Flashback : Dallas

A Miscellany: History, Ads, Pop Culture

Category: Modern Ads

Roger Staubach, HVAC Spokesman — 1970s

Rog and Fran, comparing their Carrier systems

by Paula Bosse

Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Roger Staubach appeared in a series of ads — and did personal appearances around the country — for the Carrier air conditioning company. Many of the ads featured Staubach’s family — and what a stroke of luck, because, as the ad below proclaims, “Everyone in my family loves air conditioning.” Sing it, Roger!

1979

I came across an interesting piece of trivia about Roger Staubach’s time as a Carrier spokesman: if he was unable to appear in person, he could still be at your local trade show, in his Cowboys uniform, telling you how much his family loved air conditioning. In January 1978, the Cowboys were fresh off a Super Bowl win, and it would have been expected that world champions might have other things to do, but a week or two after the Cowboys defeated the Broncos in Super Bowl XII, Roger was at the National Association of Home Builders convention in Dallas hawking A/C. …Sort of.

The Carrier Air Conditioning exhibit featured a “telequin” of Roger Staubach, a mannequin with Staubach’s face projected onto the face, giving the general effect that the Cowboy quarterback was standing there in uniform, giving the Carrier sales pitch. Staubach is Carrier’s national spokesman. Steve Millheiser, a Carrier salesman, said response to the exhibit had been excellent. “The Roger thing has been great,” he added. (Dallas Morning News, Jan. 26, 1978)

I couldn’t find much about “telequins,” except that there were apparently other celebrities who had a model of themselves made by Telequin-A.V.M., Inc., a company that specialized in “animated, talking mannequins.” I’m sure it was odd watching a mannequin with Roger Staubach’s animated face professing its love for A/C. …The ’70s, man. Weird times.

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1979

1978

Roger Staubach and Fran Tarkenton, 1977

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Sources & Notes

All ads from eBay.

Roger Staubach did a ton of TV commercials — a lot are on YouTube. He declined to do ads for underwear, beer or sugary cereals

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Copyright © 2025 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.

When Big D Had No Love for Bruce — 1974

Imagine what coulda been… (click for larger image)

by Paula Bosse

First off, apologies for the image quality of this advertisement. It’s from eBay (“He’s from Barcelona…”).

I thought it was an interesting ad, because I never knew that Bruce Springsteen played the Sportatorium, Dallas’ legendary wrestling mecca and off-and-on home to the Big D Jamboree. How had I never heard about this? (This was a show put together by local promoter Gene McCoslin, who had a long history with Willie Nelson.)

1974 was pretty early for Bruce to play in Dallas. He was starting to gain notice nationally, but he wasn’t a star yet. The tickets to the Sportatorium show were $4.50 in advance/$6.00 at the door (roughly $30 and $40 in today’s inflation-adjusted money). As it turns out, the show was canceled, because — hold onto yourselves — only 28 advance tickets had sold. …TWENTY-EIGHT.

That show was scheduled for November 10, 1974. A few months earlier — in June 1974 — Bruce was, for some inexplicable reason, booked as the opening act for… Maria Muldaur (“Midnight at the Oasis”). That show was scheduled at the UTA campus in Arlington. The Dallas Morning News reported that Bruce was a last-minute no-show, claiming a bout with the flu, but, apparently, he was unhappy with the small turnout and just didn’t go on. (Trouper Maria, having lost her opening act, performed for nearly 2 hours, and got rave reviews.)

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 9, 1974

Springsteen’s first actual performance on a Dallas stage appears to have been sometime in the same year as those two ill-fated non-gigs: 1974. Freelance rock critic Kim Martin-Pierce remembered it: “He always had a troubled history here. [He was booked to play at the old Mother Blues nightclub, but] he sold so poorly at Mother Blues that they moved him over to Gertie’s on Lemmon Avenue. He didn’t draw well at all there either, but he gave the greatest performance I’ve ever heard in a small club.” (DMN, “Springsteen Finally Shows Big D Who’s Boss” by John Anders, Nov. 30, 1984, after Bruce’s two sold-out shows at Reunion Arena)

Sorry, Bruce, for the cold shoulder! I think Dallas eventually came around. But you missed out. Playing the Sportatorium would have been really, really cool. And those 28 people would still be talking about the most amazing show they had ever seen.

