Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Houston: stadiums, best place)

[Bluebonnet Mom]

Originally Posted by SnappyBob

MM, it is what's left of a business park from back in the 80's. It was a very beautiful place. There was a large pond at the lower end and they would pump the water up hill and let it run down the hill like a little brook. At the time I was going through SAC's photography program. I went out there one Sunday and took some pics. I enlarged one to an 8 X 10 and I have that one hanging in my office and another 11 X 14 hanging in my home. I'll try to scan it tonight and get it up. It's a very nice pic of one of the water falls. Soon after I took the series of pics I noticed that the water had stopped running and the place was drying up. I don't remember the name of the place but they should have been given an award on beautification.

Wow..can't believe I am seeing these pictures. I'm afraid I can't be much help with the name. We just used to call it "The Business Park" and it was very beautiful. If you only knew what used to happen at that park on the weekends. I graduated from Churchill in 1988 and it was a favorite place to relax and drink and whatever. Thanks for bringing back some great memories. So sad to see it in such disrepair. What a shame!

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by Peachie

I never went to Crossroads mall much, since I grew up in Universal City but I think the last time I was there was in 1995 after I graduated from high school. I remember going to Burlingto Coat Factory and buying some stuff for my dorm room at college. It was sad then, so I can't imagine it now.

I remember growing up going to wonderland/crossroads and it seemed it had a good amount of people, very rarely packed. But once Frost Bros closed i think the decline started to happen, then woolworth closed and finally wards. I think since then it has been on life-support, and wish target would have an enterance to the mall.

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by Bluebonnet Mom

Wow..can't believe I am seeing these pictures. I'm afraid I can't be much help with the name. We just used to call it "The Business Park" and it was very beautiful. If you only knew what used to happen at that park on the weekends. I graduated from Churchill in 1988 and it was a favorite place to relax and drink and whatever. Thanks for bringing back some great memories. So sad to see it in such disrepair. What a shame!

Do you remember about 10 years ago when Blanco and 1604 was a 4 way stop, amazing how crowded it is now.

[Primo]

Originally Posted by Willsatx

Do you remember about 10 years ago when Blanco and 1604 was a 4 way stop, amazing how crowded it is now.

Our family burial plot is at Holy Cross Cemetary on Nachodoches behind Rolling oaks...so my family has traveled up and down 1604 since the early 70's. And that "going out to the country", I remember my dad used to bring a jug of water just in case we broke down. The only thing I can remember being on 1604 was the Earl Holliman Dinner Theater (now some Harvest church).
Interesting family story about 1604 & Nachodoches. In the early 80's my great aunt and great grandmother got locked in the cememtary at closing time and the care taker left. My aunt had to jump the fence...and that was so far out in the country...nobody drove by for at least 30 minutes. My Aunt ended up walking about 4 miles south on Nachodoches (there was nothing at 1604...no rollling oaks, no walmart).

[Bluebonnet Mom]

I do remember it. And how we could never imagine it being busy enough for a stoplight! In '87 after I finally got my driver's license one of my favorite drives was out Blanco north of 1604. There was NOTHING out there but open road. It really felt remote. I didn't make that drive for several years and then drove it in 2005 and didn't even recognize the area. I know all that building is supposed to be called progress but to me it was just sad.

[Willsatx]

Yeah once you passed Bitters and Blanco that was it, everytime I pass by 1604 and blanco i am amazed how much it has grown.

[rexkwandosatx]

Originally Posted by Bluebonnet Mom

I do remember it. And how we could never imagine it being busy enough for a stoplight! In '87 after I finally got my driver's license one of my favorite drives was out Blanco north of 1604. There was NOTHING out there but open road. It really felt remote. I didn't make that drive for several years and then drove it in 2005 and didn't even recognize the area. I know all that building is supposed to be called progress but to me it was just sad.

i too have a "1604 of a by-gone era" memory: in high school i would drive a bit around the churchill area, but when i got to Blanco i would be sure not to go too far or onto 1604, as i heard so many things about it...lol...and that once i got on i would not be able to get off...so silly now that i look back on it...but i remember riding with my folks on 1604 back in '87 and it was just as you describe, remote. i even remember the construction of the lanes, and the cutting into the ground to form the highway. one day my folks looked for houses out in Eden Roc (sp?) and it was such a LONG drive out to nowhere...lol

