Bill's Diner

Poor Man's Lunch

Steaks   Sandwiches   Plates

Conro Manufacturing Company

Conro Roundup Brand    -    Con-Ro Work and Play Styled Clothing

Conro Mfg, Co., Inc.

615 N. Good St.  -  Telephone TAYLOR - 9974

Good Street, where Conro made its home is now called Good-Latimer. Conro's manufacturing plant was located on the west side of the street in the general area of the old Good Latimer Tunnel and approximately across the street from where Standard Supply stands. 

The first mention I found of Conro was 1942 when they were looking for 500 experienced machine operators to make government uniforms for the army. That sounds like a start up operation.  Conro was one of about a dozen companies, including Dickies, that manufactured clothing for the armed forces. The Conro plant manufactured denim work jackets and denim work trousers like these: 

After the war Conro sold slightly more stylish work clothes through several department stores in West Texas, and maybe other places. They also sponsored a radio show in 1945-46 called Conro Roundup on KRBC Radio in Abilene. By 1965 the plant had moved from its Good Street location to 4044 Commerce Street just east of I30 on the north side of Commerce. I found no mention of Conro after 1965, and few or no traces of its buildings remain at either of its sites.

The Barn

Northwest Highway East of Lemmon

Phone 5-5733 for Reservations

There was a time when the intersection of Marsh and Northwest Highway was at the edge of the city, an overgrown area that was home to riding stables and a place called The Barn. The Barn was sort of a private club, but not the kind that advertised itself on matchbooks. Located on 4 acres, the white-walled green-roofed structure did resemble a big barn. It  was a nightclub, dance hall and gambling den, the kind of place you see in old movies, where you knocked at the door and a pair of eyes would gauge your appearance through a peephole while you told them "Louie sent me" or some such password. The first floor was the nightclub; the second floor was where folks threw dice. When the place was built is anybody's guess, possibly in the 1930s.

This matchbook is likely from the 1940s, and The Barn may have been trying to clean up its act. A newspaper ad in 1942 announced a party at The Barn held by the riding club across the street. There were more parties, but an application to turn The Barn into a supper club in 1945 was denied, and the Barn closed in 1946. In 1947 an attempt to reopen it as a nightclub failed when the city inspector denied the new owner an occupancy permit. The reason may have been because the area was about to become residential, filled with brick homes.

The Barn was used briefly as a residence, then in 1950 the Rev. Arthur B Pearson bought the property and the old barn became the Walnut Hill Lutheran Church. Pastor Pearson found a 20-foot bar, numerous buckshot marks in the walls, the stairs and on what had been the dance floor, and a sliding panel that concealed a secret passageway to escape from the second to the third floor.

The Barn was located on Womack Way, whose name was changed to Mixon Drive in 1957. About the same time the Lutheran Church moved to its present location at 3202 Royal Lane. Today a Target store covers the area that may have originally contained The Barn.

Bob Wills' Ranch House

The Showplace of the Nation

Located near the center of downtown Dallas. Corner of Industrial Blvd. & Corinth St.

True Western style and color throughout. 45 foot bar inlaid with silver dollars.

One of the largest and finest dance floors in the Southwest. Daily broadcast from the bandstand over Radio Station WFAA. Weekly television show over WFAA-TV Channel 8. A family institution where children are welcome. You have not seen Texas unless you have seen this unusual showplace.

Bob's quarter horses (some of the the world's most beautiful show horses)

are on display in the Ranch House

Built by millionaire O.L. Nelms for his friend Bob Wills, the Ranch House opened late in 1950. After Bob left Dallas, the place was sold and eventually became known as The Longhorn Ballroom. I can't begin to do justice to the history of the place, so let me enlist some other folks to do it for me. 

Miles and Miles: The Longhorn Ballroom by Coy Prather

The Ghosts of the Longhorn Ballroom by Jeff Liles

Selling the Sex Pistols to Texas by Paul Gallagher 

The Old 97s played the Longhorn on Dec 31, 2007 and that is the last gig I could find for the place.
In this short video from 2011 many of the windows are boarded up.