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Sources & Notes

Top ad from the Dallas underground newspaper Iconoclast, Nov.8-15, 1974; found on eBay in April 2024.

This post appeared previously in a slightly different form on the Flashback Dallas Patreon page.

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Copyright © 2025 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.

KVIL: The “VIL” Stands for Village

sewell-auto_KVIL_ebayNortheast corner of Preston & Mockingbird…

by Paula Bosse

Sewell Village Used Cars and a Mobil station were at the northeast corner of Preston and Mockingbird (Sewell was at 5460 Preston Road), catty-corner from Highland Park Village. The KVIL studios were right around the corner, at 4152 Mockingbird Lane, across the street from the Dallas Country Club — you can see the jauntily-lettered sign in the background of this undated.photo. I am really bad at determining car-model years, but let’s say this is about 1960. What does this corner look like these days? It looks like this.

I just learned (from the KVIL Wikipedia page) that the “VIL” in the station’s call letters stood for “Village,” as in Highland Park Village. Who knew? The AM station began broadcasting on March 1, 1960, and the FM station hit the airwaves on Aug. 25, 1961. I believe both stations had a strict “no-rock-and-roll” policy. In the early days, a block of programming was aimed directly at housewives:

The program policy followed by the station is designed to fit the various hours of the day. For the driving hours when listeners drive to work (5:45 to 9 a.m.) and return (4:30 to 6:55 p.m.) the music is livelier. “Sing Along” is the order of the day from 9 a.m. to noon for the housewife’s work hours. (“KVIL Mark’s First Birthday Wednesday,” Dallas Morning News, March 1, 1961)

Here are a couple of hep, caffeinated KVIL ads from those early days:

patreon_KVIL_HPHS_1961-yrbk1961 ad

patreon_KVIL_HPHS_1962-yrbk1962 ad

kvil-logo_broadcasting-mag_122462_ad-det1962 logo

Most of my sort of generally vague awareness of KVIL was in the 1980s, when it was an absolute powerhouse in the ratings. But even its most stalwart fans would probably not describe its playlist as “bright,” “exciting,” or “swinging.” But look how much fun the promotions department imagined the effect on “young adults” was!

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And what about Sewell Village Cadillac and its selection of “Village Fine” used cars? If circa-1960 Highland Park is going to have a used car lot, you better believe it’s going to be populated with Cadillacs. (UPDATE: Thanks to Peter K’s link in the comments, check out what appears to be the original photo by Squire Haskins, with a wider view, at the UTA Libraries website, here.)

sewell-village-cadillac_032158March 1958

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Sources & Notes

Photo from eBay.

KVIL ads from the 1961 and 1962 Highland Park High School yearbooks.

KVIL logo is a detail from an ad that appeared in the Dec. 24, 1962 issue of Broadcasting magazine.

This post appeared in an abbreviated form on the Flashback Dallas Patreon page.

sewell-auto_KVIL_ebay

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Copyright © 2024 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.

Oak Lawn Ave. — Keep on Truckin’ (1971)

iconoclast_oak-lawn-avenue_iconoclast_aug-1971

by Paula Bosse

This is a great little ad, which includes a bunch of notable Oak Lawn landmarks in the neighborhood’s hippie-fabulous days. I love this artwork — it’s almost as good as a photograph!

