Childhood Memories of OKC

[RVeit]

I found this website while searching "Foreman Scotty" on Google. I would like to have a place for people who grew up around OKC to share their memories. I now live in Dallas but come back to the state often. I am 50 yrs old, so I grew up around OKC in the 60's and 70's. Here are a few of my memories from the sixties....

Personalities:
Foreman Scotty, Danny Williams, Bob Jenny (Anyone know if he is still alive?), and Ho-Ho The Clown

TV Shows:
Foreman Scotty, Auction With Ho-Ho, Tarzan (Did you know Cheeta is still alive!), Jungle Jim?, Bomba The Jungle Boy, Superman, Leave It To Beaver

Places To Eat:
O'Mealies Cafeteria (Remember O'Mealies?), Coit's, Del Rancho

Fun Places:
Wedgewood Amusement Park (The Best!), Frontier City,
Springlake.

I was on Foreman Scotty and Auction With Ho-Ho where my brother and I saved up Kitty Clover potato chip coupons and won a couple of the coolest toys on that show...Bean Bag Buccaneer & Submarine Sea Hunt (I have searched and searched for these games with no luck.)

Be Cool and BEAT TEXAS!!!

[Karried]

Cool idea!

I didn't grow up in OK but I vacationed a few times at Lake Eufaula with my grandparents. I was pretty young so I don't remember many details.. They had a pond and lived on acreage near the lake. I checked the trout lines with my Grandfather really early in the morning and fished a lot.

I remember swimming in the pond from morning to night and I helped my Grandma in the garden. We had fried catfish, cucumbers in vinegar and fried okra. I remember nightcrawlers, 7-Up and crickets and I remember vivid storms, being really hot at night and the fireflies..

Pretty fun for a kid!

[Pete]

RVeit, we are about the same age (I'm 46) so I share many of the same memories. Where did you go to high school? I went to Putnam City myself.



If you haven't seen it, I uploaded a bunch of old ads and such to my photo album:

http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/515


You'll also no doubt remember Molly Murphy's and there is an extensive website devoted to it:

Darren Stone's Molly Murphy's Memories Page

[RVeit]

Those pic's are great...thanks for sharing..I definitely remember AMC, it was like the first discount store...and of course TG&Y, Judy N Jody's, and the original Mathis Brothers and don't forget, B.C. Clark's Anniversary Sale jingle around Christmas.

[capt_john_97]

I worked with Darren at Molly's and we are the same age as well 46. Did you go to PCHS? is so we would have been in the same class

[mranderson]

I found this website while searching "Foreman Scotty" on Google. I would like to have a place for people who grew up around OKC to share their memories. I now live in Dallas but come back to the state often. I am 50 yrs old, so I grew up around OKC in the 60's and 70's. Here are a few of my memories from the sixties....

Personalities:
Foreman Scotty, Danny Williams, Bob Jenny (Anyone know if he is still alive?), and Ho-Ho The Clown

TV Shows:
Foreman Scotty, Auction With Ho-Ho, Tarzan (Did you know Cheeta is still alive!), Jungle Jim?, Bomba The Jungle Boy, Superman, Leave It To Beaver

Places To Eat:
O'Mealies Cafeteria (Remember O'Mealies?), Coit's, Del Rancho

Fun Places:
Wedgewood Amusement Park (The Best!), Frontier City,
Springlake.

I was on Foreman Scotty and Auction With Ho-Ho where my brother and I saved up Kitty Clover potato chip coupons and won a couple of the coolest toys on that show...Bean Bag Buccaneer & Submarine Sea Hunt (I have searched and searched for these games with no luck.)

Be Cool and BEAT TEXAS!!!

Steve "Forman Scotty" Powell, Ed "Ho-Ho" Birchall, and Bob Jenny are all dead. Danny Williams is still alive and is insulting the airwaves on KOMA.

I also remember "Tarzan," "Superman," and "leave it to Beaver." I still watch the ole' Beav. Plus Wedgewood. I do not remember it well enough to rate it, however, Frontier City is nothing but a rundown eyesore now. Many people will disagree with me (and have) however, after seeing the major league theme parks, I know quality, and Frontier City is NOT it. Springlake is like Wedgewood. I do not remember it well enough to rate it.

O' Mealies (I think it is actually O' Mealy's, but can not remember) I remember well. The family came from Ponca City where we lived a couple of houses down. My brother would play with one of the sons, Jimmy. Plus Coits and Del Rancho. Coit's is where my former sister-in-law and I ate a lot. Del Rancho costs WAY to much for the quality (no different than anyplace else with steak sandwiches). And yes... Kitty Clover.

