Memories of Early San Antonio 1950's 70's (Huntsville, Marshall: elementary school, casino)

[huckster]

[quote=huckster;2588347]

Originally Posted by huckster

Ingram Park was a huge hole in the ground, people hauled gravel out there for years,by wagon
since the nineteenth century when it was first taken from leon creek--- back in the sixties and seventies they were blasting for it with dynamite, then it was limestone not river gravel and of poor quality, the company was Western Matls. Inc.
The race track is gone. The monastery or nunery is up near the hilltop on culebra
short of Oak Hill Rd if your are eaastbound, on the left. The little school was an elementary school
for kids on culebra and ingram. Back then it was not culebra but Potranco, Ingram veered sharp left at the low water crossing and became potranco.[/Q
It used to be beautiful out there stilll hill country, but the locals used the low water crossing there on Ingram for a dump.
There is a stage coach relay station on the grounds of Southwest Research Inst. But don't trespass to find it, worked there as a grader
operator building roads for a contractor in the eighties.
Anything else? Let me know, also the film Sugarland express had a scene filmed
at the northside stadium, check it out, other scenes were filmed on Loop 13.

[huckster]

I think the old building was used for dynamite storage for the blasting we usde to do there at the gravel pit where Ingram mal now stands. The school was not a nunery but a catholic elementary school. The Seminary or nunery is on culebra on the left before you reach Oak Hill Rd.

Originally Posted by spaceage007

Boom, thanks for the feedback. Very interesting that your friend use to live on that hill. Was the house torn down? What year did they sell? I bet that little peice of land is worth a fortune now. Id hate for the nuns to have to sell it, it would kill me to see a Starbucks and Fantastic Sam's up there. Looking at the convent on Google maps, the structure looks as if it were built to house many people. At the time your friend lived there were there any other houses on the hill? Im going to dirve up that hill this weekend to see what the view is like. There is a no trespassing sign, but Im going to play stupid until Im asked to leave. Ill let you know what its like at the top nowadays.

I also seem to find that Bandera cave interesting, Im going to look for that too. I want to get a metal detector and snoop around. On Bandera there is a In-Town suite Motel. Its near Bandrea and Grissom I think. Well next to it is a very small (for such a busy street) vacant lot, with whats left of a old stone house. Do you have any memory of that house? My oldest memory of Bandera is remembering when TaCasita (sp) lost all its business because a new Taco Cabana was built across Bandera.

[gy2020]

I remember Alamo Downs before it turned into a business park. My father used to work at Southwest Research Institute across from the Alamo Downs site. As a kid, I remember driving by it and seeing the entrance closed off with a gated fence. Some people were able to sneak through and hike back to where the old elevated bleachers were along with the remains of the old horse stables. You could see these concrete elevated bleachers off in the distance from both Culebra Rd and from Loop 410. In fact, the Northside ISD football stadium was built on some of the old land that used to be part of Alamo Downs. Incidentally, it really was a horse racing track and it had its heyday in the mid to late 1930s.

I'm not familiar with Devil's Den but it does look as if there was something there near Ingram Park a long time ago. I also remember the school that was located at the corner of Ingram Rd and Culebra Rd about a 1/2 mile to a mile outside of Loop 410. I think it was a Catholic school (or some other religiously affiliated school) because I remember seeing older women (nuns/sisters??) working outside on the acreage taking care of the plants and the landscaping that was there. It was a large piece of land and not nearly as wooded as it is now since no one is actively keeping it up today.

One of my relatives married into the Russell family. Alamo Downs was built and owned by Raymond Russell. There is a city park on the northside named after him.
My father and his brothers used to get in for free and went to many races there.

[Mary Magdaline]

Hey BabyBoomer46,
I am trying to help an elderly neighbor find information. She lived in San Antonio and can't remember the name of the Catholic Church that was destroyed by fire in the mid to late 1940's. Can you help? Please email me directly at DHu2781022@aol.com THanks in advance

[cygnet]

Hi, babyboomer46 -- I also attended Northside Jr. Hi, 1956-58 (7th, 8th grades). Favorite teacher was Mr. Gum, choir teacher -- all us girls had a crush on him! No library then -- we all went over once a week or so to the HS library next door. I loved the bluebonnet fields behind the PE grounds. Started 9th grade at NHS in 1959 but had to move to the Valley in October so never even got my yearbook! I did come back in 1963 to attend SAC till 1965, so have those memories too. My posting name comes from the synchronized swimming team at SAC -- coached by Margaret Swann, hence the name. I was at SAC the same time as Mike Nesmith and missed several classes when I was sitting in the halls of the FA Bldg. listening to him play and sing.

I lived in Sunset Hills subdv. (near Callahan Rd.) and used to bike up to Babcock Rd. to visit my best friend Mary. Rural two-lane road then. Big field across from her subdv. had a grain silo in it that had great acoustics for singing! (I think a hosp. is now on the site but could be wrong).

Loved going to Wonderland Mall and riding the outside glass elevator at Rhodes Dept. Store. Great Christmas decorations at Frost Bros. Going to the movies (Majestic, Aztec, Texas) was an adventure in itself -- great old theaters.

NW San Antonio in those days was a great uncluttered place to live. Thanks for reminding me.