The 3500 block of Oak Lawn — between Lemmon and Bowser — is depicted in super-groovy, early-’70s, patchouli-scented artwork (inspired by R. Crumb). Starting at the left, here’s what we see:

  • A tiny portion of the sorely missed diner mainstay, LUCAS B & B, 3520 Oak Lawn
  • Next, NAME BRAND SHOES (men’s shoes), 3516 Oak Lawn
  • Next, R.F.D. No. 1 COUNTRY STORE (clothing), 3514 Oak Lawn, subject of the ad (formerly El Chico, which you can see in the second and third photos here)
  • Next, THE FOG (rock club), 3508 Oak Lawn
  • Next, SUPERIOR BAKERY, 3502 Oak Lawn
  • Next, NATIONAL AUTO SOUND OF DALLAS (car stereos), 3500 Oak Lawn (at Lemmon)

iconoclast_oak-lawn-avenue_aug-1971_1972-directory1972 city directory

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Watch silent home movie footage shot in this block around this same time at the Portal to Texas History, here (unfortunately, there are only glancing images of The Fog, which I would have liked to have seen more of). The Oak Lawn footage begins at 10:34 and continues until the end, with scenes shot at Lee Park. (There’s a guy who looks like he should be someone important — he looks a bit like Harry Nilsson — at 10:59.)

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The illustration is by Steve Brooks, a 1967 graduate of Sunset High School who has had quite the career in illustration, commercial art, and rock posters. He’s worked extensively with Willie Nelson and Buddy magazine, and… yes, if you saw that drawing above and thought “head shop,” he’s the guy (THE guy) behind all the artwork connected to The Gas Pipe (which deserves a post of its own as a truly iconic Dallas success story!). Read an interesting biography about Brooks here. See some of his work in the collection of his alma mater, UNT, here.

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Sources & Notes

Ad from the August 1971 issue of the underground newspaper, The Iconoclast.

iconoclast_oak-lawn-avenue_iconoclast_aug-1971

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Copyright © 2024 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.

Salih’s, Preston Center: 1953-1977

patreon_salihs_w-t-white_1968-yrbk_ext1968, Preston Center (W. T. White yearbook)

by Paula Bosse

If you’re reading this, chances are pretty good that you have fond memories of Salih’s Barbecue in Preston Center (or its later incarnation in Addison as “Solly’s”). I have to admit, I had never heard of Salih’s until I started this blog in 2014 (I completely forgot to note the landmark of 10 full years of Flashback Dallas a couple of weeks ago!). But, from what I’ve read, this was an incredibly popular place, and people still rhapsodize about the BBQ, the po’ boys, the fries, the cole slaw, and the potato salad.

So, I’ve read all these memories… but I can find no good photos of the place! There’s the cropped shot of the exterior above and a lot of not-very-helpful shots which appeared in high school yearbooks over the years, taken inside — but they don’t actually show the restaurant! And I understand there was quite a mural in there. I’d love to see a photo of that! Do YOU have any photos of Salih’s in Preston Center? Exterior? Interior? Mural? Please send me whatever images you have. I really want to see them!

UPDATE: Thanks to Mark Salih, son of co-owner Jack Salih, I have a photo of the interior, with parts of the mural visible. George Salih is on the far right, and his brother Jack is next to him. (Thank you, Mark!)

salihs_mark-salihMark Salih photo, used with permission

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Salih’s Barbecue was opened by George and Jack Salih on March 20, 1953. The brothers had previously owned a small drive-in and later worked in or managed locations of Lobello’s in Lakewood (2005 Abrams) and Casa Linda (328 Casa Linda Plaza) — either before, during, or after these locations became “Fred’s” BBQ stands (owned by Fred Bell, founder of Kip’s).

That first business, Salih’s Drive-In, was located across from Fair Park at 912 S. Haskell — it opened around 1945. Read George Salih’s memories of serving the “circus people” there in a Feb. 11, 1987 article from the Farmers Branch Times here.

salihs-drive-in_haskell_DMN_081849Aug. 18, 1949

After a few years of working for the Lobello family, George and Jack opened their own place at 8309 Westchester, in Preston Center, not far from the original Lobello’s on Northwest Highway. Eventually, Jack moved to East Texas and opened another barbecue place (the Angus Inn in Longview), and George ran the Dallas restaurant. (Click ad to see a larger image.)

salihs_opening_032053_adMarch 20, 1953 — opening day

An article in the Dallas Morning News describes the new Dallas restaurant thusly:

The restaurant features unique styling in both interior and exterior design. Relief murals decorate the walls inside, while small wooden shutters afford a rustic flavor. The exterior incorporates Roman brick construction, with tall red columns decorated with glass paneling added as a decorative feature. (DMN, March 20, 1953)

It also notes that the Salih brothers were the restaurant’s chefs.