I also rememer "Gospel Singing Jubilee" Sunday mornings on WKY along with "Davy and Goliath," and "The Happy Goodman Family." Those were never miss. Plus "Miss Fran from storyland," and one with Jane Hall. Forgot the name. And the happiest memory of my childhood... TG&Y #411.

[RVeit]

You are right on O'Mealy's...we lived in Tonkawa before Jones, Ok and my dad said he knew some of the O'Mealy's in Tonkawa (60-62 time period). I know there was still one open in OKC like early 90's, it was so good...I wonder when it closed...and I swear less than 10 years ago I saw a Bob Jenny Snake Farm on old Rt. 66 somewhere east of Edmond...I wish I would have stopped...Yeah, I remember those Sunday morning shows especially David and Goliath...I usually had to go to church so I just watched before we left. Weren't we exposed to the BEST childhood, with those local tv personalities and good wholesome fun...I also remember when Wedgewood closed they said that the roller coaster..Tornado was disassembled and moved to an amusement park in Florida...I wonder if that is true?

[Doug Loudenback]

Hi, Rveit! If you've not searched the archives, you'll find a lot of neat posts right up your alley (and mine, too)! Many of us like to go back to the future, or whatever!

It would be a nice project (Karried?) for a moderator to make a post containing nothing but "memories" links for quick access. Or, maybe a forum. Just thinking out loud.

[writerranger]

LOVE those memories! We are about the same age so that all rang true with me. I have even posted here about getting on the Ho Ho Show with Kitty Clover bags.

One thing that I remember so well is when 39th Street was the "Northwest Expressway" of its day. Many of the popular restaurants were lined along 39th Street.

OKC was a great place to grow up and is still a great place to live.

------------

[Pete]

Regarding 39th, I was at PC (just one mile north) towards the end of it's hay-day. This was the late 70's and before everything started sprawling out to Edmond and way out NW Expressway.

We'd go there every day for lunch and cruise on Friday nights. The Shakeys near the corner of Ann Arbor was a big hangout after football games, and there was also a Bonapartes drive-in and an Across the Street right there as well.

[RVeit]

I moved to Bristow and then New Mexico before graduating high school but then attended OU in '74 and lived around OKC until '85...now in Dallas...I had friends at OU that went to PC...no matter where I've lived I always enjoy OKC...the first pizza I ever had at a restaurant was at the Shakey's on Peoria in Tulsa....I've been reading some of the stuff that SoonerDave and Mranderson and others wrote back around June 19-July 10 about Ho Ho and Foreman Scottie....I always remember Bob Jenny and those snakes...haven't heard many stories about him....I need someone to shake up my memories.....talking about restaurants over in that area ...there was My Pie Pizza??? not sure about the spelling...I think it was up closer to Lake Hefner.

[Pete]

One of my earliest OKC pizza memories was Shotgun Sams on May just south of 39th.

I remember they gave you a huge playing card instead of an order number: "Four of Diamonds! Pizza for Four of Diamonds!"


Also, remember loving Pizza Planet, particularly their crust.

[RVeit]

I remember Shotgun Sam's too...AND the playing cards! I also remember, in college, going up to the OKC hockey games on "free" beer nights....those games were crazy!

[bluedogok]

One of my earliest OKC pizza memories was Shotgun Sams on May just south of 39th.

I remember they gave you a huge playing card instead of an order number: "Four of Diamonds! Pizza for Four of Diamonds!"

Many of the families in my parents neighborhood used to go there every Saturday night while I was growing up, I still wish I could find a recipe for their sauce.

Sound Warehouse was on the SW corner of 39th and McArthur for years. I think it's now a drugstore.

That Sound Warehouse store was originally a Western Auto store.

I think the Penn Square disco was Clementines -- it was a big scene for a while there.

That was it, it was on the extension that had PSB, which they tore down to build the Foley's/Macy's wing.

Zanzibar?

There was also Dallas on Main Street.

Zanzibar and Dallas were still there when I was at OU (early 80's). Dallas closed when beer went to 21 in 1983, the building later housed the Copelin's Office Supply.

Does anyone remember La Pizza in Heritage Park Mall?!?! This was in the 80's I believe.. They delivered pizza out of this old limo if my memory serves me correct.. It was the best pizza!!

That was a 1927 Rolls-Royce street rod, I worked part time at the Lotus dealership on 8th & Broadway, that is where he bought it.

BTW, when was Penn Square enclosed? Was it in the 70s sometime? I don't remember.

The early 80's, I saw a copy of the original construction drawings for that project in a vault drawer at Benham.

I remember that when they found that car. What a wild deal!

