47 replies to this topic

[unknowntbone]

I may need some help filling in the blanks:
Opera House Theater--movies
Lum's--hot dogs and sandwiches
Pizza Inn--duh
Minnie Pearl's Fried Chicken--duh
Pepe Taco--think poor man's Taco Bell
Bonanza Steakhouse--cafeteria style steaks
maybe a video arcade?
Mrs. O'Leary's Ice Cream Parlor--bells and sirens went off when you came out of the bathroom.
A gazebo in the middle for occasional live music.

Am I missing anything?
The only physical building still remaining is Minnie Pearl's--It's now the Hoffbrau Steakhouse.

[Doohickie]

Huh?

[cajunmike]

I remember 1849 Village and the following:

1. Movie theater : saw Paint your Wagon in 1969
2. Ice Cream store.
3. I do seem to remember Lums and there was one out on East Lancaster also.

[bburton]

Huh?

Double Huh? What's the background to your post?

[blacksmith]

Shakey's Pizza Parlor.

[unknowntbone]

I was just reminiscing about University Drive near the Trinity River, circa 1968ish. There were also paddle boat rentals on the river, and a go-cart track where the Residence Inn now sits. 1849 Village was a group of eating and entertainment businesses all together in one small area of land. The architecture might remind you of the "Confederate" section of Six Flags at the time.

Yeah, maybe Shakey's Pizza Parlor--not Pizza Inn.
By the way, Lum's was also on Berry St. and is now Mama's Pizza.

[ramjet]

The movie theater was called the Opera House. For some reason I remember seeing "Scanners" there. The bad guy's head explodes. (Perhaps that's why.) Here's a fun link to Opera House history:

Opera House Opening

[cajunmike]

The Opera House had some nice seating for its day. Again I saw Paint your Wagon and Midway there. Hard to believe that was 40 years ago!
I also remember the go cart track.

[Mark S]

Absolutely, the Opera House had very luxurious seating. In fact, the whole theater was top-notch. I've always thought of it as the pinnacle of the big single-screen theaters, before they began chopping them into smaller, multiple screen operations.

The Opera House had some nice seating for its day. Again I saw Paint your Wagon and Midway there. Hard to believe that was 40 years ago!
I also remember the go cart track.

[801hme]

The movie theater was called the Opera House. For some reason I remember seeing "Scanners" there. The bad guy's head explodes. (Perhaps that's why.) Here's a fun link to Opera House history:

Opera House Opening

Cool article; thanks for posting. I remember seeing Star Wars at the Opera House. Beautiful Theatre.

I remember going to some birthday parties at O'leary's. They'd serve the birthday person some sort of flaming Ice cream dish & firemen would rush out and extinguish the flames with whipped cream or some such. Remember it being a fun place.

There was a Lum's on E. Lancaster, too. The building is still there. Some sort of medical place now I think.

[SWRebel]

Trampolines that were ground level.
A go-cart track ( the same one that is located N on University) across University.
A moto-cross track that I recall using Honda 50s.
Bicycles Built Two as well as the Paddle boats.
The Parkair Drive In still open.

[Mark S]

A motocross track? I was big into dirtbikes in my high school days (I'm a fellow Rebel!), but I don't remember a place to ride bikes anywhere around University. Can you describe it?

Trampolines that were ground level.
A go-cart track ( the same one that is located N on University) across University.
A moto-cross track that I recall using Honda 50s.
Bicycles Built Two as well as the Paddle boats.
The Parkair Drive In still open.

[Saginaw]

Ah, yes. I certainly remember the old 1849 Village. It had quite the charm when I visited it back in the '70s and '80s. And the Opera House Theatre was something to behold then, too. I specifically remember it's period advertising graphics printed on parchment, mounted in black-rimmed frames hung on the walls. It was the place where I saw my very first R-rated movie by myself, 'Outland', in 1981.

I seem to remember a video arcade there, too, as the '70s was when I discovered video games. Thanks to member "ramjet" and his link to Boxoffice magazine, Phillip C. Tidball, president of Tejas Theatres at that time, also owned the nearby Parkaire Drive-In Theatre after his father, L.C. Tidball, passed away in 1966. The younger Mr. Tidball held on to the drive-in until around 1972, when he leased it to McLendon Theatres.

