Childhood Memories of OKC

[Pete]

RVeit, according to this link, the Tornado was indeed relocated to a park in Panama City, FL around 1969 and operated there through 1984:

Petticoat Junction (Panama City, Florida 32401 USA)


And in case you haven't seen this yet, here's a great site on Wedgewood (with lots of pictures):

PMO :: Home

[mranderson]

I know Bob Jenny died but was wondering about that snake farm and the question on Tornado the coaster...I guess no one here knows...I remember the disco down in Norman about 75-76///can't recall the name...out by Target..it was the place to be ...discoing the night away!

Sorry, however, you asked "what happened to Bob?" That says nothing about his snake farm. It asks about him personally... Which I had answered.

[Martin]

mranderson, this is a pleasant thread. be pleasant or gtfo. -M

[mranderson]

mranderson, this is a pleasant thread. be pleasant or gtfo. -M

Just stating the facts.

[Doug Loudenback]

Has anyone mentioned Christopher's Restaurant? Located at 2920 NW Grand Blvd, it overlooked a duck lake and was a truly fine restaurant. Opened by their parents in 1965, sons Jerry and Larry Wood continued its operation until June or July 1986. The opening of the north/south link of I-44 through western Okc hampered access and business also suffered after liquor by the drink passed and the owners decided not to go that route. Jerry was a Sigma Nu fraternity brother of mine at OSU, '61-'65.

Though the images are not so good, the 1st shows the brothers with the restaurant in the background, and the 2nd shows the cast of Annie being hosted after the musical's debut in the Civic Center, November 1980.



And what about Sleepy Hollow, located at 1101 NE 50th for 55+ years?



I've not been there for awhile, but I do remember the good eat-as-much-as-you-want home-style cooking.

Here's an 6/22/2005 Oklahoman article:

Quick sale sought to keep Sleepy Hollow alive
By Tricia Pemberton Business Writer

Jim Erixson grew up in the Sleepy Hollow restaurant.

It was founded in 1949 by his grandmother, Eula Erixson, the state’s first woman assistant attorney general, and by his father and mother, G.A. and Anna Mae Erixson.

“We started with just 14 tables and 16 chairs. Then we added another dining room and another. It grew to be a legend,” Erixson said.

Erixson sold the eatery in 1993 to Bruce Kliewer, who subleased it for the past few years. Now the storied eatery at 1101 NE 50 is closed, and Kliewer is selling it.

“Our chickens were cooked in cast iron skillets, our homemade biscuits were made fresh every day. We gave free refills on everything but the meat,” he said.

The family’s Sleepy Hollow salad dressing still is sold in local grocery stores.

The restaurant was rated among the top 14 steakhouses in the United States by Esquire Magazine at one point, Erixson said. But a near fatal shooting of a bartender in 2002 put a pall on the restaurant’s business, he said.

The restaurant has been closed now for several weeks. Leffel said he’s hoping for a quick sale to someone interested in seeing the legend reborn.

“I thought maybe if we could sell it quickly, we could salvage it. Some employees have been there 30 years, and the place has tremendous potential. It’s a shame to see the legend die,” said real estate agent Bud Leffel, with First National Business Corp.

Leffel has the 3.1-acre property and 9,000-squarefoot restaurant listed for $485,000. It’s a bargain, he said.

The property was appraised several years ago for $425,000, so a buyer would be getting the business thrown in almost for free, he said.

Erixson said the Sleepy Hollow was always known for its homemade food served family style.

In a 12/9/2005 Oklahoman article,

Restaurant purchased by pastor

A West Coast pastor has bought the closed Sleepy Hollow Restaurant, 1101 NE 50, with plans to renovate it and reopen under the same name, said Brenda Cubit of Carbin Realty Co., which handled the sale this week.

The Rev. Otto McClinton, pastor of St. Thomas Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, and his daughter, Yolandra McClinton, paid JBRU Investments LLC $325,000 for the restaurant.

