Mike,
I hate to say it, but you are showing your age. I'm 67, near 68 and I suspect we aren't that far apart. By the way, I think the Weber's on Penn changed to an A & W for a while. Thanks for the reminder about the name Jack Beasley. Do you remember "Cousin Jay"? You know, old memories are kind of fun. That's what this particular thread is about, nostalgia and memories. I have really enjoyed some things I have found here.
C. T.

You can call me Mike. Yep! That's the place. I had it pictured on the west side of the street.

As for KLPR-TV, I found this reference to it (a lawsuit of some kind) but Jack Beasley was one of the principles in that venture as well.


KLPR after soliciting and considering bids from various suppliers on August 31, 1965, entered into a written lease agreement with Visual covering operating equipment for a TV station, reciting a consideration of $343,125.00, due in sixty monthly installments of $5,718.75..... KLPR received a construction permit for its station from FCC on February 6, 1966, and started broadcasting with the leased equipment in June 1966.
http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/465/1382/290210/

C.T....You got my mind spinning with old memories tonight.

Prunepicker,
Did you know Cousin Jay? I don't think you are a country music fan but obviously a musician.
C. T.

Correct. It had a silent comedies every afternoon. The show started
with an announcer saying "who's the funny man?" Mann may have
been the actor.

Country music was a big feature, too.

When did the name change to Coit's? I remember going there as a child in the early/mid 60's and it was Coit's.

Which also reminded me of the AAA rootbeer on 44th that later became Los Taco's

The Coit family bought it in the fifties but didn't change to their name until 1961.
C. T.
When did the name change to Coit's? I remember going there as a child in the early/mid 60's and it was Coit's.

Which also reminded me of the AAA rootbeer on 44th that later became Los Taco's

I woulda been two then, so it was always Coit's to me :)

Prunepicker,
Did you know Cousin Jay? I don't think you are a country music fan
but obviously a musician.
C. T.
The name doesn't ring a bell but I might if I heard or saw him.
I'm a country music fan, i.e. Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, Ray Price...
Not to big on the modern country unless I'm getting paid to play it.
I can always look happy if the money is good.

By the way, I think Weber's is still in Tulsa.
They were still open on Peoria when I went through there a few years ago. Pretty good root beer.

They were still open on Peoria when I went through there a few years
ago. Pretty good root beer.
And I believe they use the same grill from around the 1920.

Man a coits hot dog sounds good right now!

Yeah buddy!! Smothered with chili, cheese and onions, washed down with a big ol' mug of root beer!
Man a coits hot dog sounds good right now!

Yeah buddy!! Smothered with chili, cheese and onions, washed down with a big ol' mug of root beer!

Wow thanks for that now I am really starving!

Griders grocery store:

Are any of the griders still around, that was a great store back then.

All of the talk about Coit's reminded me of the old-style, original A&Ws that used to dot the landscape.

The local one that I particularly remember was west of the Cowboy Hall of Fame . . . In the vicinity of that once nice looking Motel/Hotel that never seemed to make it.

It was nestled among some trees that provided natural shade on a hot summer day as you sipped your root beer in an actual, iced, glass mug. Perhaps while munching on a Teen-, Mama- or Papa-burger. You could also take some home in one of those brown, laboratory-lookin' jugs . . .

The one I remember best was at the corner of NW 19 and NW 23 (otherwise known as NW 23 and Meridian, SE corner) and rather than the burger family, I went for the hot dogs with mustard and sweet relish...

A&W currently has the Papa burger but the Mama & Teen are missing. My question is, what was on the Mama & Teen? I remember eating them growing up but can't remember what was on them?

It's been a very, very long time . . .
Between now and the days of the humble, non-shiny, white, orange and brown buildings with the circle and the arrow and so forth (including the tree nesting and gravel parking lots and whatnot) . . .

Yet . . . Somehow . . . I seem to recall . . . that . . .

The Mama Burger was made with The Milk of Human Kindness (no onions) . . .
And The Teen Burger involved Soylent Green . ..

The Teen Burger was a bacon burger.

The A&W I remember was at 60th and S Western, also 12th and Janeway in Moore that was the west end turnaround of the 12th st drag

A&W had the Baby Burger and the Baby Mug, too. I have a few mugs.

teen burger & bacon does sound familiar...

Was the baby burger essentially = McDonalds regular hamburger?

teen burger & bacon does sound familiar...

Was the baby burger essentially = McDonalds regular hamburger?
Never had it. It was smaller and less expensive.

