jeepers burger restaurants.

The closings affect about 1,000 employees, but Church's said it would attempt to relocate management personnel. It also reduces the number of company-owned Church's restaurants to 1,150 from a high of 1,332 at the end of August.

Most of the 100 units are located in under-penetrated areas, although about 25 are in Church's top 40 markets, said Bucky Kilbourne, vice president of finance. All four stores in Connecticut will be closed.

"These stores represent a cash drain to us," Kilbourne said. "It's worse than just losing money, because we were putting money in to keep them open. Problem stores also take a lot of time from management. We'll see etter operating efficiency as a result of these closings."