Cubit said the buyers planned either to lease it to an operator or hire management to run it. Esquire once rated the restaurant, founded in 1949 by the Erixon family, among the top steak houses in the United States. It was a popular spot for lawmakers and other movers and shakers but fell into decline in recent years. Carl Avay of Thomas Lay Realtors represented the seller. Barbara Chatman of American Guaranty Title Co. was the closing agent.

As I said, I've not been there lately, so I don't know if the restaurant reopened or not.

Somewhere in this thread, one or more alluded to a "club" or something on NW 63rd near Portland. There was once a swimming pool in that area on the north side of NW 63rd called the Lakeview Swim Club or something like that. Back around the mid-1970s, my 1st wife and I had memberships there for a few years for the purpose of giving our kids a good environment to play, swim, etc. It had nice lawns and we liked it. I don't recall its exact location.

[Martin]

i remember the shooting but didn't realize sleepy hollow had closed... i haven't been in a long time, either but i remember enjoying the family-style format and the atmosphere. hope they're still reopening or are soon to re-open. -M

[drumsncode]

I confirmed with my mother that there was, indeed, a Lakeview Country Club, around 63rd and Portland. She couldn't remember the exact address, but she knew lots of other details. She said it was close enough to "Get drunk and still drive home!"

Of course, back then, if you could stagger out of your car and be nice to the policeman, everything was cool.

You could go in there for dinner and dancing. It's been about 38 years and she still remembered the name of their favorite waiter!

[diesel]

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!!

[mranderson]

perhaps, but you're being a jerk about it. play nice, ok? -M

The guy was not specific, so "I calls 'em as I see's 'em."

[RVeit]

MalibuSooner.....many thanks for finding that info on the old Wedgewood Tornado....I wonder what they do with old roller coasters???

[RVeit]

nope...I think those discos were later...this was a very classy place on the west side of the Target site...75-76...way back!

[writerranger]

Here's one: How many remember Spanky's Pizza on North May?

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[RVeit]

Don't remember that one...when was it there?

[Pete]

Somewhere in this thread, one or more alluded to a "club" or something on NW 63rd near Portland. There was once a swimming pool in that area on the north side of NW 63rd called the Lakeview Swim Club or something like that. Back around the mid-1970s, my 1st wife and I had memberships there for a few years for the purpose of giving our kids a good environment to play, swim, etc. It had nice lawns and we liked it. I don't recall its exact location.

Why can't I place this??

I grew up very near there and my best friend lived in the subdivision just north of 63rd and west of Portland. Both of us have fantastic memories (usually ) but cannot come up with where this would have been.

Any guess as to years of operation?

[Pete]

I did find this article in the Oklahoman archives (from August 1955) and looks like it operated until the mid-60's:

[drumsncode]

Why can't I place this??

I grew up very near there and my best friend lived in the subdivision just north of 63rd and west of Portland. Both of us have fantastic memories (usually ) but cannot come up with where this would have been.

Any guess as to years of operation?

I'm guessing circa 1968 or a little later. I went to the Lakeview Country Club a few times with my parents. It was before I was in high-school. My mother couldn't quite remember the exact location either. I think it must have been tucked away just enough to keep people from remembering it.

[Pete]

Well, originally I thought the club was defunct by '66 but I did find a reference to it as late as 1970, so now I'm really confused.

Where the heck was this place located if all those neighborhoods were built up by the mid-60's?

The article said "25 acres" so it had to be a big chunk of property.

[Doug Loudenback]

Why can't I place this??

I grew up very near there and my best friend lived in the subdivision just north of 63rd and west of Portland. Both of us have fantastic memories (usually ) but cannot come up with where this would have been.

Any guess as to years of operation?

Here are a couple of images I located in the Oklahoma's archives ... 1st shows when it started and its general location, 2nd shows an even there in 1973. I was not able to locate an exact address, but I'm sure it was on the north side of NW 63 and I'm pretty sure it was between Portland and what was Grand Blvd / Hefner Parkway.



