Introduction

Downtown Wichita Falls, Texas, in the mid 1940’s was a bustling metropolis for a boy of 7 just away from the farm and ranch community where he was born. My father, a cook and cowboy by trade, had just started as one of the first cooks for the Casa Manana restaurant in 1947. He moved us to an apartment on Ohio Street, right across from the Gem Theater, between 7th and 8th Streets. It’s here that we would stay for the next three years. The Gem Theater became a magic palace for a young mind. But it had to share that distinction with the rest of the magic that was Wichita Falls. I attended San Jacinto and Carrigan elementary schools, as well as Reagan Junior High, and belonged to the Boys Club on 6th Street. Please join, and share your stories and pictures through a Guest Blog, of early Wichita Falls - or your home town. Contact me at fadingshadows40@gmail.com or leave a comment. We could use old pictures of movie houses, drive-in theaters, and other nostalgic pictures related to our youths.

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Short's Pig Stand


Short’s Pig Stand: For ten years my dad cooked at café’s in Wichita Falls, from 1947 to 1956. He was a cowboy and cook. He liked cooking in WF so he could be near the bars – because he was also a drunk. He was one of the first cook’s for the downtown Casa Manana when it opened in 1947. I don’t know how long he worked there, but was probably fired for showing up drunk. One of his last jobs was cooking at Short’s Pig Stand. When he left there we went back to the ranch, leaving WF and all my friends. It was a sad time for me, but I would soon join the Army and move away from the area for twenty years.
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2 comments:

  1. UnknownMay 6, 2020 at 8:32 PM

    Enjoyed your comment about the old days at Short's Pig Stand. I have owned the old "Short's Pig Stand" for a few years now, and have a lively flea market type business there. Come see me some time! Hours of operation are: Monday thru Saturday 10:00 AM till 5 PM daily.
    Robert Peterson
    1947PigStand@Gmail.com

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  2. pattiespeaMay 16, 2020 at 11:02 AM

    Please list the finding address for this. Short's pig stand sticks in my mind from when i was a small child. Also there was a "Peterson's Courts" not too far away where people rented small places to live. For sure in 1946? Do you know anything about it?

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