I mentioned this Park Cities landmark in a recent Patreon post, and a kind member described the mural (designed, I believe, by artist Frank J. Boerder):

It was a 3-dimensional cut-out depiction of a cowboy scene, back-lit by a set of red-orange lamps. It ran the length of the south wall of the interior. When you looked at it the scene was in black, back-lit by the lamps. Very striking for a BBQ place. (Plus, the food was very, very good.)

Salih’s is described in the ad above as “a dining area which provides an inviting atmosphere with ultramodern ranch-style design.” I would really like to see this!

Salih’s left Preston Center around 1977, leaving for the then-sparsely populated wilderness of Addison. The restaurant’s name was changed to “Solly’s” (which was either a new name for a new location, a guide for new customers on how to pronounce the Lebanese name, or a sad concession to deal with possible Middle Eastern biases). Solly’s closed in 2004.

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Below are a lot of ads that appeared in the yearbooks of Highland Park High School and W. T. White High School. I was hoping to see more of the interior but, instead, got lots of photos of kids in paper hats (which I still enjoy!). So here they are!

salihs_smu-campus_081656SMU Daily Campus, 1956
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salihs_HPHS_1960-yrbkHPHS, 1960
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salihs_HPHS_1961-yrbkHPHS, 1961
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salihs_HPHS_1962-yrbkHPHS, 1962
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salihs_HPHS_1963-yrbkHPHS, 1963
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salihs_HPHS_1964-yearbookHPHS, 1964
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salihs_w-t-white_1966-yearbookWTW, 1966
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salihs_HPHS_1967-yrbkHPHS, 1967
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Part of the mural over their heads?

salihs_w-t-white_1967-yrbkWTW, 1967
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salihs_HPHS_1968-yearbookHPHS, 1968
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salihs_HPHS_1969-yrbkHPHS, 1969
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More of the carved mural?

salihs_w-t-white_1969-yrbkWTW, 1969
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salihs_HPHS_1970-yrbkHPHS, 1970
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salihs_HPHS_1971-yrbkHPHS, 1971
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salihs_HPHS_1972-yrbkHPHS, 1972
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salihs_HPHS_1973-yrbkHPHS, 1973
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salihs_HPHS_1974-yrbkHPHS, 1974
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salihs_HPHS_1975-yrbkHPHS, 1975
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salihs_HPHS_1976-yrbkHPHS, 1976
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And, the last one, from 1977 — could that be a another very, very dark part of the mural at the right?

salihs_HPHS_1977-yrbkHPHS, 1977

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Sources and Notes

All sources as noted.

Read the obituary of George Salih here. Read a longer, more colorful obituary in the Dallas Morning News archives (“George Salih — Operated Barbecue Restaurant in Dallas” by Joe Simnacher, DMN, Aug. 14, 2009).

Jack Salih died in Gilmer in Jan. 1991.

patreon_salihs_w-t-white_1968-yrbk_ext_sm

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Copyright © 2024 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.

Season’s Greetings from Dallas’ Most Stylish Banks

ad-xmas_mercantile_dallas-mag_dec-1956

by Paula Bosse

Wishing you the happiest of holiday wishes!

–Paula

ad-xmas_republic-natl-bank_dallas-mag_dec-1955

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Sources & Notes

Both ads are from Dallas magazine, a publication of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce; the Mercantile National Bank ad appeared in the December 1956 issue, and the Republic National Bank of Dallas ad appeared in the December 1955 issue.