I couldn't find when it closed, but I'm thinking it was the late 1970s - early 1980s, but that's a guess. On editing, I see that Malibu beat me to the 1955 article! I'm certain that my 1st wife and I took our kids to the swimming facility (the club itself may have been gone by then) in the mid-1970s ... my daughter was born in 1973 but we didn't start going there until she was at least 2-3 years old.

[Doug Loudenback]

Here's a brief article ... so well before July 1979, Lakeview was no more.



On edit, a 4/25/1977 Oklahoma article discussed business before City Council, including a zoning request. A snippet reads, "The location is the site of the former Lakeview Country Club, 3601 NW 63rd, which closed several years ago." I think the article is a bit loose with use of "several", but, at least the article narrows the envelope.

Google Maps places 3601 NW 63rd at the green arrow, below.

[Pete]

Wow, thanks Doug!

Looking at the aerial map below, the area I outlined is almost exactly 25 acres, as the first article described.

I can't for the life of me picture the old Lakeview CC and I passed by the location all the time when it was open:

[writerranger]

Wow, thanks Doug!

Looking at the aerial map below, the area I outlined is almost exactly 25 acres, as the first article described.

I can't for the life of me picture the old Lakeview CC and I passed by the location all the time when it was open:

I'm with 'ya Malibu. I can't picture it at all. One thing that confuses me is that if it were where your outline outs it, why would they have described it as being at 63rd and Portland? If anything, it would have been closer to 63rd and Grand Blvd. I don't know why I can't remember it. As I mentioned before, I can picture The Cabana down the road clear as can be, but not this Lakeview described as being at 63rd and Portland. That would have been the old KOCO studios on the NW corner. Strange.

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[Pete]

I agree completely writerranger about the Grand part. Grand Blvd. always has been a very prestigous address and you would think a country club would promote that to no end.

Also, the first article (from '55) says "on the shores of Lake Hefner".

My good friend that lived just blocks away and knows that entire area like the back of his hand is still drawing a blank, too. I hate it when I can't figure things out like this!

[Martin]

this kind of stuff is interesting to me... i looked up a bunch of old articles, too and found nothing conclusive.

now i may be wrong, but oklahoma city golf & country club was originally called lakeview country club... right? if i'm not totally off base, then it would be possible that 63rd & portland was used as the proximate location because saying 'grand blvd' might confuse people into thinking it was the organization & facility on 7000 grand... just a possibility.

an article about koco stated that the 63rd & portland studio was built in 1957. tax records indicate that bellevue nursing home (the 'x' shaped building in the aerial) was built in 1970. i found an article from october of 1966 where residents of lakeview gardens & edgewater sued lakeview country club due to too much noise. the only photograph i could find was a girl diving into a pool as part of an inter-club competition. i searched with no avail for city street maps from the 60's to the 70's that could possibly shed some light.

interesting stuff... -M

[Doug Loudenback]

now i may be wrong, but oklahoma city golf & country club was originally called lakeview country club... right?

Yes, that's so ... in the 1st decade of the last century! You've got it right! As to the latter day "Lakeview Country Club" circa 1955-1977(?), that was a totally different place.

The above posts/pics by Malibu & me show the location of the latter day Lakeview Country Club. It is very clear that the general desription of "NW 63rd & Portland" was just that -- general, but the abvove images tell the tale as to exact location. It certainly did not front Lake Hefner on the north side. I remember seeing my little kids, when they were still little kids (as they will always be to me, of course), having fun in the pool there in the 1st part of the 1970s!

[traxx]

I'm a little younger than most of you guys, but I'm enjoying being filled in on stuff that was a bit before my time.

Remember Crystal's Pizza? When I was in junior high that was a popular hang out. I went to the one on Northwest Expressway. It had the game room, the theater, the upstairs loft. That place was so cool.

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

Also, is anyone here old enough to remember life before Lake Hefner. What was that area like before the lake was created?