Very cool topic, unknowntbone, and "Welcome Aboard"!


--Saginaw

[SWRebel]

I thought it was just North of the go-cart track, but this may prove me wrong ( after all .................I was experimenting)

Can you imagine what an insurance nightmare that would be today.............they didn't even require helmets

Moto Cross




year of graduation? ( I was '71)

[Doohickie]

This pre-dates my time in Fort Worth. Pretty cool.

[Mark S]

I graduated in '76. I still have my lovely bicentennial class ring, with "Spirit of '76" on one side, and a confederate rebel on the other.

I thought it was just North of the go-cart track, but this may prove me wrong ( after all .................I was experimenting)

Can you imagine what an insurance nightmare that would be today.............they didn't even require helmets

Moto Cross




year of graduation? ( I was '71)

[unknowntbone]

[quote name='Mark S' date='Jan 5 2010, 12:09 PM' post='59063']
I graduated in '76. I still have my lovely bicentennial class ring, with "Spirit of '76" on one side, and a confederate rebel on the other.


Mark. Class of '72 here. Did you know that the 'rebel' mascot had nothing to do with the Confederacy? The first class of Wedgwood area residents--'69, I think--had a choice between Paschal and Southwest and those that left Paschal were considered rebels.
Anyhoo, O'Leary's Ice Cream Parlor later became Spencer's Palace for drinkin', disco-dancin', and wet t-shirtin'

And someone earlier mentioned Philip Tidball as owning the theater. That's right, and it was managed by a Mr. Campbell. He always wore a white tuxedo jacket with a little 'Country-Western' bow tie type of thing like Charlie Pride wore, and Mr. Campbell claimed he invented.

[bailey]

Mark. Class of '72 here. Did you know that the 'rebel' mascot had nothing to do with the Confederacy? The first class of Wedgwood area residents--'69, I think--had a choice between Paschal and Southwest and those that left Paschal were considered rebels.

Actually, Southwest opened in 1967 with only sophomores and juniors. There was no senior class the first year. I was in the sophomore class and we voted on the mascot. Rebels was selected among 3 options. The new building wasn't completed until January 1968 and we shared the Paschal campus, actually the shacks, until that time. By having no senior class the first year, none of the Paschal seniors had to move to Southwest. I don't recall any option for the juniors that lived in the Southwest district to remain at Paschal.

[unknowntbone]

Actually, Southwest opened in 1967 with only sophomores and juniors. There was no senior class the first year. I was in the sophomore class and we voted on the mascot. Rebels was selected among 3 options. The new building wasn't completed until January 1968 and we shared the Paschal campus, actually the shacks, until that time. By having no senior class the first year, none of the Paschal seniors had to move to Southwest. I don't recall any option for the juniors that lived in the Southwest district to remain at Paschal.
[/quote]

That's right, Bailey. I was referring to the first 'graduating' class---'69. They were the only ones that could choose between the two schools.

[RD Milhollin]

Anyhoo, O'Leary's Ice Cream Parlor later became Spencer's Palace for drinkin', disco-dancin', and wet t-shirtin'

Noop, O'Leary's became the Daily Double (what a happy hour!) while the former Farmer's Daughter Steakhouse down the street became Spencer's Palace.

[unknowntbone]

Anyhoo, O'Leary's Ice Cream Parlor later became Spencer's Palace for drinkin', disco-dancin', and wet t-shirtin'

Noop, O'Leary's became the Daily Double (what a happy hour!) while the former Farmer's Daughter Steakhouse down the street became Spencer's Palace.

Yeah, the Daily Double! Do you remember if Spencer had anything to do with it? ...come to think of it, it was Spencer's CORNER that had the wet t-shirt contests. That was in the old TCU Drug store.

[Bradleto]

In 1975, I was in graduate school attending night classes and working days for a friend who owned a Forest Park area liquor store, and Spencer tried to hire me as a bouncer when I made a delivery to Spencer's Palace. The money he talked about was great; the hours, though, conflicted with my studies.