Thanks guys for all the info. BTW, if that hangar was on the east side of what is now Lake Hefner, would that road running behind it be Portland? I remember driving that road before they built the parkway and how it meandered next to the lake.

The original Wiley Post airport was where the Jackie Cooper dealerships were on North May & Britton, they relocated one of the original hangars when they built out the BMW store there.

Anyone else remember the name of the drive-in theater across the street from there where the Colonade office/retail center is? They had little rides in front of the screen.

Molly's operated from 76-96.

Business had really dropped off towards the end and I believe the owner (Bob Tayar) wanted to retire to Palm Springs, which he did immediately after the place closed down.

BTW, Molly Murphys was a 100% rip-off of a Dallas restaurant, the Magic Time Machine, which is still in operation:

The Magic Time Machine Restaurant San Antonio and Dallas where you'll dine laughing, enjoy our Roman Orgy unique menu of delicious meats fruits and vegetables served by character wait staff including kids favorite super heroes, fictional characters,

I used to work with the architect who did that and TaMolly's for Tayer. They made many trips to the Dallas, Austin and San Antonio locations for reconnaissance.

Or what about Exit Exito, where Johnny's now is??

Those were fun for a SHORT while.

That was originally the above mentioned TaMolly's, it had the tile roof repossed off it at one time. After TaMolly's closed it became City lights, then the Exit Exito place after that. Another one in the area was After Daddy's Money on Wilshire which is now a church.

Was Bonaparte's Drive In (39th expressway) where Jimmy's Egg is now?

Yes, that is where it was.

Prunepicker:
Mayfair Village was sold to an out-of-state investor last year. In fact, the investor is who recently refused to renew the lease of Mayfair Market (even at the Williams offer of double the rent!). They accepted the bid from CVS for the land. They will be tearing it down (permits already issued) and building yet another cookie-cutter CVS.
------------------

At one time a developer for CVS proposed buying the church across the street to tear down and build a CVS there. The church turned them down rather quickly.

Shifting slightly away from TV, does anyone remember the Shakey's Pizza restaurants here in town? There used to be several. The one we used to frequent was over on S. Western, and they had the most marvelous pepperoni pizza anywhere - I've never tasted anything quite like it since. The atmosphere was awesome, with its blue-and-red-keyed rinky-tink player piano and dark-hewed tables and giant pitchers of soft drinks; man, it just didn't get any better than Shakey's. The remanants of an original Shakey's building is still around over on SE 29th in Del City, under the name of "Round Up Pizza."

-soonerdave

We used to go to the Shakey's on 39th Street after jr. high games at Central.

And some things I wish I remembered-
- was there a Fuddrucker's or something with a similar name somewhere on the southside?

Wasn't that in the same location as the infamous Sirloin Stockade?

Dunn's Dairy Queens were all over town way back when, and I sure miss them. Sad thing is that they all started deteriorating rather conspicuously in later years, and there was really only one worth visiting. The last one I know of in the central Oklahoma area was in Norman on Main Street, but it was closed and torn down over a year ago. I have NO place to get my Oreo Blizzards, although DQ's are plentiful in Texas..

-soonerdave

The Bread smell is still downtown....In reference to some of the previous posts:

TV Show-Count Gregore
Restaraunts-Shotgun Sam's, Casa Bonita and Han's Barbecue
PCWest Grad myself-39th and Cactus Jacks up until late eighties

I used to work with Count Gregore's daughter at Sound Warehouse. We went to Shoutguns a bunch and I used to work at Han's. Being a West grad as well, Cactus Jack's and 39th, yep...all the time.

The City National Bank sign was not on top of Liberty Bank but at the top of the building that is across from the 1st Natl Bank building...the name escapes me but its the one that has the Interurban on the 1st floor. Remember calling the time?...i think the number was 599-1234. There was the advertisement for City Natl Bank and then it gave the time and temp. Everyone thought you were calling the bank, but it was really the phone co.

That is the City Place building, it was the home of Liberty Bank until they moved into the one that is the Chase Tower now. City National Bank moved in after Liberty moved out. That was the Time/Temp number, I remember it up on my mother's bulletin board.

i only lived in edmond for a couple of years (second and third grades at orvis risner) before moving to fort smith, but i fondly remember making my parents drive down may avenue so i could see the new rolls-royces and bentleys at jackie cooper. and i recall that some dealer in norman used to sell ferraris at one time.

Big Red Sports/Imports was a Ferrari dealer in the late 80's after they moved off Lindsay over to I-35. Jackie Cooper was a Ferrari dealer in the mid 80's and Bolen Imports downtown was in the early 80's.

proud2B, there was a club called Confetti in that space for a while, but that was more of a disco.