Does anybody remember the swimming hole (small lake) West of OKC that had a beach, slide, diving boards, and a cable that they had placed a pulley on that you would grab and ride about fifty feet at a slight incline over the water, then drop/crash into the water? It was commercial and legal. I woke up thinking about it but I don't recall the name. I'm not sure about the direction, it could have been Northwest.
C. T.

Twlight Gardens, maybe?

C.T., could it have been Twilight Beach? There are other posts here at OKCTalk regarding it somewhere. Twilight Gardens was a drive-in movie that was North on May Ave at about Britton Road (I think).

C.T., could it have been Twilight Beach?
It was Twilight Beach.


http://archive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/1967/08/27/20/Img/Ad0201904.png

There's a similar place open in Pawnee. Great place to take grandkids or for old farts to remember a time gone by. Renovated WPA bath house, a few picnic tables, beach area, diving board, water-level platform, big ol' tall platform, fish that nip at body parts, open 12:30-5:30) seven days a week. Not really crowded either.
It was Twilight Beach.


http://archive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/1967/08/27/20/Img/Ad0201904.png

Does anybody remember the swimming hole (small lake) West of OKC that had a beach, slide, diving boards, and a cable that they had placed a pulley on that you would grab and ride about fifty feet at a slight incline over the water, then drop/crash into the water? It was commercial and legal. I woke up thinking about it but I don't recall the name. I'm not sure about the direction, it could have been Northwest.
C. T.

Ct: Could that have been Salyer's Lake out by Binger??????

Ct: Could that have been Salyer's Lake out by Binger?
That's where a kid drowned about 30 or so years ago, right?

Yes, there was a drowning at Twilight Beach but it stayed opened for a few years afterward.

Yes, there was a drowning at Twilight Beach but it stayed opened for a few years afterward.
I meant Salyer's lake.

No, I remember Twilight Beach very well. We discussed this a month or so ago. The place I am talking about wasn't in any city limits.
C. T.

Twlight Gardens, maybe?

Prunepicker,
No, notice their bullet "No Rides or Hanky-Pank"?
C. T.
It was Twilight Beach.


http://archive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/1967/08/27/20/Img/Ad0201904.png

It seems to me it was quite a few miles North West on Northwest Expressway and whatever highway that is, but so far, nothing is working for my tiny little brain.
C. T.

That's where a kid drowned about 30 or so years ago, right?

Very well could have, I just don't recall!!

Very well could have, I just don't recall!!
I believe Salyer's Lake has a large sign that states nobody can swim
here because some irresponsible person drowned but the owner of the
property is responsible for irresponsible actions of irresponsible people.
blah... blah... vomit... blah...

I emailed an old friend and he confirmed that it was Salyer Lake on highway 152 near Binger. He drove by it recently and it has been
taken over by a group for a private church camp. It appeared the
cable was removed, sadly.
C. T.

I believe Salyer's Lake has a large sign that states nobody can swim
here because some irresponsible person drowned but the owner of the
property is responsible for irresponsible actions of irresponsible people.
blah... blah... vomit... blah...

Does anybody remember the swimming hole (small lake) West of OKC that had a beach, slide, diving boards, and a cable that they had placed a pulley on that you would grab and ride about fifty feet at a slight incline over the water, then drop/crash into the water? It was commercial and legal. I woke up thinking about it but I don't recall the name. I'm not sure about the direction, it could have been Northwest.
C. T.
Must have been Willow Springs at N.W. 36th & Portland west side. I barely rememer it.

Jarhead,
See my post above yours, it has been confirmed that it was in fact, Salyer lake. My source was an old friend that I used to go there with. Actually, I believe we went as a church group. But your comment about Willow Springs is interesting to me because I asked about it several pages back and I don't think I got a response other than I was thinking about Twilight Beach. In fact, I did go to Twilight Beach but for the life of me I can't remember what was different about Willow Spring, do you. Anything special or especially fun/notable?
Thanks,
C. T.

Must have been Willow Springs at N.W. 36th & Portland west side. I barely rememer it.

How about Brick's Bar B Que on 16th then later off Portlabnd
Jimmy's Egg
The Homestead
Cox Grocery Store in the Willard School neighhborhood

http://archive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/1967/08/27/20/Img/Ad0201904.png
This is the original location. In 1960 Twilight Beach was moved about
2 blocks west of N. Council and N.W. 50th.

I worked at Napoleon Nash's Fine Men's Wear...how awesome was it to come in, have a seat...get served a coke or coffee and actually be waited on...then the free alterations....was that great customer service or what? One of our govenor's even declared a day...Napoleon Nash Retailer of the Year Day!

