vowell

I've seen and participated in some topics here about Ft. Worth Drive-in Theatres. This has been a subject of interest for me for several years, and I've done some research on the subject in hopes of building a website or some-such. What memories/information do you have about these Drive-Ins? At my age, I was fortunate to experience the last "mainstream" years of drive-ins (in my case the Twin and the Meadowbrook), and in the last few years my family has become semi-regulars at the Brazos in Granbury. What a geat experience. It's like a step back in time. Kids play ball, throw frisbees, footballs, and just hang out on the lawn in front of the screen tower before the feature starts, it's always very clean and family oriented, you can bring your own food or eat from the snack-bar (which is another time warp in itself), and its a very affordable way to take a family to see a movie. Okay, now that I've plugged the Brazos (no, I don't have an affiliation other than being a fan), what do you remember about these drive-ins?

Fort Worth Twin-Riverside and East Lancaster-gas wells now
Meadowbrook Drive-in-Riverside and East Lancaster-holding area for Waste Mangement
Riverside Drive-in-Just East of North Beach on Belknap, now a driving range
Belknap-5709 East Belknap, now the site of the Desert Sands Apartment complex.
South Side Drive-in-4800 block of I-35, now the site of a Carnival Food store.
Southside Twin-Just south of I-20 on Old Hemphill Rd.-now Treasure Island Flea Market
Bowie Blvd Drive-in-7100 Camp Bowie, now a car dealarship. I believe this to be Ft. Worth's first drive-in theatre.
The Corral/Jacksboro Drive-in-199, just west of 820, now an Albertsons, some of the ramps are still visible in back.
The Pike Drive-in-7500 East Lancaster-some ramps still clearly visible.
Parkaire Drive-in-on University just south of I-30, where the shopping center with the Blue Mesa Grill is now (remember the go-cart track next door?)
Downtown Drive-in-On Henderson just north of the intersection of White Settlement Rd.-is a flea market now.
Cowtown Drive-in-on 199-now an Auto Salvage/Auction house I think?
Westerner-on River Oaks Blvd-Now a 7-11 and apartment complex.
Cherry Lane-on (really?) Cherry Lane just north of 30-Now a Wal-mart (wouldn't it be great to tear down a Wal-mart to build a Drive-In?)
Mansfield Highway-future home of a church according to sine-age
Lariat Drive-in-On East Rosedale nesr 820- This is an interesting story I'd like to know more about. I've seen old business listings for this drive-in refer to it as a "colored" drive-in, and in Don & Susan Sanders book "The American Drive-In Theatre", it is refered to as being "built near a new sub-division for the African-American community". However, people I know that grew up right down the road from there in the 40's and 50's have no memory of it. I don't think it lasted very long.


Not Fort Worth, but nearby:
Mid-Cities Drive-in-In Euless on Highway 10
Arlington Drive-in-On division just east of Bowen
Eagle Drive-In-Azle drive-in

Did I overlook one? What are your memories of these Drive-in's?

Cherry lane drive in! two screens, one for the kids and the other at times for adults. if my dad caught us looking out the back window he would smack us in the back of the head.

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Took a picture on Las Vegas trail of a barbecue joint. Still had furniture inside as if it was only closed for the winter. Any knowledge of this?
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Oak Acres BBQ -- it has been there as long as I can remember (back to the late 60's at least). For all of my adult life it has been owned by James Quave (a family friend), but whatever it was that forced the Hip Pocket from that location also pushed James out, IIRC. I may be wrong about this, but for some reason that's how I remember it.

Back in the days before Loop 820, growing up on Heron Drive where nobody had fenced yards, my dog used to make the two-mile trip to Oak Acres to get good bones and scraps. She'd bring those bones back and protect them like they were her puppies. Seems impossible that it was ever so, now.

Oak Acres was still there a couple years ago. My Grandfather built most of the dining room in the back, cutting the timbers for the roof by hand with a hand saw that was as old as he was. My brother and I stopped in one day on a drive through the old neighborhood. James was there and remembered us from the 1960's. the BBQ was still as good as ever but that time I had a beer with my meal.