Probably was remade at least once but I don't know the other iterations.

I think Stampede was the first club that I remember, after that it was Confetti's, The Zoo, The Plum and maybe some others.

Charlie's Chili was in the same parking lot, some friends parents owned it until the fish place investors bought out the location.

I remember a lot of those too.

There was a Shotgun Sams at Britton and May, it is now a Vietnamese Restaurant.

It was Jokers for awhile, after Jokers started at Lakeshore Plaza they moved to the Britton & May location after Shotguns closed. I saw a bunch of midnight shows at that one.

Thanks Solitude! I remember the theater only vaguely... I don't think it lasted until the 70's.

I used to go to that Kellers for all my school supplies and the sporting goods store was there into the 80's.

Also, there is still a little street just east of McArthur and north of 39th called Coronado Place.

I don't remember the theater at all, but we did shop at Keller's Sporting Goods as well as Miller's on Portland. Anyone else remember the Ice Chalet at Will Rogers Plaza?

And both northside and southside- remember those great DENNIS DONUTS???
The box had an elephant drawn on top?? There was one close to Glen's on NW10th and one in Capitol Hill on SW 29th. Have never had a whole wheat glazed donut that could compare to theirs....

In our part of town it was Frankie's Big Donut at 19th & Portland, still haven't found any like that.

Some of the places other than the ones mentioned, the family style restaurant at 10th & Rockwell, I think it was Westoaks. There was the JR Chicken Ranch on 10th by Nicolosi's. The Jolly Roger on 23rd & Ann Arbor and one that was where Godfather's was at 23rd & Minnie Lane. One that I can't remember the name of was at Shepherd Mall, it may have been a Bonaparte's as well but a sit down version of it. I remember the Christmas toys at Otasco and Kiddie City at 16th & Meridian.

[Pete]

I remember Quarter Beer Nights when the Blazers played at the State Fair Arena, especially seeing guys with *huge* stacks of empty beer cups they'd be waving in the air.

And the organist was in a cage at one of the far ends of the arena that was far removed from any seating.

[Todd]

Does anybody remember Giavanni's Pizza off MacArthur and 39th?

They had an old fashion out-house inside where you could go in and make long-distance calls for free while you ate.

[Pete]

I don't remember that Todd and I thought I knew everything about that area. What was the approximate time frame?


On the NE corner of that intersection there used to be a little shopping area with a courtyard and small movie theater. Later, it became Keller's for school supplies and then sporting goods.

[RVeit]

In 74-75 I remember the beer being free and I do remember those tall stacks of cups, but I was thinking it was at the Myriad...I don't even know when they built the Myriad...I've been going back and reading some of the memories from 04/05 on this site....A permanant Memories forum would be cool

[Todd]

For years there has been a Chinese place where it was located in a little strip mall. It may have set back from 39th and actually might have been on 43 or 44th street I don't remember if there was a little side street back there or not. Time frame would have been around 1984-86.

[Todd]

It seems like there was a music store around the same area. Was it Warehouse music or something like that?

[Pete]

Sound Warehouse was on the SW corner of 39th and McArthur for years. I think it's now a drugstore.

[drumsncode]

Wow, you guys are killing me with great memories.

My Pie Pizza was great, somewhere around 63rd and NW Highway.

Pizza Planet has one of my fondest memories. I had a pizza there the afternoon of high-school graduation. It was a very tough year, trying to keep the grades up, I was there with my best friend, the pizza arrived at the table, and "School's Out" by Alice Cooper started blaring on the jukebox. I felt like a gigantic weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

[writerranger]

Here's an interesting story......Remember Gary Hart? Former Senator from Colorado and presidential candidate? "The Monkey Business?" Yes, that Gary Hart. He went to undergrad at Bethany Nazarene College and met his wife, Lee, while attending school there. Anyway, I was watching Nightline back in 1984 and he was joking around with Ted Koppel about a Pizza Night fundraiser he had attended in New Hampshire. he laughed and said, "It was good, but not quite Ned's Pizza in Oklahoma City while I was in college." Later, a book about the 84 campaign came out and it went into great detail about Hart's college life in Bethany and how his hangout was his favorite pizza joint, "Ned's Pizza" on North May in Oklahoma City. I remember it well - it was on the west side of May at about NW 28th street or so, and the pizza WAS good. Down the street was one of the original-style International House of Pancakes. Both are now long gone.

----------

[csmith018]

Ned's pizza was the best. We had to wrap napkins around our wrists to keep the grease from running down our arms..... didn't know any better then. It was great pizza

[Pete]

Here's a My Pie ad from back in the day... I went to high school with the daughter of the owner:



And a few others: