Today, the property is empty with only the faint outline of drive-in remaining. It sits on the east side of US 6 and the south side of the Meadville Mall road.
Today, the property is an open field with hints of the ramps and outline remaining.
The 1961 and 1965 aerial photos show the drive-in fully intact and seemingly open. Is is possible that the drive-in remained open past 1957 or perhaps was sold and operated by another owner?
The address that Drive-In 54 cites is too far north.
In estimating the location of the drive-in, I used the only constants from the 1954 aerial up to today, which is the position of US 82 and County Road 2066. From that, the address is as I described on the north side of 2204 U.S. 82, Brownfield, TX.
That address is the business address of Rautbort Irrigation Equipment & Supplies which occupies the southern edge of the property the drive-in was located. It’s also clear that from the sheer number of rotting vehicles that it’s an auto salvage yard as well.
While no trace of the drive-in remains, it is an open field with lots of clutter, although it does retain the basic outline.
Whatever the administrator wants to use as a location is fine with me. I’m only pointing out that the address I gave does take up at least a little of where the drive-in once stood.
A closer address is 2204 U.S. 82, Brownfield, TX. The drive-in was located on the north side of the property.
Today, the property has a business or two on it, but it is mostly an open field on the north side of an auto salvage yard. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
Slight correction to the address. The drive-in was located near TX-339 and Pintas Street, Benavides, TX.
The drive-in itself was on Pintas Street less than a quarter-mile east of the intersection on the north side of the road. It appears intact in a 1967 aerial photo.
Today, it is private property where a house once sat, but is no longer there. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
After looking at the Google Map, there is no sign of the concession stand. It appears to have been torn down and another, larger building stands in its place.
There is no trace of the drive-in remaining, save perhaps for the marquee, which is now being used as a sign for the salvage company on the site.
In the 1963 & 1965 aerial, the drive-in does not appear to be as “tiny” as the description indicates, but I have no definitive proof that it held more than 64 cars.
Today, the property is an empty field with no trace of the drive-in remaining save for remnants of the south fence that had extended from the screen.
A closer address is 30166 Olive Dr, Lebanon, MO. This puts you right at the entrance to the drive-in itself. The drive-in was not present in a 1959 aerial photo, so it was constructed some time after that.
Today, there is little left of the drive-in. You can barely make out the ramps. However, the concession stand/projector booth may still be standing.
Google Street View from June, 2016 still shows the screen, ticket booth, and marquee up. A small house sits where the concession stand/projector booth was located.
I understand the desire to make the address an intersection, but the one currently listed is too far west.
In the photo, you can see the treeline running on the south side of the drive-in. A 1952 aerial photo shows that same treeline starting at the 3871 West, La Center, KY address and running south/southeast.
If an intersection is desired, then Paducah Road and Aspen Drive, La Center, KY is better because Aspen Drive is right across the street.
If the photograph is accurate, then the address was
3871 West, La Center, KY. It was located east of the Ballard Memorial School, which you can see in the foreground of the photo.
Today, the property holds a few businesses with the address being where the screen was located. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
You can still make out the ramps and foundation for the concession stand/projector booth. From the aerial photos, the property was mostly abandoned by the 1990s until 2008 when a residential or commercial structure was built.
Burwell Rd & Cortez Blvd is the closest intersection, so it makes for a good address.
To be more accurate, the drive-in itself is located about ¼ mile south of the intersection on the west side of the road. It was just on the south side of a large pond.
Today, the property is used for a pasture as cows are present in the street-level map. The ramps are still visible, but nothing else remains of the drive-in.
The name makes sense if it started out as an autoscope drive-in, then converted to a single, large screen as many of them did. But for whatever reason, they decided not to change the name.
Even with Cairo nearby, a 600-car drive-in seems awfully ambitious. My guess would be that they had plenty of cheap land to use, so there was no downside into making it that large.
While it is not unheard of to so totally demolish a drive-in that no trace exists, it does seem like overkill to do so thorough a job that they even took out the screen foundation and entrance just to make it farmland.
If it wasn’t for the advertising, I’d never believe that a 600-car drive-in theater would be built between two towns with a combined population in 1960 at about 1,700 people. Plus, about 15-20 miles from Paducah to boot.
Drive-In 54 has sharper eyes that me since I’m not seeing any place between the two towns that indicates anything approaching the size of the drive-in. So, it was totally demolished for farmland it appears.
Today, the property is empty with only the faint outline of drive-in remaining. It sits on the east side of US 6 and the south side of the Meadville Mall road.
A 1961 aerial photo shows the drive-in to be intact and seemingly operating.
Today, the property is an open field with hints of the ramps and outline remaining.
The 1961 and 1965 aerial photos show the drive-in fully intact and seemingly open. Is is possible that the drive-in remained open past 1957 or perhaps was sold and operated by another owner?
The address that Drive-In 54 cites is too far north.
In estimating the location of the drive-in, I used the only constants from the 1954 aerial up to today, which is the position of US 82 and County Road 2066. From that, the address is as I described on the north side of 2204 U.S. 82, Brownfield, TX.
That address is the business address of Rautbort Irrigation Equipment & Supplies which occupies the southern edge of the property the drive-in was located. It’s also clear that from the sheer number of rotting vehicles that it’s an auto salvage yard as well.
While no trace of the drive-in remains, it is an open field with lots of clutter, although it does retain the basic outline.