Other establishments along University were Wilkinson's Pet Store near Carlson's, and the old skating rink. When I was a child was a popular place for birthday parties.

1849 Village was quite a hang-out for both Southwest and Paschal kids. There was some sort of Gazebo-like stage structure in the middle of the restaurants that comes to mind for me only because I recall Steve Gravitt doing what may have been the world's first Karoke performance there in '69 or '70. Some local band was playing and Steve went up and commandeered the mike from the lead singer and sang for the crowd.

Brad

[stumpycat]

Is that old Opera House Movie Theater per chance the same building that later became an Owen's restaurant? It appears to have the same exact architecture as the Owens did when it was around up until several years ago.

[John T Roberts]

No, the Opera House was on the back of the site to the west. The Courtyard by Marriott is built where the Opera House used to be located. As far as I know, the Hoffbrau Steakhouse is the only original building left from the 1849 Village.

[detail larry]

I may need some help filling in the blanks:
Opera House Theater--movies
Lum's--hot dogs and sandwiches
Pizza Inn--duh
Minnie Pearl's Fried Chicken--duh
Pepe Taco--think poor man's Taco Bell
Bonanza Steakhouse--cafeteria style steaks
maybe a video arcade?
Mrs. O'Leary's Ice Cream Parlor--bells and sirens went off when you came out of the bathroom.
A gazebo in the middle for occasional live music.

Am I missing anything?
The only physical building still remaining is Minnie Pearl's--It's now the Hoffbrau Steakhouse.

in the early 80s the ice cream parlor was bought by two doctors harry whip and dixson presnell, i ran the nite club for them fannies, after a couple of years we sold it to spencer taylor , he opened the daily double niteclub, it was a huge sucess.

[lcbrownz]

Daily Double had a 3 for 1 hour from 4-6 pm and another bar had a 4 for 1 happy hour that went from 6 - 8 pm.

Anyhoo, O'Leary's Ice Cream Parlor later became Spencer's Palace for drinkin', disco-dancin', and wet t-shirtin'

Noop, O'Leary's became the Daily Double (what a happy hour!) while the former Farmer's Daughter Steakhouse down the street became Spencer's Palace.

[detail larry]

Daily Double had a 3 for 1 hour from 4-6 pm and another bar had a 4 for 1 happy hour that went from 6 - 8 pm.

Anyhoo, O'Leary's Ice Cream Parlor later became Spencer's Palace for drinkin', disco-dancin', and wet t-shirtin'

Noop, O'Leary's became the Daily Double (what a happy hour!) while the former Farmer's Daughter Steakhouse down the street became Spencer's Palace.

wrong , it was fannies , then the daily double , i know that for a fact. because i did the transfer with spencer taylor .

[KerbyH]

About where Panera's is now was a Bonanza Steak House. The grandparents took me there a couple of times. Don't remember much about it, I was much more interested in O'leary's...

[wrccpa]

Across the street from 1849 Village there was a go-cart track and also it seems like they had a helicopter ride that would take you up and fly towards downtown and back.

[Jim444]

Across the street from 1849 Village there was a go-cart track and also it seems like they had a helicopter ride that would take you up and fly towards downtown and back.

Wow, I'd forgotten all about the helicopter rides. Never rode but remember seeing them take off. I remember The Opera House very well. They had the most comfortable seats of any indoor cinema in town. In fact, I can remember actually dozing off at least twice in that theater, no matter how good the movie was! I remember the Opera House had a slightly elevated floor in the back rows that gradually tapered down towards the screen, almost creating a stadium seating effect. Practically every seat was a good one. I even remember the critics of the day, people like Elston Brooks and Perry Stewart, calling it the best in town.

[Birdland in Handley]

Ugh, I worked for the Daily Double briefly and remember washing the surface mold off the brats.
Had a friend in HiSchool who worked at O' Leary's and that was all good--no insider horror stories to tarnish those 1849 Villiage memories.

[Cowtown Mike]

I remeber the go cart track, but not the helicopter rides.