[BudB]

Many thanx to all of you who wrote in concerning the Loma China site. I've concluded from what I'm reading here that Loma China was just a pretty name chosen for the place but really had nothing to do with the early Chinese in Bexar County. I say this also because of the commonality of the name China in other Texas locations such as China Grove out Rigsby aka US 87 and it's just one of four China Groves in Texas. There's also a China Springs north of Waco, China Creek in Fisher Co., China Draw in Jeff Davis Co, and last but not least, there's a China, Tx. in Jefferson County, etc. This info all comes from the Texas Handbook which suggests, by the way, that these names sometimes came to be because of the abundance of Chinaberry trees in the area.
Having said this, I am still very interested in any information on the early Chinese in Bexar Co. or anywhere else in Texas that anyone cares to share here. Here is an interesting footnote to the idea of the Chinese cemetery that began this thread. The older, first National Cemetery within the larger municipal cemetery complex along New Braunfels Ave. contains ten Chinese graves. They were ten of the 415 so called "Pershing Chinese" who were brought out of Mexico to Fort Sam Houston in 1917. Pancho Villa hated the Chinese so killed bunches of them whenever he could. He had nearly 100 of them killed in Cohuilla, Mx. just on one day. There were a few thousand living in northern Mexico then and Black Jack Pershing sort of rescued those brought to Fort Sam. The ten buried in the old Natl. Cemetery died from disease or accident and one suicide during the five years they were all interned at Fort Sam. Many of the others eventually settled in SA after being released by the government and began grocery stores or cafes. Several of them are buried in Mission Burial Park #1 next to Stinson Field. That's what leads me to believe that there may be a few more buried nearby Stinson as local legend has it. Anyhow, thanks again to those who added to the thread here and all the best from Austin. BudB

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by BudB

Many thanx to all of you who wrote in concerning the Loma China site. I've concluded from what I'm reading here that Loma China was just a pretty name chosen for the place but really had nothing to do with the early Chinese in Bexar County. I say this also because of the commonality of the name China in other Texas locations such as China Grove out Rigsby aka US 87 and it's just one of four China Groves in Texas. There's also a China Springs north of Waco, China Creek in Fisher Co., China Draw in Jeff Davis Co, and last but not least, there's a China, Tx. in Jefferson County, etc. This info all comes from the Texas Handbook which suggests, by the way, that these names sometimes came to be because of the abundance of Chinaberry trees in the area.
Having said this, I am still very interested in any information on the early Chinese in Bexar Co. or anywhere else in Texas that anyone cares to share here. Here is an interesting footnote to the idea of the Chinese cemetery that began this thread. The older, first National Cemetery within the larger municipal cemetery complex along New Braunfels Ave. contains ten Chinese graves. They were ten of the 415 so called "Pershing Chinese" who were brought out of Mexico to Fort Sam Houston in 1917. Pancho Villa hated the Chinese so killed bunches of them whenever he could. He had nearly 100 of them killed in Cohuilla, Mx. just on one day. There were a few thousand living in northern Mexico then and Black Jack Pershing sort of rescued those brought to Fort Sam. The ten buried in the old Natl. Cemetery died from disease or accident and one suicide during the five years they were all interned at Fort Sam. Many of the others eventually settled in SA after being released by the government and began grocery stores or cafes. Several of them are buried in Mission Burial Park #1 next to Stinson Field. That's what leads me to believe that there may be a few more buried nearby Stinson as local legend has it. Anyhow, thanks again to those who added to the thread here and all the best from Austin. BudB

I rest my case . BTW, Bud there is a little cemetery right next to the RR tracks. It's at the entrance to Berg's Mill on Graff Road just about 50 ft. off South Presa (181). Don't know who's buried there! It"s old though! Too bad you missed a reunion of past Berg's Mill residents. They might could have shed some light on your "Chinese Cemetery" Just a few weeks back! P.S. Give the Doobie Bros. credit when you mention China Grove!!!

[Haywire53]

Wolfs Inn on Fred ,I was a bus boy their mid 60's. Their is a Hooters their now.