Remember cruise'n Mac's, Baums, Weltys and Kips all night long for less than $1 in gas?

Loved the Burgers - hated the cookies - first taste of Colonel Sanders' secret recipe.

First popcorn date 1955.
Don't look for me on the bike or shirtless. Try behind the Calliope.

First Date with me driving 1957. Did not want to be seen at the Paramount, with her.

From a promontory (elevation 1723') on the Anson Hiway at midnight, you had your choice of rock music from Oklahoma City's clear channel station KOMA 1520 AM or from Villa Acuna, XERF 1570 kHz. If in the right mood, look north to see the mysterious blue Anson Light. However, the light disappears if you drive toward it.

Studio of radio XERF in Villa Acuna, Mexico (actually near Boys Town) had over 5 times the power and range of KOMA. Wolfman Jack got his start here, in the 1960's, before moving to California to be in "American Graffiti." Many of the soldiers who served in Vietnam swear that if the conditions were right they got both stations.

1964

My good (but departed) friend, Dennis Lanham, transferred from Cisco and we often went there. Travel cost was no problem as we got free (just bring your felt fedora as a filter) "drip" gasoline from the Eastland oil fields. The pool also looked the same in 1961 and 1995. Did anyone else take the high diving tower challenge (Dennis dived, I jumped) or take the lover's walk through the dam?

Late 1950's Pine Street looking north

Late 1950's Cypress Street looking north Wooten Hotel on left

Wooten Hotel, Paramount Theatre, Southwestern Bell and Citizens National Bank

Mack Eplen's Cafeteria had competition in the 1950's from Luby's which was located just on the other side of the Majestic Theatre (location info thanks to Monty Snow AHS Class of '65).  Mack's had all-you-can-eat for $1.29 in the evenings to compete with Lavender's Cafeteria.

Was anyone else born at Hendricks in the 1940's?

Thornton's 4th & Oak  "A City Within It's Self" wonderful Christmas displays.  This photo is after the "great fire" in the 1950's. 

In the Shoe Department there was an X-ray machine, I X-rayed my 9 year old feet so many times that my toes still glow in the dark.  My Mom used to tell me I had really pretty feet, until I was 10.   Ginger Thornton thought that was really cute when I told her (I think?)

Blackboard Jungle - not quite, but close.  Saw my first real live knife fight on the corner of South 1st & Oak Streets on these front steps in the fall of 1956.  Some serious wounds.

Witnessed second knife fight 3 weeks later, by stop sign in front of Davis' Store just across Jeanette Street from South Jr. High.  No serious injury - Mr. Davis only had one arm but was able to break it up. Perhaps those hour long lunch periods provided too much idle time.

Sad update to the story - Historic J.M. Radford Grocery Building at South 1st & Oak Streets completely destroyed by violent blaze February 20, 2012.

Senior high school not.... that's dear old stinkin' Lincoln.

Never attended but was told that the stinkin' part came from the pedestrian tunnel, passed under South 1st Street and the railroad tracks (now closed).

"The Spot" just across Jeanette Street from South Jr. - best Frito Pie ever but, didn't care for the Dill Pickle snowcones.

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Some Fridays we would skip the South Jr. cafeteria or "The Spot" and ride our motorscooters to the Dixie Pig.  Great food for when you had more than a quarter.

The Pig's most famous Busboy, Joe the media mogul, lives here in New York City.  The doorman would not let me in so, I took this photo and posted it here.

Main building at Abilene State Park; had changing rooms for the ice-cold pool and a snackbar with a groovy juke box. Did anyone miss our Senior Day Picnic 1961?

Mother's 1958 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 just before the 1959 accident.  The 405 hp with three 2's were just too much and her son soon "totaled" it!  It would look like this today but for that too fast, reckless Sunday.

My first flight 1961

Not a commercial flight but, I was the Co-pilot.

Old Abilene Town's parking lot before the grand opening but, it always looked like this, even while it was open. Maybe W. N. and Honey Casey should have stayed in the restaurant business.

Leslie's Chicken Shack on South 1st, east of Casey's #1 Drive-Inn (later Casey's Barn Door) near Sayles Blvd. I understand that Waco reclaimed Leslie.

South 1st Street; good old motel. Gone and almost forgotten.