Even though I never wore anything but denim--pretty much still the case, btw--I always thought Napoleon Nash would be the place I would go for "fine men's wear" if I wasn't spending my clothing "allowance" at Shepler's, Langston's or C.R. Anthony. =)

The local C.R. Anthony was close to an OTASCO so the convenience factor probably accounts for my choices.

T.g.&y. Stores inc. I own the corporation in name only, in oklahoma, worked for the company from 1977 to 1993 in muskogee and tulsa,
have an old metal sign in my office, t.g.&y. Stores co.,5 cents to one dollar, also blue shopping baskets, and a lighted under canopy sign
that lights up.

So, I bought an *old* 1983 Volkswagen. As I was going through the documents that came with the car, the original warranty book has a dealership business card thing stamped into place with Gandara World Imports, 1515 NW Expressway. Anyone know how long that place was in business and what happened to them?

I looked up the address and its where the current Courtyard Hotel is located. On the assessor's page, it showed the hotel maybe being built in the mid or late 1990s. Makes me wonder if the dealership suffer from the oil bust.

It became what I remember to be the first Acura dealership in OKC, before the hotel was built. It was still there in the spring of 1990, when I went new-car shopping (but I would up with an Eagle Premier rather than an Acura, and put more than 100,000 miles on it in the next 10 years).

So, I bought an *old* 1983 Volkswagen. As I was going through the documents that came with the car, the original warranty book has a dealership business card thing stamped into place with Gandara World Imports, 1515 NW Expressway. Anyone know how long that place was in business and what happened to them?

I looked up the address and its where the current Courtyard Hotel is located. On the assessor's page, it showed the hotel maybe being built in the mid or late 1990s. Makes me wonder if the dealership suffer from the oil bust.

If I remember correctly, Gandara World Imports went south, and that site became a Pontiac dealer by the name of Dockham Pontiac. Dockham lasted several years, but if I'm keeping things straight in my head, was a victim of GM's *previous* round of "contraction" back in the early 80's and went south. The site was vacant for years after that, untnil the new developers bought the land and tore it down a few years ago. My family bought a Grand LeMans from Dockham in '79, and it was back during that time where GM's quality control was just south of abysmal - it was one of the worst cars we ever owned. But that's an aside.

Edit: Jim, you're quite right, forgot about that Acura dealership that was there for a time!

If I recall just a bit more of the history correctly, the owner of Dockham Pontiac started over with a new Chrysler dealership in South OKC along I-240 just west of Crossroads in the early eighties, but was a bad-luck victim of Chrysler's troubles shortly thereafter and lost the dealership. As I recall, the owner suffered a substantial financial reversal as a result, lost their home, and went into a bit of a tailspin thereafter.

So, I bought an *old* 1983 Volkswagen. As I was going through the documents that came with the car, the original warranty book has a dealership business card thing stamped into place with Gandara World Imports, 1515 NW Expressway. Anyone know how long that place was in business and what happened to them?

I looked up the address and its where the current Courtyard Hotel is located. On the assessor's page, it showed the hotel maybe being built in the mid or late 1990s. Makes me wonder if the dealership suffer from the oil bust.

I wonder if that was part of the 1960's Gandara Buick on about 13th St. West of Broadway! I remember Chick Coker Pontiac and seems as though he merged with someone?
Gandara Buick had the same dark headed lady advertise for them for years - she was advertising for someone else about 5 or 6 years ago - can't remember her name?

Dockum Pontiac was on NW Expressway across from Hertz/Service Merchandise that I remember. Gandara Buick was on May where the Barnes & Noble is located. Don Carlton Acura opened up in the former Gandara Import lot in 1984, I worked down the street at Horns from 1984-1985. I tried to buy an Integra right after they came out.

So, I bought an *old* 1983 Volkswagen. As I was going through the
documents that came with the car, the original warranty book has a
dealership business card thing stamped into place with Gandara World
Imports, 1515 NW Expressway. Anyone know how long that place was
in business and what happened to them?
It was a Volkswagen dealership built near the end of the 60's. The
name started with an E. Eckhardt? Not Eskridge, at that time he
only sold Oldsmobiles.

Wow.
All this talk of old car dealerships just reminded me of . . .
Tom "'WHEEL DEAL' Handful of Fake Money Fanning" Padgham
and
Alan "Torture Time Again: We Shupply th' Methsican Market" Merrell.

Some of the best local TV commercial viewing ever with the possible exception of Linda Soundtrack.

Closest thing to it nowadays is that We Buy Houses Lady . . .

