The train station at that location makes sense as the tracks split in two direction just to the east. One going into town, the other heading southeast. Passengers travelling cross-country probably disembarked at the station and waited for a connecting train to their destination.
After zooming in on the photo, that is the back of the drive-in screen. The only question I have is the trees behind the screen, which seem more numerous than can be seen on historic aerials from 1955. But that is pretty minor.
The projection booth sat at the back of the lot instead of the middle.
The entrance to the drive-in was on Creel Road close to where Lithia Way would eventually be.
I’d say the 350 vehicle statement by the owners at the time is a typical exaggeration. The 1976 aerial shows six long ramps which would have to hold 50 cars each just to get to 300. The actual capacity was probably more like 225 to 250, IMHO.
MichaelKilgore - as you probably noticed, the Boxoffice report of the drive-in being one mile WEST of town is obviously wrong. It was a mile east of the town.
The projection booth/concession stand was still standing in 2017, but had been removed by 2019. There is now no trace of the drive-in remaining.
A 1950 aerial shows the drive-in still under construction, although it is nearly complete.
A 1958 aerial is more interesting because it shows a playground having been installed in front of the screen, something that was not there in a 1956 aerial. It’s all still there a year later.
So, a good question was when did the drive-in close during the 1950s, only to re-open in 1960. I guess it depends on what the phrase “closed for some time” means.
Because it makes little sense to build a playground if the drive-in was closed. But if it was still open in 1957/58 when it was built, then “closed for some time” would only mean a year or two.
By 1973 the drive-in had been demolished with a building located where the screen used to be.
The drive-in shows up well in a 1975 aerial. It was not much as all that is present are ramps, a fence, the screen, and a projection booth that looks too small to hold a proper snack bar and bathrooms.
By 1981, the fence was gone. It wouldn’t surprise me if it had closed by this time. The grass had grown over the ramps.
By 1991, it had been totally demolished with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
A slightly closer address is 194944 US-271, Antlers, OK.
This puts it right where the entrance roads use to be. Upon closer examination, there appears to be faint parch marks of a few of the ramps located behind the house.
I found the Hatch Drive-In. And while its setup is a little unusual, the screen and projection booth stuck out like a sore thumb. No matter the shape of the ramps or if there are no ramps, there should be a line and a box that signifies a screen and projection booth respectively.
If the information is correct, then the October, 1949 aerial would show Star-Lite with a standing screen and most likely be located on the edge of town where it has room to add more ramps. The difficulty with rebuilding suggests farmland that holds water close to the surface (like where I live).
The 1949 aerial on NETR is probably the same as EarthExplorer, which means that a drive-in should be visible, but I do not see anything resembling a screen at all, let alone one with a projection booth anywhere in or around the town.
That’s not to say it isn’t there. But what I can say is the 918 6th Street address has no screen, no projection booth, and no ramps, tracks, or any indication that cars have been parked on it recently. Apart from that, it sorta fits the general description in terms of size and location. But then again, so do a lot of areas around the town.
All I can say is that the 918 6th Street address is really problematic to be a drive-in. Aerial photos are time and date stamped and I’ve yet to run into one that has been proven to be wrong.
If I accept the 1949 aerial as fact, then that’s not the location of any drive-in that opened on March 26th of that year. Even if I assume the photo was taken in January, there is no evidence of any screen, booth, or construction which had to be there.
And in all likelihood, the aerial photo was taken after March 26th. Which means we would see the drive-in which was apparently still standing in July of the following year. And would certainly still be there in October of 1950, but according to your description it was not.
So, that’s not it. Unless it was the fastest construction and demolition job ever of which there is no evidence of that since the property became an auto salvage yard. Which means no need to demolish anything.
A closer address is 10034 14th Ave, Hanford, CA.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the projection booth/concession stand.
The screen was still standing in 1992, but long torn down by 2002.
The projection booth/concession stand has a large hole in the roof. The ticket booth is still there, but it has been consumed by bushes.
The train station at that location makes sense as the tracks split in two direction just to the east. One going into town, the other heading southeast. Passengers travelling cross-country probably disembarked at the station and waited for a connecting train to their destination.
After zooming in on the photo, that is the back of the drive-in screen. The only question I have is the trees behind the screen, which seem more numerous than can be seen on historic aerials from 1955. But that is pretty minor.
I’d say the photo is legit.
A closer address is 3825 Springs Rd NE, Conover, NC.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
Today, Sigmon’s Bark & Mulch operates on the property and all traces of the drive-in are gone.
https://tinyurl.com/3p4yzkam
The screen faced almost due south, which is unusual for drive-ins.
A 1984 aerial shows lots of debris on the property. It had clearly been closed for some time.
The projection booth sat at the back of the lot instead of the middle.
The entrance to the drive-in was on Creel Road close to where Lithia Way would eventually be.
I’d say the 350 vehicle statement by the owners at the time is a typical exaggeration. The 1976 aerial shows six long ramps which would have to hold 50 cars each just to get to 300. The actual capacity was probably more like 225 to 250, IMHO.
