Pizza King Corner Crash

Crash at Broadway and Pacific c 1966For a second I thought this was the same crash at Pacific and Broadway I had already covered, but it was definitely a different one. One of the things I found interesting was that it captured the Pizza King, which was once the Last Chance – First Chance Saloon.

Vandeven Mercantile is on the left.

View east on Broadway

Crash at Broadway and Pacific c 1966Vandeven’s is on the right. You can see The Esquire, Wayne’s Grill, Radonics, Bodines and other lighted signs. This picture must have been taken later than the one below because the sign above proclaims “We’ve Gone Gulf.”

The old trolley tracks are visible in the middle of the street.

Station had been Cities Service

Looking east on Broadway from Pacific Street c 1966The station on the northeast corner of the intersection had been a Cities Service. Looks like the Bourbon billboard had been allowed to go blank in the later photo.

Howard’s on right

Crash at Broadway and Pacific c 1966The old Howard’s Athletic Goods was on the right. Howard’s moved into the Vandeven building in 2009, then SEMO tore down the old (ugly) landmark building for a parking lot.

View to the north

Crash at Broadway and Pacific c 1966Howard’s is on the left and the Gulf station is on the right. It’s warm enough that people are wearing light jackets, but I see the car on the left is still running snow tires. The banner mentions American Education Week, which is traditionally held in November, so it might be a warm, but rainy winter night. Those random white spots are caused by raindrops reflecting the camera’s flash.

Looks pretty minor (if it’s not YOUR car)

Crash at Broadway and Pacific c 1966I’m going to guess the guys in the background are involved in the crash in some way. They have The Look on their faces.

I’m guessing the wreck was minor enough that nobody was hurt. The best indication of that is that the windshields don’t have any head dents.

 

 

 

11 Replies to “Pizza King Corner Crash”

  1. If I remember correctly, Howard’s had something of a secondary store in the basement, called ‘Rat’s’. I believe they mainly sold SEMO themed sweatshirts, T shirts, jerseys and the like. (In those days, the campus store ‘The Co-op’ was nothing more than a hole in the wall to a store room in Memorial Hall. You’d stick your head in and tell them you needed some notebooks or whatever. Not the place you’d find any clothing or other SEMO memorabilia.)

  2. When I was a freshman at SEMO in 1967, you could have delivered a large pizza for $2.00 from the Pizza King, aka the Last Chance. My buddy Greg Garrison used to live above the bar in the apartment upstairs. I drank many a beer in that place and the second time, in 1975-1977, I came back to SEMO for more edumacation, I was a bartender there. It was owned by George Wulfers then Carl Mammenella in the 1970;s. I don’t even know if the building (or bar) is still there. Howards was across the street and the Dairy Queen was in the same parking lot.

  3. I see my dad’s Bill Board for Old Taylor 86 proof above Wayne’s Grill…The Gulf station looks pretty good, almost brand new!

  4. I too received multiple emails and wondered if you the late hours had got to you. But like you, I “liked” it. That’s the Cape I remembered.

  5. Second picture, the person on the right looks like Bill Withers. Picture 6 , person in middle looks like Jo (Hale) Duff’s brother and of course I can’t think of his first name now. Some of the other people look familiar but their names elude me.

  6. I also bartended at the 2nd chance, during the same period as Tim Luckett. Tim, if you see this, are you Jim’s brother?

  7. Hi Ken,

    Thanks for the information. Not that Howard’s and the First/Last Chance buildings were historical, but it seems there in Cape as it is here in Los Angeles that progress is measured in the destruction of old buildings for parking lots or sterile looking concrete structures (called buildings). There used to be beautiful old houses along Broadway across from Capaha Park SEMO tore down years ago for parking and what not. I lived in one of those houses for $15.00 a month in 1972.

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