Whatever the administrator wants to use as a location is fine with me. I’m only pointing out that the address I gave does take up at least a little of where the drive-in once stood.
A closer address is 2204 U.S. 82, Brownfield, TX. The drive-in was located on the north side of the property.
Today, the property has a business or two on it, but it is mostly an open field on the north side of an auto salvage yard. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/yc6ub4cg
Found It!
The address is 111 Business 37 S, Clarksville, TX 75426.
The drive-in appears intact in a 1955 and 1964 aerial, so it is possible it was purchased after it was closed in 1955.
Today, the property is the home of Drilltech and the drive-in has been demolished. However, you can still clearly see the ramps.
https://tinyurl.com/ybbg3f3w
The site looks like an open field to me. You can still see the ramps clearly, but it is demolished.
A closer address is TX-55 and Ranch Road 335, Barksdale, TX.
The drive-in sat about a half-mile northwest of the intersection on the north side of TX-55.
Today, you can still see the ramps and outline of the drive-in.
https://tinyurl.com/y8qcxedz
Slight correction to the address. The drive-in was located near
TX-339 and Pintas Street, Benavides, TX.
The drive-in itself was on Pintas Street less than a quarter-mile east of the intersection on the north side of the road. It appears intact in a 1967 aerial photo.
Today, it is private property where a house once sat, but is no longer there. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/y8quxv2q
Current home of the New Life Church.
You can clearly see some of the ramps and screen foundation of the drive-in.
A closer address is 402 FM 1658, Bridgeport, TX. The drive-in was located just to the west of this location on the north side of the road.
Today, the property is home to Bridgeport Manufacturing with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/y9knnl5m
A closer address is 9590 US-283, Albany, TX.
The drive-in sat on the west side of the road. A 1964 aerial photos shows the drive-in being torn down with the screen gone.
Today, the property is split in half by an entrance road along with several businesses on either side. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/yb9aelxq
If so, it’s one big, commercial building of a house.
Why not look at the Google map and street view and make your own determination?
After looking at the Google Map, there is no sign of the concession stand. It appears to have been torn down and another, larger building stands in its place.
There is no trace of the drive-in remaining, save perhaps for the marquee, which is now being used as a sign for the salvage company on the site.
In the 1963 & 1965 aerial, the drive-in does not appear to be as “tiny” as the description indicates, but I have no definitive proof that it held more than 64 cars.
Today, the property is an empty field with no trace of the drive-in remaining save for remnants of the south fence that had extended from the screen.
I believe I found it.
A 1959 aerial reveals a drive-in located on the northeast corner of Texas Avenue & Crisp Road. The drive-in sat on the southwest side of the town.
Today, the Truck Parts & Supplies Company sits on the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
Note: I found no evidence of any drive-in located along Millcreek Road in the 1959 aerial.
https://tinyurl.com/y9cn2r9p
A closer address is 30166 Olive Dr, Lebanon, MO. This puts you right at the entrance to the drive-in itself. The drive-in was not present in a 1959 aerial photo, so it was constructed some time after that.
Today, there is little left of the drive-in. You can barely make out the ramps. However, the concession stand/projector booth may still be standing.
https://tinyurl.com/y832mpon
Google Street View from June, 2016 still shows the screen, ticket booth, and marquee up. A small house sits where the concession stand/projector booth was located.
I understand the desire to make the address an intersection, but the one currently listed is too far west.
In the photo, you can see the treeline running on the south side of the drive-in. A 1952 aerial photo shows that same treeline starting at the 3871 West, La Center, KY address and running south/southeast.
If an intersection is desired, then Paducah Road and Aspen Drive, La Center, KY is better because Aspen Drive is right across the street.
If the photograph is accurate, then the address was 3871 West, La Center, KY. It was located east of the Ballard Memorial School, which you can see in the foreground of the photo.
Today, the property holds a few businesses with the address being where the screen was located. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/ya25w2ny
The marquee appears to be long gone.
You can still make out the ramps and foundation for the concession stand/projector booth. From the aerial photos, the property was mostly abandoned by the 1990s until 2008 when a residential or commercial structure was built.
Burwell Rd & Cortez Blvd is the closest intersection, so it makes for a good address.
To be more accurate, the drive-in itself is located about ¼ mile south of the intersection on the west side of the road. It was just on the south side of a large pond.
Today, the property is used for a pasture as cows are present in the street-level map. The ramps are still visible, but nothing else remains of the drive-in.
The name makes sense if it started out as an autoscope drive-in, then converted to a single, large screen as many of them did. But for whatever reason, they decided not to change the name.
Even with Cairo nearby, a 600-car drive-in seems awfully ambitious. My guess would be that they had plenty of cheap land to use, so there was no downside into making it that large.
While it is not unheard of to so totally demolish a drive-in that no trace exists, it does seem like overkill to do so thorough a job that they even took out the screen foundation and entrance just to make it farmland.
I have to agree with Drive-In 54.
If it wasn’t for the advertising, I’d never believe that a 600-car drive-in theater would be built between two towns with a combined population in 1960 at about 1,700 people. Plus, about 15-20 miles from Paducah to boot.
Drive-In 54 has sharper eyes that me since I’m not seeing any place between the two towns that indicates anything approaching the size of the drive-in. So, it was totally demolished for farmland it appears.