The only remnant of the drive-in remaining, apart from its general outline and hints of ramps, is the base of the marquee.
A closer address is 21697 WY-76, Rawlins, WY.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
A 1975 aerial shows the drive-in intact, but it looks like it closed years earlier. By 1980, it had been totally demolished.
Today, it is a ranch with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
The foundation of the ticket booth/concession stand has been removed or covered over.
A July 2024 Google Street View shows overgrown grass and no indication that the property was being prepared for reopening at least in the near future.
A closer address is 14000 US-283, Ness City, KS.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right where the screen used to be.
I was mistaken about the concession stand/projector booth. It appears to have been replaced by another building on the same foundation.
https://tinyurl.com/2m6ueepu
A closer address is 1475 Q Rd, Eureka, KS.
This puts it right in the middle of the lot. The drive-in was demolished by 1981, including the projector booth/concession stand.
https://tinyurl.com/4csdyhpa
MichaelKilgore - as you probably noticed, the Boxoffice report of the drive-in being one mile WEST of town is obviously wrong. It was a mile east of the town.
The projection booth/concession stand was still standing in 2017, but had been removed by 2019. There is now no trace of the drive-in remaining.
The old marquee as seen in the photo section is long gone. It was replaced before August of 2007.
A 1950 aerial shows the drive-in still under construction, although it is nearly complete.
A 1958 aerial is more interesting because it shows a playground having been installed in front of the screen, something that was not there in a 1956 aerial. It’s all still there a year later.
So, a good question was when did the drive-in close during the 1950s, only to re-open in 1960. I guess it depends on what the phrase “closed for some time” means.
Because it makes little sense to build a playground if the drive-in was closed. But if it was still open in 1957/58 when it was built, then “closed for some time” would only mean a year or two.
By 1973 the drive-in had been demolished with a building located where the screen used to be.
The area where the screen, projection booth, and ramps were located is still open and retains the general shape of the drive-in.
However, the area is crisscrossed with power lines and utility poles.
The drive-in shows up well in a 1975 aerial. It was not much as all that is present are ramps, a fence, the screen, and a projection booth that looks too small to hold a proper snack bar and bathrooms.
By 1981, the fence was gone. It wouldn’t surprise me if it had closed by this time. The grass had grown over the ramps.
By 1991, it had been totally demolished with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
Today, Gracelawn Cemetery is on the property.
A 1977 aerial shows the drive-in intact, although it doesn’t look to be in very good shape. It really looks like it was closed, but I can’t be 100%.
By 1983, it had been completely demolished. Today, no trace of it remains.
A slightly closer address is 194944 US-271, Antlers, OK.
This puts it right where the entrance roads use to be. Upon closer examination, there appears to be faint parch marks of a few of the ramps located behind the house.
https://tinyurl.com/mz48j5zr
A closer address is 13671 US-183, Hobart, OK.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
A 1957 aerial shows the drive-in intact and apparently operational. By 1983 it had been demolished.
Today, the Hobart Stockyards sits on the property. But you can still see the parch marks of some of the ramps.
https://tinyurl.com/579m25hn
I found the Hatch Drive-In. And while its setup is a little unusual, the screen and projection booth stuck out like a sore thumb. No matter the shape of the ramps or if there are no ramps, there should be a line and a box that signifies a screen and projection booth respectively.
If the information is correct, then the October, 1949 aerial would show Star-Lite with a standing screen and most likely be located on the edge of town where it has room to add more ramps. The difficulty with rebuilding suggests farmland that holds water close to the surface (like where I live).
The 1949 aerial on NETR is probably the same as EarthExplorer, which means that a drive-in should be visible, but I do not see anything resembling a screen at all, let alone one with a projection booth anywhere in or around the town.
That’s not to say it isn’t there. But what I can say is the 918 6th Street address has no screen, no projection booth, and no ramps, tracks, or any indication that cars have been parked on it recently. Apart from that, it sorta fits the general description in terms of size and location. But then again, so do a lot of areas around the town.
The Knight Drive-In closed in 1988 and was torn down in 1995.
At this point, I’m not sure what to think.
All I can say is that the 918 6th Street address is really problematic to be a drive-in. Aerial photos are time and date stamped and I’ve yet to run into one that has been proven to be wrong.
If I accept the 1949 aerial as fact, then that’s not the location of any drive-in that opened on March 26th of that year. Even if I assume the photo was taken in January, there is no evidence of any screen, booth, or construction which had to be there.
And in all likelihood, the aerial photo was taken after March 26th. Which means we would see the drive-in which was apparently still standing in July of the following year. And would certainly still be there in October of 1950, but according to your description it was not.
So, that’s not it. Unless it was the fastest construction and demolition job ever of which there is no evidence of that since the property became an auto salvage yard. Which means no need to demolish anything.
Apart from the tip of the northern part of the property, there is no trace of the drive-in remaining.