Old Austin I Grew Up With

[sYc_Nova]

Ahhh, what happened to the good old days when a man could land his jet on any old road and pull in the driveway, and get AAA road service out to get him take off ability again when done?

[workinprogress]

Jeff - Thanks for sharing. My Dad & I spent the evening looking over pics you posted. We had a great time talking about his younger days. ~ Ron

[gm4ever]

Great pics! Really enjoyed seeing the way things were.

[sYc_Nova]

Jan 3, 2013 9:44:45 GMT -5 workinprogress said:

Jeff - Thanks for sharing. My Dad & I spent the evening looking over pics you posted. We had a great time talking about his younger days. ~ Ron

Glad to hear it Ron. My Dad is probably in his final section of life, maybe days. I also enjoy sitting down with him in front of the computer and showing him a bunch of this stuff, and listen to him reminisce.

It provides great memories and conversation for us both.

[sYc_Nova]

Here's a few more- Way before our time, but cool pics.

1935 flood. Congress bridge looking South.


From the other side looking North-


This is Congress Ave 1875. This is the old wood Capitol before it burned and the current granite one was built in 1888 or so.-


Crestview Minimax on Woodrow, 1956-


A construction model of the Robert Mueller Airport- (can you find the flaws in the model?)
OK, nobody played, the wings are backwards on 2 of the planes-


Guadalupe (The Drag) at the University Co-op 1927-


The Treaty Oak in all its glory 1928-

[gm4ever]

These pics are OUTSTANDING! Keep them coming!

[sYc_Nova]

Thanks. I kind of veered off subject line of "Pics of Austin I grew up with", but having grown up here, I love the historical pics like these.

[garybechtold]

Jan 18, 2013 23:57:49 GMT -5 sYc_Nova said:

Jan 3, 2013 9:44:45 GMT -5 workinprogress said:

Jeff - Thanks for sharing. My Dad & I spent the evening looking over pics you posted. We had a great time talking about his younger days. ~ Ron

Glad to hear it Ron. My Dad is probably in his final section of life, maybe days. I also enjoy sitting down with him in front of the computer and showing him a bunch of this stuff, and listen to him reminisce.

It provides great memories and conversation for us both.

That's awesome. Cool that this site could provide a little more than just car stuff for you and your Dad.

[atx69nova]

i realize I'm late but that Kiddie Land was in east austin. Over off of east first street and pleasant valley. I remember it well because they had a raccoon in a cage i used to feed, I'm a 3rd generation Austinite but only born in 74.

[sYc_Nova]

Nah ah.
I never would have went to the "East side" .

Maybe it was bought and moved there later or something, but I seriously don't remember ever going over there for that.

Maybe there was more than one?


74? JEEZ!
I started Jr High in 75, and grad-jiated in 80. ;D

[T-Man]

Born and raised on the "East Side"

[sYc_Nova]

Well I almost was, but it was Northeast.
I went to Harris Elementary, Pearce JH, and Reagan class of 80.
Capitol Plaza, Hancock Center, Delwood, and Bartholomew Park were my stomping grounds as a kid.

[sYc_Nova]

Here's a trivia question for an old Austinite-
What did this sign go to?
(the place is LONG gone, but they left this secondary sign behind)

[63vair]

Nighthawk?

[sYc_Nova]

Yes Sir. The one at 290 & 35.

P.S. They painted over the sign the day after I took that pic. WOW

[sYc_Nova]

More old pics- (hopefully no repeats)



This might not be here, I don't remember the name, so it might be Minnesota?-



P.K. Williams Nash/Rambler Dealer at 3rd & Congress(?) 1949.
I remember going there in 65-66. My Dad liked Ramblers, and I got one of those plastic model demo cars-



P.K. Williams Nash Rambler and Texaco Station, 3rd & Congress 1950-


The Jive sounds of Dr. Hepcat on KVET 1300 (? WOW) and also later on KNOW 1490-



Typical scene on any given night in the 70's-


Buying weed from the gas station guy? Like I said, typical 70's night-


And finally a cool shot of an old Buick at an old Dairy Queen-

[sYc_Nova]

