Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Houston: layoffs, donations)

[OzzyRules]

I can't remember exactly what TG&Y and other dime stores (Winn's, Woolworth) sold exactly. But the most similar things I see today are the Dollar stores and Big Lots (maybe).

[legreenart]

La Feria.. A 3rd generation San Antonioian, I drove up from Corpus to shop for my first wedding gown on 1972,

They had the exact design I had drawn in High School, in the candlelight raw silk with thick tatted lace, for $200

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

I can't remember exactly what TG&Y and other dime stores (Winn's, Woolworth) sold exactly. But the most similar things I see today are the Dollar stores and Big Lots (maybe).

I would say that Winns was very similar to Family dollar and General Dollar, now if they only sold popcorn and icee.

[pacific_trader]

I remember the TG&Y in Seguin, Texas. Cool place.

[linskie]

Originally Posted by nativecat

I grew up around this area and left in 1982. Still visit alot and have relatives down there. This is a great thread on all the old memories. Does anybody remember the Swenson's ice cream place on Blanco inside of 410? They had those huge ice cream treats.
When I lived in Castle Hills, my brother and I would get a free ticket to go have ice cream at the pharmacy/soda shop at the other end of the Piggly Wiggly strip center on Military Hwy. I have to laugh now at the dentist who always gave this ticket to us like it was future insurance for more visits.

I lived in that area from '76 - '85 and I live there now. I guess it will always be my "hood." I also went to that Swenson's you mentioned. I loved the Lemon Custard flavor. Do you (or anyone) remember a restaurant on Blanco inside the Loop that featured exotic game? It had a Teddy Roosevelt theme.

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by 940

Found this pic of a Gulf Mart from a newspaper ad...also found some old pics of Woolco and TG&Y...













Irnag, were you the one asking about the Sinclair Dinosaurs at Wonderland?? I found this pic of the dinosaurs on display at an old Woolco in the early 60s...

Great Pics!!! I especially love that you can see the little Fox Foto shack in the foreground of that second picture. I remember when those things were ubiquitous around SA. There was one in front of Colonies Mall by the old Dairy Queen that I completely forgot about, it was torn down and an ATM stands there now.

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

I can't remember exactly what TG&Y and other dime stores (Winn's, Woolworth) sold exactly. But the most similar things I see today are the Dollar stores and Big Lots (maybe).

You are right, a lot like the dollar stores or big lots or Tuesday Morning. They were kind of like mini department stores where each aisle was dedicated to a certain category. I remember Winn's sold toys (bought my first Star Wars action figures there in the late 70's) they also had some clothes, sewing supplies, material, hardware, school and office supplies, and of all things, parakeets in the back. Maybe some fish, too. But I remember the parakeets, I always thought that was a little odd, I remember hearing them chirp when I used to walk the aisles with my mom. I don't think they had things like shampoo or detergent or any medical stuff.

[GWhopper]

All,

I just found this thread that also has A LOT of good old San Antonio memories, some of which haven't been mentioned on this forum yet. (I might be wrong about this, do you people realize this forum is about to break 200 pages of posts?). Regardless, the linked forum seems like a smaller precursor of GBNFSA that withered on the vine, but there is great info here that also brings back a lot of memories. Some cool things here:

-I forgot long before Time Warner bought everybody out, the first Cable Company in SA was Colombia Cable which became, or merged with Rogers Cable (does anybody remember those first cable boxes with the plastic triangular sliders that you slide to the channel you wanted to watch?)
-The Max ( I think they played my High School prom?)
-Tropical Drink Company and the Trinidad Panmaster's
- the floating lava rocks at North Star Mall, (I personally don't remember these, probably before my time)

You know you are from San Antonio when................. - BiKe MoJo SpeaK

There is more there than I can write about. (I don't remember Graffiti's at Colonnade??!! I had been trying to remember Ringo's burgers!)) In fact, based upon some of the poster's names used, I think some of the people on this forum may have posted on this other one as well. Regardless, there are only 7 pages of posts that you can go through pretty quick (not the almost 200 that this one has generated!!!) and it's a pretty good walk down memory lane for past and present San Antonians.

TCS, there is also a mention of the "country club" on Wurzbach and some personal memories that we now know is Algo Differente!!!

[Primo]

Originally Posted by GWhopper

All,

-I forgot long before Time Warner bought everybody out, the first Cable Company in SA was Colombia Cable which became, or merged with Rogers Cable (does anybody remember those first cable boxes with the plastic triangular sliders that you slide to the channel you wanted to watch?)

I remember in the early 80's when cable tv first came out. I heard from some friends that Elm Creek didn't have cable yet, and Park Forrest ( the neighborhood across Orsinger) had it. So some rich people paid for the construction of a cable to be run across Orsinger so they could have cable TV. They were legal customers...they just paid to have the cable run across the street.

[Primo]

Originally Posted by GWhopper

I remember that Swenson's. It was in that strip center with all the older looking fake-village facade's, right? Used to have a golf shop on one end, a Turkish shish-kabob place in the corner (now a Thai place) and a Soccer Locker on the end that might still be there. I still get my hair cut there, actually. I have had my hair cut by the same women for over 15 years. I first encountered her, in of all places, the Great Expectation hair salon in Wonderland Mall.

We went to that Swenson's once or twice, but usually frequented the one across from Wonderland where Babe's Hamburgers is now. My Mom used to love Swenson's. I remember getting some huge ice cream dish that had bubble gum in it there for my birthday when I was a kid.

The same side of Blanco but across a side street...I remember there used to be an old stone and log lodge type establishment (looked like something from Legends of the Fall). I think it was a night club or pool hall called Doc Holidays? I could be wrong on the name. Anyone remember that?