Austin Nostalgia Picture Thread

[Jiggy-Z 3,470]

19 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

I think the place on Airport you are thinking of was called "Sage" or something like that.  Similar early-stage big box store like the Gulf Mart at Anderson and Burnet was.

Sage used to be a go to for us. Airport haven hamburgers, the Fox theater, and the drive in movie by there were also on the menu.

There was a drive in on Airport right, as well as the one on Burnet?

[DalTxHornFan 3,125]

8 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

You are correct. Before Sage was built on that tract, the land was the former site of an old orphanage for “Negroes”. When either Sage, or later on, the mall was being built a number of graves were unearthed.

The LBJ corporation had owned the vacant 80 or so acres.

St. John's Orphan Home.  Isn't it an interesting coincidence that LBJ, et al. just happened to own real estate in all the right places?  I researched the prior ownership of a number of tracts along what is now 183-A.  Lots of familiar and well-connected names.

[DalTxHornFan 3,125]

3 minutes ago, Jiggy-Z said:

There was a drive in on Airport right, as well as the one on Burnet?

You may be thinking of the Chief drive in at Lamar and Koenig.  Not far away from there.

[utee94 15,907]

If we're talking about North Lamar, any love for Scampy's organ grinder?  It's probably already been mentioned on this thread earlier.

I'm pretty sure that was the first place I ever saw an arcade video game, it was the sit-down Space Invaders.  I was awestruck by the bright colors and killer graphics.

Shortly thereafter I became a frequent customer of the Gold Mine in Northcross Mall.  But that was my first brush with the greatness of video games.

 

 

[Jiggy-Z 3,470]

17 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

St. John's Orphan Home.  Isn't it an interesting coincidence that LBJ, et al. just happened to own real estate in all the right places?  I researched the prior ownership of a number of tracts along what is now 183-A.  Lots of familiar and well-connected names.

Similar story with the Carpenter Freeway up in Dallas.  Old man Carpenter donated the ROW land but told TXDOT where the road was going to go, such that he ended up with hwy frontage on both sides of the freeway.

[Jiggy-Z 3,470]

2 minutes ago, utee94 said:

If we're talking about North Lamar, any love for Scampy's organ grinder?  It's probably already been mentioned on this thread earlier.

I'm pretty sure that was the first place I ever saw an arcade video game, it was the sit-down Space Invaders.  I was awestruck by the bright colors and killer graphics.

Shortly thereafter I became a frequent customer of the Gold Mine in Northcross Mall.  But that was my first brush with the greatness of video games.

 

 

Scampy's was awesome.  We also frequented Shakey's, the Mr Gattis on 183, and latter Godfathers on Burnet.  It was a big deal to go out for Pizza, especially at Gattis back when they did dine in their old English style restaurants.

[utee94 15,907]

1 minute ago, Jiggy-Z said:

Scampy's was awesome.  We also frequented Shakey's, the Mr Gattis on 183, and latter Godfathers on Burnet.  It was a big deal to go out for Pizza, especially at Gattis back when they did dine in their old English style restaurants.

Oh yeah, same here.  Shakey's on Airport was in the rotation.  Then they opened the Pizza Inn right there at Rockwood and Burnet, and they had buffet night on... Tuesday I think?  That became our go-to.  

Gatti's was usually a special treat for birthdays or after-team-sports-events.  It's still my favorite "bad" pizza on the planet and I'll fight anyone that disses it.

And we did Godfather's a little bit but with Conan's opening right there in 1979, we had our deepdish squared away.

 

[Armybrat 41,047]

35 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

St. John's Orphan Home.  Isn't it an interesting coincidence that LBJ, et al. just happened to own real estate in all the right places?  I researched the prior ownership of a number of tracts along what is now 183-A.  Lots of familiar and well-connected names.

How about that? 😉

SOP for the crooks that have run this town for generations.

[Armybrat 41,047]

33 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

You may be thinking of the Chief drive in at Lamar and Koenig.  Not far away from there.

That’s where I lost my virginity.... or maybe at the Burnet Drive In that was in the block just north of Lamar Middle School.

