The "Old" SA

San Antonio has always had a flexible population due to the military influence. I do not know how many readers of this forum are long time residents.

Dallas has a "Remember When" thread regarding "Old Dallas".

I thought I would see what you guys recall about "Old San Antonio"

1. International Airport was out in the "sticks" and the baggage claim was just a covered shelf running along a sidewalk out front.

2. There was only one terminal ( last time I was there, it was a Military Reception area.)

3. You could park along the fringes of the airport , inthe grass, and " watch the planes land"

4. Northeast Stadium was way out of town along a very dark, narrow, curving road.

5. Frontier, on Austin Highway was the popular place to go after a date.

6. "WONDERLAND IS COMING" signs dotted the expressway. The first mall in SA had not opened yet.

6. TheTeePee restraunt was still in existence on Fredericksburg Road.

7. Most All the " action" took place in Balcones Heights.

8. Todouze ( sp?) sent all graduating senior girls a coupon for a tiny " Hope Box"

9. Mammy's ( with the beautiful plantation murel) was the place to go for lunch after church on Sundays.

10. Joske's had the Christmas display downstairs every year and the BIG bear hovered over one of the counters close to the back exit.

11. The "farmers market" was just a tin covered parking lot and the Terminal market was just a long dock area. You bought watermelons ( big ones) 3 for a dollar , and they would "plug" it for you to taste before you bought.

12. The LoneStar Brewery stillhad the Buckhorn hallfo Horns display and youcoudl get a free beer or rootbeer after you toured.

13. Pearl Brewery ws still alive and functioning.

14. The Sisters of Incarnate Word had the expressway expansion stalled.

15. The candy shop in Alamo Plaza had the taffy pulling machine running inthe window.

16. You could still watch movies at The Majestic and The Aztec theaters down town ( and the Aztec only had 1 screen.

17. John Wayne came to town for the Woodlawn Theater premier of "The Alamo"

18. Hemisfair Plaza was under construction.

19. "Taco Huts" Puff tacos, 20 for a DOLLAR !

20. Lone Star Ice Houses ( one on every corner) with the roaster fullof hot tamales ( oden, these did NOT have the tables, but i still recall many places that DID)

Please add to this if you wish.

Well, there are still "Ice Houses" where you can sit at a little table and drink out of glasses that hold half a beer.

Yep, I remember most of those. My time here in SA has spanned four decades.

The various drive in theaters. Mission, San Pedro, Judson.

Loop 410 was two lanes on either side all the way around.

Loop 1604 was two lanes period all the way around.

I'm sure I'll think of more.

16. You could still watch movies at The Majestic and The Aztec theaters down town ( and the Aztec only had 1 screen. Originally Posted by lemontrees

Also the Texas and Empire theaters were still open downtown. The Empire had the XXX movies (bow chicka wow).

Cherry St. (more bow chicka wow)

The Town Twin Drive inn on the NE Side.

I lived here from 1958 to 1972 before moving back last year. I remember the El Rio Restaurant was the only thing in the river. There was a Tepee restaurant on Austin Hwy out past Harry Wurzbach. I took my brother there when he stopped on his way to Vietnam for the surloin for two. On his way back from Nam we went there again. I remembered the Alamo premier as being at the Broadway theater and saw John Wayne and Chill Wills at Big John's Steak House near Harry Wurzbach and Austin Hwy.

I had forgotten about the Empire theater. My Dad used to usher there before he went to the Army ( he is 88 now)

Downtown was such fun to go to. Eat at the Manhattan or my personal favorite, Schilo's Delacatessan ( sit in the window booths that vibrated whenever the busses rumbled by) ( I bet Shilo's served Santa Ana when he was "in town". ) Dad used to go there as a child.

Is Casa Rio still in business?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ala..._film)#Release

According to this, it was released at The Woodlawn theater. Or as they put it, the "Now historic Woodlawn Theater". NowTHAT makes me feel OLD, a place I used to go to almost weekly to be considered ""Historic".

As for Loop 1604, it was FM 1518 ( Adkins-Elmendorf Rd) LONG before it was 1604 ( at least that stretch.) We have documentation on land there that was part of the Spanish Land grant ( LOL THAT goes back a while!) Hollywood Park was a remote area of town. VERY remote.

Split pea soup at Shilo's. Yea that's old school.

Judson 4, seems like I was there just about every w/e with my parents.

Frontier Burger on Broadway was the first place we ate when we got to San Antonio in '78.

Remember the San Pedro drive-in? I remember sneaking over to eyeball the skin flick and being confused by the odd image of flesh and curly dark hair....

There was ( I think it was a Jim's Frontier) on Fredericksburg Rd just down from the Hilderbrand intersection ( across from the HEB/ Bruners - with the Texas Gold Stamp store behind) where the car hops rode around in little motorized vehicles with containers that held the food. I cannot recall if there were speakers to order from or if they came to the car.

And didn't the SanPedro drive in have 4 screens? Know the Mission Twin had 2, and they did show the racy ones there. LOL drive ins were great! Bj's over the consoles or gear shift handles during the movies. ( LOL and NOT with white cotton gloves!) Just the regular Saturday night fare. Who'd of thought where THAT might have lead?

Thick ham sandwiches and split pea soup with frosty mugs of rootbeer. A can't be beat combo! But then again, Jacala's or El Rancho Mexican Restaurant chains were always dependable fare.

Wonder whatever happened to KTSA's Ricky Ware ( long dead, I guess) and I always listened to Dogwatch on KONO every morning at 6:30

Ricci Ware was a talk show host on KTSA until just the past few months. He "retired" to fly his airplane...but still maintains a Sunday Night call in show on KTSA, presently. His son Trey is a morning host now. Did you know Ricci Ware had a bit part in "The Alamo"? He was a personal friend of John Wayne.

Yes, Casa Rio is still going strong. Pretty much a mainstay on the river.

Yes, the San Pedro Drive In had four screens. I also remember the bumper stickers they had...

"I parked at the San Pedro Drive In"

Captain Gus on the telly..I use to watch it when I came over to visit me Dad in the Summer! Earl Ables on Broadway...I never had silverdollar pancakes before....I thought that was just grand! I also thought Big Red in a bottle was aweful back then. Too sweet for my British taste Buds!! I can't believe it's still around.

You can now find Earl Abel's on Austin Highway. It is in Terrel Plaza. Still quite good, too.