Dallas Texans Football Club

"Excitement 61"

phone RIverside 8-7031

Member American Football League

There were two incarnations of the Dallas Texans. The first one was "a franchise born of failure", and it played just one season, 1952, before going under. Here's the longer story.

This matchbook, however, is from the second Dallas Texans team, born in 1960. In 1959 26-year-old Lamar Hunt had started the American Football League with six new teams as an alternative to the National Football League. He began assembling his own team, the Texans, in early 1960. By January 27 fifty-eight players had signed on to play for Hunt, including several star players from TCU, LSU and Stanford. Then on January 29 it was announced the NFL had awarded a new football franchise to Dallas owners Bedford Wynne and Clint Murchison Jr. The team was tentatively called the Dallas Rangers and signed SMU's "fabulous" Don Meredith as quarterback. That team became the Cowboys and the Texans had a hard time competing. They played their first game in September 1960 and their last game in December 1962, and in 1963 Hunt moved his team to Kansas City and they became the Chiefs. The red and gold Hunt had chosen for the Texans' team colors became the colors of the Kansas City Chiefs and today the Chiefs are still using those colors.

Does anyone remember the Titans?

Classified System

501 N. Akard   -   Phone 2-3978

Distributors of Mohawk Tires

Classified System was in business as early as 1933. I suppose the beginning of Dallas' current automobile problem was beginning to be felt and somebody needed to put all those cars somewhere during the day. While Classified was in the business of parking cars, it seems you could also purchase tires and gasoline from them. About this time gas stations who could provide similar services were popping up on every corner and probably were the reason that by the 1940s this business became Classified Parking Systems.

This building is long gone, replaced by skyscrapers, but I like to imagine what the interesting facade portrayed on this matchbook looked like in real life. It reminds me of the old Polar Bear across from Lake Cliff Park, with its white stucco finish.

E.M. Kahn & Co.

Main and Elm at Lamar, Dallas

Founder Emanuel Meyer Kahn, a Jewish immigrant from Alsace-Lorraine, France, founded the E.M. Kahn Company in Dallas in 1872. E.M. Kahn's was a retailer of classy (i.e. expensive) menswear, and thrived for 92 years as a family owned business. It was the oldest retail store in Dallas, as well as the first air-conditioned one. In 1969 the business was sold to Eagle Clothes, who through poor management and bad business practices eventually caused E.M. Kahn to declare bankruptcy. Eagle fell, too, soon after. For more on E.M. Kahn's demise see this post (a few paragraphs up from the bottom of the page).

Here's a photo from "Lost Dallas" of the E.M. Kahn store in the 1960s at the southeast corner of Elm and Lamar, across the street from where El Centro College is today (scroll down a bit to see).

The whole thread about E.M. Kahn at the Dallas History Phorum is pretty interesting.

Jardee's

2607 N. Haskell Ave.  -  Phone TAylor 3-0730

. . . for Delicious Italian Style Dinners

Jardee's seems to have begun life in a brand new building in 1947. It was run by John, Joe and Joe D. Trizza, and Arthur R DaMommio. DaMommio was probably related to Frank DaMommio, another Dallas restaurateur of the same era who ran Pop's Spaghetti House and then DaMommio's Resataurant. Advertised specials at Jardee's included Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Chicken Ravioli with a bottle of Chablis. The restaurant lasted until at least 1969 at the same location.

2607 N. Haskell is now a parking lot for Cityplace.

1960s Skyline

The skyline I grew up with.