[Armybrat 41,047]

[Fuck Tim Beck 3,855]

1 hour ago, DalTxHornFan said:

St. John's Orphan Home.  Isn't it an interesting coincidence that LBJ, et al. just happened to own real estate in all the right places?  I researched the prior ownership of a number of tracts along what is now 183-A.  Lots of familiar and well-connected names.

Interesting. I guess LBJ acquired property the same way he acquired radio stations. The threat of violence 

[Armybrat 41,047]

2 hours ago, Fuck Tim Beck said:

Interesting. I guess LBJ acquired property the same way he acquired radio stations. The threat of violence 

Dunno about that, but his local cronies had the “lucky foresight” to buy up cheaply over 1,000 acres east of town before the future site of the new Decker Creek power plant & lake (Now Walter E. long Park) was announced in the mid 1960s, then flip it for a considerable profit.

Of course it was no coincidence that a few months after the new TV station (the 1st competitor for KLBJ) aired affidavits of the shady land transactions, the FCC refused to renew its license to operate. President Johnson’s friends were not to be trifled with.
The local media have ever since had a mysterious lack of interest to investigate similar transactions... including the purchase of office buildings, hotels, etc.

They tried the same thing with the proposed Manor location for the new Mueller Airport in the early 1990s and almost got away with it after a huge public debate and a few election propositions. The “movers & shakers” insisted building an entirely new airport from scratch at Manor would be cheaper than converting the recently closed and repatriated (to the City) Bergstrom AFB (which already had the massive 12,000’ runway and utilities infrastructure). Brazen assholes they were.
But in the end, the voters finally rejected the Manor site and approved Bergstrom. That was about the last smart proposition they voted for. Lol

Nothing to see there.

Edited April 15, 2021 by Armybrat

[TexasBeta 1,271]

5 hours ago, gsoda3 said:

the goodall wooten doesn't have outdoor stairs nor does it have another building perpendicular to it unless they did some major cosmetic overhaul sometime.  i thought it was that building south of MLK, west of speedway.

Here is what the front of the Woo looked liked in 1985.. assume right before the beer bottle barrage started. 

[DalTxHornFan 3,125]

1 hour ago, Armybrat said:

They tried the same thing with the proposed Manor location for the new Mueller Airport in the early 1990s and almost got away with it after a huge public debate and a few election propositions. The “movers & shakers” insisted building an entirely new airport from scratch at Manor would be cheaper than converting the recently closed and repatriated (to the City) Bergstrom AFB (which already had the massive 12,000’ runway and utilities infrastructure). Brazen assholes they were.
But in the end, the voters finally rejected the Manor site and approved Bergstrom. That was about the last smart proposition they voted for. Lol

Nothing to see there.

I worked on a lawsuit wherein I came across the fact that (then) Austin city councilman, Gus Garcia, along with some other prominent real estate names, was a member of an investment partnership for some land in the heart of the proposed airport and related development.  Slime just oozes in local politics.  

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,830]

3 hours ago, Jiggy-Z said:

Scampy's was awesome.  We also frequented Shakey's, the Mr Gattis on 183, and latter Godfathers on Burnet.  It was a big deal to go out for Pizza, especially at Gattis back when they did dine in their old English style restaurants.

When you were older, did you ever go to Harpoon Henry's?   I'm pretty sure some chick OD'd on heroin on a couch next to me in there once.

[DalTxHornFan 3,125]

2 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Of course it was no coincidence that a few months after the new TV station (the 1st competitor for KLBJ) aired affidavits of the shady land transactions, the FCC refused to renew its license to operate. President Johnson’s friends were not to be trifled with.
The local media have ever since had a mysterious lack of interest to investigate similar transactions... including the purchase of office buildings, hotels, etc...

Nothing to see there.