Many, many more Christmas posts from Flashback Dallas can be found here.

ad-xmas_mercantile_dallas-mag_dec-1956_det_sm

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Copyright © 2023 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.

“This Month In Dallas” — Aug./Sept. 1962: The Clubs

club-dallas_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay_detClub Dallas, Browder Street

by Paula Bosse

Downtown Dallas was a cool place for entertainment and dining in the early 1960s, from high-class clubs and lounges to famous and infamous strip joints (some of which were higher-class than others). A few months ago on eBay, someone scanned a bunch of pages of a magazine called This Month in Dallas (“Where to Go, What to Do”), which seems to have been aimed at the conventioneer or out-of-town visitor. (I’ve never heard of this publication, but I would LOVE to see more!)

this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_cover_ebay

As far as image quality, I’m at the mercy of the person doing the scanning, but here are several of the ads featured in the eBay listing. All appeared in the Aug./Sept. 1962 issue of This Month in Dallas. (At the top, a detail from an ad for Club Dallas — the full ad is below.)

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Let’s just do them alphabetically.

ARAGON BALLROOM, 1011 S. Industrial Blvd. (now S. Riverfront). Featuring the Aragon Red Jackets Western Swing Band, the “Over 30” Club Dance, and Chuck Arlington and His Orchestra.

aragon-ballroom_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

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CAROUSEL CLUB (or “New” Carousel Club), 1312½ Commerce, at Field. Jack Ruby, proprietor. “Dallas’ Newest and Most Intimate Burlesque Nite Club.” This ad (the first of several) features stripper Peggy Steele, “America’s Suzie Wong.”

carousel_peggy-steel_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

More CAROUSEL. “Dallas’ only burlesque nite club with a continuous girl and comedy show. No stopping, 9:00 PM ’til 2:00 AM.” America’s Suzie Wong” is back, now spelled Peggy Steel. MC’d by comic Wally Weston.

carousel_wally-weston_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

More CAROUSEL. Here’s Mili Perele, “the Little French Miss.”

carousel_mili-perele_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

More CAROUSEL. Heck, let’s throw in another Peggy Steel/e mention.

carousel_steel-paggy_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

More CAROUSEL (Jack’s advertising budget was impressive). Tammi True, then in the midst of a pinching brouhaha.

carousel_tammi-true_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

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Pat Morgan’s CLUB DALLAS, 206½ Browder (just south of Commerce). I love this ad, but I’m not familiar with the establishment or Mr. Morgan. Looks like it opened in the summer of 1962 (“Owner Pat Morgan has eliminated the semi-nude waitresses and aims for the family trade” — Dallas Morning News, July 27, 1962), changed its name in September 1962 to simply “Pat Morgan’s,” and finally closed in February 1963. I bet he rued the day he dumped those semi-nude waitresses….

club-dallas_pat-morgan_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

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CLUB VEGAS, 3505 Oak Lawn. Yes, there was swinging nightlife beyond downtown. Club Vegas was famously owned by Jack Ruby’s sister, Eva Rubenstein. This club booked a lot of Black and Hispanic bands (for mixed audiences), including Joe Johnson and Trini Lopez. (I’ve been meaning to write about this place for the past 10 years!)

club-vegas_joh-johnson_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

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CLUB VILLAGE / ITALIAN VILLAGE RESTAURANT, 3211 Oak Lawn. Another happening place in Oak Lawn. I wrote and wrote and wrote about Sam Ventura’s Italian Village here.

club-village_italian-village_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

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COLONY CLUB, 1322½ Commerce. Abe Weinstein, proprietor. The “high-class” strip joint. Also featured acts like Deacon & Co., King and Queen of the Limbo.

colony-club_limbo_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

More COLONY CLUB. An unnamed exotic.

colony-club_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

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GUTHREY’S CLUB, 214 Corinth, at Industrial (now Riverfront). Very popular back in the day. “Girls! Girls! Girls! Set-ups, beer, wine.” This ad features Dave Martin’s Tom Toms (James McCleeng, Glenn Keener, Gene Summers — vocalist, Charlie Mendian, Melvin Robinson, and Dave Martin).