J's Cafeterias

It pays to eat at J's  -  Finest Food Anywhere

The first J's Cafeteria opened Dec. 14, 1959 at 2600 W. Jefferson in the Jeff Davis Shopping Center.  It was the brainchild of "Mr. J", aka J.W. Cunningham Jr., a former SMU student who quit school after three years of engineering studies to start a career in the cafeteria business. Mr J, with partners E.R. Hinson Jr. and Wilton H. Hasty opened a second J's in August 1962 at the Park Cities Village at Mockingbird Lane and North Central Expressway, and a third J's at 5025 Lemmon in Nov 1963. Another J's opened in 1967 at the newly built North Town Mall at Webb Chapel and Forest Lane. This was the mall that contained a Montgomery Ward's and Dallas' first Woolco Department Store. 

In 1969 the cafeteria at North Town was purchased by Furr's Cafeterias. I could find no further developments on the other three locations. Probably all were long gone by the time the 1970s rolled in.

James Hall

The swashbuckling James Hall, given name James E. Brown was born in Dallas on October 22, 1900 according to his press, 1898 if you check the census. I suppose then as now, it paid to appear younger than you were. Hall's first role was in the silent film "The Man Alone" in 1923 when he was about 25. It was followed by more than a dozen other silent films including "Four Sons", directed by John Ford. His first sound film came in 1929, "The Canary Murder Case" with William Powell and Louise Brooks. He co-starred in Howard Hughes' film "Hell's Angels" but by 1940 he had fallen into obscurity and was eking out a living performing in small nightclubs and cabarets in New York and New Jersey. Hall died in Jersey City, New Jersey of cirrhosis. (thanks to Wikipedia for most of this info)

Emmett's Restaurant

3187 Lemmon at Oak Lawn

Opened May 26,1950 with accomodations for 200, Emmett's was located about where the Pizza Hut on Lemmon now stands. It was owned by Emmett McConathy, who also ran the Pulley Bone in downtown Dallas. Emmett's featured chicken, barbecued or fried, served in a skillet.

In June 1959 a news item announced the opening of a new sidewalk cafe at the old Emmett's, but three months later, another news item announced that "Mr & Mrs Emmett are back, and again serving the best charcoal broiled steaks." An ad for Emmett's featuring charcoal broiled steaks ran almost weekly for about nine months until June 24, 1960, when it abruptly ceased, and I found no more mention of the place.

The City of the Hour

Back in 1910 the Dallas Chamber of Commerce held a competition looking for a new slogan to be used by the city. Over 600 people submitted slogans and the winner was "The City of the Hour". It was submitted by Samuel Rizzotto of Dallas, and he received $25 as the first prize.

A year later in 1911 city officials were pleased as punch when a New York City trade magazine called "Dry Goods" ran an article featuring "Dallas -- The City of the Hour", and on the first five pages, no less. J.R. Babcock, the city Secretary at the time, and author of the article, said, "This article appearing in such prominence is the kind of publicity we want to get before the Easterners. We want them to know that we have something besides sagebrush and cactus here."

This postcard probably dates from after 1916, when the Sydney Smith Memorial pictured was installed at Fair Park. The city sure got a lot of mileage from its $25 investment: "The City of the Hour" slogan was in use in varying degrees at least until the 1950s.

Windshield Glass Manufacturing Co. - Season's Greetings

Our New Home  -  3404 Ross Avenue  -  Dallas, Tex

The last of my holiday offerings. Quite a mixture of a Santa-baby, reindeer, and fir tree in that bottom panel, but alas, still no mention of Christmas. I guess that could be a baby Jesus but it looks more like the New Year baby to me.

This image dates to 1949 when Windshield Glass moved into their new concrete block building just east of the intersection of Ross and McCoy. The 5000 square foot building is still there after more than 65 years. It's now J B Parks Wholesale Florist.

Merry Christmas, all!

Texas Bank and Trust Company of Dallas - Season's Greetings

Main at Lamar  -  RIverside 8-9141  -  The Largest State Bank in Texas

I found Texas Bank & Trust mentioned as early as 1930 and as late as 1965. This illustration looks like an atomic-age incarnation of the Texas Bank Building, or at least of its parking garage, and the phone number looks like it came from the late 50s or early 60s. "The Downtown Bank" was located on the corner of Main and Lamar, and peering at a street view in google maps, I'm guessing its building is long gone. One corner of that intersection is home to El Centro College, in the old Sanger Harris Building, and the Texas Club, built upon the metal frame of the former Continental Trailways Bus Terminal occupies a second corner. The Texas Bank Building must have been on one of the two other corners, either the one containing a skyscraper of fairly recent vintage,  or the corner that's a ground-level parking lot.