Jan 18, 2013 23:57:49 GMT -5 sYc_Nova said:

Jan 3, 2013 9:44:45 GMT -5 workinprogress said:

Jeff - Thanks for sharing. My Dad & I spent the evening looking over pics you posted. We had a great time talking about his younger days. ~ Ron

Glad to hear it Ron. My Dad is probably in his final section of life, maybe days. I also enjoy sitting down with him in front of the computer and showing him a bunch of this stuff, and listen to him reminisce.

It provides great memories and conversation for us both.

Well sadly I was right.
Dad passed away on October 28th. Gods Speed Dad. You will be greatly missed.

[gm4ever]

I'm loving these pics. Please keep them coming!

[sYc_Nova]

Alright. This latest batch dug out of the deep archives of my computer are just a variety of things.
Some local, some taken from Yenko.net and others from friends photos.
All sharing the lifestyle we so miss. Enjoy
There is even some Fords.

[T-Man]

CONGRATS to sYc Nova! I don't think any posting here has ever come close to 1200+ reads....wOw!

[atx69nova]

Cool stuff here, I know I'm only a '74 but I remember a lot of this stuff. How about Winns? I remember the mini max, games galaxy and when "brodie" ended right about about where my street was. Safeway on wm cannon and 35, i think its peter piper pizza now.

[sYc_Nova]

Oh yeah. I remember Winns 5 & 10. They were my favorite. Now the only thing close is Dooleys in Fredericksburg.
It is like going back in time to the Winns. Exactly like it. That store is an exact replica.

I also remember Minimax. One was on Manor Rd just East of 35 when I was like 2-3. The Crestview Minimax.
Handy Andy, Rylanders, Safeway became Tom Thumb, and then Appletree.

I remember when Ben White was the South city limits. Folks had a friend at Wm Cannon and S. Congress.
That was out in the country. House was where the Jack in the Box is now kind of.

Remember Godfathers Pizza, Conans, Pizza Inn, and I worked at a Fargos/Pizza N Stuff as a teen, which was next to a Safeway.

I remember Games Galaxy-on Riverside? We went to the Gold Mine at Northcross Mall, when that was the active mall to be at. Also Playland skating rink.

[sYc_Nova]

Here's a few more-



How many of you remember party lines, and when the entire Autin phone system began with either GR or GL?
(Greenwood, Glenwood) This building is still there and unaltered aside from the modern tenant.






The Chief Drive-In, Koenig & Lamar, across from DPS where a shopping center is now. Pic is looking almost East towards 35 from Lamar.


I'm trying to figure out if this is Austin or not. It was labeled so, but some things don't look right.


Similar view as previous, but in 1910-


Capitol - 1875, courthouse would be just to the right out of the picture-


Austin/Travis County is probably about the only county in Texas that doesn't still have a courthouse!
This was it, at 11th & Congress, right across from the Capitol. Now a TXDOT parking lot, demolished in 1962ish.


Oh and here is Austin in 1844, looking North up Congress from the river-


And HEY, who remembers Handy-Andy sodas?

[TexasEd]

I grew up in San Antonio but my dad and great-uncle used to bring me to Austin for Texas football and Baseball games in the 70s and early 80s. I remember eating at a Night Hawk Restaurant near the river and going to Scholz's.

I first moved to Austin in 1988 as a student and then came back in 1997.

[CarlosSpicyWiener]

Very cool thread Jeff! I know we have swapped old Austin stories at various car nights, but its really cool to see the old pictures!
I was born in old Seton hospital and have lived in the Austin area my whole life.. although I got the hell out of the city limits in about 1994 because of traffic!! lol

Here is a picture of my grandfathers race car and partstore at 508 South Congress, Im not totally sure when it was taken, but my grandmother says it had to be around 1958 or 59.