[roberto1957]

Does anyone remember the Chances R Night Club that use to be located next to the bowling alley in the Billy Mitchell/Kelly AFB area? I am trying to remember the name of the some of the bands that use to play there. One of the bands in particular use to have a lead singer name Jack and a drummer name Bones. Help me remember.

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by roberto1957

Does anyone remember the Chances R Night Club that use to be located next to the bowling alley in the Billy Mitchell/Kelly AFB area? I am trying to remember the name of the some of the bands that use to play there. One of the bands in particular use to have a lead singer name Jack and a drummer name Bones. Help me remember.

I remember the Bowling Alley and Restaurant in Billy Mitchell Village. Have a old friend who may know about the bar. I'll check with him!!

[Cibolo Rider]

Originally Posted by BabyBoomer46

I was born in the original building of the Santa Rosa Hospital in 1946. At the age of 12 yrs I became the first MALE volunteer at Santa Rosa Hospital (Girls were called CANDY CANES..I believe) My family lived in an old Hotel which had once been a Bordello I believe and was turned into apartments. It was on 700 Hutchins only a few blocks from TERRELL WELLS SWIMMING POOL. Man! That place stunk of sulfer water but I had many an hour of fun there.
Later we moved to STINSON HOMES new what is now STINSON FIELD. They were nothing but old military barracks which had been turned into apartments. Close by was a cemetary which had small ponds throughout. Myself and my friends would go fishing in the cemetary often and catch perch. There were two old military barracks located on the STINSON HOMES property. Actually they turned them into an elementary school. They were small. We had the 3rd and 4th grades in one room. One teacher conducted classes for both grades. The janitor used to sell chocolate milk in a carton for 3 cents and ''DAY OLD" doughnuts for 5 cents each. I'd stay after school sometimes and help him clean. For the work..he'd pay me in DAY OLD doughnuts. I remember the ALLIGATOR GARDENS on Broadway which was later located right next to the hqtrs of USAA INSURANCE. The owners son (OF ALLIGATOR GARDENS) and I were playing (My father worked for USAA) one day and we almost caught the gardens on fire. We mixed sugar with Staffels Weed Killer (Was like gun powder!) and lite a match. The fire lept out of the huge jar and caught some large palm leaves on fire. I RAN!
Wonderland Shopping center was on Fredericksburg road. It was one of the rist indoor shopping centers in San Antonio I believe. I worked for FW WOOLWORTH at the mall while in high school. I attended Northside High School beginning in 1961. Northside Jr High was on the same ground as the high school. It no longer exists. Last but not least I worked for the SAN ANTONIO TRANSIT SYSTEM beginning in 1974. We drove the DREAMLINERS. I saved a police officers life when I used my bus (NO PASSENGERS ON THE BUS) as a shield from gunefire which was being directed at the police during an incident on WOODLAWN AVENUE. CONGRESSMAN HENRY B GONZALES's brother had escaped from the SAN ANTONIO STATE HOSPITAL and went to his mothers home to hide. When the police arrived to pick him up he came out with a rifle and shot one of the offices in the back of the neck..not killing him. I used my bus as a shield so medical aid could be given to the downed officer. One other officer was shot in the process. He was standing in the doorwell of my bus. I was awarded the HEROIC CITATION by the city of San Antonio and asked if I would like to become a police officer. I kindly declined.
Whew!

Hi BabyBoomer. I lived in Stinson Homes in 1957 thru 1959. On 93rd street. I had a ball when I lived there. Fished in the cemetary ponds, but didn't swim in them. When I lived there, one of the two barracks I think you are talking about was a leather upholstery business that we called the Leather Shop. The local elementary school was Scheh Elementary on March ave. There was also a gravel pit across from Stinson homes on March Ave that held water all the time. That's where we swam and built rafts to float around on. Also, on the edge of the runway there was a big tree with the ground hollowed out around it for about five feet and a couple of feet deep. We hung out there when we played hookey which was quite often.

[GSherman]

Howdy! I was born and rasised in the great state of Texas. I used to shop at Wonderland, North Star Mall, Jefferson Villiage. Solo Serve, Gibsons, and Northwest Center. Attended Maverick Elem, Longfellow Jr and Jefferson High. Used to go to Woodlawn Movie theater on Fredericksburg Rd. Ate ate Hungry Farmer, Earl Abels, La Paloma, Qunicys downtown, Lubys, and Jim's. The Riverwalk was just a river. Not so commerical like it is today.

Miss the long hot summer days, my pals and city.

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by GSherman

Howdy! I was born and rasised in the great state of Texas. I used to shop at Wonderland, North Star Mall, Jefferson Villiage. Solo Serve, Gibsons, and Northwest Center. Attended Maverick Elem, Longfellow Jr and Jefferson High. Used to go to Woodlawn Movie theater on Fredericksburg Rd. Ate ate Hungry Farmer, Earl Abels, La Paloma, Qunicys downtown, Lubys, and Jim's. The Riverwalk was just a river. Not so commerical like it is today.

Miss the long hot summer days, my pals and city.

GSherman and Cibolo Rider, have you guys checked out the Gone but not forgotten in San Antonio! thread on this board? I think your memories of SA would be warmly welcomed there.