[unknowntbone]

Don't forget Jack Gordon, the movie critic of the Fort Worth Press. He and Perry Stewart both had particular seats in the theater that they preferred to sit in.
I was a doorman there in the early days, and if we knew one of the critics was coming to the theater, I would sit in the preferred seat when the doors opened so no one else could sit there. When Gordon or Stewart showed up, I would have to go back to tearing tickets.

[Cowtown Mike]

I remember Jack Gordon. Jet black hair and thin mustache.

[JOCOguy]

Pizza Inn was originally Pappa's Pizza, a place a lot like Shakey's. They had a band on weekends. Pizza Inn bought them out, even though it remained under the "Pappa's" banner for a while. I know, it was my first job. The video arcade was Fun Palace, there was another one on the Benbrook Traffic Circle.

[Cowtown Mike]

We also had a Pappas Pizza later Shakeys at the 5300 block of East Lancaster.

[detail larry]

<!--quoteo(post=59069:date=Jan 5 2010, 03:51 PM:name=unknowntbone)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (unknowntbone @ Jan 5 2010, 03:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=59069"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Anyhoo, O'Leary's Ice Cream Parlor later became Spencer's Palace for drinkin', disco-dancin', and wet t-shirtin'<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Noop, O'Leary's became the Daily Double (what a happy hour!) while the former Farmer's Daughter Steakhouse down the street became Spencer's Palace.

[detail larry]

olearys became fannys nightclub , i managed it and after two years we sold it to spencer taylor, and he opened the daily double !

[bobr]

QUOTE (ramjet @ Dec 30 2009, 05:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The movie theater was called the Opera House. For some reason I remember seeing "Scanners" there. The bad guy's head explodes. (Perhaps that's why.) Here's a fun link to Opera House history:

Opera House Opening

Cool article; thanks for posting. I remember seeing Star Wars at the Opera House. Beautiful Theatre.

I remember going to some birthday parties at O'leary's. They'd serve the birthday person some sort of flaming Ice cream dish & firemen would rush out and extinguish the flames with whipped cream or some such. Remember it being a fun place.

There was a Lum's on E. Lancaster, too. The building is still there. Some sort of medical place now I think.

 

Firehouse Fandango (the ice cream / fireman dish above). Nice to read this as well as many other old threads.

[lcbrownz]

I was just reminiscing about University Drive near the Trinity River, circa 1968ish. There were also paddle boat rentals on the river, and a go-cart track where the Residence Inn now sits. 1849 Village was a group of eating and entertainment businesses all together in one small area of land. The architecture might remind you of the "Confederate" section of Six Flags at the time.

Yeah, maybe Shakey's Pizza Parlor--not Pizza Inn.
By the way, Lum's was also on Berry St. and is now Mama's Pizza.

There was an archery range as well near the Trinity River.

[bryanr]

When the released the first Star Wars movie, I saw it at the movie theater in 1849 villlage.

[801hme]

I stumbled across this ad for 1849 Village, and somehow remembered this thread.

 

 

 https://usg02.safeli...q9s=&reserved=0

[JBB]

Great photo.  Does anyone know what year the Opera House closed?  I have a vague memory of seeing a movie there when I was young, but I could be mixing that up with something else.

[ramjet]

This website says the Opera House closed in 1985:

 

https://cinematreasu.../theaters/24576

 

I remember watching the movie "Earthquake" there.

[John T Roberts]

Thanks for digging that up.  I remembered it was in the 1980s, but I couldn't recall an exact date.

[Stadtplan]

This website says the Opera House closed in 1985:
 
https://cinematreasu.../theaters/24576
 
I remember watching the movie "Earthquake" there.

Sunday October 20, 1985

[RD Milhollin]

I remember watching the movie "Earthquake" there.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

[801hme]

Was O'leary's the building in the rear left corner in that Advertisement picture? Looks like that building might of had an upper level and in my memory O'leary's had an upper "balcony" like area, and I want to think it was around back...I was very young then, i may be confusing it another place.

 

University from 30 to the river was a fun stretch back then. The zoo entrance was right there back then too, and the zoo rides were located by the entrance. A great area for kids.