Michelle C

I was in the ninth grade at Lanier Jr. High when it happened. We could hear emergency vehicle after vehicle coming down Woodhead in front of the school. The teacher would not let us stand up to see what was going on. The school went on a lock down protected by Some of the bigger foot ball players from the school holding bats at the main entrance door, the other doors were locked. My mom was called by a personal friend from the sheriffs department asking if I was still going to Poe. She informed him that I was now in the ninth grade at Lanier. He them told her what has happened at Poe. The deputy hadn't seen me in years and was not sure just how old I was at the time.

Vans Stampede Ball Room was located on Richmond at the corner of Richmond and Loretto one block down from Mandell. It was an old Weingardens grocery store at one time. It later became Make Mine Country Ball Room. It was a totally separate place from the Van's Ball Room just off Shepherd. Here's a bit of irony for you, I met my husband at the Stampede in 1969. If I remember correctly Phil's Cafe was still on the corner of Mandell and Richmond at the time. I know it was still there as late as 1968. It was sometime about 68 or 69 that it moved to Portsmouth between Greenbrair and Shepherd.

In the mid 60's Sin Alley was going strong, it was wide open in those days. I lived in the 2000 block of Midlane very near San Felipe. In the 60's there was a Shell service station on San Felipe at the very end of Midlane. You could drive straight into the drive way of the Shell from Midlane. The man that owned the service station lived in the apartment next to me. A handsome man in his early to mid 40's. He seemed to know just about everyone in Sin Alley. His parties were the ones to attend. He was called the mayor of sin alley. Over the years I have forgotten his name but I will never forget him. I remember once that a local radio station was giving away a car and would give daily clues as to where the car could be found. It turned out that the car was parked in the parking area right behind our apartments. A college friend from the same complex that I lived in found the car. I will never forget how dissapointed I was to find out the car was an early to mid fifties Henry J.

By 1981 it is almost gone but is still visible from the air. By 2002 you can hardly see it anymore.

By 1966 you can see the high school is there or being built. It appears in the pohto that the bleachers are in need of repair from this 73 picture.

I checked some aerial images and found that Meyer speedway was under construction as early as 1957. By 1962 you can see some bleachers are starting to appear.

I was raised on Sul Ross in the Montrose area in the fifties and I remember well going to the South Main Prince's drive in. I remember going there once with a friend when I was in High school, the boy was a little short on cash and we ordered a hamburger with what he wanted on one side and what I wanted on the other side. I remember the car hop just smiling and rolling her eyes as she walked away. My brother likes to tell the story of a girl he went out with one night when they ended up at the Prince's on Shepherd. There was a sign on the front of the building that read flash lights for service. The girl questioned him about the sign asking him if they loaned you a flash light if you had a car problem and had to look around under the hood. The girl ended up being a good friend of mine and she and her husband live not far from me now. She also ended up being very successful in real estate despite her blonde moment that night many years ago.