It is amazing that nobody from the late, great Clark Thomas, et al. law firm ever went to jail.  They were (personal opinion -- no libel) LBJ's bagmen from the git go.  Mayor McClellan's ex-husband fingered them for the JFK assassination, they had a strong association with Brown & Root getting every project they wanted, and, I've been told, represented all sorts of straw buyers on behalf of the LBJ real estate interests.  It was sweet justice that their long-term association with LBJ's baby, the Pedernales Electrical Co-Op, ended up leading to the demise of the firm. 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,830]

23 minutes ago, TexasBeta said:

Here is what the front of the Woo looked liked in 1985.. assume right before the beer bottle barrage started. 

Never forget the pellet gun shooter who used to ping people across the street around that same time.  

[Armybrat 41,047]

15 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

I worked on a lawsuit wherein I came across the fact that (then) Austin city councilman, Gus Garcia, along with some other prominent real estate names, was a member of an investment partnership for some land in the heart of the proposed airport and related development.  Slime just oozes in local politics.  

A good longtime friend of mine was the PR spokesman for that cabal. I knew he was a master bullshitter since high school.

He had been the communications director for the Texas House of Representatives, then moved to Washington DC and eventually took the same position there. He also had worked on the staffs of a couple of House reps. as their press secretaries. 

[DalTxHornFan 3,125]

3 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Great post.  I love how Burnet Road is referred to as the the Burnet Hwy. in the ad.  The map also references North Lamar above 49th street as the "Georgetown Rd." -- my how Austin has grown.

Edited April 15, 2021 by DalTxHornFan

[dcbc 14,574]

23 hours ago, texasdago said:

 

Cool!  Soul Hat at the Black Cat!

Edited April 15, 2021 by dcbc

[texasdago 7,684]

Quote

 

Y'all do yourself a favor and check out the high-tech site of www.goodallwooten.com 

[Armybrat 41,047]

17 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Great post.  I love how Burnet Road is referred to as the the Burnet Hwy. in the ad.  The map also references North Lamar above 49th street as the "Georgetown Rd." -- my how Austin has grown.

And the arrow below 45th St. pointing south “to the city”.

when my brother bought his first house on Piedmont in Crestview in 1959 ($6,500), there was a working farm behind his back yard fence.

[Red Five 41,189]

4 hours ago, utee94 said:

If we're talking about North Lamar, any love for Scampy's organ grinder?  It's probably already been mentioned on this thread earlier.

I had my, I think, 5th birthday party there. 

[texasdago 7,684]

Once upon a time the Woo was filled with well-behaved college students and hip mid-century furniture.  

Oh... here's an ad showing how the facade was more open pre keg tossing.

 

[Armybrat 41,047]

Ol’ Goody Woo. It was quite a rambunctious place even in the mid-1960s.

[texasdago 7,684]

I think 1960s Bevo spent too much time there...

[Deej 77,312]

17 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Y'all do yourself a favor and check out the high-tech site of www.goodallwooten.com 

Quote

Most rooms are painted in abbey white.  However, since our residents can paint their rooms the color they prefer (with the manager’s approval), some rooms come in more dramatic shades

 

[DigglerontheHoof 21,345]

1 hour ago, TexasBeta said:

Here is what the front of the Woo looked liked in 1985.. assume right before the beer bottle barrage started. 

Ah yes, the Woo Barbarians

[dcbc 14,574]

[CSB]

My last year at UT ('96), I had a strange experience when I was on a Southwest flight from Austin to L.A.  We had a quick stop in Vegas, where the plane pretty much emptied except for me and three other people.  So we did what any decent group of humans would do, we congregated in the front seating area of the plane where the seats face each other, put our respective feet up, and proceeded to tie one on.  One of the people was a dude who owned some restaurants in L.A. and claimed to be the grandson of Goodall Wooten.  Anyway, don't care, got drunk.

[/CSB]

[Biff Tannen 45,791]

1 hour ago, dcbc said:

[CSB]

My last year at UT ('96), I had a strange experience when I was on a Southwest flight from Austin to L.A.  We had a quick stop in Vegas, where the plane pretty much emptied except for me and three other people.  So we did what any decent group of humans would do, we congregated in the front seating area of the plane where the seats face each other, put our respective feet up, and proceeded to tie one on.  One of the people was a dude who owned some restaurants in L.A. and claimed to be the grandson of Goodall Wooten.  Anyway, don't care, got drunk.

