Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Laredo: doctor, prettiest)

[ranchodrive]

I was 13 and living by Collins Garden elementary on the south side close to the H.E.B. on Nogalitos street.

One day after school, I didn't feel like doing the chores around the house.
After arguing back & forth, was told if I didn't like it...to leave home.


That red star on the map is when I realized that I had no place to go.
It was getting cold and there were no lights mostly open fields.
I turned around and walked back home.
The door was left opened, I went inside, everyone was asleep,
Nothing else was ever said.
And I did my chores without belly-aching after that.

[KK Stampede]

I remember the SK Stampede. How about the New West or the New Zoo for that matter! Remember the only buildings hardly on 410 coming into SA were those 2 big beautiful houses up on the hill right before getting to Frericksburg Road there on the left, before Ingram Mall was even thought up. No traffic. Yes, now that is a wonderful memory.

[huckster]

I remember the Roeglein Plant alright, just west of downtown. The odor of the place was pretty bad.
There was a Giant Pig neon sign on the top of the plant wasn't there?

Originally Posted by Willsatx

It was the old roegelin (sp) plant that closed sometime in the 80's my grandparents had a grocery store down the street from there and bought a lot of meat there. I as a kid saw the slaughterhouse and the freezers.

[huckster]

You guys are inaccurate in the years the elephants were in front of the main library.
Rancho and I already discussed this very topic a few years back! Hell I used to climb all over them elephants as a kid.
Dad was a very studious person, so I was taken to the Main Library along with him weekly, perenially.
I don't have to research for the answer about the concrete elephants in front of the Main library back in 1962 because I lived it. There. The children's library was in the Basement across the hall from the Adult science and Art dept. Dad always left me there while he was studying for a degree. I began to go across the hall to read the adult stuff. So, by the time I was in the sixth grade I had read all of the adult books on Astronomy and Human Physical Anthropology that they had, which of course threw all of my religious instruction right out the window.
The Elephants were out front of the Main Library. I used to ride on them.

Originally Posted by TrapperL

Well after researching for the answer, looks like we both are right. The elephants were never in front of the library...that is, while it was the library. When the library moved, the building became the Hertzberg Circus and they put elephants in front of the building which replaced the lions. Previous to the lions, they had statues of freedom as they were called. So the library had lions and statues, Hertzbergs had the elephants. Interesting tidbit of SA trivia.
The Queen and The Strand were on the Alamo end of the Joske building facing west. The original theater was the Queen. It was open only a couple of years and then became the The Strand.
The State theater was the only theater in SA with the atmospheric ceiling just like the Majestic is the only one with a sky system that shows clouds moving across the ceiling. I think Mud may have worked on that system when he did the renovations.

[ranchodrive]

Originally Posted by huckster

You guys are inaccurate in the years the elephants were in front of the main library.
Rancho and I already discussed this very topic a few years back! Hell I used to climb all over them elephants as a kid.
Dad was a very studious person, so I was taken to the Main Library along with him weekly, perenially.
I don't have to research for the answer about the concrete elephants in front of the Main library back in 1962 because I lived it. There. The children's library was in the Basement across the hall from the Adult science and Art dept. Dad always left me there while he was studying for a degree. I began to go across the hall to read the adult stuff. So, by the time I was in the sixth grade I had read all of the adult books on Astronomy and Human Physical Anthropology that they had, which of course threw all of my religious instruction right out the window.
The Elephants were out front of the Main Library. I used to ride on them.

Huckster, I know there were elephants outside the entrance when it was
a library back in '58. I'd go there on Saturdays.

I also remember the Hertzberg Circus collection when it was also a library.

General Tom Thumb's stagecoach was at the entrance inside hallway.
Towards one side of the library was a replica of the circus tents and posters on the walls.
I don't recall the State Theater having an atmospheric ceiling like the Majestic or the Aztec.
I'm not saying everyone else is incorrect.
Perhaps the reason for the different recollections about things that were
there or not from everyone, could be that we are talking about different years.

I remember the Palace movie theater which was facing the Alamo on Alamo Plaza.