But back to the subject of "Christmas" greetings, again no sign of the word on this matchbook, although I do see what looks like a church in the snowy scene above.

The Baker Hotel - Season's Greetings

Ok, there's holly berries and leaves, stars, and a house surrounded by fir trees. I'm not sure but I think that's a pair of red shoes in the top panel. Does this say "Christmas" to you?

Mohr Chevrolet Company - Season's Greetings

1009-15 Bryan St.  -  Dallas, Texas  -  Phone 7 8141  - 24 Hour Service

1009 Bryan was originally home to City Chevrolet. This near the odd juxtposition of Bryan to Munger and Greenville Ave. east of Garret Park.  Mohr Chevrolet took over the location about 1936, expanded along Bryan, and remained there until about 1954 when the dealership moved to Central Expressway at San Jacinto. Their slogan for many years was "See Mohr and Save More."

The little tree implies "Christmas", but the word's not mentioned.

Republic National Bank - Season's Greetings

Our Thanks

Best Wishes For a Prosperous New Year

Some editorials in my local newspaper down here in the heart of Texas are blaming atheists for taking the "Christ" out of Christmas. Folks, I'm an atheist myself and I got nuthin' against Christmas. I found some replicas of matchbooks that were given away by Dallas businesses at Christmas time, you know, back when lots of people smoked and nobody said a word about it.  I noticed something odd. Long ago in the days before political correctness and people protesting nativity displays I believe that Capitalism took the "Christ" out of Christmas. I'll post a few more items in the next few days.

Gene's Music Bar

Looking North on Akard St. from Wood.   Adolphus Hotel in background.   Color by Leonard Raef

Gene's Music Bar opened about 1955 or 56 and was located at 307-09 S. Akard, just a few blocks up from the Adolphus Hotel. In the 1950s & early 60s this was considered the "fun" side of town. There were pool halls, drinking places, and strip joints; and nearby hotels like the Baker featured exotic dancers in the nightclub and live music. Gene's was known to be a longtime gay hangout was sometimes targeted by the vice squad. In 1958 it was also the proud owner of "the Southwest's first and only stereophonic music system."

Owner Walter Lawrence, who also ran The Lasso Bar, the Jungle Hut Lounge, and the Golden Steer #2, all on Akard, was questioned by the Warren Commission as part of the investigation of the Kennedy assassination.  Lawrence was acquainted with Jack Ruby, and because Ruby had been seen walking some dogs in the vicinity of the club, the Commission seemed to think he could verify for them that Ruby was an active homosexual. Good fodder for conspiracy theorists, I reckon.

After the Baker Hotel was demolished in 1980, the old "fun" part of Dallas eventually disappeared, and Akard became a narrow tree-lined driveway for ATT Plaza.

Goldfinger

Goldfinger Greek Restaurant opened in March 1973 at 2905 Cridelle, a half block north of Northwest Highway in the Bachman Lake Area. In 1975 the Dallas Morning News had this to say about it: "Probably the best Greek food in town, served in an elegant atmosphere, with live Greek and American music and a tiny dance floor. Try the excellent moussaka, veal renata or souvlaki and shrimp. And the dolmas are superb. Prices: $4.50 to $9.75."

The restaurant stayed in business a good 30 years at least, and I found an online review as late as 2005. The name of the street was changed from Cridelle to Webb Chapel Extension (so romantic), and sometime after 2005 the restaurant changed hands and became the Rio Bravo Mexican Restaurant. The building is relatively unchanged although the color scheme has gone from white with green and yellow trim to simply black and white.