[/CSB]

I feel like you yada yada'd over some of that story.

[dcbc 14,574]

5 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

I feel like you yada yada'd over some of that story.

Yada yada yada, I had a stain from the blue toilet water all over my pants leg.

[Steamboat1874 4,184]

9 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Was the Green Acres miniature golf course & driving range still out on Burnet Road in the the ‘70s? We used to take our dates out there in the early 1960s.

The Anderson lane area between Burnet & the railroad back then was a ranch as I recall. Just north of the Pickle campus on the west side of Burnet in what is now the Domain area was an old abandoned farm where a despondent high school kid hung himself in the early 1970s.

The Gulf Mart discount store is what opened that area on the north side of Anderson... or was it over on Airport where Highland Mall was built?

My two younger sons went to St. Louis Parochial in the late 1970s.

Green Acres was there until the mid 70's at least.

I loved that place and I still remember every hole on that course.

The only photo I can find.....

[DalTxHornFan 3,125]

Austin is going away:

 

https://austin.towers.net/developments-planned-at-former-austin-legends-dart-bowl-and-threadgills/?pro=caitlyn@towers.net

[Biff Tannen 45,791]

[Deej 77,312]

Lake Travis, early 70's. Note the lack of homes.

 

[Deej 77,312]

City Park. Lake Austin.

Who wears short shorts?

 

 

[Chet Steadman 940]

45 minutes ago, Deej said:

Lake Travis, early 70's. Note the lack of homes.

 

Interesting.  Wonder where on the lake it was taken?

[Deej 77,312]

4 minutes ago, Chet Steadman said:

Interesting.  Wonder where on the lake it was taken?

At this point, I can't rightly remember, but the lower end somewhere. 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,830]

47 minutes ago, Deej said:

City Park. Lake Austin.

Who wears short shorts?

 

 

Pretty sure that’s Hippy Hollow, and he’d either be arrested or elected today.  

[Deej 77,312]

Just now, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Pretty sure that’s Hippy Hollow, and he’d either be arrested or elected today.  

Wasn't Hippy Hollow. We only rode by in the boat to check it out. 

[DalTxHornFan 3,125]

6 minutes ago, Chet Steadman said:

Interesting.  Wonder where on the lake it was taken?

That could be the Cypress Creek area.  We kept our houseboat over there and it looked a lot like that way back then.

[Deej 77,312]

Just now, DalTxHornFan said:

That could be the Cypress Creek area.  We kept our houseboat over there and it looked a lot like that way back then.

Could be. 

[Deej 77,312]

Me, on my dad's shoulder. Lake Austin.

 

[Chet Steadman 940]

1 minute ago, DalTxHornFan said:

That could be the Cypress Creek area.  We kept our houseboat over there and it looked a lot like that way back then.

You’re right.  That’s exactly what I thought too.  

funny how docks don’t change appearance after 50+ years. 

[Chet Steadman 940]

Just now, Deej said:

Me, on my dad's shoulder. Lake Austin.

 

Deej- aren’t you the one on the old boards who posted a pic of your grandparents house off Hancock prior to the Mopac construction years ago?  

[Deej 77,312]

3 minutes ago, Chet Steadman said:

Deej- aren’t you the one on the old boards who posted a pic of your grandparents house off Hancock prior to the Mopac construction years ago?  

That was my parent's house, with my granddad, but yes. My sister still lives in that house. I got screwed out of that retirement money. Lol.

Edited April 16, 2021 by Deej

[Deej 77,312]

[Deej 77,312]

17 minutes ago, Chet Steadman said:

Interesting.  Wonder where on the lake it was taken?

Another shot from same area.

 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,830]

17 minutes ago, Deej said:

Wasn't Hippy Hollow. We only rode by in the boat to check it out. 

Hopefully you know I was joking.

[Deej 77,312]

Just now, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Hopefully you know I was joking.

What? People on here joke?