But not forgotten by a prominent '61 class member who had their wedding rehearsal dinner there in 1964.

South 1st gone and forgotten.

Pete Shotwell's new 15,000 seat home on the prairie 1959. Oh, give me a home where the tumble weeds grow.

Pete's 1923 Abilene Eagles team won all of its 12 games as well as the state championship in one of the strongest defense performances ever, allowing only one touchdown by an opponent during the whole season.  He came back to Abilene in the early 1950's and was AHS' coach before Chuck Moser.  Click for more about Pete.

The price would be higher than $1 or $3 per night, if still open. It's still standing in Abilene on Historic Bankhead Highway and looks almost the same today and you can still read the $1 and $3.

Abilene's little piece of Italy, Charlie Blanks Nite Club, officially closed in 1956 after Charlie died.  Rumor had it that a certain AHS English teacher entertained the troops from Camp Barkeley there with her famous "Fan Dance" during it's heyday.

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After Charlie's death, several attempts were made to keep the Club open and the name was changed to "Twilight Ranch" for a while.  The AHS Class of 59 had their Senior Prom there with their classes' "The Fabulous Playboys," with L.B. Showalter, and Jerry Henson in the band. The Playboys wore white sports coats and had a kind of Platters harmony sound. The 1959 prom was the last senior prom to be officially sponsored by AHS.  The Abilene Reporter News reported six dump trucks of empty bottles being hauled off from Blanks the following week but, who counts those empties anyway?

My Class of '61 was forced to have an unofficial, by invitation only, Senior Prom at the Dyess AFB Club but, it was nothing compared to the party at Charlie's!

Later, an alternative life style club opened in this location.  After 50+ years and two cases of serious arson, "civil minded" citizens of Abilene were finally able to close Charlie's for good.  The largest surviving piece of the club was moved to downtown Abilene but it's not easily found.

Westgate Mall
"Finest Shopping Between Ft Worth and El Paso"

I don't think that was saying a lot

Abilene skyscraper

Site of the 1961 Senior Girls Tea

Wooten Tea

Hotel Windsor, built for and (the) first named Hilton Hotel. Conrad Hilton soon moved on to El Paso and name was changed to Windsor because that was the easiest neon sign change. My Dad told me that Phil Guitar's father, Earl, was the Manager during the 1930s when it was Hilton Hotel.

Later home of KNIT radio where Mrs. Turner's (AHS English teacher) husband introduced Abilene's rock radio and "on air hostesses."

The Windsor - Told you so!

Truck stop at South 1st and Leggett Drive; the cafe later became the Saddle and Sirloin, home of big-haired waitresses and a great chicken-fried steak. Location of the after hours office and private saloon of Slim Willet (don't believe those stories about Abilene being "dry" at that time.)

Autographed!

February 15, 1956 the day that both Elvis and John Odam got their start in Bop Bands! All this for $1 buck!

Abilene 2001, the night "Elvis" fell off the wagon and had to be helped to his room by kindly concert goers.

The Thunderbird Lodge. Wasn't it here that The Diamonds performed their hit "Little Darlin" in 1958. Who would have ever guessed they were Canadian. Contrary to popular myth, the father of actor Tom Hanks was never a member of The Diamonds.

No, The Diamonds performed at the Sands Hotel on West South 1st

The Sands was also the site of the 1960 Miss Abilene Contest.  I dated #10 a few times :))

Downtown Abilene 1930's or is this Dealey Plaza and the Texas School Book Depository?

Dealey Plaza Dallas

McMurry before I started there. I guess at one time this was all there was.

Lovely Fort Phantom. Is that silo still out there in the middle of the lake?

We used to park by the dam to watch for the lady walking across the lake late at night wearing a white wedding dress and a long veil. A fish would always jumps out of the water 3 times as she walks by then she disappears.

Post office 1950's still there.

Abilene, both beautiful AND exciting the 1940's

Casey's Little Red Barn on Hiway 80 East, we NEVER went there for late night coffee to sober up

My kinda town.... before John Guitar's Mansion was torn down. Yes, the old Guitar Mansion which was downtown on North 1st. The mansion did have a bowling alley in the basement.

Phil Guitar, how could you let this happen?

A little vintage "Abilene"

The End (of an Era)!