[huckster]

ON your part Big Ranch. I used to go to the main library with my Dad in 1958 alright- 58' and all the way through 1962, 63' and 64'. All the time. Dad thought it a good idea that I familiarize myself with reading so naturally I would accompany him.
It was fun. That was the only escape we kids had besides playing outside back then , no internet, cable , cell phones, gaming or anything like this. So I read.
Flash forward thirty years.
Now my kids come over and tell me," Why even keep a computer anymore ?" " It's so dated and unneeded anyway. Just use the Phone for doing everything." Kids.
I do not like to see people texting and driving and I notice that a- great deal. Just yesterday an old
guy in an old POS cargo van was driving very slowly ahead of me, and my son , weaving back and forth in
the center lane and other cars were streaming all around him. As I moved around to pass the guy-I looked over and he was holding his phone up with his right hand and steering with the other, not looking ahead at all but about 45 degrees to the right away from the road.
Carelessly, the phone was Up in the air where all passing could see what he was doing.
They'll do it every time.
Sometimes I honk and motion for them to put the thing down.

[ranchodrive]

Remember the fiberglass cows that were downtown?
I believe it was around 2002.

[huckster]

Those atmospheric ceilings in old theaters are really something. I recollect well Gazing upward at the Majestic or the Texas Theaters as a kid growing up.
So, imagine my surprise, nay astonishment , that while in the Detroit area, and on an internet date with Joan ( a home run) I entered a theater downtown there.
There was upward, a near carbon copy design of the San Antonio Majestic theater ceiling only at least four times as large was the theater building and so, the ceiling. I could scarcely believe it, really. It was a real pleasure seeing the thing. Truly an amazing sight to see. Who'dve thunk?Upwards.
Ever seen one of those Huge Theater Ceilings, you projectionist authority you, -Out of Focus?

Originally Posted by ranchodrive

Huckster, I know there were elephants outside the entrance when it was
a library back in '58. I'd go there on Saturdays.

I also remember the Hertzberg Circus collection when it was also a library.

General Tom Thumb's stagecoach was at the entrance inside hallway.
Towards one side of the library was a replica of the circus tents and posters on the walls.
I don't recall the State Theater having an atmospheric ceiling like the Majestic or the Aztec.
I'm not saying everyone else is incorrect.
Perhaps the reason for the different recollections about things that were
there or not from everyone, could be that we are talking about different years.

I remember the Palace movie theater which was facing the Alamo on Alamo Plaza.

[ranchodrive]

Originally Posted by huckster

Those atmospheric ceilings in old theaters are really something. I recollect well Gazing upward at the Majestic or the Texas Theaters as a kid growing up.
So, imagine my surprise, nay astonishment , that while in the Detroit area, and on an internet date with Joan ( a home run) I entered a theater downtown there.
There was upward, a near carbon copy design of the San Antonio Majestic theater ceiling only at least four times as large was the theater building and so, the ceiling. I could scarcely believe it, really. It was a real pleasure seeing the thing. Truly an amazing sight to see. Who'dve thunk?Upwards.
Ever seen one of those Huge Theater Ceilings, you projectionist authority you, -Out of Focus?

Huckster, I really don't recall the Texas having anything
on the ceilings like the Majestic or the Aztec.
Not saying you are not correct, I just don't recall.
But if you remember the Texas like that... cool!

Texas is where I saw "Godzilla" in the '50s and
" A Hard Days Night " (Beatles) in '64.

And somewhere along that time frame in between,
I had my first date at the Majestic.
Sitting in the balcony... I almost got to
first base but the usher with the flashlight
prevented me from hitting a "homerun"
The drive-in theaters had the best "atmospheric" ceilings
of all. And I hit many home-runs there!

[outafocus]

The Texas Theatre here did not have an atmospheric ceiling. I still think it was the prettiest theatre in downtown San Antonio.

The Texas Theatre in Seguin had a poor man's atmospheric ceiling. It had crystal stars attached to the dark blue ceiling and they seemed to twinkle while reflecting light from the projector beam.