Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Mercedes: oven, fireplace)

[Dan G]

I just haappened on this page but I thought I'd offer some recollections of my own. The old drive-ins in addition to the Mission which at one time was a single screen, south of there was the Trail and outside of Military Dr. was the Pleasanton Rd. drive in on Pleasanton Rd. Pretty rough places in the 50's, always good for a good old fashioned "beef".
As far as the cafeterias go, at one time there was a real good cafeteria called believe it or not "Mammy's", but as you can tell it didn't last much past the 50's. Politically incorrect as well it should be in my opinion. It was located at the end of Donaldson near Fredericksburg Rd. In that area was and I think still is Kool Krest miniature golf near where IH10 crosses Fredericksburg Rd.. Something else of interest is that the Fredericksburg Rd. exit from the "expressway" as it was called used to be the end of the freeway at the time.
Roosevelt Park has been there since I can remember because we used to swim there when we had a dime to get in. Across Roosevelt from the park in the building which is owned by the state now,I may be wrong about that, used to be the public library where we used to go on Saturday's to listen to someone read the Sunday funny papers. We had already seen them and read them ourselves just like to hear someone else read them I guess. Just like BrianW said he remembers the Baptist church on Presa St, The Faith Baptist Church across from Roosevelt park is the church I grew up in. It's still there.

[Dan G]

Originally Posted by Nix54

Back in the middle 60's there was a salt water taffy making machine that was always operating at a little teeny candy store under the canopy of the Majestic theatre. It was a one aisle candy store. Fresh taffy was 3 for a dime! They would put the 3 wrapped taffies in a little white bag.

There was also the Queen Candy Co. next door to the Aztec theatre where one could buy the very best chocolate covered cherries. I didn't like them myself but I heard they were sinful. On Houston St. was Coney Island where one could get nickle hot dogs, chili dogs for a dime. It was next to the Texas Theatre where the less expensive movies were shown. The river walk in those days was just that, a walk. It was originally constructed by the WPA to give people work. This is what I was told and I had an uncle that actually worked on the project I guess in the 40's. I'm not clear on these facts. I am clear on the fact that when I was 8 or 10 I could walk from my house on the south side carrying my bb gun and go down on the river walk and actually hunt for and shoot river rats under all the buildings held up by the concrete block piers. Never once hassled by the police or anyone else. The walk way was just as it is today in most places with the little islands and such. There's much more to share...

[Dan G]

Originally Posted by monica1296

I'm a lurker on here as I was born in 1980 and don't have nearly the amount of awesome info everyone else has to share on here. But I do have a mind filled with questions about this city that I love dearly. I was wondering if anyone knew the real story of the mansion at the top of the hill on the NW corner of Judson Rd. and IH35. FYI they just tore the place down last month, probably to make way for another ridiculously expensive neighborhood.
--Monica (daughter of Dan G)

Monica that builders name was Cliff Morton. Mrs Piehl or Peale I don't know which told us that, when she was still alive of course.

[monica1296]

Originally Posted by Dan G

Monica that builders name was Cliff Morton. Mrs Piehl or Peale I don't know which told us that, when she was still alive of course.

I was kind of curious what it was used for or originally built for. County tax records say it was built in the 1920s.

It's funny that the builder of these homes would come up, as that is what brought me to this forum to begin with. Are they "Wonder Homes"? I was searching for old photos of neighborhood development around SA, sort of like the new neighborhoods of today are being built up. I wanted to see if it all looked the same.

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by hhwolfman

The first Comic book Store I remember was off of Goliad Road across from the Baskin Robins. It was called Books Unlimited. This was in the MID 70S It was owned by a Man named Peter. Who Later opened up a few on the North Side Called the Dungeon. In the 70s He also sold at the North west Flea market. IT was weird, He sold Candles and Comics there. HHW

I remember the Dungeon, right there on Fredricksburg road near the old mall which (part of it) became a flea market. I used to collect comic books in the late 80's and early 90's and boy was I sad to see that place go.

Another old memory, I used to get my haircut through out my entire childhood at a barber shop inside that old mall. Had the old-fashioned barber chairs, and even a barber poll out front. My dad would always buy me an orange crush afterwards, unless I was in the mood for grape!