guthreys_dave-martins-tome-toms_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

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THE SPOT, 4906 Military Parkway. This ad features Joe Wilson & The Sabers.

spot_military-pkwy_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

THE SPOT, the “other” location, 10635 Harry Hines. House band The Spotters.

spot_harry-hines_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

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THEATER LOUNGE, 1326 Jackson, at Akard. Barney Weinstein, proprietor. “Glamour Girls Galore.”

theater-lounge_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

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TOWN PUMP, 5021 Lovers Lane. “Dallas’ Original and Largest ‘Sing Along’ Piano Bar.” That is one scary sentence.

town-pump-piano-bar_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay

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Sources & Notes

All ads from the Aug./Sept. 1962 issue of This Month in Dallas.

club-dallas_this-month-in-dallas_aug-sept-1962_ebay_det_sm

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Copyright © 2023 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.

Woodrow Teens Hang Around — 1948

woodrow-yrbk-1948_soda

by Paula Bosse

Photos from the 1948 Woodrow Wilson High School yearbook show how kids hung out in post-war Lakewood and Lower Greenville. I don’t know where some of these photos were taken — if you do, please let me know!

Above, there were lots of soda shops/pharmacy fountains to patronize. Including Harrell’s, in the familiar-to-anyone-who-has-spent-any-time-in-Lakewood turreted still-there building, below.

woodrow-yrbk-1948_harrells

And here:

woodrow-yrbk-1948_table

And here:

woodrow-yrbk-1948_crowd

And here, where dressed-up teens are waiting for a table:

woodrow-yrbk-1948_waiting

And here, the “fancy” Sammy’s on Greenville Avenue (right across the street from the less fancy Sammy’s):

woodrow-yrbk-1948_sammys

I have been obsessed with this building (just south of the intersection of Greenville and Ross) my whole life. Was there open-air dining upstairs? Dancing?

Since I mentioned it, these were the three Sammy’s which were in operation in 1945 — the two on Greenville and one in Highland Park Village:

sammys_HPHS_1945_yrbk

So, yeah, there was lots of hanging around for Woodrow kids back in 1948.

woodrow-yrbk-1948_page

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Sources & Notes

All images (except the ad for Sammy’s) are from the 1948 Crusader, the yearbook of Woodrow Wilson High School.

Sammy’s ad is from the 1945 Highland Park High School yearbook.

woodrow-yrbk-1948_page_sm

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Copyright © 2023 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.

Aunt Stelle’s Sno Cone

aunt-stelles_sign_googleAn Oak Cliff oasis…

by Paula Bosse

This has been a brutally hot summer. The kind of summer when a snow cone would really hit the spot at just about any sweltering hour of the day. One place that was famous for its snow cones (they were described as being like “fine snow”) was Aunt Stelle’s Sno Cone, at 2002 W. Clarendon (at Marlborough) in Oak Cliff. Established by Estelle Williams in 1962, the little stand was hugely popular until it officially closed in 2018. Her snow cones were flying out of there every summer season for more than 55 years! To generations of customers. Not many businesses can boast that kind of longevity and patron loyalty. (One of those loyal patrons was Oak Cliff homeboy Stevie Ray Vaughan.)

Having not grown up in Oak Cliff, I wasn’t familiar with Aunt Stelle’s until I saw the photos below which appeared as ads in editions of the Sunset High School yearbook. You can see Estelle in the window. She looks exactly like the kind of person I’d want serving me a delicious, refreshing, messy treat.

aunt-stelle_sunset-high-school-yrbk_1967-det

Speaking of the treats, check out that menu board! I understand the “Beatle” tasted like a grape SweeTart, the “Zorro” tasted like licorice (and it was black!), the “Pink Lady” tasted like vanilla ice cream, and the “Popeye”… I really wanted it to be green and taste like spinach, but apparently it tasted like gumballs (what a missed opportunity!).