The new store was built in 1970 and was Eckhardt.


http://archive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/1970/12/04/2/Img/Ad0020917.png

The new store was built in 1970 and was Eckhardt.


http://archive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/1970/12/04/2/Img/Ad0020917.png

This is about where McDiversity sits now on about NW highway and Blackwelder.
They used to have a pretty good service dept if i remember correctly.

If I recall just a bit more of the history correctly, the owner of Dockham Pontiac started over with a new Chrysler dealership in South OKC along I-240 just west of Crossroads in the early eighties, but was a bad-luck victim of Chrysler's troubles shortly thereafter and lost the dealership. As I recall, the owner suffered a substantial financial reversal as a result, lost their home, and went into a bit of a tailspin thereafter.

That Chrysler Dealership must have been cursed. I know a read an article in the Oklahoman that was a year before Fowler built the Dodge Dealership across the way. A new general manager just took it over and the guy taking over noted that Chrysler recruited him to run the dealership because the previous owner (Lynn Robinson and the current operation (Crossroad Chrysler) had hit and miss years which they hoped to turn around. The new guy had a knack for turning failing dealerships around. Two years later brought the failure of Chrysler and GM. Chrysler closed several dealerships and Crossroad was acquired by Fowler and renamed Fowler I-240 Chrysler Jeep, Dodge. Today the dealership is the home of Guaranteed Credit Auto which grabbed the dealership because Express Credit Auto was just up the road. That lead to two other Credit Risk Lots opening on Western.

Give it time and I-240 will probably look like SW 29th Street back in the 80's with We Finance Lots from May to Shields. The last time I was on 29th Street. Most of the car lots were closed or full of cars that are mostly A-B transportation. The better lots have moved to other areas in the city. It seems like the only place used car lots are still doing well is on 39th Street.

Dockum Pontiac was on NW Expressway across from Hertz/Service Merchandise that I remember. Gandara Buick was on May where the Barnes & Noble is located. Don Carlton Acura opened up in the former Gandara Import lot in 1984, I worked down the street at Horns from 1984-1985. I tried to buy an Integra right after they came out.

If you will check you will see where Gandara Buick stared out in the late fifties on 13th st. West of N. Broadway!! Check it out!!

This is about where McDiversity sits now on about NW highway and Blackwelder.
They used to have a pretty good service dept if i remember correctly.
The McDonald's of that era was in the lot just west of Eckhardt, not sure if it is still there or not, I just can't remember seeing or not seeing it when I drove through there last. I think the Gandara Imports lot was a very short term dealership between Eckhardt and Don Carlton Acura.


If you will check you will see where Gandara Buick stared out in the late fifties on 13th st. West of N. Broadway!! Check it out!!
A bunch of those old dealerships downtown were in some nice old buildings. I just remember Gandara Buick on N. May.

The NW 13 and Broadway location was later occupied by Bob Moore's Chrysler, which moved out to the present location on NW Highway in the early 90s. The I-240 Chryster dealership that's gone through so many hands was first established by Fretwell, when they moved from NW 4 and Shartel in the very early 70s. The Gandara Buick location on N May, where the Braum's is now located, was first built by Jack Clark when that dealership moved from NW 2 and Shartel in a similar time period. And don't forget Walter Allen Chrysler at NW 13 and Harvey, where I bought my first (and only) Morris Minor in 1958. You can probably guess what my family drives today...

I also remember a Steve Burke Chevrolet on Bdwy in downtown. Dont think they were there long though.

A lot of people don't realize that's why that stretch of Broadway is now called, "Automobile Alley." I was eating lunch with someone who wondered why they named it AA, he said, "I mean, automobiles are everywhere!" He's fairly new to the city though and I told him the history. I wonder how many different dealerships came and went through AA in the 20th Century alone?

Well, there was Chieftain Pontiac on the NE corner of 10th and Broadway, with the shops on the second floor. Also McDonald-
Scott Chevrolet at, as I recall, NW 7th. Does anyone else remember the first home of Thoroughbred Imports, on the east side of Broadway somewhere between 6th and 9th? That's where I saw my first (and only) Mercedes 300 SL gull-wing coupe back in the 50s... Thoroughbred later moved to N Western, around the 4200 block or thereabouts...

I worked part time for special events at John Hoke Lotus in the mid-to-late 80's when they were at 8th & Broadway. It was interesting to go through some of those old car buildings

What was the name of the Renault dealership on N. Broadway? Didn't
it start with an S? I'd know it if I heard it. A friend's dad worked
there.