• The KillerFrogs

OT story of Fort Worth lore for we older Frogs

VA Froggie

Active Member
Some of you guys have got me but my class was ‘61, last year was ‘63 (slow learner). Grew up on 8th Ave and earlier on South Adams. Graduated from Paschal in ‘57 and can relate to all the memories that have been posted here. The 50’s was a great time to be growing up in Fort Worth. Jim Swink, Hunter Enis were heroes to me as I followed TCU football in the 50’s. Many more players but not enough time to name them all. Also the ‘55 and “56 TCU basketball teams while I was at Paschal.
 
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Leap Frog

Full Member
"Nelson had come to Leonards since his childhood days in the Hill County town of Abbott."

What the...? Check your map, Bud. Abbott is on the Central Texas prairie between Hillsboro and Waco. Nowhere near the Hill Country.

Come on, Deep, Bud Abbott was Lou Costello's partner in the Abbott and Costello movies.:rolleyes:o_O:p.

Seriously, thanks to all for this trip down memory lane. This one time scrap metal redeemer on South Main appreciates it.
 
I never got back there again, or knew when the store shut down.

Charles Tandy bought Leonards in 1967. After years of it losing money he sold it to Dillards in 1974. Tandy tried to run it like Radio Shack. He brought their product line down from 10s of thousands of products to just a few thousand profitable ones. The lack of variety drove customers away as well as the changing times. People were starting to shop at suburban malls. Driving downtown to shop just wasn't as appealing anymore.

Marvin Leonard built Colonial Country Club by the way.
 

Frog DJ

Active Member
Some of you guys have got me but my class was ‘61, last year was ‘63 (slow learner). Grew up on 8th Ave and earlier on South Adams. Graduated from Paschal in ‘57 and can relate to all the memories that have been posted here. The 50’s was a great time to be growing up in Fort Worth. Jim Swink, Hunter Enis were heroes to me as I followed TCU football in the 50’s. Many more players but not enough time to name them all. Also the ‘55 and “56 TCU basketball teams while I was at Paschal.
I spent the first 12 years of my life at 2717 Mission Street (the house into which Lubbock Street deadened heading south from Berry), and I frequently rode my bicycle over to TCU to watch Abe Martin run the Frogs through practice in the afternoons during football season.

My parents especially enjoyed eating out at the Colonial Cafeteria (I think that was the name) on Berry, and one evening Hunter Enis came walking out of the serving line with his date and another couple. I asked my mother for a pen and paper so i could get his autograph.

When he signed the paper he handed it over to the other guy at the table in their little foursome and said, "This is the guy whose autograph you really want." When I looked at the paper it simply read, "All the best - Don Floyd." I was on cloud nine for days...

Go Frogs!
 

Hoosierfrog

Tier 1
Speaking of the good old days, is the Ridglea Italian In closed?

I remember shortly after The Godfather came out some pretty Italian girl from Dallas came to TCU whose father was allegedly the Dallas mob kingpin. No one believed it and everyone thought it was all Hollywood stuff until her parents came to parents weekend in a big black limo with a bunch of big guys in tow. The rumor was she apparently never had more than one date because everywhere she’d go some big guy always sat behind at a movie or at a nearby table in restaurants. One time in particular it was alleged her date got one of those booths at Ridglea that had the doors that closed and the bodyguard made them keep the doors open.

Probably an urban myth, but the dad was apparently the one that fire bombed The Hi Hat for not paying protection, according to McGoo...
 

pgdaly84

Active Member
Speaking of the good old days, is the Ridglea Italian In closed?

I remember shortly after The Godfather came out some pretty Italian girl from Dallas came to TCU whose father was allegedly the Dallas mob kingpin. No one believed it and everyone thought it was all Hollywood stuff until her parents came to parents weekend in a big black limo with a bunch of big guys in tow. The rumor was she apparently never had more than one date because everywhere she’d go some big guy always sat behind at a movie or at a nearby table in restaurants. One time in particular it was alleged her date got one of those booths at Ridglea that had the doors that closed and the bodyguard made them keep the doors open.

Probably an urban myth, but the dad was apparently the one that fire bombed The Hi Hat for not paying protection, according to McGoo...

It closed a few years ago. Never thought much of the food, but it was great for dates when I was at TCU.
 

PurplFrawg

Administrator
I took both of my daughters to eat at Italian Inn when the oldest graduated from Paschal. I ordered my usual iced tea with no lemon, but the singing waitress brought it to me with a slice of lemon floating on the top. I told her that I asked for no lemon, so she looked at me, reached into the glass with her fingers, and fished it out. After a discussion with the manager, we didn't leave, but we got a different waitress.
 

Hoosierfrog

Tier 1
I took both of my daughters to eat at Italian Inn when the oldest graduated from Paschal. I ordered my usual iced tea with no lemon, but the singing waitress brought it to me with a slice of lemon floating on the top. I told her that I asked for no lemon, so she looked at me, reached into the glass with her fingers, and fished it out. After a discussion with the manager, we didn't leave, but we got a different waitress.

Niiice!
 

Rana1

Full Member
"Nelson had come to Leonards since his childhood days in the Hill County town of Abbott."

What the...? Check your map, Bud. Abbott is on the Central Texas prairie between Hillsboro and Waco. Nowhere near the Hill Country.
Difference between County and Country?
 
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