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summer_aunt-stelles-sno-cones_sunset-high-school_1967-yrbk._b1967 Sunset High School yearbook

summer_aunt-stelles-sno-cones_sunset-high-school_1967-yrbk1967 Sunset yearbook

summer_aunt-stelles-sno-cones_sunset-high-school_1968-yrbk1968 Sunset yearbook

summer_aunt-stelles-sno-cones_sunset-high-school_1969-yrbk1969 Sunset yearbook

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Sources & Notes

Top image of the Aunt Stelle’s sign is from Google — the photographer is listed simply as “Scott.”

A great story about Aunt Stelle’s can be found in the Dallas Morning News archives in the story “Sno Days: Aunt Stelle’s Has Been Keeping Oak Cliff Cool for 40 Seasons” by Dave Tarrant (DMN, June 22, 2001).

Consider supporting me on Patreon! Five bucks a month gets you daily morsels of Dallas history!

aunt-stelles_sign_google

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Copyright © 2023 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.

Highland Park Cafeteria and the Knox Street Business District

highland-park-cafeteria_pinterestHighland Park Cafeteria (and Delicatessen!)

by Paula Bosse

A quick post today! Above, the much-loved, much-missed Highland Park Cafeteria (3212 Knox), a proud member of the Knox Street Merchants’ Association, the latter of which has drawn up a not-terribly-helpful, pre-Central Expressway map, as seen below, with handy arrows pointing to town.

knox-street-business-district_SMU-rotunda_19321932

From a couple of decades later, a matchbook graphic (with a more helpful map), reminding you that the HPC has been “serving particular people since 1925”:

highland-park-cafeteria_cook-cool_degolyer_SMU-det*

highland-park-cafeteria_NDHS-yrbk_1939
1939 (North Dallas High School yearbook)

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See other photos of this block in the Flashback Dallas post “Knox Street, Between Cole and Travis.”

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I’m just going to add these things here, because, so far, this is my only post on the HPC, and I might as well keep everything together.

I saw the 1956 ad below, and, even though the photo in the ad is pretty poor quality, it looked like there was a mural there. I’m always interested in murals — most of the time a photo like this is the only chance to see them because they are inevitably painted over or demolished. Anyway… was there a story behind the mural? What did it show?

hp-cafeteria_ad_this-month-in-dallas_dec-1956_fullDec. 1956

Here it is larger, but the resolution is still low, and the hanging light fixtures directly in front of the mural don’t help:

hp-cafeteria_ad_this-month-in-dallas_dec-1956_photo

I found only one mention of a mural at the Highland Park Cafeteria — in this 1950 ad, which mentions “the Williamsburg mural,” as if it were a well-known feature of the restaurant:

hp-cafeteria_williamsburg-mural_040750April 1950

Then I asked about it on the Flashback Dallas Facebook page — and that led to this muddy screenshot glimpse of the mural from unknown news footage from 1953. Yep, Colonial Williamsburg, above a long planter. I’m not sure why that was immortalized on a wall of the Highland Park Cafeteria, but if anyone was wondering about any sort of HPC mural, these few paragraphs are for you!

hp-cafeteria_1953_mural_screenshot_det

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Sources & Notes

Photo from Pinterest.

Knox Street Merchants’ Association ad from the 1932 SMU Rotunda. (That whole area has gotten cramped and is certainly more claustrophobic than when I was a kid, but I’m sure the present-day business owners would probably still echo the 1932 sentiment “Knox Street Business District has them coming from blocks … to shop on Knox.”) (Also, it isn’t often that I see ads mentioning Greenland Hills, the general M Steets area, adjacent to the neighborhood I grew up in.)

Matchbook (detail) from the George W. Cook Dallas/Texas Image Collection, DeGolyer Library, SMU Libraries — the full image and more information can be found here.

I’m on Patreon! If you’d like to support me and get new posts daily, head over here.

highland-park-cafeteria_pinterest_sm

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Copyright © 2023 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.