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by dr101z

Yes, San Antonio had many of those discount stores, including TG&Y, Gibsons, Globe, Woolco/Woolworths, Winn's (based in San Antonio), and several others that I can't recall right now.

Flea markets used to be your best bet for finding comics back in the late 70's and early 80's as that's where the local comic book specialty stores started. Northwest Center on Fredericksburg Rd. is were where Pete, the owner of the now defunct Dungeon, got his start. Northwest Center was also home to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Store that featured sci-fi novels, magazines and games alongside comic books. Going back even further to the mid-70's Northwest Center also had a store called Starbase One that was best source for the Star Trek merchandise that was starting to come out at the time.

The Eisenhauer Road Flea Market also had a very good comic book store in it although I didn't get out that way much back in the 80's.

That comic book store in the Eisenhauer Flea Market was there in the 90's, too. The market was officially closed during weekday business hours, but I would go there during lunch and he would sometimes sell things to me he'd just gotten in.

[GWhopper]

Sorry for all the posts, but I have been gone from this forum for a few months and now want to catch up.

Dwangle wrote earlier that he was glad to hear the "Sandwich Garden" was still open. Unless they moved and I missed it, I don't think they are. 3 or 4 weeks ago I was in the area with my wife and wanted to take her over there. I hadn't been there in years when I got to the building where I am 99.9% certain it was, it was closed down. I hope I am wrong, but I don't think so.

Incidently, when I complained to my wife it was closed, she said "You couldn't have loved it THAT much, you haven't been here in years."

She's right, I guess sometimes we contribute to the places that are gone but not forgotten.....

[GWhopper]

Question for the crew here at GNBF:

If you go to the new Gunn Honda on I-10 near UTSA, there is an old two story house preserved in the middle of it. Definitely an early SA settlement home. I was actually there to look at an Accord (Not, as my wife suspected doing some sort of crazy SA History hiking/infiltration/nut-job idea, because everyone knows I only do those with Primo) and saw this building standing in the middle of the lot. I asked the sales guy what that building was and he said he didn't know, but the it was considered a historical landmark and they couldn't tear it down. I couldn't see a Texas Landmark sign anywhere. Could this be the old DeZavala place? I know the DeZavala's lived across a small valley which is now i-10 from the Lockhill's.

Anybody with information on this would be greatly appreciated.

[Primo]

Originally Posted by GWhopper

Question for the crew here at GNBF:

If you go to the new Gunn Honda on I-10 near UTSA, there is an old two story house preserved in the middle of it. Definitely an early SA settlement home. I was actually there to look at an Accord (Not, as my wife suspected doing some sort of crazy SA History hiking/infiltration/nut-job idea, because everyone knows I only do those with Primo)
Anybody with information on this would be greatly appreciated.

It sounds like you were doing a lone wolf infiltration without your faithful fellow "operator".
I found a little info on this...
Entrepreneurial duo scores Mercedes-Benz franchise for Boerne - San Antonio Business Journal:


The work, however was "one-hundred percent worth it," says Gunn, who adds that the new Honda store also features something rather unique. The site includes an old ranch house and stage-coach stop that were deemed historical structures -- and thus could not be torn down. Gunn is now in the process of remodeling the house.

[Dan G]

Originally Posted by Paka

How about "Bongo Joe" downtown, and the "6 bottle cap" Pepsi movies at the Aztec theater and the "99 cent God Father of Soul James Brown concerts???

Woooo-----PLEASE tell me someone else is old enough to remember those!!!!!!

from Dan G: I do remember the James Brown concerts but you kind of had to be a rythum and blues listener to hear that stuff. We would listen to Joe Anthony on KMAC radio where these things were advertised. Didn't hear much James Brown on KONO or KTSA until a little later. Anybody remember Flip Forest I think the dj's name was?

What about the "what's the word, Thunderbird" ads? Can anyone finish beyond..."what's the price?...thirty twice, "what's the reason"? So pleasin, "what's the reaction?... Satisfaction. I know there was more to it but that's where my memory ends on that one. I was in a convenience store one day when an old street guy was buying his bottle of wine and happened to say "what's the word?...Thunderbird and I recited the rest as far as I knew. He was completely blown away and said he never knew there was more to the jingle. You just had to be around in the 50s. By the way I remember gasoline price wars as low as 10 cents a gallon