Childhood Memories of OKC

[okiegal57]

Nicolosi's, I remember that place very well. The spaghetti sauce was the best. We went there on many Friday nights, after my father finished bowling at 66 Bowl on 39th and Portland. Billie Lee Pies on 39th was another Friday night favorite.

[Prunepicker]

Speaking of remembering old gas prices around OKC...we used to go to the "new" auto carwash called "THE ROBO" on N. BRITTON RD close to the tracks at WESTERN. Their gas prices were about $.20 a gallon. This was late 60s I believe....

There was a Robo Carwash on S.W. 59th. For 50 cents it's beat your car and get it wet. Very hi-tech.

[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.

[Martin]

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?

fuddruckers was in the shopping center on the nw corner of 74th & western where taste of china is now. the place built on the se corner of 74th and penn near where the sirloin stockade location previously stood was called longneckers. it, too, has since been torn down... not certain of the exact spot, but i'd guess it was roughly where starbucks is now.

-M

[bluedogok]

fuddruckers was in the shopping center on the nw corner of 74th & western where taste of china is now. the place built on the se corner of 74th and penn near where the sirloin stockade location previously stood was called longneckers. it, too, has since been torn down... not certain of the exact spot, but i'd guess it was roughly where starbucks is now.

-M

I meant Longneckers, I knew about the Fudd's at the other corner. I still don't remember a Fudd's north though, there was a similar concept place where the Chinese buffet place on NW Hiway by where Black Eyed Pea and Harrigan's used to be called Flakey Jake's. It and the Longneckers where Buffalo Wild Wings on NW Hiway were open about the same time. I also remember a Longneckers at Memorial & Penn as well by the AMC theater.

[Generals64]

When i have childhood memories...I can't help but remember the State Fair that was always in downtown OKC. I was so excited as a young child that I joined the Grant Band in the seventh grade.....went through highschool and played in many a downtown parade....You gotta remember how decked the stores would be on the Christmas parade...With the schools in the OKC area, why can't we have another parade like that? Don't jump on me telling me there are parades now like that...because if you weren't there you don't remember....Oh yeah, when I was 32 years old I decided to go back to school and get my degree....guess what? got a FULL scholarship playing in the band.....What do you remember about downtown OKC besides the homeless?????

See ya next time:...........................

[soonerborn1958]

Memories of OKC- Downtown in particular. I remember going to John A Browns downtown to shop. Going to Taylor's original newstand (Colcord bldg?) Russell Stover's and Anna Maude. My Daddy took me to my first circus (Barnum and Bailey) at the old Stockyards. Also, I got to see CAPTAIN KANGAROO at the "old" Municipal Auditorium..

[Generals64]

Many things bring back childhood memories how about the following:
1. The classen circle:.....how many times did you go around before it really got boring?
2. Salvo tablets in a certain fountain downtown?
3. First date without your parents?:....Cattlemen's.... Wow....
4. finding your Christmas present that your mom had scraped and saved for???Just had to have that Kodak camera:....

One day not too long ago, I went back to my old elementary school (Arthur on the south side) and convinced the principal I wasn't a terrorist or Pervert or drug dealer and she graciously walked with me throughout the school. When we walked into the school Auditorium I flashbacks of when they announced that Buddy Holley had been killed in an airplane crash...Also, the speech I worked so hard on in the sixth grade graduation only to "freeze" and forget it all....Memories keep our minds clear and active and our thoughts of times that were really pretty good even though we thought they were bad.....

[BB37]

Here's a few more oldies:

On Foreman Scotty's show, anybody remember the Mr. Stoneman, the kid's shoe salesman from Rothchild's? Remember the shoe line he always hawked*?

Early in this thread, someone mentioned 'Scoop O'Brien.' The guy who played him was a WKY announcer named Chris Daniels (I went to NW Classen with his daughter). 'Scoop' was never part of the Circle Four ranch gang (although Mr. Daniels may have been, since they used a lot of the studio staff in the 'adventures' segments). 'Scoop' did lead-ins for Superman and the Lone Ranger.'

I grew up at NW 24th and Villa, and got to watch the contruction of Shepherd Mall (great fun for a 10 Y/O boy in the early sixties!). Several posters in this thread have referenced the TG&Y Family Center on the east end of the mall (it was the first Family Center, IIRC), but does anyone remember the 'little' TG&Y on the north leg of the mall? (Yep, there were actually two of 'em for several years).

Also on the subject of Shepherd Mall, remember the old Shepherd homestead on the east side (between the mall and the Sears tire & auto store) where the elderly Shepherd sisters lived until they died? The house was eventually moved to the OKC zoo.

This is a great thread. It's fun to reminisce about OKC of the 50's - 70's.

*The kids shoe line was Edwards Shoes.

[Generals64]

Here's a few more oldies:

On Foreman Scotty's show, anybody remember the Mr. Stoneman, the kid's shoe salesman from Rothchild's? Remember the shoe line he always hawked*?

Early in this thread, someone mentioned 'Scoop O'Brien.' The guy who played him was a WKY announcer named Chris Daniels (I went to NW Classen with his daughter). 'Scoop' was never part of the Circle Four ranch gang (although Mr. Daniels may have been, since they used a lot of the studio staff in the 'adventures' segments). 'Scoop' did lead-ins for Superman and the Lone Ranger.'

I grew up at NW 24th and Villa, and got to watch the contruction of Shepherd Mall (great fun for a 10 Y/O boy in the early sixties!). Several posters in this thread have referenced the TG&Y Family Center on the east end of the mall (it was the first Family Center, IIRC), but does anyone remember the 'little' TG&Y on the north leg of the mall? (Yep, there were actually two of 'em for several years).

