Friday, August 7, 2015

1962 ~ Aerials of The Star, Charro and Ruenes Drive-ins

The lot of what was once the Star Drive in and Mauldin Airport above it.  The privately owned Star opened in 1946 but sold to Ezell & Associates who opened the Charro in 1949.  Although it underwent upgrades it eventually closed around 1952.  This is where McAllen Rd meets with Morrison Rd and old Hwy 77.  There are several banks there now with Academy Sports close-by.  The screen and lot would be south of the banks.  The original manager Marshall C. Nichols told me the screen tower had been torn down in the mid 1950s and tall poles donated to hold lights for the TSC Baseball field.
The Charro and H-E-B / Gulf Mart (?).  The Buena Vista Cemetery on left and section of McDavitt St. housing on the right.  The screen might have been where the northwest corner of Dollar Tree building is today.  It closed around the late 1970s or early 80's?
The Fiesta Drive was built in 1954 and became the Ruenes Drive-in by 1965; lasting until c1990. Here it was still the Fiesta which showed Spanish and English language movies.  The Southmost 
H-E-B is there today and Cromack Elementary is where it always was.

Download maps if that makes easier to view street names.  This also looks great on your phone. Thanks to Erick Randall Tripp for sending me on this awesome search on Google Earth! 


No comments:

Post a Comment