the 60's
Photos collected from AmaChron files, newspaper clippings, postcards, private collections, high school annuals, and various Internet sources.
The view
Downtown on a busy Friday night in the early 60s
8th and Polk
9th and Polk
"Draggin' Polk" circa 1964:
view west toward 8th Ave and Polk St.
7th and Polk from atop the Fisk Building
looking south at 8th Ave and Polk St.
Home of the Western Lines Division of the AT&SF RR
4th and Polk
Tri-State Fair Parade (in front of The Hub)
The Parade passes in front of The Mongram Store at 5th and Polk (1969)
Amarillo National Bank 4th and Polk
7th and Polk (SW corner)
Christmas on Polk St. 1965
Christmas time at 7th and Polk 1969
Christmas night time at 7th and Polk 1969
5th and Polk in '67
6th and Polk: Most astronomers now agree that this street sign is the exact Center of the Universe!
view south from 6th and Polk
White & Kirk Department Store 6th and Polk circa 1967
Carol Wilson's "Dragging Polk" story (1966)
The old City Auditorium (1926-1968) was replaced by the Civic Center.
Auditorium grounds at Christmas Time below.
David DeWald takes a look inside the old City Auditorium the day before demolition begins in 1968.
The old auditorium comes down.
Pioneer Natural Gas Building topped by the blue flame
BELOW: The Vaughn Building takes shape.
5th and Polk
Amarillo Hotel <> It was
imploded April 16, 1978. To see
it CLICK
Marching in the Tri-State Fair Parade 1960 (3rd and Polk)
Western National Life Building 
Do you remember the WEATHER TOWER on top? (1964)
Greyhound Bus Depot 9th Ave and Taylor St
Continental Trailways Bus Depot 7th Ave and Tyler St.
Santa Fe Depot
Madame Queen #5000 displayed in front of the depot
Dave Wilson above the Santa Fe Railroad Yards (I-40 bridge) 1965
Historic Rock Island Railroad Depot on Polk St. (Demolished in February 1986)
The East Railroad Tower
GO LOW: the Biard family ran a fine record shop at 506 Polk St.
"Lady Cool Breeze" aka Ruby Lewis sells Judy Thigpen at record at the F. W. Woolworth store downtown (1966).
Woolworth Lunch Counter 1966
Menu photo courtesy Dwain McMahan
No photo available of the historic Cooper & Melin Record Shop at 616 S. Polk.
Fedway 8th Ave. at Tyler St.
Heath Furniture store at 7th & Tyler St. The Chase Bank/SPS Tower is there today.
The Federal Building and Downtown U.S. Post Office
ABOVE: The Santa Fe Building and The First National Bank as seen from The Canyon E-Way in 1964
BELOW: Looking southwest from atop The Downtowner Hotel in 1966
S C H O O L S
Price College later became Alamo High School
St. Mary's Academy
The original Amarillo High School on Polk
1964 photo of Palo Duro High School / opened in 1955
Aerial view of Tascosa H. S. (Opened in 1958)
Caprock High School opened in '63
Carver High School
no photos found
THE MOVIES
above photo: Copyright/RalphDuke/2009 www.ralphduke.com
Paramount Theater 1933 - 1975
State Theater (1932 - 1978) Polk Street
Esquire Theater (1947-1981) S. Washington St.
Movie ads March 31, 1963
Western Plaza Cinema opened March 29, 1968
Western Plaza Cinema (1968-1993 in the mall)
Fox Theater (1968 - 1991) Wolflin Ave.
Victory Theater (1949 - 1976) Polk Street
Tascosa Drive In Theater (1952-1985 back screen reopened 1999) Dumas E-way (This screen burned to the ground in the late '70s)
Twin Drive In Theater (1952 - 1985) Canyon E-Way
Sunset Drive In Theater (1954 - 1982) Old Route 66 West
The Palo Duro Drive In Theater (1949 - 1967) Canyon E-Way
The
Palo Duro and Twin Drive-Ins from high above.
The Wal-Mart Super Center on S. Georgia St. is now located here.
Trail Drive-In Theater (1955-1977 on Amarillo Blvd. E.)
The Skyway Drive-In was at the end of SE 18th Ave just off the Dallas Highway until 1962.
(This location is now the eastbound lanes of I-40)
Waiting for the show to start. (1960)
No photos found of:
Rialto Theater (1940-1965 on Taylor St.)
Liberty Theater (1920s-1950s E. 4th Ave)
Lyric Theater (1940-1962 in San Jacinto)
Star Theater (1946-1960 on N. Fillmore St.)
Texas Theater (1929-1955 near 8th & Polk )
Capitol Theater (1935-1952) near 3rd & Polk
Cinema Twin (1975-1998 S. Western at 42nd)
Showplace 4 (1977 -2002 in Pucket Plaza)
Mann's Fox 4 (1979-1999 in Bell Plaza)
United Artists Cinema 6 (1980 -1998 I-40 W)
Rex Theater (1937-1960 on Old Rt 66 in San Jacinto)
and about a dozen other theaters which vanished before 1960
GREAT FOOD BACK THEN
TWINGS Drive In (N. Fillmore St.)
TWINGS Menu circa 1964
Information about Harold Twing CLICK
Dino's Drive In (Wolflin Ave. & also a location on W. 6th Ave.)
Dino's Car Hop Lorretta Morales
The Double Dip Drive-In on Polk St. Downtown opened in 1931 and survived until 1971.
Ranger Drive In (Canyon E-way)
The Jolly Jung Drive Up (N. E. 15th Ave. at Mirror St.)
A & W Root Beer (N. E. 8th Ave. at Lake St.)
Griff's Burger Bar (N. E. 8th Ave)
1963 1968
Stanley's Drive (S. Georgia St.)
K & N ROOT BEER (One of Téa Leoni's favorite places)
The Silver Grill was Downtown on Tyler Street between 7th and 8th.
photo by Mark Potter
Underwood's original location on Route 66 later became the first home of the now internationally known BIG TEXAN.
Interior of the new Underwood's which was located just west of St. Anthony's Hospital on Amarillo Blvd (demolished for hospital expansion).
TToodle House operated eateries on Amarillo Blvd. E. and on W. 10th Downtown
. . .don't forget Smitty's Drive Inn Restaurant on W. 6th
They were there in the '60s and still here today.
Big Texan's original location on NE 8th.
Myers Fried Chicken was actually "Myer's Drumstick Restaurant" but no one actually called it that.
Everyone loved it.
Here's the TAKE OUT MENU <> provided by Dyann B. Folkner:
Wouldn't you love to have a BOXCAR of Myer's Fried Chicken right now?!
Myer's original location on W. 6th. (Pre 1963)