Also on the subject of Shepherd Mall, remember the old Shepherd homestead on the east side (between the mall and the Sears tire & auto store) where the elderly Shepherd sisters lived until they died? The house was eventually moved to the OKC zoo.

This is a great thread. It's fun to reminisce about OKC of the 50's - 70's.

*The kids shoe line was Edwards Shoes.

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The small T.G.&Y. was where a lot of store managers got their training for a free standing store. That particular store did MORE volume per cubic foot than any other stores.....However, the others were figured by square footage sales. If you remember that store, they always had fixtures to the ceiling trying to get the most for the buck. The small store was put in because at the time Ben Franklin was looking at a location in OKC. Consequently, there was an agreement that Ben Franklin would stay out of OKC...Both good stores....Wonderful El Charrito's restaurant on further down huh?

[Prunepicker]

Early in this thread, someone mentioned 'Scoop O'Brien.'
The guy who played him was a WKY announcer named Chris Daniels

I remember he'd be on before, during and after Superman and announce that
Crusader Rabbit was next.

[Prunepicker]

I remember Montgomery Wards and the elevator operators! That was fun. Anna
Maude's was just west of it.

Walking downtown was remarkable. I remember this guy acting like he was
blind. I put a nickle in his cup and he chased me down to give me a pencil. I
was scared to death!

There were a lot of transients and derelicts on the streets at that time.

[bluedogok]

I vaguely remember going to the Gibsons store downtown as a kid.

[FRISKY]

I loved to go to Gibson's (7th and N. Hudson?). They had expensive toys...not that I ever got to have any of them.

[Prunepicker]

I vaguely remember going to the Gibson's store
downtown as a kid.

That was on N. Hudson @ 4th. It was always a mess.

I'll never forget taking the elevator in John A. Brown's and coming out where
the hair salon was. Every time I smell a permanent solution I get a flash back.

[FRISKY]

I'll never forget taking the elevator in John A. Brown's and coming out where the hair salon was. Every time I smell a permanent solution I get a flash back.

Was it John A. Brown's that had drive-in bank style vacuum tubes running from the cashier to each cash register?

[Prunepicker]

Was it John A. Brown's that had drive-in bank style
vacuum tubes running from the cashier to each cash register?

That was C.R. Anthony's!

[LovableGoober]

My grandmother worked for Hightower's downtown. She was the assistant to Mr. Hightower.

My grandfather worked at Gibson's, but not the one downtown. It was up on NW Highway if memory serves.

And, that Sound Warehouse that was on 39th and MacArthur started out on 10th and MacArthur. I helped move that store to the 39th location and then went to work at the corporate headquarters (Bromo Distributors)

[bluedogok]

The Gibsons north store was at 42nd & MacArthur where Victory Church is now.

I bought the Kiss Alive! and Van Halen I albums at the 10th Street location.....

[zachtaylor alum]

I remember he'd [Scoop O'Brien] be on before, during and after Superman and announce that
Crusader Rabbit was next.

Was Crusader Rabbit hosted by Tom Paxton? Does anyone remember Tom Paxton? I know he hosted a kids' show after school in the '60's but not sure what it had - maybe the Three Stooges or Huckleberry Hound? What happened to him?

[drumsncode]

I have very found memories growing up a block away from the intersection of 63rd street and N.W. Highway. They had a TG&Y store that I spent a lot of time in, and there was a Kimberlings grocery store in that same center I think.
Kimberlings had the most killer-good thumbprint cookies, baked right there, and they were huge by today's standards and very reasonably priced.

Larsen Music was also completely to-die-for back then, and of course, we all made the trek to Driver Music in Bethany for some really big thrills. There was also, in later years, a Rock World music store a few miles away. I still have drum heads with their logo, which is very sad, since it means I haven't changed drum heads in about 25 years. (Drummers out there are now cringing in disbelief!)

[BB37]

That was C.R. Anthony's!

Was it John A. Brown's that had drive-in bank style vacuum tubes running from the cashier to each cash register?

I remember the Anthony's at NW 24th and May had the pneumatic tubes. Always thought those were cool.

[Prunepicker]

Was Crusader Rabbit hosted by Tom Paxton?
Does anyone remember Tom Paxton? I know he hosted a kids' show after school
in the '60's but not sure what it had - maybe the Three Stooges or Huckleberry
Hound? What happened to him?

Huckleberry Hound started around 1959. I don't know if Tom Paxton was Scoop
O'Brien or not. I think somebody said who he was. Maybe that's what Tom Paxton
did, that is, host the Three Stooges, Crusader Rabbit and Huckleberry Hound.

The more I think of it the more I think you're right.

At any rate, Tom Paxton had a noon time show before Danny's Day. John Spivey
was the organist. I played a lot of gigs with John. Ken Wright was another
organist who would play while the tech crew was trying to figure out what
went wrong. Hilarious!

I don't know what else TP did.

[Soonersrule]

OMG i forgot all about Molly Murphies. That place was the coolest. I found OKC talk looking for urban legends about Carey place and 20th and billon. I grew up in OKC and miss it dearly. Someone mention that Chi Chi's mexican restaurant is gone from the southside as well..SAD. I moved away sometime ago to TN. My family still oves there outside of OKC . I visit every chance i get. Does anyone remember the 20th an billon urban legend?

[Generals64]

The Gibsons north store was at 42nd & MacArthur where Victory Church is now.

I bought the Kiss Alive! and Van Halen I albums at the 10th Street location.....

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The Gibson's Stores in OKC area were own by the Love family...Their locations were as follows
N.W. 6th & Hudson:....now a parking Garage by the Murrah building area
S.E 29th and Eagle Drive in Del City:....Now part of the Midwest Trophy building
42nd and McArthur:...Now Victory Church....The Son of the family ran this store until it's demise.